Hallo Folks,

I got back last week from my brief trip to St �milion, Sarlat, and Figeac. In the end, I did only about � of what I�d planned, which I guess is usual. I drove a Ford Puma from Hertz, which I picked up at the Toulouse Airport, and they charged me for a GPS that I�d already selected and paid for with Autoeurope. I didn�t want to stand and argue about it, so I signed everything so I could be on my way.


The French roads I was apprehensive about and asked about here � were no problem at all! Well, with three exceptions: driving out of the Toulouse Airport, driving into medieval Figeac, and driving into Toulouse Airport looking for a gas station.


Leaving the Toulouse airport was really a GPS problem, not a problem of the road. The Hertz lady said she changed the GPS voice to German for me (which was weird because she knew I am American, and we had been speaking English for 30 minutes), but of course she hadn�t. It was easy to switch from French to English, and I input the address and started off. What I didn�t realize was that someone had muted the voice, so all I had was the blue line on the map �. But I was busy keeping my eyes on the circles and signs of the parking lots and exits, so couldn�t do more than glance at the screen occasionally. Apparently I managed to luck into the right direction, and I eventually got to fiddle with the GPS and unmute it, then everything was fine.


Until Figeac, at the end of my trip. Driving into Figeac was definitely an experience. Usually, narrow, ancient streets in medieval towns are blocked for pedestrian/bike use only, but in Figeac, those narrow lanes are busy with cars, SUVs, panel vans, and delivery vans. The Puma screeched at me nonstop that the buildings were too close to the sides of the car. But I did get to the hotel and its parking lot with no damage.


And the final road chaos was driving back into Toulouse Airport. I had input the address of a gas station near the airport, and while whizzing down the highway at 90 kph in heavy traffic, GPS lady brightly chirped that I had arrived at my destination. There were no gas stations anywhere near me. There is no place to turn off & pull over � just the highway and a series of round-abouts. I turned around and just followed the half-inch signs to the airport, then more half-inch signs to �Location Voiture� and happily paid for the empty tank.


Other than those incidents, the roads were fine. They were well-marked, with pleasant scenery (well, I guess I am partial to the landscape of Bavaria�.), and comfortable to drive. I didn�t encounter any scary no-barrier mountain or hill roads, so yaay, I was happy. I was also happy to have an EC debit card from a German bank for the tolls on the highway � was way easy.



I was surprised at the low density of traffic on the highways and roads. Though I�ve only been driving for a short time in Germany, I usually encounter a Stau (traffic jam) on the highway; in fact, there was only one time I drove the Autobahn without a Stau, and that was coming home from the Munich airport on a Sunday morning. And this, despite the heavy use of trains in Germany. In France I didn�t encounter any traffic jams at all, and the train system is less developed, so I got curious. The population density in Germany is 240 folks per square km, and in France, it is 119 people per square km, so France has about half the population density of Germany. Also there always seems to be construction going on on German Autobahns, and that causes many of the Staus. And then the lack of a speed limit in many places on the Autobahn, and a resulting crash, could also contribute.



My first stop was St �milion, which, oh my word, took my breath away. I arrived at about noon and checked into the Hotel Badon Boutique, then explored the village. I ate at a pizzeria recommended by the hotel, and it was just OK. I spent the rest of the day taking photos and exploring. The next day, I explored some more, mainly of the upper town around the Clo�tre des Cordeliers, ate at Chai Pascal, which was great, then had a tour of the monolithic church. It was somewhat underwhelming. I found the upper town to be much more interesting. The wines I had with meals were stunning.

Here are some photos of St �milion --

Nice photos. That tower view over the rooftops is lovely.
Exploring those uneven, steep, cobbled lanes must have been delightful, ..and a workout.

Glad it worked out for you, and you enjoyed the trip.

We once nearly got stuck in a medieval village in France in the camper. Google sent us into the village, but didn't indicate there was a big festival on and the wide main street was closed, forcing us into narrower and narrower streets, in the 6m long 2.2metre wide camper van. One particular corner was a very tight challenge but we manage to escape with only nerves shredded.

Autobahn are full of queues and diversions and roadworks, some of which seem to be permanent fixtures. The diversions are often full of queues, diversions and roadworks too. Add to that the lack of speed limit on some sections and it makes for anything but a relaxing drive. We usually avoid them if we can.

Those villages are very good for your legs, although it often doesn't seem so at the time.

Thank you, Adelaidean!! I really got tired of the slippery cobblestones on the second day

Holy cow hetismij!! That was a narrow (lol) escape! I bet you got very wary from then on. I agree -- the Autobahn can be hairy.

Well I wasn't going for a full workout Kerouac! I only went up once each day. I don't have as much problem with the steepness as with balance. I just hung onto the iron rail, and all was good, lol

The drive to Sarlat took about 2h30, and was pleasant and easy. One can�t drive into the town, and there are a few free parking lots on the edge of town. I parked at the free Parking Plantier on Chemin du Plantier, then trudged into town with the luggage. The apartment hostess was very kind and let me leave my bags, so I went off to get something to eat and found the restaurant Gueule & Gosier just steps from the apartment; there I discovered what Magret de Canard is supposed to taste like! It was amazing. Then I went to explore & snap photos, and to shop for toilet paper & basics. Later, I did laundry, unpacked, and crashed.

The next day was exhausting. I arranged several days of tours with Ophorus, and today was the National Museum of Prehistory in Les Eyzies, the cave at Rouffignac, and finally the reproduction cave Lasceaux IV. It was great to have a guide through the museum, so he could stop and discuss the important exhibits. The cave at Rouffignac was next, and it was wonderful � you ride in an electric open-air train through the cave, with a device that has English explanations of the art you�re seeing. At the same time, the cave�s guide chatted non-stop in French, so obviously we missed a lot of information and stories. We had about 90 minutes for lunch on our own, then we drove to Lasceaux IV, which blew me away. This was the most interesting and beautiful part of the day, but unfortunately, by now my back was done with walking & standing. I was about to enter one of the small movie rooms, but the automatic door closed in my face, and I hadn�t the energy to wait for the next showing or to look for another movie room. I absolutely want to go back and do this again, and do it at the start of a day so I can go through it twice and/or stay longer in the studio, to see the reproduction pieces up close and go through several animations. Didn�t do much else that day but crash.























Look at these tiles in herringbone!





Prehistory museum





Entrance to Rouffignac



Lasceaux IV building

Germany stopped paying for autobahn repairs ages ago for at least 10 years and have been paying even more so now to catch up. Plus the car is an emotional thing for a German. So the higher density, the hard work they do and the habit of using them takes it toll.

Love your report and photos! You have a good eye for composition and details! We stayed in Sarlat in 2015, and we also visited Rouffignac and many other caves. We visited Lascaux II. We loved the Dordogne!

My rental car of preference is generally a Fiat 500 even for long trips, so it is rare for me to worry about narrow village streets.

Am greatly enjoying this TR and stunning pictures, thanks swandav2000! We planned to visit the Bordeaux region and Dordogne in spring 2021, but Covid put a stop to it. Hopefully in 2025, as we have scheduled Galapagos and South America for 2024.

Swandav, thank you so much! We’ll be following somewhat in your footsteps in a few weeks. Good guidance on pacing oneself.

That warm golden sandstone, that wisteria …😍😍

We were in the Dordogne last week and the wisteria was just glorious. It seemed to be everywhere and against the lovely golden stone was gorgeous.

Oh, thanks guys!

billoburgler -- the Germans, in my experience, hold emotional attachments to most things that they own, and care for them extremely well, whether cars or homes or pets or clothes.... But yes there does seem to be constant re-newing projects and maintenence work on the Autobahns.

Karen -- oh thank you!! Yes this was a revelation! I am now struggling to find the time for a return!

Kerouac-- Yup the car was another fail. I'd just upgraded my personal auto from a Mazda 2 to a CX-30, courtesy of a hail storm and a very generous insurance payment (wonderfully, they get about the same mileage). So I thought I'd replicate that experience.... bad, bad idea!

geetika -- thank you, thank you! Hope you do get to it in the next few years; it is wonderfully rewarding. I was only there for 4 nights, so I'd first suggest a much longer satay!

FTOttawa -- ooh thank you! I know you'll have a blast!

Adelaidean -- Yes!! It was just such a lovely town, everywhere I looked!

rhon -- Yes, absolutely. It was an accident of timing on my part.

The next morning I did a morning “Marketplace tour”; it was market day in town, so the tiny lanes were crammed with temporary stalls and shoppers and umbrellas Yes it was raining. The tour was fantastic, with the guide taking us to the best local producers of foie gras, explaining how it’s sold and what you can do with it, and the best producers of walnut products (the walnut aperitif is amazing). Afterward, we went inside a small grocer/caf� for walnut pie, walnut cake, and coffee. It was yumm! Afterward, I had a decent but not great lunch, and I can’t even remember the restaurant’s name. Then shopping for some things I’d forgotten, and back to the apartment.

The last full day in Sarlat was another combined itinerary – Domme, La Roque-Gagneac, and Beynac castle. And again, I loved each part and wished I had done them separately. I’d want to spend a full day in Domme and a full day at the castle. Notes for the return visit! Then I ate again at the Gueule & Gosier, thankful for great food.


I fell in love with Domme ...













La Roque-Gagneac





















Beynac Castle

We loved La Rogue-Gagneac and Beynac Castle! Didn't Richard the Lion-Hearted sleep at Beynac?

Karen -- yes, they are hoth very special, I think! And yes that's why I was interested in Beynac!

It wasn't a smooth exit, leaving Sarlat. When you rent a vacation apartment in many places in Europe, it’s a common request to empty the garbage when you leave. Well, that’s fine, as that usually means that you take the bags down to the cellar. Except. These medieval streets are not wide enough for cars and also apparently not wide enough for garbage trucks, as the garbage and recycling bins are outside of the center. So after I checked out, I had the delight of hauling my cases, my coat, and the garbage through the narrow, cobbled streets to the bin center, depositing the refuse, and then hauling the cases and the coat to the car. It was not fun.

One thing I hated about the apartment I rented was that the toilet was faaar away from the bed. It was 37 steps from the bed. I counted. On one of the nights when I had to go a few times during the night. Which is every night. Thirty seven steps from climbing out of bed with an aged bladder in a dark, unfamiliar apartment, leaving the bedroom, crossing the living/dining room, and going halfway down a hall. So, folks, learn from my fail here – when you rent an apartment, make sure you know how far away the toilet will be. And maybe ask about the garbage….

Last stop, Figeac. Birthplace of Jean-Fran�ois Champollion, b. 1790, who in 1822 published the first breakthrough in the deciphering of the Rosetta Stone hieroglyphics. Also birthplace of the actor Charles Boyer, b. 1899.

After I arrived, I had a great lunch at a vegetarian restaurant, one of about 4 that were open on a Monday in this town of 9,764. Walking around, I grabbed a self-guided tour map of Figeac from the tourist info office for 0.30 € and will do that tomorrow. I am loving this comfortable hotel, with room service, convenient USB plugs, and a toilet that is 10 steps from the bed. I bet they won’t even ask me to take out my trash when I check out.

This is a beautiful town. This may be what Sarlat was like before it marketed itself so well. Ok, it’s not quite so visually stunning, but it is very pretty. I love the way the past co-exists with the present here – there are thriving modern shops and modern homes inside ancient buildings, and the tiny ancient streets are busy with cars all the day long. And my hotel, the Mercure Figeac, is another example; it is a thoroughly modern and comfortable hotel inside of an old castle.

I enjoyed the self-guided walking tour, then had lunch at La Racine et la Moelle, which was very good, then back to the hotel to crash and to pack.

Of course, having only 4 nights in Sarlat was far too few. On my return visit to the area, I would plan to stay at least 9 nights: a full day at Lasceaux IV, a full day at Domme, a day for St Cirq & Pech Merle, a day for Rocamadour, a day for a castle or maybe two, a day in Souillac, a day just to wander and discover Sarlat, and a rest day (as an introvert, this is vital).

And I highly, highly recommend Ophorus tours. They were genuinely concerned with my needs, and their guides had grown up in the area and were steeped in prehistory and gastronomy. I thought their tours were well worth the money and would use them again, no question.


Figeac











































The hotel

We always stay in self catering and you are usually required to dispose of your rubbish into the recycling, bottles and household rubbish places in town. We have been staying in self catering since 2006 and it has always been that way. We were in the Dordogne and the owner took the household rubbish because the town bins were locked and needed an app or something to open. That was a first for us. The rest, our recycling and bottles we took to the bins on the edge of the village.
This week we are in the Bearn and on a country road that does get rubbish pick up and have a recycling and general bin. Glass, namely wine bottles, go to the drop off containers along the road. Havin a bin is most unusual for us.