Ira Does France
Oct 6th, 2005, 05:08 AM
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Hi T,
>I just can't imagine eating all that rich food on a daily basis.<
The secret is to get plenty of exercise. I did this by driving many km per day and stopping off only for snacks.
>I just can't imagine eating all that rich food on a daily basis.<
The secret is to get plenty of exercise. I did this by driving many km per day and stopping off only for snacks.
Oct 6th, 2005, 05:30 AM
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Oct 6th, 2005, 07:17 AM
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Am loving your report, Ira! All that great food and wine - wow! Was your hotel in Beynac the Bonnet? I considered staying there on my May trip, but didn't. I also appreciated your "we were lost" sequences, and Roberta's height problems. I definitely relate to the "lost" parts, and the height things limits me, as I usually go solo, and have to do the driving! I'm sure I'll never make the Gorges du Tarn, lovely as it sounds.
Oct 6th, 2005, 07:29 AM
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Day 11
I arose early and took some photos of the mist rising from the river and the valleys. Got in the car and reconnoitered the neighborhood. There is a very nice old church in Cazenac.
My Lady Wife having arisen from her couch, we breakfasted (the usual) in the very nice, Baroque dining room of the Bonnet, and walked up to Chateau Beynac. It is a very steep climb.
Later we discovered that you can drive up - 1E for parking.
The Chateau is quite interesting. It is still in private hands, but is being restored by grants from the EU and France. One does get a good feel for how it felt to be a baronial lord living in the family seat (dating from about 1150) in the 18th Century.
One thing that adds to the view from Beynac is Chateau Castelnaud almost directly across the Dordogne. During the 14th Cent “100 Year’s War”, the Dordogne was the border between the French (Beynac) and the English (Castelnaud). Both fortresses, along with just about everything else in the region, are illuminated at night. Quite lovely.
We still had time to make it to St. Cyprien for the market. We were lucky enough to find a parking spot right on the square, and enjoyed rubber necking at the numerous stalls of fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, seafood, poultry, cheeses, and breads; homemade preserves, jams and jellies; pastries, cakes and pies; local wines; kitchen gadgets, clothes, art work and Oriental carpets.
We picked up a bottle of Domaine du Contonet Bergerac Rose’ for 3E, (Roberta fell in love with rose’ wines), a beautifully ripe peach for 0.5E, some cheeses – 5E, and a baguette for 0.8E and went off for lunch at a shady spot along the Dordogne. Quite pleasant. The wine was very, very nice – tastes of cherries, plums and a hint of raisins. (Should have bought a case.)
Drove to St Cirq, a very pleasant little village. I think that we found St Cirq’s house, at least it was a little house with a roof low enough to sit on. No visible House Martens.
From there we drove to Domme (2* in the Green Guide with a 3* view). We found it interesting, but too oriented toward tourists. We bought some cans of pate’ de foie gras and a bottle of home-made plum brandy. (Well, the little old lady who owned the shop said it was home-made.)
We had dinner at Plume d’Oie (open Sunday)in La Roque Gageac. A very pleasant room with a view of the river. Madam (who does the serving) is quite a character, but very friendly later in the evening when she had had a few sips of wine.
Aperitif was the house special of vin blanc with elderberry wine and peach liqueur (both house-made), which Roberta found very nice, and a Pastis for me.
Amuse Bouche was house-cured smoked salmon, tartlet of cepes mushrooms, cheesy croutons.
Hors d’oeuvre of a salmon mousse in a sauce of sweet red peppers and EVOO.
Roberta had the Ravioli stuffed with langoustine (feather light and flavorful) and Filet of Rouget (mullet) for the main course. I had the Coquille St. Jacques (in a saffron cream sauce with parsley/olive oil coulis and the occasional grain of fleur de sel) for entrée and the Ris de Veau with filet of veal and cepes (very good).
We both chose 3 servings of cheese (very, very good) from an offering of about 17, and had the house sorbet (orange and lemon sorbets with a small raspberry clafouti) for dessert.
Coffee came with a chocolate truffle, a bit of nougat and a sugared lemon peel.
Wine was a 2003 Ch. Le Raz Montravel, which went well with the entire meal. It is a dry, white wine perfumed with violets and has a pleasant citrus finish.
Dinner with wine and spirits – 185E
A very nice evening spent with Madame and three other couples discussing a variety of topics. Returned to the hotel about 00:30. We couldn’t thank Monsieur (the chef) as he had cleaned up the kitchen and gone to bed.
And so to bed.
Day 12
Visited Ch Castelnaud. It is a museum of medieval warfare. This is something you will like if you like that sort of thing. Good views of Ch Beynac and the river.
Discovered Daglan, near Castelnaud, a very interesting old town with many half-timbered houses and then went on to the cave at Lascaux II. Be prepared for a steep uphill walk.
Even though Lascaux II is a reproduction of part of the Grotte de Lascaux, it is very well done. You do get a good feel for the environment in which the art works were done (except it is not moldy and dusty). Our guide was quite good.
We returned to the hotel by a long, circuitous route (up and down hills, through small villages) stopped off for a snack and returned to the hotel, where we met Lois (loiscon on this board)and her husband. Spent a little time with them before changing for dinner. Stu Dudley and his wife arrived and we went off to a place that Stu had found – Le Meynardie
(see http://www.en-dordogne.com/lameynardie/index.php) near Salignac. Menus from 20-50E.
Stu does know his restaurants. This is a lovely farmhouse, with excellent food and service.
Amuse bouche 1: Pate on toast, cepes on croutons, quail legs.
AB 2: Pea soup with mint and crème fraiche.
LW had the 35E menu:
Scrambled eggs (not at all like you get at home), a beautifully done sea bream stuffed with eggplant and a tomato concasse on the side, fruit and sorbet.
I had the 50E menu:
Cured magret de canard and foie gras cuite
Filet of Rouget with pasta and vegetables
Ris de Veau with filet de veau (even better than at Plume d’Oie) and wild mushrooms
Symphony dessert: 7 little cups – crème brulee, chocolate, crème anglais, star fruit, assorted berries, walnut gateau and sorbet. Very light and flavorful.
Wines were a Uby Colombard de Gascogne –a very pleasant and citrusy white; Mirabelle de Ch Jaubertie – straw colored, with a hint of fizz and tastes of cinammon, spices and Mirabelle plums;
2000 Chateau Rigolets Cahors (AOC) – a perfect example of Cahors red.
Dinner with wines and tip – 110E per couple.
A lovely evening with very nice companions.
And so to bed.
TBC
I arose early and took some photos of the mist rising from the river and the valleys. Got in the car and reconnoitered the neighborhood. There is a very nice old church in Cazenac.
My Lady Wife having arisen from her couch, we breakfasted (the usual) in the very nice, Baroque dining room of the Bonnet, and walked up to Chateau Beynac. It is a very steep climb.
Later we discovered that you can drive up - 1E for parking.
The Chateau is quite interesting. It is still in private hands, but is being restored by grants from the EU and France. One does get a good feel for how it felt to be a baronial lord living in the family seat (dating from about 1150) in the 18th Century.
One thing that adds to the view from Beynac is Chateau Castelnaud almost directly across the Dordogne. During the 14th Cent “100 Year’s War”, the Dordogne was the border between the French (Beynac) and the English (Castelnaud). Both fortresses, along with just about everything else in the region, are illuminated at night. Quite lovely.
We still had time to make it to St. Cyprien for the market. We were lucky enough to find a parking spot right on the square, and enjoyed rubber necking at the numerous stalls of fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, seafood, poultry, cheeses, and breads; homemade preserves, jams and jellies; pastries, cakes and pies; local wines; kitchen gadgets, clothes, art work and Oriental carpets.
We picked up a bottle of Domaine du Contonet Bergerac Rose’ for 3E, (Roberta fell in love with rose’ wines), a beautifully ripe peach for 0.5E, some cheeses – 5E, and a baguette for 0.8E and went off for lunch at a shady spot along the Dordogne. Quite pleasant. The wine was very, very nice – tastes of cherries, plums and a hint of raisins. (Should have bought a case.)
Drove to St Cirq, a very pleasant little village. I think that we found St Cirq’s house, at least it was a little house with a roof low enough to sit on. No visible House Martens.
From there we drove to Domme (2* in the Green Guide with a 3* view). We found it interesting, but too oriented toward tourists. We bought some cans of pate’ de foie gras and a bottle of home-made plum brandy. (Well, the little old lady who owned the shop said it was home-made.)
We had dinner at Plume d’Oie (open Sunday)in La Roque Gageac. A very pleasant room with a view of the river. Madam (who does the serving) is quite a character, but very friendly later in the evening when she had had a few sips of wine.
Aperitif was the house special of vin blanc with elderberry wine and peach liqueur (both house-made), which Roberta found very nice, and a Pastis for me.
Amuse Bouche was house-cured smoked salmon, tartlet of cepes mushrooms, cheesy croutons.
Hors d’oeuvre of a salmon mousse in a sauce of sweet red peppers and EVOO.
Roberta had the Ravioli stuffed with langoustine (feather light and flavorful) and Filet of Rouget (mullet) for the main course. I had the Coquille St. Jacques (in a saffron cream sauce with parsley/olive oil coulis and the occasional grain of fleur de sel) for entrée and the Ris de Veau with filet of veal and cepes (very good).
We both chose 3 servings of cheese (very, very good) from an offering of about 17, and had the house sorbet (orange and lemon sorbets with a small raspberry clafouti) for dessert.
Coffee came with a chocolate truffle, a bit of nougat and a sugared lemon peel.
Wine was a 2003 Ch. Le Raz Montravel, which went well with the entire meal. It is a dry, white wine perfumed with violets and has a pleasant citrus finish.
Dinner with wine and spirits – 185E
A very nice evening spent with Madame and three other couples discussing a variety of topics. Returned to the hotel about 00:30. We couldn’t thank Monsieur (the chef) as he had cleaned up the kitchen and gone to bed.
And so to bed.
Day 12
Visited Ch Castelnaud. It is a museum of medieval warfare. This is something you will like if you like that sort of thing. Good views of Ch Beynac and the river.
Discovered Daglan, near Castelnaud, a very interesting old town with many half-timbered houses and then went on to the cave at Lascaux II. Be prepared for a steep uphill walk.
Even though Lascaux II is a reproduction of part of the Grotte de Lascaux, it is very well done. You do get a good feel for the environment in which the art works were done (except it is not moldy and dusty). Our guide was quite good.
We returned to the hotel by a long, circuitous route (up and down hills, through small villages) stopped off for a snack and returned to the hotel, where we met Lois (loiscon on this board)and her husband. Spent a little time with them before changing for dinner. Stu Dudley and his wife arrived and we went off to a place that Stu had found – Le Meynardie
(see http://www.en-dordogne.com/lameynardie/index.php) near Salignac. Menus from 20-50E.
Stu does know his restaurants. This is a lovely farmhouse, with excellent food and service.
Amuse bouche 1: Pate on toast, cepes on croutons, quail legs.
AB 2: Pea soup with mint and crème fraiche.
LW had the 35E menu:
Scrambled eggs (not at all like you get at home), a beautifully done sea bream stuffed with eggplant and a tomato concasse on the side, fruit and sorbet.
I had the 50E menu:
Cured magret de canard and foie gras cuite
Filet of Rouget with pasta and vegetables
Ris de Veau with filet de veau (even better than at Plume d’Oie) and wild mushrooms
Symphony dessert: 7 little cups – crème brulee, chocolate, crème anglais, star fruit, assorted berries, walnut gateau and sorbet. Very light and flavorful.
Wines were a Uby Colombard de Gascogne –a very pleasant and citrusy white; Mirabelle de Ch Jaubertie – straw colored, with a hint of fizz and tastes of cinammon, spices and Mirabelle plums;
2000 Chateau Rigolets Cahors (AOC) – a perfect example of Cahors red.
Dinner with wines and tip – 110E per couple.
A lovely evening with very nice companions.
And so to bed.
TBC
Oct 6th, 2005, 09:19 AM
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My dear ira: Thank you so much for checking on the house martens. I have been told by neighbors that they have indeed moved on.
If it was the next house up the steep lane from the Grotte de St-Cirq you did indeed find it
If it was the next house up the steep lane from the Grotte de St-Cirq you did indeed find it
Oct 6th, 2005, 09:35 AM
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St Cirq
The gite we stayed in for 4 weeks in Sept had a picture of a marten above the toilet - thought of your adventures with them each time I gazed at it.
BTW, we arrived on Aug 27 - not crowded at all . Drive through La Bugue at 3:00 was a breeze. Only touched the brake pedal once while cruzing through Beynac and Roque Gageac. Quite different from your experiences just 1 week or so earlier.
Stu Dudley
The gite we stayed in for 4 weeks in Sept had a picture of a marten above the toilet - thought of your adventures with them each time I gazed at it.
BTW, we arrived on Aug 27 - not crowded at all . Drive through La Bugue at 3:00 was a breeze. Only touched the brake pedal once while cruzing through Beynac and Roque Gageac. Quite different from your experiences just 1 week or so earlier.
Stu Dudley
Oct 6th, 2005, 10:13 AM
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Hi StCirq,
>If it was the next house up the steep lane from the Grotte de St-Cirq you did indeed find it.<
I think that was it.
Having seen your little village, I can understand why you bought the place.
>If it was the next house up the steep lane from the Grotte de St-Cirq you did indeed find it.<
I think that was it.
Having seen your little village, I can understand why you bought the place.
Oct 6th, 2005, 01:57 PM
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Ira, you are making life very difficult for me!!
I had sort of decided to go back to France and then thought, 'been there done it' I will go to Eastern Europe as I have never been there before.
Now I read you wonderful report about the places I have been either cycled or driven through on many very very happy holidays in France.
Your wonderful commentary brings back so many happy menories, in particular the food and places that don't get a mention on thid board (or I havent seen) like Ambialet and Castelnau-de-Montmiral.
Looking forward to your report from Paris as my Mun, sister and I were there the same time as you and you LW.
Great report YUM YUM!!
I had sort of decided to go back to France and then thought, 'been there done it' I will go to Eastern Europe as I have never been there before.
Now I read you wonderful report about the places I have been either cycled or driven through on many very very happy holidays in France.
Your wonderful commentary brings back so many happy menories, in particular the food and places that don't get a mention on thid board (or I havent seen) like Ambialet and Castelnau-de-Montmiral.
Looking forward to your report from Paris as my Mun, sister and I were there the same time as you and you LW.
Great report YUM YUM!!
Oct 7th, 2005, 06:26 AM
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Day 13
Up bright and early for a motor trip: Beynac to La Roque Gageac, Carsac-Aillac, Grolejac, St. Cirq-Madelon, Milhac, Fajoles, Payrac, L’Hospital (from where we looked at Rocamadour)and on to St. Céré via Padirac and Montal.
Scenery was very nice and the small towns were readily navigable.
Stopped for a short visit at the Ch Montfort - a 19th Cent reconstruction of what was originally a 12th Cent fortress. Worth a look if you are in the neighborhood.
St. Céré (1* in the Green Guide) was a disappointment. The old part of town was fairly interesting, but felt dirty.
On to Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne, a very pretty town, via Bretenoux and up to Collonges-la-Rouge (2* in the GG).
Collonges is certainly different. Automobiles are not permitted in this town built of red sandstone and strolling through the narrow streets (the town dates from the 8th Cent) is very pleasant.
There is one jarring note. As you drive up the D38, the road is paved in red – a little too tacky.
Lunch was bread, wine and cheese in the shade of a tree in the parking area outside of town. The bread was bought from the bakery near the Bonnet Hotel. They have a wood-fired oven and the bread is delicious. Yesterday we bought a loaf of whole wheat with walnuts. Today we picked up some white with sesame seeds.
After lunch off to Turenne (brief period of getting lost because all roads seemed to lead to Turenne Gare, not Turenne), Hopital St. Jean and Martel, around Souillac and along the Dordogne via the D50 to Domme, La Roque and back to Beynac.
Lots of beautiful scenery, old villages and chateaux. Total time was about 8.5 hr.
Dinner at La Belle Etoile with Lois and her DH. The East dining room is very nice.
Appetizers of a green mayonnaise on toast, cream of squash soup with a drizzle of truffle oil
Entrees of foie gras on toast with an apple on top, oysters baked in their own juice with a truffle cream sauce
Mains of Guinea Hen, Sea Bass and Lamb.
Cabecou cheese and dessert.
Wines were:
1999 Clos d’Yvigne Cote de Bergerac – light to medium bodied with balanced tannins and tastes of tobacco, cherries and black fruits
2003 Domaine de la Jaubertie Chardonnay – full of fruits and spices with a nice, dry finish
A very, very nice dinner with pleasant company, excellent service and a lovely room - about 55E pp.
Day 14
Off to Sarlat for market day. We found a free parking place on a side street off Rue Republique and walked up to the square. Very interesting market. Bought some bread, cheese and wine for lunch as well as some dried cepes mushrooms, and wandered the Old Town (3* in the GG) a bit before heading off to the Grotte Font de Gaume.
After a picque-nicque in the car beside the Vézère river, we picked up our tickets and began a very long, very steep climb up to the cave.
About 3/4 up the hill is a sign: Caution - very steep climb - tickets not refundable
Passing through an airlock, we entered a very tall, very narrow cave decorated with prehistoric paintings of bison, horses and ibex. The guide was quite good, and the tour was very interesting.
The really good stuff is closed to public access, but you can buy photographs.
Heading back to Beynac, we missed a turn and ended up in Cadouin. Since we had planned on visiting it the next day, we stopped in at the Abbey to see the cloisters (2* in the GG). They are in the process of conservation, and will be especially lovely when the work is completed.
Dinner at Auberge Cinq Chateaux in Vezac. Despite its being full, service was very good (making allowances for the difficulty of dealing with several large groups of noisy Europeans who couldn’t remember who had ordered what), food was properly done, wines were quite nice.
Amuse Bouche 1: profiteroles
AB 2: cream of chicken soup with chives
Roberta had the 25E menu: Gazpacho (very good with just the right amount of spice), Rouget filets in puff pastry with wild mushroom sauce, cabecou and toast, frozen soufflé with walnuts. Her dinner was accompanied by a ½ bottle of 2004 Ch Theulet Bergerac Rose’ – very good fruit flavors.
I had the 39E menu with wine (a glass with each course)
Entree: 3 kinds of foie gras (one with a truffle on top, one plain and one with a garlic sauce) wine was a Chardonnay – fruity, demisec, with a hint of cinnamon
Main: Rack of lamb (perfectly done) wine was a 2003 Ch Peche Haut medium body flavors of berries and cassis – very good
Fromage: Cabecou and Pyrenees cheeses
Dessert: 3 sorbets made up as a torte wine was a Sarabelle Vin Doux Gaillac – sweet, but not cloying.
Dinner with wines and aperitifs – 80E
A minor note: You can’t see all 5 chateaux from one point unless you stand on the roof.
And so to bed.
A side note regarding credit cards. Many automatic machines (gas pumps, metro tickets, etc) take only the new credit cards that have an imbedded chip in place of the magnetic strip. American Express has a Blue card with a chip. Since it was free, I got one. I asked the AMEX people if the card would work in Europe. They didn’t know.
Hey AMEX, it doesn’t.
TBC
Up bright and early for a motor trip: Beynac to La Roque Gageac, Carsac-Aillac, Grolejac, St. Cirq-Madelon, Milhac, Fajoles, Payrac, L’Hospital (from where we looked at Rocamadour)and on to St. Céré via Padirac and Montal.
Scenery was very nice and the small towns were readily navigable.
Stopped for a short visit at the Ch Montfort - a 19th Cent reconstruction of what was originally a 12th Cent fortress. Worth a look if you are in the neighborhood.
St. Céré (1* in the Green Guide) was a disappointment. The old part of town was fairly interesting, but felt dirty.
On to Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne, a very pretty town, via Bretenoux and up to Collonges-la-Rouge (2* in the GG).
Collonges is certainly different. Automobiles are not permitted in this town built of red sandstone and strolling through the narrow streets (the town dates from the 8th Cent) is very pleasant.
There is one jarring note. As you drive up the D38, the road is paved in red – a little too tacky.
Lunch was bread, wine and cheese in the shade of a tree in the parking area outside of town. The bread was bought from the bakery near the Bonnet Hotel. They have a wood-fired oven and the bread is delicious. Yesterday we bought a loaf of whole wheat with walnuts. Today we picked up some white with sesame seeds.
After lunch off to Turenne (brief period of getting lost because all roads seemed to lead to Turenne Gare, not Turenne), Hopital St. Jean and Martel, around Souillac and along the Dordogne via the D50 to Domme, La Roque and back to Beynac.
Lots of beautiful scenery, old villages and chateaux. Total time was about 8.5 hr.
Dinner at La Belle Etoile with Lois and her DH. The East dining room is very nice.
Appetizers of a green mayonnaise on toast, cream of squash soup with a drizzle of truffle oil
Entrees of foie gras on toast with an apple on top, oysters baked in their own juice with a truffle cream sauce
Mains of Guinea Hen, Sea Bass and Lamb.
Cabecou cheese and dessert.
Wines were:
1999 Clos d’Yvigne Cote de Bergerac – light to medium bodied with balanced tannins and tastes of tobacco, cherries and black fruits
2003 Domaine de la Jaubertie Chardonnay – full of fruits and spices with a nice, dry finish
A very, very nice dinner with pleasant company, excellent service and a lovely room - about 55E pp.
Day 14
Off to Sarlat for market day. We found a free parking place on a side street off Rue Republique and walked up to the square. Very interesting market. Bought some bread, cheese and wine for lunch as well as some dried cepes mushrooms, and wandered the Old Town (3* in the GG) a bit before heading off to the Grotte Font de Gaume.
After a picque-nicque in the car beside the Vézère river, we picked up our tickets and began a very long, very steep climb up to the cave.
About 3/4 up the hill is a sign: Caution - very steep climb - tickets not refundable
Passing through an airlock, we entered a very tall, very narrow cave decorated with prehistoric paintings of bison, horses and ibex. The guide was quite good, and the tour was very interesting.
The really good stuff is closed to public access, but you can buy photographs.
Heading back to Beynac, we missed a turn and ended up in Cadouin. Since we had planned on visiting it the next day, we stopped in at the Abbey to see the cloisters (2* in the GG). They are in the process of conservation, and will be especially lovely when the work is completed.
Dinner at Auberge Cinq Chateaux in Vezac. Despite its being full, service was very good (making allowances for the difficulty of dealing with several large groups of noisy Europeans who couldn’t remember who had ordered what), food was properly done, wines were quite nice.
Amuse Bouche 1: profiteroles
AB 2: cream of chicken soup with chives
Roberta had the 25E menu: Gazpacho (very good with just the right amount of spice), Rouget filets in puff pastry with wild mushroom sauce, cabecou and toast, frozen soufflé with walnuts. Her dinner was accompanied by a ½ bottle of 2004 Ch Theulet Bergerac Rose’ – very good fruit flavors.
I had the 39E menu with wine (a glass with each course)
Entree: 3 kinds of foie gras (one with a truffle on top, one plain and one with a garlic sauce) wine was a Chardonnay – fruity, demisec, with a hint of cinnamon
Main: Rack of lamb (perfectly done) wine was a 2003 Ch Peche Haut medium body flavors of berries and cassis – very good
Fromage: Cabecou and Pyrenees cheeses
Dessert: 3 sorbets made up as a torte wine was a Sarabelle Vin Doux Gaillac – sweet, but not cloying.
Dinner with wines and aperitifs – 80E
A minor note: You can’t see all 5 chateaux from one point unless you stand on the roof.
And so to bed.
A side note regarding credit cards. Many automatic machines (gas pumps, metro tickets, etc) take only the new credit cards that have an imbedded chip in place of the magnetic strip. American Express has a Blue card with a chip. Since it was free, I got one. I asked the AMEX people if the card would work in Europe. They didn’t know.
Hey AMEX, it doesn’t.
TBC
Oct 7th, 2005, 08:08 AM
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Ira, what a wonderful report. I can't believe you met Stu and also saw St. Cirq's house! You went to a lot of the places we raced through in the Dordogne and Lot, but sounds like you saw more. How long did it take you to get from Figeac to St. Cirq La Popie? We drove there from Cahors and it took so long we didn't get to see much after we arrived. Naturally, I want to go back.
Oct 7th, 2005, 10:25 AM
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>>Figeac to St Cirq-Lapopie is under 2 hr along the scenic route.<<
There are actually two scenic routes - one along the Cele river and another along the Lot river. After having dinner with Ira (he seems to be the only person I've met who can out eat me) and then 3 straight nights out to restaurants with 4-6 course dinners with close friends who stayed with us at our Gite for a few days, we needed a break from restaurant dinners. We planned on a Cepe Omelet on Friday - one of our favorite dishes to cook at the Gite in the fall season.
Very early in the day on Wednesday, we headed off to the Cahors farmers market and purchased some fresh Cepes - 11E per pound, hoping they would last till Friday (they did). We left the market a little after 9:30, took the Cele river route, and got to Figeac about 11:45 - allowing my wife about 45 mins to shop before all the stores closed at noon. We also picked up a walking route map of Figeac, which was pretty much the same itinerary as the one in the Michelin Green Guide. We spent a little over 2 hours walking the route and taking pictures of the wonderful architecture in Figeac. This was our third visit to Figeac within the last 7 years.
We returned towards Cahors on the Lot River route - which I think was a little shorter and faster than the Cele Route - so Ira's "under 2 hrs" is accurate for both routes.
Earlier this year, someone asked me which route is prettier. We did them both on the same day, and both are quite scenic, but I prefer the Cele route. As you leave Figeac on the Lot Route, the first 1/4 of the trek is not that scenic - lots of trees beside the road so you can't see anything except the trees. A higer percent of the Cele Route is pretty.
Also, I've made claim that I'm not a big fan of Cahors. On Saturday (before having dinner with Ira & Lois & spouses on Monday), we went to Cahors to make sure that there was a Cepe vendor at the market, and that she would be there for the Wednesday market also. We could not find a market open on Thurs. or Friday closer to our gite that had Cepes. After verifying that the Cahors vendor would be there on Wednesday, we decided to give Cahors another try - This would be our fourth visit. We took the walking itinerary outlined in the Michelin Green Guide. The walk took less than 30 mins to see all the "old" architecture (my wife & I are big architecture fans). So it was more than 2 hrs in Figeac and 20 mins in Cahors - I still prefer Figeac by a wide margin.
Also, about a week earlier we visited Perigueux. On a previous trip, we had to exchange a car in Perigueux and while we were there, we did a quick once-over. This time we wanted to spend a lot more time there. We were overwhealmed with the city. They have an excellent English walking tour of the town which we followed. It was also market day. I think Perigueux has some of the loveliest architecture in the southwest. There is a very long shopping steet - running along the R des Maquisards, R d'Anjou, and the R Emile Zola that has some extremly pretty storefronts and lots of shops that attracted my wife. There is also a very nice garden/housewares store on the Place Carnot and across the Place is a Genevieve Lethu shop.
Note - almost all shops are closed all day Monday (and Sunday) in both Figeac and Perigueux.
Stu Dudley
There are actually two scenic routes - one along the Cele river and another along the Lot river. After having dinner with Ira (he seems to be the only person I've met who can out eat me) and then 3 straight nights out to restaurants with 4-6 course dinners with close friends who stayed with us at our Gite for a few days, we needed a break from restaurant dinners. We planned on a Cepe Omelet on Friday - one of our favorite dishes to cook at the Gite in the fall season.
Very early in the day on Wednesday, we headed off to the Cahors farmers market and purchased some fresh Cepes - 11E per pound, hoping they would last till Friday (they did). We left the market a little after 9:30, took the Cele river route, and got to Figeac about 11:45 - allowing my wife about 45 mins to shop before all the stores closed at noon. We also picked up a walking route map of Figeac, which was pretty much the same itinerary as the one in the Michelin Green Guide. We spent a little over 2 hours walking the route and taking pictures of the wonderful architecture in Figeac. This was our third visit to Figeac within the last 7 years.
We returned towards Cahors on the Lot River route - which I think was a little shorter and faster than the Cele Route - so Ira's "under 2 hrs" is accurate for both routes.
Earlier this year, someone asked me which route is prettier. We did them both on the same day, and both are quite scenic, but I prefer the Cele route. As you leave Figeac on the Lot Route, the first 1/4 of the trek is not that scenic - lots of trees beside the road so you can't see anything except the trees. A higer percent of the Cele Route is pretty.
Also, I've made claim that I'm not a big fan of Cahors. On Saturday (before having dinner with Ira & Lois & spouses on Monday), we went to Cahors to make sure that there was a Cepe vendor at the market, and that she would be there for the Wednesday market also. We could not find a market open on Thurs. or Friday closer to our gite that had Cepes. After verifying that the Cahors vendor would be there on Wednesday, we decided to give Cahors another try - This would be our fourth visit. We took the walking itinerary outlined in the Michelin Green Guide. The walk took less than 30 mins to see all the "old" architecture (my wife & I are big architecture fans). So it was more than 2 hrs in Figeac and 20 mins in Cahors - I still prefer Figeac by a wide margin.
Also, about a week earlier we visited Perigueux. On a previous trip, we had to exchange a car in Perigueux and while we were there, we did a quick once-over. This time we wanted to spend a lot more time there. We were overwhealmed with the city. They have an excellent English walking tour of the town which we followed. It was also market day. I think Perigueux has some of the loveliest architecture in the southwest. There is a very long shopping steet - running along the R des Maquisards, R d'Anjou, and the R Emile Zola that has some extremly pretty storefronts and lots of shops that attracted my wife. There is also a very nice garden/housewares store on the Place Carnot and across the Place is a Genevieve Lethu shop.
Note - almost all shops are closed all day Monday (and Sunday) in both Figeac and Perigueux.
Stu Dudley
