Sarlat accommodations, St. Cirq have any ideas
 

I have now completed my airline ticketing so have my dates set. Arrive Paris June 6 and after a visit to Normandy, will be arriving in the Dordogne area on the 9th. Our flight to Florence from Bordeaux leaves at 10:25 AM. StuDudley suggested staying near Sarlat and thus I would be interested in suggestions for a place to stay for 3 or 4 days. Michelin tells me its about 2 1/2 hours to drive from Sarlat to Bordeaux so we should plan to stay the night of the 12th near the airport. Again, suggestions regarding somewhere to stay that one evening would be appreciated.

Place to stay? Apartment, hotel in town, country type accomodations? Budget? There are a lot of options and I think we'd all need to know what type of place you are thinking about and how much you are planning to spend.

Sorry, I neglected to give the details. I am not familiar with the Sarlat area having not visited it before but based on what I have researched so far, staying somewhere outside Sarlat is preferrably. Apparently Sarlat itself is difficult to drive into and very busy. This will probably mean something in a smaller village or in the country. Budget is not really a problem but I would think 150 to 200 Euro ought to find something nice. But perhaps I am wrong on this. We stayed at Le Cep in Beaune two years ago and enjoyed our stay but Sarlat is apparently more difficult to navigate than Beaune. Hope this gives you a better sense of what we are seeking.

We are staying at Villa des Consuls in Sarlat this April and are hoping the traffic won't be a problem during the off season.

A number of posters have recommended Les Granges Hautes near Sarlat. It looks lovely, but I cannot seem to locate a working website for them at the moment. Here is a link to a poster's trip report, including an account of their time there.
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34889327

The area around the Bordeaux airport isn't that interesting. Once when we arrived in Bordeaux late in the day & too late to get to Sarlat by Gite check-in time, we stayed the night before in St Emilion - just 45 mins from the airport. Being a wine enthusiast, I'm sure you are familiar with this town. It's quite a charming village - although rather one-dimentional (wine), with dozens of tasting/buying shops, and a little touristy too.

We stayed at the Au Logis des Remparts - which is right in town. We had a very nice meal at Le Tetre. Make sure that you have shoes that won't slide on the cobblestone streets getting to the restaurant - it's on a very steep street (most people took off their shoes).

We spent 2 weeks in a Gite just south of Beaune this past Sept & drove around Beaune dozens of times. We've driven around Sarlat dozens of times also. One is no more difficult to navigate than the other.

St Cirq may be snowed in or out of her home in the DC area.

Stu Dudley

Rlbplf...The only hotel I stayed at in the area is Le Madeleine in Sarlat and I think you will get suggestions for a place even nicer than that one. However, just to correct you on one small thing. Sarlat is not difficult to drive in and out of. On my second Dordogne jaunt a few months go, we rented a house in nearby Domme and drove in and out of Sarlat many times during the week. Not difficult at all..it is a large town, rather than a city. I don't think that information will affect you much on your choice of where to stay, I just wanted to make it clear.

Did you happen to find the hotel that Gracejoan stayed at near Sarlat? (In her trip report?)

StCirq is pretty well shoveled out, actually...boy, what nasty weather!

rlbplf: Staying in Sarlat that early in June won't be too bad traffic-wise except on market days. If you decide you want to do that, I agree that La Madeleine is a nice choice. Villa des Consuls and Les Granges Hautes are also good choices. L'Esplanade in Domme is very nice (I'd recommend you at least dine there), as is Le Relais des Cinq Châteaux in Vitrac (also very good restaurant) and the Domaine de la Barde in Le Bugue (again, nice restaurant).

I think spending your final night in St-Emilion is a good idea. Then you can say you visited the "Bordeaux wine country" as you originally planned. Just give yourself plenty of time to get through/around Bordeaux to the airport and car rental return.

If things go as planned I should be at home in St-Cirq while you're there. If your plans stay on target, let me know and maybe we can meet up for a glass of Monbazillac and a smidgeon of foie gras.

Oh, please. There is no such thing as a "smidgeon of foie gras". Go the whole way or forget it! LOL

Here's a place in the delightful but tiny town of Bourdeilles within a more limited budget that it is simply heaven:

http://www.griffons.fr/index.php?lng=en

How right you are, Patrick!

And not only that, it's smidgen, not smidgeon...obviously I've been spending too much time on my list of words in the English language that have the sequence "eon" in them

too funny. I'm so trusting. I was about to write smidgen, but assumed you MUST be right, so followed your lead.

Well, I AM an editor and writer, though with all the problems I've been having lately with my keyboard and my new reading glasses, who would guess?

Anyway, as far as foie gras goes, in for a smidgen, in for a lobe.....:)

Good evening, St. Cirq. How are your children? You have been keeping a very low profile.

Thingorjus

marginal, my dear....let's just say that for the past 14.6 months or so (not that I'm counting or anything), I've been involved in some scandalous activities that you of all people would be most approving of, and have had less time than previously to devote to the internet.

I've recently been rectifying that, due to bad weather and other factors that keep me upright for most of the day.

Children are wonderful, thank you. Daughter's a sophomore at Berkeley and going for some international pre-law degree thing that looks positively up her I-am-a-driven-person alley, and son's a junior in high school, driving (!!), and looking at colleges, cooking schools, possible Gap Year, maybe apprenticeship at a restaurant in France...we're not sure yet, but he's a free spirit kind of guy and definitely infected with the whole France experience he grew up with...so we'll see.

Life is good. And good to hear from you, Thin. You know I've always, always been a fan of yours.

Hi rl,

In the Dordogne, we stayed in Beynac-et-Cazenac.

You might also consider La Rocque Gageac.

((I))

Thanks for all of the suggestions and I will now get to work to see what I can come up with in terms of availability. By the way, has anyone heard of a B&B called Montgrieux near Domme? It was suggested by Caitlin Woodbury of La Tour de Cause who by the way has been very helpful to us in terms of what to be thinking about in traveling with a pet. St. Cirq, we love foie gras and you certainly can't due it justice without a fine red wine to wash it down. Being from New Orleans, we appreciate those sins of life. First glass is on me.

ira, where did you stay in each of the villages you mentioned? So far Le Villa des Consuls has responded they can accommodate us and le Logis des Remparts in St. Emilion is also availble for the one night. Michelin mapping shows the drive to the Bordeaux airport to be 40 minutes so it appears we could stay in St. Emilion and make the drive the next morning to turn in the car, etc. What size airport is this?

Leely, I couldn't find a working website for the one you suggested either. I did find a booking company who listed the property and so I sent them an email, no response as yet.

Bordeaux airport is small, compared to ones you're familiar with in the US. Returning the car is a non-event.

Stu Dudley

That's good to know so I will plan to be at the airport two hours ahead of departure. That should be enough time to return the car and check luggage.

It is good to hear from you, St. Cirq. Don't be a stranger. We are all fans of your reports from France.

Thin

>...we love foie gras and you certainly can't due it justice without a fine red wine to wash it down.<

There are those (traditionalists) who might suggest Champagne, Sauternes or Monbazillac.

((I))

Indeed, ira...and my offer was for a glass of Monbazillac. Though truth be told I prefer a bold red. I'm sure the traditionalists would look on in horror if they saw me washing the foie down with a glass of Cahors. Their loss...

rlbplf: what sort of pet are you bringing with you? That could affect the lodging choices, though there are plenty of hotels (and even restaurants) in France where dogs are allowed, if that's he sort of pet you're traveling with.

My Michelin guide says that the Remparts in St Emilion does NOT allow dogs.

Stu Dudley

Hi St C,

>I prefer a bold red. I'm sure the traditionalists would look on in horror if they saw me washing the foie down with a glass of Cahors. <

Since it is you making the suggestion, I shall withhold judgment until I've tried it. :)

((I))

There are loads of very nice B&Bs in the area around Sarlat. I would recommend staying out towards Beynac as it is within easy reach of the five castles, Domme and Sarlat. I do know of a few out that way and if you are interested I could gather some details for you as I only live about 20 kms away.
http://bikesindordogne.blogspot.com/
Bob