dedlaw

This is my revised itinerary, based on comments submitted to my post on this topic from the other day (thanks Stu, Michael, Ira and StCirq). Again, the house we'll be renting is in Tremolat. There is still a fair amount of driving (which I enjoy), and part of the reason for this is that the other two couples sharing the house with us are each coming from and going in different directions before and after (if they aren't interested in parts of this, we may do that on our own, particularly Pech Merle and Figeac, as we'll be driving from and to Barcelona). Here is the new breakdown:

SUNDAY:
Market at St. Cyprien
Beynac - tour chateau
Castelnaud - tour chateau
La Roque-Gageac

MONDAY:
Sarlat
Jardins d'Eyrignac
Domme
Jardins de Marqueyssac (?)
Ch. des Milandes

TUESDAY:
Market at Le Bugue
St. Genies
Turenne
Collgnes-la-Rouge

WEDNESDAY:
Market at Cadouin (?)
Perch Merle
Figeac

THURSDAY:
Grotte Font-de-Gaume (reserved for 11 a.m.)
Lascaux II
St. Leon sur-Vezere
??

FRIDAY:
Rocamadour
L'Hospitalet
Gouffre de Padirac
Castelnau-Bretenoux (?)
Carennac
Martel

We'll be there in late May -- is it worth reserving ahead for Lascaux II, Pech Merle and Gouffre de Padirac? Reservations, of course, hem us in on times and could be money spent for nothing if we're too beat to push ourselves; but we wouldn't want to have the energy and find we're too late to see something. A tough choice, maybe.

Thanks again for any input you may have.

avalon

I wish I was as organized!

StCirq

Don't bother with the market at Cadouin. It's all the same vendors you will have already seen in St-Cyprien and Le Bugue, and it's a loooong way to Peche-Merle and Figeac and back. I'd go to Cadouin to see the abbey, but not on market day.

You should add La Roque St-Christophe to your Lascaux day, plus possibly Le Village Troglodytique de la Madeleine, since they're all right on the road to Lascaux.

I'd do Castelnaud and les Milandes on the same day, since they're practically side by side.

You're still making three long trips out of the region in six days. It would make more sense to have two bases, IMO, then to base in Trémolat (which is already quite a hike from the Sarlat area where most of the sites are concentrated) and keep venturing so far afield.

dedlaw

StCirq:

Thanks again -- I will probably add La Roque St-Christophe as you have suggested, just didn't put it down because of uncertainty about timing (as if THAT'S reflected in the rest of this schedule, ha!). We already have the house rented, and with three couples, even that arrangement was tricky (and limited available rentals in the area around Sarlat). As I've gotten into the specifics, I can see that a base where we are (or near Sarlat), and one further south would have been idea. Damn! Guess I'll have to return to the area.

Michael

On Wednesday I still would do Périgueux and the area around Brantôme. My prejudice.

StuDudley

On Tues, assemble everyone just after they wake up & take a vote to see if you want to visit the Le Bugue market. St Cyprien is a very nice market - but it can get crowded & hectic if you don't get there early. With 3 couples, it is sometimes hard to get everyone "up & at-em" to hit the market no later than 8:30am. If you get to St Cuprien around 10 - I think some people may vote to skip the la Bugue market. If you do skip the la Bugue market, that might give you some time left in the day to visit a "local" site (la Roque St Christophe, Proumeyssac, or anything you missed on Mon & Tues).

Otherwise, your plans looks fine - except there is a lot of neat stuff you don't have time for.

Stu Dudley

dedlaw

Thanks, Stu. I really hate the "a lot of neat stuff you don't have time for" part of this -- as hectic as some of these days might turn out, you're absolutely right about that.

As to "up and at 'em," we'll have two cars and six adults -- if the coffee doesn't get them moving in time, we may revert to Plan B, although as noted we don't expect that we'll all do the same things together every day (as an example, two years ago in Provence with one of the other couples, they biked up Mt. Ventoux twice during that week -- I can assure you we joined them at the top only once, and by car).

StuDudley

>>Thanks, Stu. I really hate the "a lot of neat stuff you don't have time for" part of this -- as hectic as some of these days might turn out, you're absolutely right about that.<<

That's why we decided to retire early & spend more time exploring France. We typically spend 2 weeks in one area before we move on to the next region. Still - 2 weeks is not nearly enough time for the Dordogne, Provence, Languedoc, Auvergne, or Brittany.

>>one of the other couples, they biked up Mt. Ventoux twice during that week <<

We've kinda "settled in" to Bedoin as our "base" in Provence - which is the traditional starting point for the Mt Ventoux climb. The "morning commute" in Bedoin is comprised of bicyclists heading out for the ascent. In the early evenings in Bedoin, the cafes are full of bicyclists who have finished the trip, and are now chugging beers & talking about their exploits. Typical attire for dinner is the bicycle jersey & shorts. We get pizza at a place that's both a bicycle rental shop & a pizza joint. We'll be in Bedoin this June.

Stu Dudley

dedlaw

Any thoughts on reserving at Lascaux, Pech Merle and Gouffre de Padirac?

StuDudley

Reserve the English tour at Pech Merle a week or two ahead
http://www.quercy.net/pechmerle/index.html

The Gouffre is not the type of thing you can reserve. You walk down stairs (or an elevator) to the place where the tour starts. They load people on boats until a boat is full, and then the boat takes off. Check their web site for lunch closings - which seems to be on/off type of a schedule.

Last year a friend tried to reserve in advance at Lascaux, and got lots of different/misleading/vague information about advance reservations. They just went there (Montignac) & picked up tickets for a tour a couple of days later. Post the question closer to your trip and try to find out what this year's story is.

Stu Dudley

dedlaw

This week's response re Lascaux was that tickets are available only on the day of the tour (except July and August, when they're available up to 3 or 4 days in advance).