Hausfrau's Berner Oberland - Rhone - Dordogne - Massif Central - Picardie Trip Report
Mar 31st, 2007, 12:23 PM
#22
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schuba, please know that I indulge very rarely.
DAY 6: WESTWARD TO THE DORDOGNE
We said a fond farewell to La Treille Muscate in the morning and stopped in Mirmande (where we ate dinner on Monday night) to have a look around. The village literally tumbles down the hillside in a mass of stone walls and tile roofs, with crazy twisting stairways and secret nooks around every corner. I quickly made my way up to the top of the hill, which is crowned by an ancient stone church, and took in the incredible view of the valley out over the tiled rooftops.
Our next destination was the Dordogne Valley, and to get there we had to cut across the Massif Central – the vast, sparsely populated region in the very center of France. We would be returning to this region after our visit to the Dordogne, and the landscape definitely looked intriguing. We circled around the north side of the Puy-de-Dôme, an extinct volcanic peak, and had some navigational difficulties because we ended up on a brand new freeway that was not in Susie’s memory banks. Let’s just say that Susie was very, very confused. For a while we were just a black arrow wandering aimlessly across a field of gray, with no roads in sight. Every time a road appeared within a few kilometers of our location, Susie desperately encouraged us to proceed towards it. When we didn’t obey her instructions, she would tell us to make a U-turn, and would then fall silent for a few minutes until the next road appeared in her sights. Finally we got back onto a highway that Susie recognized, and all was right with the world.
I was doing the driving today, with DD as co-driver. Never having driven in the Dordogne before, I scarcely remembered the impossibly narrow road along the river, with sculpted limestone cliffs on one side and the riverbank falling away on the other. We crossed the river and climbed up the steep, switchbacking road to the bastide town of Domme, arriving at about six o’clock in the evening. Fortunately DM and DD had stayed at our hotel before – L’Esplanade – otherwise we might not have found it (apparently the town has laws against the posting of directional signs for hotels, which are quite typical in other French towns). We parked the car and were checked in by the kindly matron of the family. Our rooms were on the third floor, comfortable (and very, very pink) with good-sized bathrooms, but the real prize was the view of the Dordogne Valley stretching out below us. We quickly deposited our things and headed out to enjoy the evening – which turned out to be the prettiest sunset of our four-night stay. First we took in the magical valley panorama just a few feet from our hotel, then went for a walk around town. Domme is fairly mobbed with tourists during the day, but the combination of it being late October and late in the day meant that there were only a few other people wandering around. We watched the setting sun light up the stone walls of the ancient church and surrounding houses, then walked down the main street, which is lined with shops selling foie gras and pâté. We walked down to the public garden at the far end of town and watched the clouds turn a brilliant shade of magenta, reflected in the waters of the river far below us. As the light faded from the sky, we made our way back to the hotel for a memorable dining experience.
Dinner in L’Esplanade’s gorgeous blue-and-yellow dining room definitely deserves the praises lavished upon it. This was the most elegant (and expensive) meal of our trip, the service was formal but friendly, and the presentation and food were impeccable. We ordered off the 40 and 47 Euro menus. The “taste of the chef” included chestnut soup with almond slivers, smoked ham on toast, salmon with aubergine caviar, and a mysterious square “cake” that tasted vaguely of yellow squash. Our meals were consistently excellent. DM had a fabulous mushroom and ham encroute with sautéed wild mushrooms and nuts, followed by venison stew accompanied by pasta with a cacao sauce (she couldn’t taste the cacao), and a trio of sorbets (cassis, raspberry, and mango). DD had smoked truite (actually salmon) four ways – rolled and stuffed with aubergine caviar, stuffed in a roasted pepper, rolled and stuffed with fresh chèvre, and another roll stuffed with a creamy herb filling, followed by steak with sautéed mushrooms and roasted potatoes, and a trio of chocolate desserts – ice cream, torte, and something that looked like a solid block of fudge. I had a foie gras terrine with citrus gelatin and red onion marmalade, langoustine ravioli with a delicate sauce of carrot and ginger, and chestnut mousse in a chocolate “box” with meringue, all of which were wonderful. DH had the truite appetizer, steak with a mushroom “patty” and arugula salad, and the “death by chocolate” dessert. My mouth is watering just thinking about all of this…If we hadn’t wanted to explore some other restaurants with our limited time, we would have considered eating here again.
Next: La Roque-Gageac and Castelnaud
DAY 6: WESTWARD TO THE DORDOGNE
We said a fond farewell to La Treille Muscate in the morning and stopped in Mirmande (where we ate dinner on Monday night) to have a look around. The village literally tumbles down the hillside in a mass of stone walls and tile roofs, with crazy twisting stairways and secret nooks around every corner. I quickly made my way up to the top of the hill, which is crowned by an ancient stone church, and took in the incredible view of the valley out over the tiled rooftops.
Our next destination was the Dordogne Valley, and to get there we had to cut across the Massif Central – the vast, sparsely populated region in the very center of France. We would be returning to this region after our visit to the Dordogne, and the landscape definitely looked intriguing. We circled around the north side of the Puy-de-Dôme, an extinct volcanic peak, and had some navigational difficulties because we ended up on a brand new freeway that was not in Susie’s memory banks. Let’s just say that Susie was very, very confused. For a while we were just a black arrow wandering aimlessly across a field of gray, with no roads in sight. Every time a road appeared within a few kilometers of our location, Susie desperately encouraged us to proceed towards it. When we didn’t obey her instructions, she would tell us to make a U-turn, and would then fall silent for a few minutes until the next road appeared in her sights. Finally we got back onto a highway that Susie recognized, and all was right with the world.
I was doing the driving today, with DD as co-driver. Never having driven in the Dordogne before, I scarcely remembered the impossibly narrow road along the river, with sculpted limestone cliffs on one side and the riverbank falling away on the other. We crossed the river and climbed up the steep, switchbacking road to the bastide town of Domme, arriving at about six o’clock in the evening. Fortunately DM and DD had stayed at our hotel before – L’Esplanade – otherwise we might not have found it (apparently the town has laws against the posting of directional signs for hotels, which are quite typical in other French towns). We parked the car and were checked in by the kindly matron of the family. Our rooms were on the third floor, comfortable (and very, very pink) with good-sized bathrooms, but the real prize was the view of the Dordogne Valley stretching out below us. We quickly deposited our things and headed out to enjoy the evening – which turned out to be the prettiest sunset of our four-night stay. First we took in the magical valley panorama just a few feet from our hotel, then went for a walk around town. Domme is fairly mobbed with tourists during the day, but the combination of it being late October and late in the day meant that there were only a few other people wandering around. We watched the setting sun light up the stone walls of the ancient church and surrounding houses, then walked down the main street, which is lined with shops selling foie gras and pâté. We walked down to the public garden at the far end of town and watched the clouds turn a brilliant shade of magenta, reflected in the waters of the river far below us. As the light faded from the sky, we made our way back to the hotel for a memorable dining experience.
Dinner in L’Esplanade’s gorgeous blue-and-yellow dining room definitely deserves the praises lavished upon it. This was the most elegant (and expensive) meal of our trip, the service was formal but friendly, and the presentation and food were impeccable. We ordered off the 40 and 47 Euro menus. The “taste of the chef” included chestnut soup with almond slivers, smoked ham on toast, salmon with aubergine caviar, and a mysterious square “cake” that tasted vaguely of yellow squash. Our meals were consistently excellent. DM had a fabulous mushroom and ham encroute with sautéed wild mushrooms and nuts, followed by venison stew accompanied by pasta with a cacao sauce (she couldn’t taste the cacao), and a trio of sorbets (cassis, raspberry, and mango). DD had smoked truite (actually salmon) four ways – rolled and stuffed with aubergine caviar, stuffed in a roasted pepper, rolled and stuffed with fresh chèvre, and another roll stuffed with a creamy herb filling, followed by steak with sautéed mushrooms and roasted potatoes, and a trio of chocolate desserts – ice cream, torte, and something that looked like a solid block of fudge. I had a foie gras terrine with citrus gelatin and red onion marmalade, langoustine ravioli with a delicate sauce of carrot and ginger, and chestnut mousse in a chocolate “box” with meringue, all of which were wonderful. DH had the truite appetizer, steak with a mushroom “patty” and arugula salad, and the “death by chocolate” dessert. My mouth is watering just thinking about all of this…If we hadn’t wanted to explore some other restaurants with our limited time, we would have considered eating here again.
Next: La Roque-Gageac and Castelnaud
Apr 1st, 2007, 08:43 AM
#24
hi, hausfrau,
if you carry on like this, they'll be selling your livers as foie gras substitute!
we thought Domme a funny place - so touristy, that there's nothing left. But we weren't staying there so perhaps that is unfair. [there's a few places in Cornwall like that too!]
looking forward to more,
regards, ann
if you carry on like this, they'll be selling your livers as foie gras substitute!
we thought Domme a funny place - so touristy, that there's nothing left. But we weren't staying there so perhaps that is unfair. [there's a few places in Cornwall like that too!]
looking forward to more,
regards, ann
Apr 1st, 2007, 09:36 PM
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Hausfrau - I'm enjoying reading about your journey. We visited the Kandersteg area years ago, and I have beautiful memories of a lovely, still lake. It had been raining on and off on the day we visited, so we didn't explore much beyond that point; we have the area on a mental list to take our children to, and they'll love the places you walked/hiked to. And as we're returning to the Dordogne to visit this May, I'm enjoying, and looking forward to, that part of your trip. My mouth waters to read your description of your dinner at l'Esplanade!
Apr 2nd, 2007, 12:22 AM
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annhig: beware, more foie gras ahead! ;-) I know what you mean about Domme, but it really is a different place at night. And keep in mind that this was the very end of October (which happens to be a gorgeous time to view the valley).
Thanks all for the positive feedback!
DAY 7: LA ROQUE-GAGEAC & CASTELNAUD
We awoke to look out our windows on a transformed world – a soupy gray fog completely masked the valley. We enjoyed a classic breakfast of flaky croissants and baguette at the hotel and did a little shopping in Domme before heading out for the day. A small market was set up in the main square so we bought some cheese, fruit, and wild boar salami for lunch. DM and I also did a little shopping at a cute clothing store in town. The fog had lifted by the time we set out, but it was a cloudy, hazy sort of day.
Our first stop of the day was the picturesque riverside village of La Roque-Gageac. The image of this tiny town nestled along the river, with limestone cliffs rising above it, has been etched into my brain for the past seventeen years. I couldn’t get over seeing the very same ivy-covered stone houses (they have been standing for centuries, so I shouldn’t be surprised that they appear largely unchanged) and lovely gardens nestled up against the cliffs. La Roque-Gageac also has some impressive Troglodyte (cave-dwelling) ruins built into the cliffs. These had been restored since my last visit, because there is now an official entrance for the “Troglodyte Fort” and a sturdy wooden stairway built into the cliff, where I remembered there being only the shambles of a spindly metal staircase before. Unfortunately the place was all shuttered up and closed for the season. There were “private property” signs all over the place but we were able to wander around some of the ruins that were accessible from the street. La Roque-Gageac also has some Troglodyte houses that are still lived-in. They look like normal houses from the front, but within a few feet they merge with the cliff, and most of the dwellings are actually built into the cliffs. Someday I want to see inside one of these houses! We stopped and made a reservation at La Belle Étoile for tomorrow night. We ate a picnic lunch in the riverside park and then drove on to Castelnaud, following the signs to the visitor parking lot above the town.
I have fond memories of Castelnaud – a massive medieval fortress perched on a limestone outcropping high above the Dordogne River. The Dordogne Valley has a storied history as a battleground between the French and the English, and in some cases fortresses only a few miles apart were held by opposing forces for years at a time. During the Hundred Years’ War (14th century), Castelnaud sat squarely on the divide between English Aquitaine and lands controlled by the French. Castelnaud remained under English control until 1442, when a final siege ordered by Charles VII of France led to the surrender of the castle in exchange for 400 gold crowns. The castle was fairly impregnable from the river, but was exposed on its northern side. For this reason a series of massive ramparts were constructed to protect the castle from attack, remnants of which still stand today.
The castle has been carefully restored over the past forty years, since being listed as a historical monument in 1966. The main attraction is an impressive museum of medieval warfare, complete with several full-scale replicas of trebuchets and catapults mounted on the ramparts. It is worth buying the laminated explanatory brochure for a few Euros. An excellent self-guided tour takes you up dark spiral stairways and through voluminous thick-walled chambers. The exhibits include various cannons, an early “machine gun,” and an impressive collection of cross-bows. The museum also features several excellent short films that vividly recreate medieval warfare, castle construction, and armor fabrication. I was particularly impressed by the video and display detailing the creation of a knight’s suit of armor, outlining the painstaking process by which a block of layered metal is transformed into a single plate of armor. After touring the castle, we enjoyed the impressive albeit cloudy view of the valley from the ramparts, all the way from Beynac to La Roque-Gageac. The castle also has a thriving kitchen garden full of fragrant herbs.
We drove back to Domme and wandered around for a bit looking for a place for dinner. We wanted to try Cabanoix & Chataigne, which had been highly recommended on Fodor’s, but when I called they said they would not be open until Saturday (my French failed me, but the woman on the phone was very nice and spoke some English). I made a reservation for Saturday and we walked around until we found a restaurant called Le Pot de Fer (The Iron Pot) just around the corner that looked cozy and promising.
Our experience at Le Pot de Fer was marvelous – there was only one other family dining there that evening, so we pretty much had the place to ourselves. It is run by Patricia and Jean-Marc, a wonderful French couple who have been living in Belgium but decided to pursue their dream of opening a restaurant. They bought the building, an ancient stone structure with lovely arched windows, and live in the upstairs apartment. The dining room is tiny but they manage to stay afloat with just the two of them working one seating each night – Patricia as hostess/server and Jean-Marc as chef – although they do enlist some extra hands in the height of the summer season. They just opened this past spring and will return to Belgium for the winter.
Despite a few rough spots, it was a wonderful meal. We started with generous kirs, except DM who, at the insistence of Patricia, tried the house aperitif – a mixture of Belgian herbal liqueur, orange juice, and gin, which was quite tasty. We ordered from the 26 Euro menu (which I think was the most expensive option – one of the lunch menus was as low as 11 Euro). DM, DH and I all had the warm foie gras – a generous portion, sliced and served piping hot with caramelized apples. Perfect. DD had a salad with goose gizzards and duck carpaccio which was also very good. DM, DD and I all had the magret de canard with orange sauce – again a huge portion and perfectly cooked – with a nice potato gratin. We agreed that the duck breast should be served sliced instead of whole (frankly we could have done with half the portion) and the sauce need to be reduced a touch more. DH had salmon with rice pilaf, which was just ordinary. For dessert DM had the house special, walnut cake, which was fabulous – a delicious light cake layered with whipped cream and chocolate. DD had sorbet, I had crème brulée, and DH had café ligeoise. Jean-Marc came out to meet us at the end of our meal and Patricia brought us a round of anise-flavored liqueur on the house. All in all it was a lovely evening and I really hope that this place is successful.
Next: Les Jardins de Marqueyssac & Beynac
Thanks all for the positive feedback!
DAY 7: LA ROQUE-GAGEAC & CASTELNAUD
We awoke to look out our windows on a transformed world – a soupy gray fog completely masked the valley. We enjoyed a classic breakfast of flaky croissants and baguette at the hotel and did a little shopping in Domme before heading out for the day. A small market was set up in the main square so we bought some cheese, fruit, and wild boar salami for lunch. DM and I also did a little shopping at a cute clothing store in town. The fog had lifted by the time we set out, but it was a cloudy, hazy sort of day.
Our first stop of the day was the picturesque riverside village of La Roque-Gageac. The image of this tiny town nestled along the river, with limestone cliffs rising above it, has been etched into my brain for the past seventeen years. I couldn’t get over seeing the very same ivy-covered stone houses (they have been standing for centuries, so I shouldn’t be surprised that they appear largely unchanged) and lovely gardens nestled up against the cliffs. La Roque-Gageac also has some impressive Troglodyte (cave-dwelling) ruins built into the cliffs. These had been restored since my last visit, because there is now an official entrance for the “Troglodyte Fort” and a sturdy wooden stairway built into the cliff, where I remembered there being only the shambles of a spindly metal staircase before. Unfortunately the place was all shuttered up and closed for the season. There were “private property” signs all over the place but we were able to wander around some of the ruins that were accessible from the street. La Roque-Gageac also has some Troglodyte houses that are still lived-in. They look like normal houses from the front, but within a few feet they merge with the cliff, and most of the dwellings are actually built into the cliffs. Someday I want to see inside one of these houses! We stopped and made a reservation at La Belle Étoile for tomorrow night. We ate a picnic lunch in the riverside park and then drove on to Castelnaud, following the signs to the visitor parking lot above the town.
I have fond memories of Castelnaud – a massive medieval fortress perched on a limestone outcropping high above the Dordogne River. The Dordogne Valley has a storied history as a battleground between the French and the English, and in some cases fortresses only a few miles apart were held by opposing forces for years at a time. During the Hundred Years’ War (14th century), Castelnaud sat squarely on the divide between English Aquitaine and lands controlled by the French. Castelnaud remained under English control until 1442, when a final siege ordered by Charles VII of France led to the surrender of the castle in exchange for 400 gold crowns. The castle was fairly impregnable from the river, but was exposed on its northern side. For this reason a series of massive ramparts were constructed to protect the castle from attack, remnants of which still stand today.
The castle has been carefully restored over the past forty years, since being listed as a historical monument in 1966. The main attraction is an impressive museum of medieval warfare, complete with several full-scale replicas of trebuchets and catapults mounted on the ramparts. It is worth buying the laminated explanatory brochure for a few Euros. An excellent self-guided tour takes you up dark spiral stairways and through voluminous thick-walled chambers. The exhibits include various cannons, an early “machine gun,” and an impressive collection of cross-bows. The museum also features several excellent short films that vividly recreate medieval warfare, castle construction, and armor fabrication. I was particularly impressed by the video and display detailing the creation of a knight’s suit of armor, outlining the painstaking process by which a block of layered metal is transformed into a single plate of armor. After touring the castle, we enjoyed the impressive albeit cloudy view of the valley from the ramparts, all the way from Beynac to La Roque-Gageac. The castle also has a thriving kitchen garden full of fragrant herbs.
We drove back to Domme and wandered around for a bit looking for a place for dinner. We wanted to try Cabanoix & Chataigne, which had been highly recommended on Fodor’s, but when I called they said they would not be open until Saturday (my French failed me, but the woman on the phone was very nice and spoke some English). I made a reservation for Saturday and we walked around until we found a restaurant called Le Pot de Fer (The Iron Pot) just around the corner that looked cozy and promising.
Our experience at Le Pot de Fer was marvelous – there was only one other family dining there that evening, so we pretty much had the place to ourselves. It is run by Patricia and Jean-Marc, a wonderful French couple who have been living in Belgium but decided to pursue their dream of opening a restaurant. They bought the building, an ancient stone structure with lovely arched windows, and live in the upstairs apartment. The dining room is tiny but they manage to stay afloat with just the two of them working one seating each night – Patricia as hostess/server and Jean-Marc as chef – although they do enlist some extra hands in the height of the summer season. They just opened this past spring and will return to Belgium for the winter.
Despite a few rough spots, it was a wonderful meal. We started with generous kirs, except DM who, at the insistence of Patricia, tried the house aperitif – a mixture of Belgian herbal liqueur, orange juice, and gin, which was quite tasty. We ordered from the 26 Euro menu (which I think was the most expensive option – one of the lunch menus was as low as 11 Euro). DM, DH and I all had the warm foie gras – a generous portion, sliced and served piping hot with caramelized apples. Perfect. DD had a salad with goose gizzards and duck carpaccio which was also very good. DM, DD and I all had the magret de canard with orange sauce – again a huge portion and perfectly cooked – with a nice potato gratin. We agreed that the duck breast should be served sliced instead of whole (frankly we could have done with half the portion) and the sauce need to be reduced a touch more. DH had salmon with rice pilaf, which was just ordinary. For dessert DM had the house special, walnut cake, which was fabulous – a delicious light cake layered with whipped cream and chocolate. DD had sorbet, I had crème brulée, and DH had café ligeoise. Jean-Marc came out to meet us at the end of our meal and Patricia brought us a round of anise-flavored liqueur on the house. All in all it was a lovely evening and I really hope that this place is successful.
Next: Les Jardins de Marqueyssac & Beynac
Apr 2nd, 2007, 11:56 AM
#30
hi, hausfrau -
looking forward to more, especially the gardens - our kids still talk about the description from our guide of French gardens as being "sensible" - as opposed to silly english ones, of course!
regards, ann
looking forward to more, especially the gardens - our kids still talk about the description from our guide of French gardens as being "sensible" - as opposed to silly english ones, of course!
regards, ann
Apr 2nd, 2007, 02:51 PM
#31
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hausfrau, I'm enjoying your report, especially the Dordogne sections, as it brings back pleasant memories of our two week stay in Sarlat last June. You are giving me lots of ideas of places to add to our list for next time. It's impossible to see everything in one visit; there's so much. Thanks for taking the time and trouble to post!
Apr 2nd, 2007, 04:29 PM
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Hi Hausfrau, We meet in a new post! I am enjoying this report! It brings back memories of France for me. We loved the Dordogne and I remember a wonderful little town called Rocamadour (sp?)high up a winding road. We drove across France ten years ago, starting in Bordeaux. It was such a nice trip. We especially loved the Gorge du Tarn (sp?) which was breathtakingly beautiful. We stayed in a castle in the honeymoon suite, and were sad when we met a couple who was actually on their honeymoon,and told us that they had tried to book the suite, but it was already reserved,oops!
Keep posting, I enjoy your writing too.
Keep posting, I enjoy your writing too.
Apr 3rd, 2007, 12:34 PM
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annhig, I'm hoping to see some of those silly English gardens this summer, of course! Frankly I've seen plenty of silly French gardens too. ;-)
moolyn, there is no end to the fabulous things to see in the Dordogne! We were thrilled to find a few new ones on this trip.
Hi again, koreaprincess! Funny story about the honeymoon suite! Despite considering myself fairly well-traveled in France, I have yet to see Rocamadour OR the Gorge du Tarn! So much to see...so little time...
Guess I should get back to writing Day 8...
moolyn, there is no end to the fabulous things to see in the Dordogne! We were thrilled to find a few new ones on this trip.
Hi again, koreaprincess! Funny story about the honeymoon suite! Despite considering myself fairly well-traveled in France, I have yet to see Rocamadour OR the Gorge du Tarn! So much to see...so little time...
Guess I should get back to writing Day 8...
Apr 4th, 2007, 05:32 AM
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Apologies for the length of this next entry, but I had to do justice to my favorite castle!
DAY 8: LES JARDINS DE MARQUEYSSAC & BEYNAC
It was another soupy morning, although this time the clouds thinned just enough so that we could see the river and lovely arched bridge peeking through the fog far below our window. We decided to wait for the fog to burn off before doing anything scenic. To fill the time we visited the big leather goods store along the river at Rouffillac-de-Carlux. On our way we stopped to take pictures of Château de Montford, an impressive castle perched on the river. Sadly it is not open to the public; I’ll never forget how we wandered around the castle walls for a long time on our first visit, trying to figure out how to get inside!
By this time the fog had lifted and we decided to head to the Jardins de Marqueyssac. (We had bought tickets at Castelnaud that included entry to the gardens.) I remembered the Château de Marqueyssac from my previous visit as a distant, run-down looking castle that I took a picture of from the highway because, well, I take pictures of most every castle I see. Extensive renovation work has since been carried out, by the same people who restored Castelnaud, and the gardens were opened to the public in 1997. The château is a family estate dating back to the 17th century; the gardens were begun in the mid-1800s and feature both a formal garden and a sprawling forested park, all situated on a spur of limestone with a 360-degree panoramic view of the Dordogne Valley. We had a quick lunch out of our car in the parking lot and then climbed up to the terraced formal gardens to begin our tour. First we passed through the very nice gift shop, featuring garden-themed merchandise and a collection of small objets fashioned by a local wood turner out of boxwood harvested from the gardens.
The château itself is relatively small (as châteaux go) but very pretty, with lavender-painted shutters and a gorgeous limestone roof purported to weigh 500 tons. A few rooms of the castle are open for viewing and have been furnished in late 19th-century style. While we were looking around, two peacocks came wandering out the open back door of the castle and pranced around the garden like they were the lord and lady of the place. In the “basement” there is a large empty room that has been wall-papered with thousands of pages of signed petitions opposing the construction of a four-lane highway through the Dordogne Valley.
The formal garden includes a maze of boxwoods sculpted into sinuous shapes and whimsical topiaries. At one corner there is an aviary housing exotic pigeons and a nature pavilion with dioramas illustrating the “wild fauna of the Périgord.” The lower path through the park follows some impressively eroded limestone cliffs. The vegetation is decidedly Mediterranean in character, with lots of live oaks (or the European equivalent of live oaks) and olive trees. By this point it had become quite hot so we tried to stick to the shaded paths (who knew that it was going to be so hot in central France in late October?). All along the way, there is detailed signage (in French) pointing out the various plant and animal species indigenous to the area.
At the far end of the park is a promontory called the Belvédère, from which you can view a broad swath of the Dordogne Valley all the way from La Roque Gageac to Castelnaud and, way off in the distance, the castles of Fayrac and Beynac. We made our way along a long, shady promenade past some art installations and a children’s play area to the Asile du poète (“Poet’s Hut”), a small stone thatched-roof hut marking the far corner of the property, then took the Grande Allée )a lovely, straight promenade 500 meters long) back to our starting point. Back at the castle we enjoyed a much-needed ice cream break on the shaded terrace, taking in the incredible view of Beynac.
And now to Beynac…the castle that may very well have launched my obsession with all things medieval back in my tender teenage years. Beynac is a tiny village clustered at the base of a sheer cliff along the Dordogne River and possessing one of the most awe-inspiring castle vistas in all of France. We were a little worried about climbing up to the castle with it being so hot, so we decided to take the easy way out and drove up, entering the castle through the imposing gatehouse. (Once again, the laminated brochure sold at the ticket office is excellent.)
Beynac’s origins are lost in the distant past, but the name is known from 1115, when several lords of the Périgord region, including Mainard de Beynac, made gifts of land to found an abbey on the site. By 1194 (the year Richard the Lionheart returned from the Crusades), Beynac was a stone keep commanding a powerful position over the valley. In 1214, Simon de Montfort, with the backing of the King of England, took the nearby castles of Montfort, Domme, and Castelnaud by force, finally arriving at Beynac, which he fairly well destroyed. The Beynac family managed to retain control of the castle thanks to the intervention of the King of France. The Beynacs remained loyal to France throughout the Hundred Years’ War, which put them in a lengthy feud with neighboring Castelnaud. Unlike Castelnaud, Beynac was never attacked. Pons de Beynac was instrumental in driving the English out of Castelnaud for good in 1442. In the two centuries following, the Beynacs took part in many conflicts (the Wars of Religion) and in the late 16th century, many improvements were made to the castle’s defensive works. Beynac passed into disrepair when the last male heir of the family died in 1753; his daughter married into the Beaumont family, who neglected the castle for a century or so. An immense restoration effort was undertaken in the 19th century, which served to bankrupt the Marquis de Beaumont. The castle was purchased by a private owner in 1961, who apparently finances the upkeep of the place by letting castle obsessees like me traipse all over his private fortress. I am grateful to him (or her) because Beynac is, in a word, awesome. It literally seems to grow straight up out of the cliff, and its imposing walls, toothy bastions, and pointed turrets satisfy all expectations of a quintessential medieval castle.
Once inside, we entered a huge stone chamber lit only by the flickering glow of real oil lamps in the form of heavy black iron cages suspended from the ceiling. It was so dim that it took a few minutes for our eyes to adjust. I particularly liked the long wooden trestle table with a special slot at the end for depositing your sword before sitting down to your meal. Upstairs, the barrel-vaulted Great Hall is empty save for a couple of huge wooden chests, a large fireplace, and several time-darkened tapestries. Another small room is furnished as a library, complete with cozy lamps, wall-to-wall tapestries, and two suits of armor guarding the door. We proceeded up to the keep and the highest terrace, from which we looked down on the chapel, the town below, and out across the valley to Marqueyssac and Castelnaud. A series of spiral staircases took us back down to the bottom floor and through the kitchen, outfitted with more trestle tables, oil lamps, several fireplaces, and cooking miscellany. We walked around the base of the castle and sat for a while on the ramparts overlooking the river, watching a bright yellow hot-air balloon drift slowly across the valley. It had cooled off sufficiently by now that we decided to drive down to the base of the village and take a stroll up the winding streets. We ended up hiking almost all the way back up to the castle, enjoying the lovingly restored stone houses and gorgeous views over the valley.
After a rest at our hotel, we drove over to La Roque-Gageac for dinner at La Belle Étoile. The dining room was very formal (it seemed overly bright to me – I guess I prefer a dim, candle-lit environment) and the atmosphere was a bit stuffy for our taste. The waiters were polite but reserved – no jokes or small talk here. The food overall was quite good but not what I would describe as outstanding. DM, DD and I ordered off the 39 Euro menu and DH ordered off the 24 Euro menu. We started with a round of kirs, as has become our tradition, but they were not particularly generous servings. DM and I both had the rouget (red mullet) with cockles (tiny shellfish) on a warm salad of red pepper, zucchini, and black olives. It sounded marvelous but the cockles were unacceptably gritty and the dish simply was not very flavorful. We also both had the truffle-stuffed pintade with truffle risotto, which was nice, but the truffles were dried, and the flavor was not very intense. For dessert DM had meringue with vanilla ice cream and raspberry sauce, and I had the millefeuille, which was disappointing (especially compared to the Bastide Odéon’s version in Paris) – three silver dollar-sized almond “crisps” with custard in between, which I suppose was intended as a modern interpretation of the classic, but frankly, I prefer the classic. DD had baked oysters followed by herb-crusted lamb with celery mashed potatoes (excellent), and in lieu of dessert, honey-sweetened chèvre on a bed of greens. DH had the winning meal – a lentil salad with foie gras baked in phyllo, chicken with mushrooms and butternut risotto, and coconut ice cream with warm banana crisp. In sum, it was not a bad experience, but if I had to choose, I would pay a little more and go back to L’Esplanade.
Next: Sarlat Marché & Les Cabanes de Breuil
DAY 8: LES JARDINS DE MARQUEYSSAC & BEYNAC
It was another soupy morning, although this time the clouds thinned just enough so that we could see the river and lovely arched bridge peeking through the fog far below our window. We decided to wait for the fog to burn off before doing anything scenic. To fill the time we visited the big leather goods store along the river at Rouffillac-de-Carlux. On our way we stopped to take pictures of Château de Montford, an impressive castle perched on the river. Sadly it is not open to the public; I’ll never forget how we wandered around the castle walls for a long time on our first visit, trying to figure out how to get inside!
By this time the fog had lifted and we decided to head to the Jardins de Marqueyssac. (We had bought tickets at Castelnaud that included entry to the gardens.) I remembered the Château de Marqueyssac from my previous visit as a distant, run-down looking castle that I took a picture of from the highway because, well, I take pictures of most every castle I see. Extensive renovation work has since been carried out, by the same people who restored Castelnaud, and the gardens were opened to the public in 1997. The château is a family estate dating back to the 17th century; the gardens were begun in the mid-1800s and feature both a formal garden and a sprawling forested park, all situated on a spur of limestone with a 360-degree panoramic view of the Dordogne Valley. We had a quick lunch out of our car in the parking lot and then climbed up to the terraced formal gardens to begin our tour. First we passed through the very nice gift shop, featuring garden-themed merchandise and a collection of small objets fashioned by a local wood turner out of boxwood harvested from the gardens.
The château itself is relatively small (as châteaux go) but very pretty, with lavender-painted shutters and a gorgeous limestone roof purported to weigh 500 tons. A few rooms of the castle are open for viewing and have been furnished in late 19th-century style. While we were looking around, two peacocks came wandering out the open back door of the castle and pranced around the garden like they were the lord and lady of the place. In the “basement” there is a large empty room that has been wall-papered with thousands of pages of signed petitions opposing the construction of a four-lane highway through the Dordogne Valley.
The formal garden includes a maze of boxwoods sculpted into sinuous shapes and whimsical topiaries. At one corner there is an aviary housing exotic pigeons and a nature pavilion with dioramas illustrating the “wild fauna of the Périgord.” The lower path through the park follows some impressively eroded limestone cliffs. The vegetation is decidedly Mediterranean in character, with lots of live oaks (or the European equivalent of live oaks) and olive trees. By this point it had become quite hot so we tried to stick to the shaded paths (who knew that it was going to be so hot in central France in late October?). All along the way, there is detailed signage (in French) pointing out the various plant and animal species indigenous to the area.
At the far end of the park is a promontory called the Belvédère, from which you can view a broad swath of the Dordogne Valley all the way from La Roque Gageac to Castelnaud and, way off in the distance, the castles of Fayrac and Beynac. We made our way along a long, shady promenade past some art installations and a children’s play area to the Asile du poète (“Poet’s Hut”), a small stone thatched-roof hut marking the far corner of the property, then took the Grande Allée )a lovely, straight promenade 500 meters long) back to our starting point. Back at the castle we enjoyed a much-needed ice cream break on the shaded terrace, taking in the incredible view of Beynac.
And now to Beynac…the castle that may very well have launched my obsession with all things medieval back in my tender teenage years. Beynac is a tiny village clustered at the base of a sheer cliff along the Dordogne River and possessing one of the most awe-inspiring castle vistas in all of France. We were a little worried about climbing up to the castle with it being so hot, so we decided to take the easy way out and drove up, entering the castle through the imposing gatehouse. (Once again, the laminated brochure sold at the ticket office is excellent.)
Beynac’s origins are lost in the distant past, but the name is known from 1115, when several lords of the Périgord region, including Mainard de Beynac, made gifts of land to found an abbey on the site. By 1194 (the year Richard the Lionheart returned from the Crusades), Beynac was a stone keep commanding a powerful position over the valley. In 1214, Simon de Montfort, with the backing of the King of England, took the nearby castles of Montfort, Domme, and Castelnaud by force, finally arriving at Beynac, which he fairly well destroyed. The Beynac family managed to retain control of the castle thanks to the intervention of the King of France. The Beynacs remained loyal to France throughout the Hundred Years’ War, which put them in a lengthy feud with neighboring Castelnaud. Unlike Castelnaud, Beynac was never attacked. Pons de Beynac was instrumental in driving the English out of Castelnaud for good in 1442. In the two centuries following, the Beynacs took part in many conflicts (the Wars of Religion) and in the late 16th century, many improvements were made to the castle’s defensive works. Beynac passed into disrepair when the last male heir of the family died in 1753; his daughter married into the Beaumont family, who neglected the castle for a century or so. An immense restoration effort was undertaken in the 19th century, which served to bankrupt the Marquis de Beaumont. The castle was purchased by a private owner in 1961, who apparently finances the upkeep of the place by letting castle obsessees like me traipse all over his private fortress. I am grateful to him (or her) because Beynac is, in a word, awesome. It literally seems to grow straight up out of the cliff, and its imposing walls, toothy bastions, and pointed turrets satisfy all expectations of a quintessential medieval castle.
Once inside, we entered a huge stone chamber lit only by the flickering glow of real oil lamps in the form of heavy black iron cages suspended from the ceiling. It was so dim that it took a few minutes for our eyes to adjust. I particularly liked the long wooden trestle table with a special slot at the end for depositing your sword before sitting down to your meal. Upstairs, the barrel-vaulted Great Hall is empty save for a couple of huge wooden chests, a large fireplace, and several time-darkened tapestries. Another small room is furnished as a library, complete with cozy lamps, wall-to-wall tapestries, and two suits of armor guarding the door. We proceeded up to the keep and the highest terrace, from which we looked down on the chapel, the town below, and out across the valley to Marqueyssac and Castelnaud. A series of spiral staircases took us back down to the bottom floor and through the kitchen, outfitted with more trestle tables, oil lamps, several fireplaces, and cooking miscellany. We walked around the base of the castle and sat for a while on the ramparts overlooking the river, watching a bright yellow hot-air balloon drift slowly across the valley. It had cooled off sufficiently by now that we decided to drive down to the base of the village and take a stroll up the winding streets. We ended up hiking almost all the way back up to the castle, enjoying the lovingly restored stone houses and gorgeous views over the valley.
After a rest at our hotel, we drove over to La Roque-Gageac for dinner at La Belle Étoile. The dining room was very formal (it seemed overly bright to me – I guess I prefer a dim, candle-lit environment) and the atmosphere was a bit stuffy for our taste. The waiters were polite but reserved – no jokes or small talk here. The food overall was quite good but not what I would describe as outstanding. DM, DD and I ordered off the 39 Euro menu and DH ordered off the 24 Euro menu. We started with a round of kirs, as has become our tradition, but they were not particularly generous servings. DM and I both had the rouget (red mullet) with cockles (tiny shellfish) on a warm salad of red pepper, zucchini, and black olives. It sounded marvelous but the cockles were unacceptably gritty and the dish simply was not very flavorful. We also both had the truffle-stuffed pintade with truffle risotto, which was nice, but the truffles were dried, and the flavor was not very intense. For dessert DM had meringue with vanilla ice cream and raspberry sauce, and I had the millefeuille, which was disappointing (especially compared to the Bastide Odéon’s version in Paris) – three silver dollar-sized almond “crisps” with custard in between, which I suppose was intended as a modern interpretation of the classic, but frankly, I prefer the classic. DD had baked oysters followed by herb-crusted lamb with celery mashed potatoes (excellent), and in lieu of dessert, honey-sweetened chèvre on a bed of greens. DH had the winning meal – a lentil salad with foie gras baked in phyllo, chicken with mushrooms and butternut risotto, and coconut ice cream with warm banana crisp. In sum, it was not a bad experience, but if I had to choose, I would pay a little more and go back to L’Esplanade.
Next: Sarlat Marché & Les Cabanes de Breuil
Apr 5th, 2007, 12:59 PM
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DAY 9: SARLAT MARCHÉ & LES CABANES DE BREUIL
Today our plan was to visit Sarlat, the largest town in the valley, which boasts an excellent Saturday marché. We were late arriving and parking was a real pain – all of the lots were full but we eventually found on-street parking several blocks from the center of town. The streets were crammed with shoppers, most of whom appeared to be locals. We loaded up with all sorts of goodies – cheeses, apples, tomatoes, carrots, and bread for our picnic lunches, plus tinned foie gras and walnut and truffle oils to bring home.
We had a perfect lunch outside right on Place de la Liberté at a brasserie called L’Entr’ Acte. DM and DD had salads with smoked duck and gesiers (goose gizzards), DH had a salad with mixed smoked meats, and I indulged in one of my favorite dishes on the planet – salade de chèvre chaude (salad with warm goat cheese). It was a generous serving with two good-sized chèvre cabecous on lightly toasted bread and a delicious walnut-garlic dressing. (This restaurant also specializes in a dish called something like “steak on a stone”: you are literally brought a raw steak on a sizzling stone, with a selection of sauces, and you cook it to your liking!) After lunch we bought a few bottles of wine to bring back to Germany and then left DH and DD to guard our purchases while DM and I went in search of table linens. We were disappointed with the wares until we finally found a vendor we had seen at the Domme marché who was selling high-quality linens. DM bought a large tablecloth, six napkins, and a table runner and he threw in a free dish towel, for a good price of 80 Euro.
Now for the requisite Wild Goose Chase (no, this has nothing to do with foie gras). DM and I had seen a postcard in Domme of a cluster of bories called Les Cabanes du Breuil. Bories are very distinctive round stone structures with conical roofs, ingeniously built without mortar, which were used to house animals and sometimes people in ancient times. We rented an ancient farmhouse near St. Genies on my first visit to the Dordogne and we had our very own borie in the front yard; we have been enthralled with them ever since. Being great lovers of bories, we were determined to seek out Les Cabanes du Breuil. I knew generally what direction to go from the brief information on the back of the postcard (“on the D47 between Sarlat and Les Eyzies”), but we kept seeing signs for things mentioning Breuil, but not Les Cabanes.
While in search of bories, we drove by the Château de Puymartin, hoping just to get a peek at it without going inside, but you now have to pay an entrance fee even to get within spitting distance of the castle (apparently they figured out that they could capitalize on sightseers like us). Finally we found our way to Les Cabanes. The origins of this cluster of buildings are uncertain – they are believed to have been the rural residence of a group of Benedictine monks from Sarlat until the middle of the 15th century. After that they became craftsmen’s workshops and have been part of a family farm since 1950. Someone obviously told this family that they could make a fine living by letting people tour their farmyard buildings. They’ve put together a nice little numbered brochure and you are free to wander around amidst the chickens, geese, rabbits, sheep, and goats (which we assumed all get eaten, eventually). The most unusual structure consists of three bories all strung together in a row. Several are still used as animal shelters and one was converted into a cabin, with an elevated sleeping floor and a stone fireplace. In one area the remains of a stone quarry are visible so you can see how the slabs of stone came out of the ground. They have tried to reconstruct a borie in the “experimental building area” but have not had much success. It is truly a lost art.
On the way back to Domme we stopped at the little Romanesque church outside of Ceynac that I remembered from my first visit. Outside there is an amazing cemetery with elevated graves and ornately carved headstones. I recall being very touched by the wonderful message of welcome posted on a sheet of orange paper on the inside of the door of the church – I even took a picture of it, so it is ingrained in my memory. Imagine my astonishment when I saw the exact same sign still mounted on the door, seventeen years later.
Back in Domme, DH and I bought three small watercolors from a very nice gentleman who had set up his work just outside our hotel. We loved his work and were debating which two of three to buy. I finally asked him how much for all three and he gave them to us for a bargain. We watched one last magnificent pink sunset from our room, and then it was time for our final meal in the Dordogne.
We walked over to Cabanoix & Chataigne for dinner with pretty high expectations, as several reviewers had indicated this was their new favorite in Domme. When we asked for our table, the woman became very flustered and insisted that I had asked for a reservation on Sunday night, rather than Saturday. I knew this was wrong because we were not even going to be in the Dordogne on Sunday night. Fortunately they still had room for us, although the place looked packed.
Cabanoix & Chataigne is fun and casual, with a low beamed ceiling, bright table linens, and, instead of a printed menu, the day’s offerings are written on large chalkboards on either side of the room. The options are inventive and feature fresh seasonal produce. DM had the salade d’automne (red and white cabbage, endive, raisins, purple potatoes, zucchini, and apple), which she described as a glorified coleslaw (too heavy on the cabbage), followed by cassoulet with duck confit and sausage, which was excellent. DD had roasted oysters in champagne sauce, the cassoulet, and a trio of sorbets. DH had roasted figs with ham and Roquefort, steak with foie gras and a baked potato, and a trio of chocolate, pistachio, and coffee ice creams. I had the poélée de cêpes (sautéed wild mushrooms) which was fabulous – if you are a vegetarian, this might be the next best thing to foie gras. Then I threw caution to the wind and opted for the “sushi et hûitres” plate. This was served on a wooden board and included two oysters in champagne sauce, two salmon rolls, two mango and ginger rolls, and – just for fun – two foie gras rolls. I have to say that foie gras is wasted when encased in rice and seaweed and dipped in wasabi-seasoned soy sauce, and the sticky rice wasn’t quite the right consistency, but it was a nice change of pace from all the rich and heavy food of the past few days, and I give them credit for being creative. For dessert I had apple crisp with phyllo and Armagnac, which was divine!
Next: Into the Massif Central
Today our plan was to visit Sarlat, the largest town in the valley, which boasts an excellent Saturday marché. We were late arriving and parking was a real pain – all of the lots were full but we eventually found on-street parking several blocks from the center of town. The streets were crammed with shoppers, most of whom appeared to be locals. We loaded up with all sorts of goodies – cheeses, apples, tomatoes, carrots, and bread for our picnic lunches, plus tinned foie gras and walnut and truffle oils to bring home.
We had a perfect lunch outside right on Place de la Liberté at a brasserie called L’Entr’ Acte. DM and DD had salads with smoked duck and gesiers (goose gizzards), DH had a salad with mixed smoked meats, and I indulged in one of my favorite dishes on the planet – salade de chèvre chaude (salad with warm goat cheese). It was a generous serving with two good-sized chèvre cabecous on lightly toasted bread and a delicious walnut-garlic dressing. (This restaurant also specializes in a dish called something like “steak on a stone”: you are literally brought a raw steak on a sizzling stone, with a selection of sauces, and you cook it to your liking!) After lunch we bought a few bottles of wine to bring back to Germany and then left DH and DD to guard our purchases while DM and I went in search of table linens. We were disappointed with the wares until we finally found a vendor we had seen at the Domme marché who was selling high-quality linens. DM bought a large tablecloth, six napkins, and a table runner and he threw in a free dish towel, for a good price of 80 Euro.
Now for the requisite Wild Goose Chase (no, this has nothing to do with foie gras). DM and I had seen a postcard in Domme of a cluster of bories called Les Cabanes du Breuil. Bories are very distinctive round stone structures with conical roofs, ingeniously built without mortar, which were used to house animals and sometimes people in ancient times. We rented an ancient farmhouse near St. Genies on my first visit to the Dordogne and we had our very own borie in the front yard; we have been enthralled with them ever since. Being great lovers of bories, we were determined to seek out Les Cabanes du Breuil. I knew generally what direction to go from the brief information on the back of the postcard (“on the D47 between Sarlat and Les Eyzies”), but we kept seeing signs for things mentioning Breuil, but not Les Cabanes.
While in search of bories, we drove by the Château de Puymartin, hoping just to get a peek at it without going inside, but you now have to pay an entrance fee even to get within spitting distance of the castle (apparently they figured out that they could capitalize on sightseers like us). Finally we found our way to Les Cabanes. The origins of this cluster of buildings are uncertain – they are believed to have been the rural residence of a group of Benedictine monks from Sarlat until the middle of the 15th century. After that they became craftsmen’s workshops and have been part of a family farm since 1950. Someone obviously told this family that they could make a fine living by letting people tour their farmyard buildings. They’ve put together a nice little numbered brochure and you are free to wander around amidst the chickens, geese, rabbits, sheep, and goats (which we assumed all get eaten, eventually). The most unusual structure consists of three bories all strung together in a row. Several are still used as animal shelters and one was converted into a cabin, with an elevated sleeping floor and a stone fireplace. In one area the remains of a stone quarry are visible so you can see how the slabs of stone came out of the ground. They have tried to reconstruct a borie in the “experimental building area” but have not had much success. It is truly a lost art.
On the way back to Domme we stopped at the little Romanesque church outside of Ceynac that I remembered from my first visit. Outside there is an amazing cemetery with elevated graves and ornately carved headstones. I recall being very touched by the wonderful message of welcome posted on a sheet of orange paper on the inside of the door of the church – I even took a picture of it, so it is ingrained in my memory. Imagine my astonishment when I saw the exact same sign still mounted on the door, seventeen years later.
Back in Domme, DH and I bought three small watercolors from a very nice gentleman who had set up his work just outside our hotel. We loved his work and were debating which two of three to buy. I finally asked him how much for all three and he gave them to us for a bargain. We watched one last magnificent pink sunset from our room, and then it was time for our final meal in the Dordogne.
We walked over to Cabanoix & Chataigne for dinner with pretty high expectations, as several reviewers had indicated this was their new favorite in Domme. When we asked for our table, the woman became very flustered and insisted that I had asked for a reservation on Sunday night, rather than Saturday. I knew this was wrong because we were not even going to be in the Dordogne on Sunday night. Fortunately they still had room for us, although the place looked packed.
Cabanoix & Chataigne is fun and casual, with a low beamed ceiling, bright table linens, and, instead of a printed menu, the day’s offerings are written on large chalkboards on either side of the room. The options are inventive and feature fresh seasonal produce. DM had the salade d’automne (red and white cabbage, endive, raisins, purple potatoes, zucchini, and apple), which she described as a glorified coleslaw (too heavy on the cabbage), followed by cassoulet with duck confit and sausage, which was excellent. DD had roasted oysters in champagne sauce, the cassoulet, and a trio of sorbets. DH had roasted figs with ham and Roquefort, steak with foie gras and a baked potato, and a trio of chocolate, pistachio, and coffee ice creams. I had the poélée de cêpes (sautéed wild mushrooms) which was fabulous – if you are a vegetarian, this might be the next best thing to foie gras. Then I threw caution to the wind and opted for the “sushi et hûitres” plate. This was served on a wooden board and included two oysters in champagne sauce, two salmon rolls, two mango and ginger rolls, and – just for fun – two foie gras rolls. I have to say that foie gras is wasted when encased in rice and seaweed and dipped in wasabi-seasoned soy sauce, and the sticky rice wasn’t quite the right consistency, but it was a nice change of pace from all the rich and heavy food of the past few days, and I give them credit for being creative. For dessert I had apple crisp with phyllo and Armagnac, which was divine!
Next: Into the Massif Central
