A Few Days in the Dordogne

Sunday 31 August - Tuesday 2 September

There is so much to see and do in the Dordogne department that it was difficult to know what to pick for our three days here.   I was keen to venture into the Perigord Vert area north-west of our base in Perigueux, and as Gerri was a first time visitor, some of the most celebrated sights had to be on our list, particularly those in Perigord Noir.  We have been blessed with endless sunshine and warm temperatures which show off this beautiful region so well.  The honey coloured stone of the houses looks amazing against the blue of the sky.
Despite the Saturday night revelry in the centre of town we slept well and decided that a picnic would be just the thing on Sunday.  We drove north for around half an hour to the very lovely town of Brantome which is largely situated on an island in the River Dronne and is home to a spectacularly sited abbey.

Abbey and River Donne, Brantome

  The Benedictine abbey which dates from 769 stands at the base of a tall cliff which is dotted with troglodyte caves.  The river passes in front and old stone bridges lead across to the town.  Further along the river there is a lovely park on one side and pretty houses on the opposite bank.  The gorgeous gardens are another feature of this rather special town.

Brantome

Being Sunday there was quite a crowd of visitors all doing the same us us - strolling through the streets, browsing the little shops, stopping for coffee or lunch (several attractive restaurants) and soaking up the atmosphere.  A leisurely and really enjoyable start to our day.

Beautiful riverside restaurant, Brantome

From Brantome we drove a short way downstream to Bourdeilles, a smaller town perched on a hill overlooking the river, and home to a very substantial fortress style medieval chateau (13th C).  We parked at the bottom of the hill adjacent to a little riverside park where we had our picnic lunch watching the antics of the local ducks and canoeists cavorting on the water.  Idyllic really!  After lunch we walked across the old stone bridge and admired the lovely views of the castle before driving up into the town.

Bourdeilles, also on the River Dronne

Our final stop for the day was an hour further west, but still on the river, the village (Plus Beaux) of Aubeterre-sur-Dronne, which is actually in the departement of Charente (Poitou-Charente region).
Yet another gorgeous little town tumbling down a hillside to the river, where quite a large number of people were enjoying a Sunday afternoon at a little sandy beach.  The views of the beautiful countryside from the top of the town are really worth the climb up the hill.  We strolled about and then settled ourselves at a cafe table under the trees in the town square for coffee and crepes - yum!
It is such a joy to sit and watch the world go by in these lovely places and there were lots of others doing the same on this last day of the French school holidays.  I had a long chat with the English owner of a cup cake shop - a long term resident of the town who felt that he was living in a little piece of paradise.  Couldn't help but agree!

Aubeterre-sur-Dronne

We set off for home in Perigueux very pleased with our first day in the Dordogne, and also very delighted with the long sunny evenings of the French summer - daylight saving is so sensible!

Our second day in Perigueux and we decided to visit two of the Dordogne highlights, Sarlat-la-Caneda and Domme, taking a circular route east, then south to the Dordogne River, westwards along the river valley and then north through Le Bugue.  Sarlat can be very crowded but on this fine sunny Monday morning it was pleasantly quiet - so nice to stroll the beautiful streets without wall-to-wall tourists. The gorgeous golden sandstone buildings certainly look at their best in the sunlight and the lauze (cut stone) roofs draw the eye with their turrets and steep pitches.

Fine houses, Sarlat

  Gerri was delighted to find some favourite tapestries to take home and we both enjoyed browsing in some of the galleries and shops that line the cobbled streets.  The houses in the medieval quarter are very grand, formerly the homes of wealthy merchants.   I was treated to a very good four course lunch by Gerri at the Mirandol Restaurant where we sat out on one of the narrow little lanes that lead off the main square.  It even had its own grotto complete with river.

Main square, Sarlat

From Sarlat we drove to Domme which sits high on a promontory overlooking the Dordogne River valley - another beautiful village of golden sandstone houses and flowers everywhere.  Unlike Sarlat, the houses here are more country cottage than grand but the views are stupendous. - meandering river, fields of corn and occasionally tobacco and of course the walnut plantations for which the area is famous.  Small hamlets of stone buildings dot the landscape and the hills in the distance rise above high cliffs which were home to troglodyte cave dwellers in the past.

Dordogne Valley - view from Domme

  We enjoyed  coffee on the terrace overlooking the valley before setting off to drive home along the northern side of the river through La Roque Gageau, Beynac and Siorac-sur Dordogne - a lovely drive. Finally we took the road north through the market town of Le Bugue and back to Perigueux.
After all our driving in the past few days we opted to stay and explore Perigueux on foot for our final day in the Dordogne.  Very easy - down the stairs and out the door and we were in the middle of the old town - pedestrianised cobble streets, pretty little tree-shaded squares and quaint shops to poke about in.  Perigueux has a magnificent Byzantine style cathedral, St Front, originating from the 6th century with a huge and beautiful organ and famous bells.  We did hear the organist practicing which was magnificent and on several occasions the bells pealing out over the town. The interior of the cathedral is quite austere but the soaring domes are very impressive.  A lovely cool place on a hot sunny day.

St Front Cathedral, Perigueux

 Besides the old medieval town, Perigueux has a lovely park which extends along the banks of the River Isle.  All in all Perigueux (population 30,000) has been a charming and very easy town to visit for a few days and of course the easy access to many of the beautiful sites of the Dordogne has been a bonus.  We have thoroughly enjoyed this land of walnuts and foie gras - although not to eat!