Sunday 22 September 2024

Dordogne road trip

The weather was predicted to be mixed today, so Jenn and Russ suggested that we go for a run in the car and visit some more of the area. Our first stop was Issigeac, a beautiful bastide village with a market which extends through several squares. A bastide village is a medieval village built for commerce, with a grid layout of streets and a central marketplace. Fortifications in the form of walls were usually added later. We had breakfast in a café in a wee interior design shop that Jenn and Russ know; coffee and pastries. After a browse around the market we continued on to our next stop, the gorgeous Limeuil, which is built on a steep little hill and has a small castle at the top with gardens overlooking the countryside around. Excitingly (for me and Jennifer) the well in the gardens was the scene of a murder in one of Martin Walker’s Bruno detective books which are set in the Dordogne! We had drinks in the café at the foot of the hill, which overlooks the confluence of the Dordogne and Vézère Rivers. Such a beautiful place. 
In our way to Bergerac Russ stopped the car near Tremolat at a viewpoint which overlooked a huge curve in the River Dordogne. Gorgeous. Our last stop was the pretty town of Bergerac. One of the first things we saw as we walked into the historic centre was a statue of a man with a very large nose - yes it was famous local boy Cyrano de Bergerac! We had arrived just at the point in the afternoon when all the restaurants were shut, but as we wandered around looking at the medieval buildings and the river, Jennifer noticed a wine tasting place in an old convent, which served platters of local charcuterie and cheeses served with wee toasts. So in we went and looked at the wines and had a couple of platters of food. It was a beautiful setting and we had a great chat. 
Back at the house, Jenn and I went for a swim in the pool and Jenn rescued a frog which was trying to climb out. After a tasty dinner made by Jenn and Russ we sat outside and looked at the stars. 

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