crazy4travel - absolutely, I will! I've been lost inside the big panties for the past month and just found my way out. Even Fodors needs "closure" now and then...

question: I confess, I know nothing (really nothing!) about the Dordogne. Of course, I could push some buttons and retrieve a map, but to sum things up - what, where, how, why the Dordogne?

I ask because BrAAAd & D, along with dorkforcedad & I are mapping out a trip next April to France. BrAAA really, really wants to take in the Normandy beach area (which Dorkforcedad & I have done) and D really, really wants to take in Provence (which I haven't done). In a week, how could we do both - or, should we eliminate Provence & consider Dordogne? Thoughts...

Crazy4travel: This was wonderful! Many thanks for the entertainment.

Firstly, I am sorry I did not finish my Umbria trip report (hopefully, I will get to it) as I would have recommended NOT staying in Spolleto. I parked my car at the base of the hill and took the little train up. The entire town was swathed in scaffolding, the noise from the jackhammers was deafening and I made a mental note to advise travelers to avoid it for now.

However, I DID warn you about the Molino specialty – three turds on a plate. I figured out that it must have been pig’s liver (the very cheapest liver, that even my dog won’t touch). Honestly, I fully expected the waiter to rush out to me, grab the plate and tell me that he was sorry but the house Doberman has S#@T on my plate. Liver haunts me – I have ordered it inadvertently in France, Italy and Spain. I think my dear departed Mother has found out about how I used to dispose of the liver (I think the dear departed dog must have ‘fessed up) and she follows me around Europe making me order it as a punishment for my sins!

Mushy peas: OH GAWD! Another favorite of my Mother’s. Can abide the smell or the sight of them.

Italian train “customer service agents” – now THERE is an oxymoron. I booked a ticket over the Internet from Aosta to Milan last year and the woman behind the counter refused to recognize it at all. I had to buy a new ticket. It was only about 20 Euros, but it took me 30 minutes to go through the rigmarole with the help of a very sweet young girl in the ever increasing line-up translating for me.

The only BAD car rental experience I have had in Europe has been with AVIS: nothing earth shattering, just poor customer service. I now refuse to deal with them and am willing to pay extra for another (Europecar has always served me well and the one time I had real trouble with a car, National in France were nothing short of spectacular in their customer service).

And you were NOT an ugly tourist – the treatment you received in both restaurants in Rome was appalling and inexcusable. Under the circumstances I think you behaved admirably – a credit to your country. I love Rome, sometimes it has frustrated me. I often wonder how a city that has been a tourist destination for over two millennia can get it so wrong, so often!

dorkforcemom...A few years back we took a trip to Provence and the Languedoc...from what I have read of the Dogdogne, it is even more enchanting. It is a medieval land with fabulous chateaux, extraordinary prehistoric caves, beautiful rivers and pretty golden stone villages.

That is a hard question as I adored Provence as well. I recently saw some beautiful photos of the Dordogne which helped to solidify my decision. You will find the trip report on Slow Travel by Ger called "A weekend in the Dordogne". Her photos are professional quality...I think if you see them you will know if the Dordogne calls you. There is also another good trip report that was recently written on the Dordogne on the Fodor's site with some very nice photos as well.

Many people on this site return to the Dordogne again and again. Personally, I don't think you could go wrong either way. Each area of France has its own beauty and a completely different feel. I love them all!

swagman...you are so right. I have encountered people that do not seem to want to experience anything different from home...I wonder why they even bother to travel. I was once in Barbados and I met a couple from New Jersey. They were very nice people but you could tell that they were not well traveled. They said that they looked at the menu and everything looked foreign so they didn't want to order anything.

I went to Mexico in March and brought my phrase book. The staff could clearly speak English but I struggled in my broken Spanish to converse with them. One waiter asked why I would try to speak Spanish as everyone can speak English. I told him because I like to try. He was tickled by this as most of the tourists don't bother with much more than one or two words.

Ger...thank you so much for your kind words. I could not find much in the way of current information for Spoleto and we instantly hated the atmosphere there. It certainly is beautiful near the Torre but it really is a shame about the scaffolding. Spello in comparison was a wonderful refuge at the end of the day. We pretty much had the hotel terrace to ourselves with beautiful views over the vale.

I am going to learn the word for liver in every language...and mushy peas!! I wish I had a photo of the look on my husbands face when I got my glorious piece of steak and he got the 3 turds. It likely matched the look on my face the next night when I got the mushy pea pasta. What goes around comes around so they say...he got the last laugh on that one.

I look forward to reading your next trip report. I confess I know nothing about Galicia but I very much enjoy your style of writing. You transport us to the destination with your decriptions.

I'll be booking my flights next week to Toulouse if the frequent flyer gods are all aligned and in my favour. We decided on the gite in Cenac. I think that will work well as a base.

Take care...and Happy Canada Day to you.

Here are my photos at long last

http://www.kodakgallery.com/crazy4travel/main

Crazy

Thank you so much for sharing your photos with this forum.

You were certainly blessed with good weather and lack of crowds. I was in the same Tuscan towns in early June and experienced a couple of overcast days, even with a heavy downpour during an afternoon in Montepulciano, best excuse to have an extended lunch!!

I was particularly interested in your photos of Umbria which I plan to visit in May 2007. Judging by the number of photos taken of Assisi and Spello, I gather they were your favourite.

In relation to Cenac, could you share with us which gite you decided upon.

S

Hi swagman. We were very lucky with the weather and the crowds. We only had 3 nights in that area of Umbria...1 night in Spoleto and 2 nights in Spello. We split our second day between Trevi and Assisi arriving in Spello in the late afternoon. The morning was chewed up on the last day trying to get our car rental straight. We did spend a few hours in Brevegna and Montefalco but Spello and Assisi were are favorite places. I wish we had a day or two longer to linger there.

We decided on the Gite Laurier which is on the edge of Cenac. I was torn between that and a larger 5 bedroom house in Capiol. The deciding factor was the outdoor space. Gite Laurier looks like it has a very nice garden and also shares a swimming pool with the other Gite. It is part of a manor house that is divided into two Gites but each have their own private entrance and garden.

Kelly, I read through your entire trip report today, all 23 Word pages of it, when I should have been working on my own! Thanks so much for posting and for adding those wonderful photos! You included scads of very helpful information so I’m saving your report for a potential trip.

I didn’t know I wanted to go to Tuscany and Umbria before seeing your photos but then I didn’t know I wanted to go to the Dordogne before reading about it here and that worked out very well as you can see from my report. Thanks for following it.

I was wondering where you live in Canada and now I have my answer, Halifax! Small world; I was born in Halifax. I only lived there for my first six weeks, however. It wasn't my choice to move to Ontario but that worked out well for me too.

Do you have a web link to Gite Laurier?

S

Hi moolyn,
I can't imagine a better follow up trip to Dordogne than Tuscany and Umbria. May was a perfect month to travel...not too hot or busy and the wild flowers were all in bloom. It was my first trip to Europe in the spring and now I'm hooked.

I lived in Toronto in my wild post teen years from 1983 until 1989. It was fun but I missed home. I still have friends and family there.

Swagman...it would be my pleasure. The owner is Jean LaRoche. She is working on a tiling project with her husband so it may take her a few days to get back to you by email as she is working long hours.

http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/ind...oir/p12095.htm

Thanks Crazy.

Gite Laurier's location to just perfect - a short drive to Sarlat. Make sure you go to the Sat morning market and get there early. Parking can be an issue so be early in order to find a spot closer to the action. The market is just amazing and be sure to have lunch/snack at one of the restaurants on the main square to take it all in and at the same time do some people watching.

How long are you planning to stay in Dordogne for and is that the only region you plan to visit during your France trip? There are so many more towns and hamlets you can visit from your base at Gite Laurier. I too hope to be in the area some time in 2008, talking about forward planning!!!

Enjoy!

S

We're spending 3 days in the Lot and 7 days in the Dordogne..our last night in Bordeaux. Wish we had more time but that's all I can manage.

I know already that there is just too much to see in that amount of time so I will have to make a list and plan to go back again like you.

I am looking forward to trying a rental. It will be our first experience with a Gite or villa style of accommodation. If we like it, perhaps we'll shoot for two weeks on our next trip...like you I am a forward thinker.

Regards...Kelly

Kelly

We have never stayed in a weekly rental/gite either, have always been on the go and most of the time, at the end of the trip, we need another holiday to recover!!

For our next trip, we'll be travelling with our 2-year old toddler and we will have no choice but to slow down. We too look forward to staying in one place for a week to live the local lifestyle and take it all in.

I noticed you have booked your gite through holiday-rentals.co.uk, have you found out from other Fodorites if they find this site reliable and properties true to the photos shown on the site?

S

Hi Swagman,
Holidayrentals is a rent by owner site so there is a bit of a leap in faith. It was mentioned by a few people as a site to check for possibilities. I had explored some other options but they either had a two week minimum or they weren't quite the right location or ammenities. The Gites de France site does not have very detailed information or photos but I know many people that swear by it because the properties are somewhat regulated by government standards.

I think you need to send some emails back and forth to get a feel for the person you are renting from. In my case, I have discovered the owner is a school teacher and seems very nice and accommodating. I am hoping that it will be a positive experience as we plan to do more travel like this in the future.