Dordogne and Paris - April/May 2013
Jan 21st, 2014, 01:38 PM
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Dordogne and Paris - April/May 2013
We've been home for months, now, and it's past time to share some details of another great visit to our favorite European country. My husband and wonderful travel partner and driver, P, and I, have made many trips to France over the past nearly thirty years. Lately our plans have been to spend half the time exploring a region new to us, and the other half in Paris. This time we chose the Dordogne for our new region and loved it.
After spending a first night in Paris, we took the train to Angoulême where we picked up a car. Then drove via Brantôme and Bourdeilles to our rental in St.-Crépin near Sarlat. At the end of our stay there, we drove to Toulouse where we returned the car and spent the night before returning to Paris by train. Our second week was spent in Paris.
Thank you all who took the time to post trip reports or beautiful photos, or answer a question about visiting the Dordogne/Périgord region. It was unknown territory for us and your generous contributions to this forum were very helpful.
DAYS 1 & 2
Our trip started mid-morning with the drive from our home in southern Maine to Portsmouth NH where we left our car and took the bus to Boston Logan Airport.
We used almost all our remaining frequent flyer miles and flew Delta to Paris with a connection in Amsterdam. In the past we had always been able to do this using the Air France non-stop to Paris, but this time, with the limited miles we had, only the connection through Amsterdam in both directions was offered. It was a terrible schedule, leaving Boston at around 5:30 p.m., arriving Amsterdam at 5:30 a.m., then a 4-hour layover before the Air France flight to Paris. But it was free, so I won't complain.
The Delta flight to Amsterdam was pleasant enough on a newer Airbus. At Schiphol we found a quiet corner where we waited for our gate to be posted for the AF flight to Paris. That flight was delayed for over an hour then cancelled. I was impressed that KLM agents walked the waiting passengers over to an area where at least a dozen agents were rapidly rebooking everyone and after about 30 minutes we were given boarding passes for a flight leaving very shortly. We arrived at CDG and our checked bag was already going around on the carousel when we got to the baggage claim area.
We walked to the RER station where we bought tickets to Paris and a Metro carnet for future use. I also went into the Relay store there and bought a €5 Lebara recharge ticket for our phone. Then we took the RER B to the Port Royal station, a few blocks from our hotel.
By the time we reached the Hôtel de la Paix Montparnasse, those few blocks had turned into a good 20-minute walk and we were pretty hot, tired and wondering why we hadn't had the good sense to take a taxi.
After a short rest in our very nice, air-conditioned room, we set out to find somewhere to get something to eat and walked into Chez Fernand on the Boulevard Montparnasse. The waiter was friendly and the food good, although I don't remember the details since by this time all I wanted was to get back to the hotel and a good night's sleep.
After spending a first night in Paris, we took the train to Angoulême where we picked up a car. Then drove via Brantôme and Bourdeilles to our rental in St.-Crépin near Sarlat. At the end of our stay there, we drove to Toulouse where we returned the car and spent the night before returning to Paris by train. Our second week was spent in Paris.
Thank you all who took the time to post trip reports or beautiful photos, or answer a question about visiting the Dordogne/Périgord region. It was unknown territory for us and your generous contributions to this forum were very helpful.
DAYS 1 & 2
Our trip started mid-morning with the drive from our home in southern Maine to Portsmouth NH where we left our car and took the bus to Boston Logan Airport.
We used almost all our remaining frequent flyer miles and flew Delta to Paris with a connection in Amsterdam. In the past we had always been able to do this using the Air France non-stop to Paris, but this time, with the limited miles we had, only the connection through Amsterdam in both directions was offered. It was a terrible schedule, leaving Boston at around 5:30 p.m., arriving Amsterdam at 5:30 a.m., then a 4-hour layover before the Air France flight to Paris. But it was free, so I won't complain.
The Delta flight to Amsterdam was pleasant enough on a newer Airbus. At Schiphol we found a quiet corner where we waited for our gate to be posted for the AF flight to Paris. That flight was delayed for over an hour then cancelled. I was impressed that KLM agents walked the waiting passengers over to an area where at least a dozen agents were rapidly rebooking everyone and after about 30 minutes we were given boarding passes for a flight leaving very shortly. We arrived at CDG and our checked bag was already going around on the carousel when we got to the baggage claim area.
We walked to the RER station where we bought tickets to Paris and a Metro carnet for future use. I also went into the Relay store there and bought a €5 Lebara recharge ticket for our phone. Then we took the RER B to the Port Royal station, a few blocks from our hotel.
By the time we reached the Hôtel de la Paix Montparnasse, those few blocks had turned into a good 20-minute walk and we were pretty hot, tired and wondering why we hadn't had the good sense to take a taxi.
After a short rest in our very nice, air-conditioned room, we set out to find somewhere to get something to eat and walked into Chez Fernand on the Boulevard Montparnasse. The waiter was friendly and the food good, although I don't remember the details since by this time all I wanted was to get back to the hotel and a good night's sleep.
Jan 22nd, 2014, 11:10 AM
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Thank you all for your encouragement!
Day 3 -
We liked the Hotel de la Paix Montparnasse. The staff were all pleasant and helpful, and the room very comfortable. Our rate for the night was €120.
http://www.paris-montparnasse-hotel.com/en/
The wake-up call was right on time, we got up, got organized, went down for breakfast, and ordered a taxi.
We chose this hotel mostly because of its proximity to both the RER B line and the Gare Montparnasse. But, as I've already said, we were not quite close enough to the RER, and, as it turned out, we were not far enough from the station.
The taxi arrived, bags were loaded, we got in and told the driver that our destination was the Gare Montparnasse. What??? You called a taxi for such a short trip??? Why don't you walk??? Even though I understood exactly what he had said, I decided my best tactic would be to act as if I didn't have a clue what he was saying and sit quietly. Eventually he drove off and muttered all the way to the station about his bad luck in having to do such a short run. (By the way, this is the second such taxi driver rant we've experienced in Paris. What's with this? What's their minimum acceptable distance?)
We arrived at the station 30 minutes prior to our train time and went to the waiting room where I was interested to see a small bookshelf with both adult and children's selections for passengers who needed something to read. At exactly 20 minutes prior to departure, the platform was posted for our TGV to Angoulême. After a very long walk out the platform, we found our car, boarded, and settled into our 1st class seats, singles, face to face across a table. Since I knew that this was the train we needed, I had gone online three months before and bought our tickets for €42 each.
A few minutes after the scheduled departure time, the announcement was made that there was a "problème technique" and we would have to disembark and move to a different train. After our experience the day before with the cancelled flight, I was starting to wonder if we were in for ongoing transportation issues, but we boarded the alternate train and left, 30 minutes late.
I'll say more about this later, but this train ride provided my first experience with my new Nexus 7 tablet and its GPS capability offline. I had saved Google maps for offline use for the area between Paris and Angoulême and it was fun to see where we were along the route. It was also useful to see when we were nearly to Angoulême so we could prepare to get off quickly.
A highlight of the train ride was the sight of a small herd of tiny roe deer in a field. I had no idea there were deer that small. Beautiful.
In Angoulême we walked out to the taxi station and were fortunate to get into the taxi of a lovely woman who knew the Europcar location where we were to pick up our car. We had chosen a location other than the rail station to avoid the €39 fee for rail station pick-up. Our taxi fare was €6. The Europcar people were ready for us, and soon we were off in a little diesel Hyundai i20 that we liked very much. We had, as usual, booked the rental with AutoEurope. It came to $179.32 for a week plus a €39 additional driver charge. Insurance was covered by American Express for $24.95.
Our first stop was Brantôme for lunch and a look around. We wanted a light lunch and found just the right place, Au Nid des Thés - http://www.au-nid-des-thes.fr/en/au_...on_de_the.html . I had a tarte chèvre with tomatoes and courgettes, salad, a glass of rosé and a scrumptious dessert. P had a gratin of potatoes, mushrooms and beef, salad, a glass of artisanal beer and a different scrumptious dessert. The total tab for all this was €28.
After our very satisfying lunch, we walked around this picturesque town for thirty minutes or so. We needed to get to our rental in St.-Crépin-et-Carlucet around 5:00, so we had to move along in that direction. Our next stop was in Bourdeilles, another beautiful small town, which we reached after a pretty drive along the Dronne River. Again, just time for enough of a look to be glad we had taken the short side trip there. Then we headed for Périgueux, the autoroute, and our apartment at Les Granges Hautes - http://www.les-granges-hautes.fr/en/...ages/index.htm
Our apartment (the one on the right in the picture on the website) was perfect for us. It's one of two on the grounds of a beautiful B&B whose owners, Béatrice and Jean-Yves Fauste are very welcoming and helpful. The location was very convenient for Sarlat, and for getting to all the other villages and sites we wanted to see along the Dordogne and Vézère, yet it was tucked away in a very quiet spot away from any noise. The apartment is what the French call a "duplex," meaning two-story. The ground floor has an open living room with comfortable seating, and a beautiful kitchen with a dining table. Under the stairs is a tiny room with a toilet and a washing machine (no dryer). Upstairs is a large bedroom with a vaulted ceiling. The king bed is very comfortable and the bed linens are high quality. The bathroom consists of a large, nicely-tiled walk-in shower, a large pedestal sink, and a large dresser. There is no toilet upstairs, which was a bit of a surprise. It didn't really bother us, but might be a concern for some. Bedroom and bathroom lighting were good. The only other small concern was occasional WiFi problems. Early mornings were always OK, but late afternoon into the evening was sometimes iffy. We really enjoyed our stay there and would certainly go back.
After checking in, we went to the small Intermarché in Salignac and stocked up on some essentials. Had a light supper, unpacked, and went to bed. After three heavy travel days, I was happy to be settling here and looked forward to a week of exploring a new (for us) part of France.
Day 3 -
We liked the Hotel de la Paix Montparnasse. The staff were all pleasant and helpful, and the room very comfortable. Our rate for the night was €120.
http://www.paris-montparnasse-hotel.com/en/
The wake-up call was right on time, we got up, got organized, went down for breakfast, and ordered a taxi.
We chose this hotel mostly because of its proximity to both the RER B line and the Gare Montparnasse. But, as I've already said, we were not quite close enough to the RER, and, as it turned out, we were not far enough from the station.
The taxi arrived, bags were loaded, we got in and told the driver that our destination was the Gare Montparnasse. What??? You called a taxi for such a short trip??? Why don't you walk??? Even though I understood exactly what he had said, I decided my best tactic would be to act as if I didn't have a clue what he was saying and sit quietly. Eventually he drove off and muttered all the way to the station about his bad luck in having to do such a short run. (By the way, this is the second such taxi driver rant we've experienced in Paris. What's with this? What's their minimum acceptable distance?)
We arrived at the station 30 minutes prior to our train time and went to the waiting room where I was interested to see a small bookshelf with both adult and children's selections for passengers who needed something to read. At exactly 20 minutes prior to departure, the platform was posted for our TGV to Angoulême. After a very long walk out the platform, we found our car, boarded, and settled into our 1st class seats, singles, face to face across a table. Since I knew that this was the train we needed, I had gone online three months before and bought our tickets for €42 each.
A few minutes after the scheduled departure time, the announcement was made that there was a "problème technique" and we would have to disembark and move to a different train. After our experience the day before with the cancelled flight, I was starting to wonder if we were in for ongoing transportation issues, but we boarded the alternate train and left, 30 minutes late.
I'll say more about this later, but this train ride provided my first experience with my new Nexus 7 tablet and its GPS capability offline. I had saved Google maps for offline use for the area between Paris and Angoulême and it was fun to see where we were along the route. It was also useful to see when we were nearly to Angoulême so we could prepare to get off quickly.
A highlight of the train ride was the sight of a small herd of tiny roe deer in a field. I had no idea there were deer that small. Beautiful.
In Angoulême we walked out to the taxi station and were fortunate to get into the taxi of a lovely woman who knew the Europcar location where we were to pick up our car. We had chosen a location other than the rail station to avoid the €39 fee for rail station pick-up. Our taxi fare was €6. The Europcar people were ready for us, and soon we were off in a little diesel Hyundai i20 that we liked very much. We had, as usual, booked the rental with AutoEurope. It came to $179.32 for a week plus a €39 additional driver charge. Insurance was covered by American Express for $24.95.
Our first stop was Brantôme for lunch and a look around. We wanted a light lunch and found just the right place, Au Nid des Thés - http://www.au-nid-des-thes.fr/en/au_...on_de_the.html . I had a tarte chèvre with tomatoes and courgettes, salad, a glass of rosé and a scrumptious dessert. P had a gratin of potatoes, mushrooms and beef, salad, a glass of artisanal beer and a different scrumptious dessert. The total tab for all this was €28.
After our very satisfying lunch, we walked around this picturesque town for thirty minutes or so. We needed to get to our rental in St.-Crépin-et-Carlucet around 5:00, so we had to move along in that direction. Our next stop was in Bourdeilles, another beautiful small town, which we reached after a pretty drive along the Dronne River. Again, just time for enough of a look to be glad we had taken the short side trip there. Then we headed for Périgueux, the autoroute, and our apartment at Les Granges Hautes - http://www.les-granges-hautes.fr/en/...ages/index.htm
Our apartment (the one on the right in the picture on the website) was perfect for us. It's one of two on the grounds of a beautiful B&B whose owners, Béatrice and Jean-Yves Fauste are very welcoming and helpful. The location was very convenient for Sarlat, and for getting to all the other villages and sites we wanted to see along the Dordogne and Vézère, yet it was tucked away in a very quiet spot away from any noise. The apartment is what the French call a "duplex," meaning two-story. The ground floor has an open living room with comfortable seating, and a beautiful kitchen with a dining table. Under the stairs is a tiny room with a toilet and a washing machine (no dryer). Upstairs is a large bedroom with a vaulted ceiling. The king bed is very comfortable and the bed linens are high quality. The bathroom consists of a large, nicely-tiled walk-in shower, a large pedestal sink, and a large dresser. There is no toilet upstairs, which was a bit of a surprise. It didn't really bother us, but might be a concern for some. Bedroom and bathroom lighting were good. The only other small concern was occasional WiFi problems. Early mornings were always OK, but late afternoon into the evening was sometimes iffy. We really enjoyed our stay there and would certainly go back.
After checking in, we went to the small Intermarché in Salignac and stocked up on some essentials. Had a light supper, unpacked, and went to bed. After three heavy travel days, I was happy to be settling here and looked forward to a week of exploring a new (for us) part of France.
Jan 22nd, 2014, 07:08 PM
#9
I've had the chastised-for-too-short-distance-thing happen before. I was with my mom and it was hot, and she absolutely wanted to take a cab to lunch. Good idea on pretending not understand. My mom had no clue, that's for sure.
Roe deer! What a thrill.
Roe deer! What a thrill.
Jan 23rd, 2014, 01:16 PM
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Leely2, glad I'm not the only one. To be fair, we have had some great taxi drivers in Paris and elsewhere, but it's hard to bite my tongue and remain silent when one of these guys decides a couple of seniors with baggage should be walking. I wonder if they are required to take passengers no matter how short the distance. Yes, the roe deer were a thrill. At first I thought they were large dogs, then realized they were deer.
Now on to Day 4 -
This morning we set off for Beynac and La Roque Gageac on the Dordogne. Driving south through Sarlat, we enjoyed the springtime scenery of blooming fruit trees, redbud and wisteria everywhere.
In Beynac we drove up to the chateau, looked around, but did not do an inside tour. We've been traveling in Europe for years and nowadays, unless there is something specific we want to see in a castle, we pretty much don't spend the time to go in. After going back down to the river level, we spent some time walking around the town before heading for La Roque Gageac.
There, we left almost immediately on a Gabares Norbert boat tour - http://www.gabarres.com/us/gabare-boat-trip.htm . The guide was excellent, but the commentary was in French. I speak French, P doesn't, so he was given a headset with English commentary. Our friendly guide was quick to point out to me some of the additional information he was giving that wasn't on the English recording. Lots of history of centuries on the river, plus stories of terrible floods. You can see marks on some of the buildings in town where the water rose, in some cases, up to the second story level.
During the last few minutes of our boat ride, the sky looked increasingly threatening. After disembarking, as we walked along looking for a lunch spot, the heavens opened and we ducked into the first restaurant we came to, L'Ancre d'Or. They have a large terrace, but a very small indoor space and we got the last open table. One very hardworking waitress took good care of everyone and we enjoyed our lunch of salade de gesiers for me and confit de canard for P. This restaurant has mixed reviews, but we had no complaints and the price was reasonable.
After lunch we headed up the road to Les Eyzies. I wanted to visit the Font de Gaume ticket office to chat with the people there about a strategy for getting to see that cave during the next few days. They recommended we come Sunday morning and arrive at the ticket office before 8:30.
On the way back to St.-Crépin, we went to St.-Geniès, a lovely old village.. Someone on this forum had mentioned a special bread that was made there, but the boulangerie was closed when we got there, so no special bread. Had a light dinner chez nous. It was a good first day.
Now on to Day 4 -
This morning we set off for Beynac and La Roque Gageac on the Dordogne. Driving south through Sarlat, we enjoyed the springtime scenery of blooming fruit trees, redbud and wisteria everywhere.
In Beynac we drove up to the chateau, looked around, but did not do an inside tour. We've been traveling in Europe for years and nowadays, unless there is something specific we want to see in a castle, we pretty much don't spend the time to go in. After going back down to the river level, we spent some time walking around the town before heading for La Roque Gageac.
There, we left almost immediately on a Gabares Norbert boat tour - http://www.gabarres.com/us/gabare-boat-trip.htm . The guide was excellent, but the commentary was in French. I speak French, P doesn't, so he was given a headset with English commentary. Our friendly guide was quick to point out to me some of the additional information he was giving that wasn't on the English recording. Lots of history of centuries on the river, plus stories of terrible floods. You can see marks on some of the buildings in town where the water rose, in some cases, up to the second story level.
During the last few minutes of our boat ride, the sky looked increasingly threatening. After disembarking, as we walked along looking for a lunch spot, the heavens opened and we ducked into the first restaurant we came to, L'Ancre d'Or. They have a large terrace, but a very small indoor space and we got the last open table. One very hardworking waitress took good care of everyone and we enjoyed our lunch of salade de gesiers for me and confit de canard for P. This restaurant has mixed reviews, but we had no complaints and the price was reasonable.
After lunch we headed up the road to Les Eyzies. I wanted to visit the Font de Gaume ticket office to chat with the people there about a strategy for getting to see that cave during the next few days. They recommended we come Sunday morning and arrive at the ticket office before 8:30.
On the way back to St.-Crépin, we went to St.-Geniès, a lovely old village.. Someone on this forum had mentioned a special bread that was made there, but the boulangerie was closed when we got there, so no special bread. Had a light dinner chez nous. It was a good first day.
Jan 23rd, 2014, 03:38 PM
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<<They recommended we come Sunday morning and arrive at the ticket office before 8:30.>>
I hope you got in, because they "recommend" lots of things, depending on whom you talk to, but very often, no matter what time you get there, you don't get in. If you did, you were lucky indeed!
I hope you got in, because they "recommend" lots of things, depending on whom you talk to, but very often, no matter what time you get there, you don't get in. If you did, you were lucky indeed!
Jan 24th, 2014, 02:04 PM
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StCirq - Stay tuned for Day 6.
francebound - Hope you find something helpful here. It's a wonderful area with so much to see.
denisea - I was really impressed with KLM's efficiency.
bon_voyage - We really liked that location. Where did you stay?
Now it's Day 5 -
Since it was Saturday morning, we headed into Sarlat for the market. Found a good parking spot near the tourist office and went there to pick up a walking tour map. Sarlat is a beautiful old town and the market was busy. P was thrilled to find beautiful garriguettes strawberries. We bought our first rotisserie chicken of the trip, and some veggies. There are some nice shops and I bought some little ceramic garlic graters to take home for gifts.
After an hour or more, we left and stopped to shop in the large Carrefour on the way back to our apartment. We also made a note of the posted times their fuel station attendant would be there since our chip and signature credit card didn't work at the pump. After a good lunch with the rotisserie chicken and potatoes, we then headed over to La Roque St.-Christophe, a very interesting site in a shelter of a cliff high over the Vézère river - http://www.roque-st-christophe.com/ . This site was occupied in prehistoric times, but it was truly amazing that an entire town was built up there in the Middle Ages, and most of the exhibits are about that era.
Next we stopped in one of my favorite places of the trip, St.-Léon-sur-Vézère. What a beautiful village on the river with its little romanesque church and two châteaux.
We then decided to go to Montignac to get tickets for a tour of Lascaux II for Monday or Tuesday, and were happily surprised to find tickets were available for the next English tour in thirty minutes. So we headed out of town to the site. Our guide was excellent and provided us an in-depth and interesting introduction to cave art, as well as a thorough explication of the art at Lascaux II. Although some say it's better to visit Lascaux II after seeing other caves because its art is more impressive, we thought the information we took away from Lascaux II gave us much more knowledge and context for what we saw in the other caves we visited.
This had been a busy day, so it was early to bed after a glass of our landlord's delicious homemade vin de noix and a very light supper. We have an early start tomorrow for Font de Gaume.
francebound - Hope you find something helpful here. It's a wonderful area with so much to see.
denisea - I was really impressed with KLM's efficiency.
bon_voyage - We really liked that location. Where did you stay?
Now it's Day 5 -
Since it was Saturday morning, we headed into Sarlat for the market. Found a good parking spot near the tourist office and went there to pick up a walking tour map. Sarlat is a beautiful old town and the market was busy. P was thrilled to find beautiful garriguettes strawberries. We bought our first rotisserie chicken of the trip, and some veggies. There are some nice shops and I bought some little ceramic garlic graters to take home for gifts.
After an hour or more, we left and stopped to shop in the large Carrefour on the way back to our apartment. We also made a note of the posted times their fuel station attendant would be there since our chip and signature credit card didn't work at the pump. After a good lunch with the rotisserie chicken and potatoes, we then headed over to La Roque St.-Christophe, a very interesting site in a shelter of a cliff high over the Vézère river - http://www.roque-st-christophe.com/ . This site was occupied in prehistoric times, but it was truly amazing that an entire town was built up there in the Middle Ages, and most of the exhibits are about that era.
Next we stopped in one of my favorite places of the trip, St.-Léon-sur-Vézère. What a beautiful village on the river with its little romanesque church and two châteaux.
We then decided to go to Montignac to get tickets for a tour of Lascaux II for Monday or Tuesday, and were happily surprised to find tickets were available for the next English tour in thirty minutes. So we headed out of town to the site. Our guide was excellent and provided us an in-depth and interesting introduction to cave art, as well as a thorough explication of the art at Lascaux II. Although some say it's better to visit Lascaux II after seeing other caves because its art is more impressive, we thought the information we took away from Lascaux II gave us much more knowledge and context for what we saw in the other caves we visited.
This had been a busy day, so it was early to bed after a glass of our landlord's delicious homemade vin de noix and a very light supper. We have an early start tomorrow for Font de Gaume.
Jan 24th, 2014, 05:28 PM
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MaineGG, the rental was named Chantepierre, located behind Les Granges Hautes, off the little road to old St-Crepin. When our landlords were called away due to the birth of a grandchild, they gave us the names of the owners at LGH to contact were we to need anything.
Jan 26th, 2014, 09:13 AM
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bon_voyage - Chantepierre looks lovely. I love all the beautiful golden stone buildings around there.
Thanks, aussie_10.
Day 6 -
Up very early, breakfasted and out the door at 7:30 for the drive to Les Eyzies. Months before I had emailed Font de Gaume for reservations and been advised that they were not going to allow advance reservations in 2013, and, furthermore, they were cutting the number of daily visitors to 80. Tickets would be available daily on a first-come, first-served basis. We arrived at the ticket office at 8:15 and there were already at least 25 people in line. Since it was drizzling, we stayed in the car until quite a few more people arrived, then queued for the last 30 minutes before the ticket office opened at 9:30. By that time, there were more than 80 people in line.
We took the first available tour at 10:00, in French, since the first English tour wasn't until 11:00. I am fairly fluent in French, and P understands a little, so we were fine with this. I was happy, though, that we had all the background information from Lascaux II before this visit. The guide, a woman who had been a guide here for many years, was wonderful. She obviously had great love and respect for the cave and its art and communicated a thorough knowledge of her subject. For me, the iconic painting of the male and female reindeer was a highlight. What a thrill it was to see these beautiful works of art from 14,000 years ago.
Going back into Les Eyzies, we stopped at the Pôle International de la Préhistoire and were glad we did. First of all, they have very nice restrooms (always important). But they also have some interesting exhibits about prehistoric man, and a lot of information about all the prehistoric sites in the Vézère Valley.
We had coffee and a snack at a nice boulangerie on the main street of Les Eyzies. They had some great looking baguette sandwiches there, so we got a couple and left for the Jardins de Marqueyssac where we had a picnic in the company of a gorgeous strutting peacock.
I'm not really too interested in gardens, generally, but the setting of these gardens atop a long, high plateau is stunning. We walked the Promenade des Falaises along the edge of the cliff to enjoy the wonderful views over the Dordogne and countryside.
Then we headed across the river to the Château des Milandes. I've always been interested in Josephine Baker and wanted to see her home and all the memorabilia in it. What an interesting life she had, moving from poverty in St. Louis to New York, then Paris, where still in her twenties she became an enormously successful entertainer. She was awarded the Medal of the Resistance, Croix de Guerre and Légion d'Honneur for her work during World War II. Having no children of her own, she adopted 12 children of various races, nationalities and ethnicities. There is much of interest here and it is well displayed. We stayed for the birds of prey show in the garden. It was very well done and we enjoyed it.
After another very full, but very satisfying day, we went home to St.-Crépin, had a light supper and went to bed. Tomorrow, the Gouffre de Padirac and more beaux villages.
Thanks, aussie_10.
Day 6 -
Up very early, breakfasted and out the door at 7:30 for the drive to Les Eyzies. Months before I had emailed Font de Gaume for reservations and been advised that they were not going to allow advance reservations in 2013, and, furthermore, they were cutting the number of daily visitors to 80. Tickets would be available daily on a first-come, first-served basis. We arrived at the ticket office at 8:15 and there were already at least 25 people in line. Since it was drizzling, we stayed in the car until quite a few more people arrived, then queued for the last 30 minutes before the ticket office opened at 9:30. By that time, there were more than 80 people in line.
We took the first available tour at 10:00, in French, since the first English tour wasn't until 11:00. I am fairly fluent in French, and P understands a little, so we were fine with this. I was happy, though, that we had all the background information from Lascaux II before this visit. The guide, a woman who had been a guide here for many years, was wonderful. She obviously had great love and respect for the cave and its art and communicated a thorough knowledge of her subject. For me, the iconic painting of the male and female reindeer was a highlight. What a thrill it was to see these beautiful works of art from 14,000 years ago.
Going back into Les Eyzies, we stopped at the Pôle International de la Préhistoire and were glad we did. First of all, they have very nice restrooms (always important). But they also have some interesting exhibits about prehistoric man, and a lot of information about all the prehistoric sites in the Vézère Valley.
We had coffee and a snack at a nice boulangerie on the main street of Les Eyzies. They had some great looking baguette sandwiches there, so we got a couple and left for the Jardins de Marqueyssac where we had a picnic in the company of a gorgeous strutting peacock.
I'm not really too interested in gardens, generally, but the setting of these gardens atop a long, high plateau is stunning. We walked the Promenade des Falaises along the edge of the cliff to enjoy the wonderful views over the Dordogne and countryside.
Then we headed across the river to the Château des Milandes. I've always been interested in Josephine Baker and wanted to see her home and all the memorabilia in it. What an interesting life she had, moving from poverty in St. Louis to New York, then Paris, where still in her twenties she became an enormously successful entertainer. She was awarded the Medal of the Resistance, Croix de Guerre and Légion d'Honneur for her work during World War II. Having no children of her own, she adopted 12 children of various races, nationalities and ethnicities. There is much of interest here and it is well displayed. We stayed for the birds of prey show in the garden. It was very well done and we enjoyed it.
After another very full, but very satisfying day, we went home to St.-Crépin, had a light supper and went to bed. Tomorrow, the Gouffre de Padirac and more beaux villages.
Jan 26th, 2014, 10:45 AM
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What a great day! It sounds like you planned well for a chance to see Font de Gaume.
Hopefully the drizzle held off for your picnic in the gardens.
Can you recommend some good background reading about Josephine Baker's life?
Hopefully the drizzle held off for your picnic in the gardens.
Can you recommend some good background reading about Josephine Baker's life?
Jan 27th, 2014, 08:55 AM
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francebound - It was a great day with no rain after mid-morning. We were pretty lucky to have very little rain (except for the last day) in the area. About Josephine Baker's life, I have not read any of the biographies I see on Amazon, but several look interesting. The Wikipedia article has a lot of information that seems well-sourced. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephine_Baker
Here's Day 7 -
The plan for today was to go to the Gouffre de Padirac - http://www.gouffre-de-padirac.com/#/en , then see what else we could see over in that direction. Possibilities were Rocamadour, Autoire, Loubressac, Carennac and Martel.
We started off through Salignac to Souillac where we somehow took a wrong turn, but were soon back on the right road. I mention this since we went through Souillac twice more and also got off track both times. There's something a little off about the signage there, I think.
A note here about navigating...
We used the Michelin map 329, the 1:150000 regional map. In addition, I used Google maps saved on my Nexus 7 tablet. Being able to see exactly where we were using its GPS was very useful in confirming that we had taken a correct turn and were on the right road. And when we came to a town or village, it provided a detailed local map.
We got to Padirac and arrived at the Gouffre to find no wait for tickets. Shortly we went down the elevator and walked to the boat dock. In a few minutes we boarded a skiff for our tour and were off down the underground river. The boatman/guide provided commentary in a very different accent that I had a hard time understanding. We were soon put ashore in the charge of another guide for a walking tour. He was much easier to understand. Suddenly we emerged into a huge cavernous space and I could see the walkway ascending to a very high level. I'm not much of a climber, but I managed to make it to the top of what seemed like a 10-story building (probably exaggerated, but I was pretty challenged) before we eventually descended to the river level to reboard our boat for the trip back.
When we reached the dock at the end of the tour, there were many people in line to board boats. When we got back to the entrance at the top, there were many, many people in line extending outside for a long way to buy tickets. You can buy tickets online for this cave, but once down the elevator, there's no telling how many people will be in line to board boats. We were there on a Monday in late April, not high season, so it could be pretty time-consuming during the season.
Having said that, this was an interesting cave experience and I would recommend it.
We left Padirac and drove to Autoire, then on to Loubressac where we parked and walked around for awhile. This is another really picturesque village, up high with lovely views of Castelnau Bretenoux in the distance.
Then on to Carennac where we had lovely large salades composées in the Calypso Bodega restaurant. Mine with magret sèche, P's with three cheeses. After lunch we spent some time walking around this pretty old town.
Then, a choice had to be made between Rocamadour and Martel and we chose Martel. Martel doesn't have the visual impact of Rocamadour, but it is a beautiful medieval town and was interesting to see.
Our last visit of the day was to the little Château de Lacypierre which is practically next door to our apartment. It's really charming and well worth a look.
Tomorrow will be our last day before we head south.
Here's Day 7 -
The plan for today was to go to the Gouffre de Padirac - http://www.gouffre-de-padirac.com/#/en , then see what else we could see over in that direction. Possibilities were Rocamadour, Autoire, Loubressac, Carennac and Martel.
We started off through Salignac to Souillac where we somehow took a wrong turn, but were soon back on the right road. I mention this since we went through Souillac twice more and also got off track both times. There's something a little off about the signage there, I think.
A note here about navigating...
We used the Michelin map 329, the 1:150000 regional map. In addition, I used Google maps saved on my Nexus 7 tablet. Being able to see exactly where we were using its GPS was very useful in confirming that we had taken a correct turn and were on the right road. And when we came to a town or village, it provided a detailed local map.
We got to Padirac and arrived at the Gouffre to find no wait for tickets. Shortly we went down the elevator and walked to the boat dock. In a few minutes we boarded a skiff for our tour and were off down the underground river. The boatman/guide provided commentary in a very different accent that I had a hard time understanding. We were soon put ashore in the charge of another guide for a walking tour. He was much easier to understand. Suddenly we emerged into a huge cavernous space and I could see the walkway ascending to a very high level. I'm not much of a climber, but I managed to make it to the top of what seemed like a 10-story building (probably exaggerated, but I was pretty challenged) before we eventually descended to the river level to reboard our boat for the trip back.
When we reached the dock at the end of the tour, there were many people in line to board boats. When we got back to the entrance at the top, there were many, many people in line extending outside for a long way to buy tickets. You can buy tickets online for this cave, but once down the elevator, there's no telling how many people will be in line to board boats. We were there on a Monday in late April, not high season, so it could be pretty time-consuming during the season.
Having said that, this was an interesting cave experience and I would recommend it.
We left Padirac and drove to Autoire, then on to Loubressac where we parked and walked around for awhile. This is another really picturesque village, up high with lovely views of Castelnau Bretenoux in the distance.
Then on to Carennac where we had lovely large salades composées in the Calypso Bodega restaurant. Mine with magret sèche, P's with three cheeses. After lunch we spent some time walking around this pretty old town.
Then, a choice had to be made between Rocamadour and Martel and we chose Martel. Martel doesn't have the visual impact of Rocamadour, but it is a beautiful medieval town and was interesting to see.
Our last visit of the day was to the little Château de Lacypierre which is practically next door to our apartment. It's really charming and well worth a look.
Tomorrow will be our last day before we head south.
