"Wine is the most civilized thing in the world." - Ernest Hemingway
***** May 26 *****
Just a little more goat cheese before we leave the Loire for the Dordogne region. For lunch we stop in the tiny town of Mortemart for a picnic lunch provided by Julie. Lots of delicious salads, cheese and meats.
We stop for a sobering tour through the martyr town of Oradour-sur-Glane. On June 10, 1944 Nazis came to this town and for no known reason killed almost everyone. 642, including 193 children, were killed. Only six people from the whole town survived. After the killings the town was set on fire. The town has been preserved as a reminder of the horrors of war.
Our home for the next three nights is Hotel Montaigne in Sarlat. Sarlat is a charming small town with narrow, winding streets and a foie gras shop on every corner. For dinner we dine with some of our tour members at Restaurant du Commerce. This was probably one of my favorite meals. The food was fabulous!
We stop for a sobering tour through the martyr town of Oradour-sur-Glane. On June 10, 1944 Nazis came to this town and for no known reason killed almost everyone. 642, including 193 children, were killed. Only six people from the whole town survived. After the killings the town was set on fire. The town has been preserved as a reminder of the horrors of war.
Our home for the next three nights is Hotel Montaigne in Sarlat. Sarlat is a charming small town with narrow, winding streets and a foie gras shop on every corner. For dinner we dine with some of our tour members at Restaurant du Commerce. This was probably one of my favorite meals. The food was fabulous!
***** May 27 *****
This region is known for its ancient cave paintings and we were able to see them at Grotte de Rouffignac. Our group is taken into the cave on a little train, this is so our breathing is minimized and thus minimizes any possible damage to the delicate paintings. The painting are about 15,000 years old and show woolly mammoths, horses, and rhinoceroses.
The weather is perfect for a canoe trip. We all bravely enter our canoes and float gently down the river past charming towns and castles. I am very lucky to have an Eagle Scout as my husband and canoe partner! Even for an inexperienced person this was an easy and relaxing ride. No one fell in and I didn't even get my feet wet. Philippe is there at the end and then takes us up into the hills to enjoy a spectacular view of the area we just canoed.
Our group is dinning together at Le Regent back in Sarlat. We all enjoy a very authentically local meal of foie gras, duck confit and walnut cake. These pan fried potatoes in Sarlat are just heavenly!
The weather is perfect for a canoe trip. We all bravely enter our canoes and float gently down the river past charming towns and castles. I am very lucky to have an Eagle Scout as my husband and canoe partner! Even for an inexperienced person this was an easy and relaxing ride. No one fell in and I didn't even get my feet wet. Philippe is there at the end and then takes us up into the hills to enjoy a spectacular view of the area we just canoed.
Our group is dinning together at Le Regent back in Sarlat. We all enjoy a very authentically local meal of foie gras, duck confit and walnut cake. These pan fried potatoes in Sarlat are just heavenly!
***** May 28 *****
Today is a day off. There are no formal activities, just an entire day to enjoy ourselves. Today is market day in Sarlat. While we slept more than a hundred stands have popped up to offer a variety of wares. The most enjoyable portion is the food section. Everything is fresh and mouth watering. There is a super popular burger place in town, so for lunch we give it a try. It is nice to have a taste of home: burger, french fries and a soda.
Julie has arranged an optional lesson in boules, which is a game similar to bocce ball. We all have fun playing and trying another French past time, pastis. Pastis is a licorice flavored liquor and I'm sorry to say it is truly awful. Thankfully Julie has also provide a nice rosé .
Julie has arranged an optional lesson in boules, which is a game similar to bocce ball. We all have fun playing and trying another French past time, pastis. Pastis is a licorice flavored liquor and I'm sorry to say it is truly awful. Thankfully Julie has also provide a nice rosé .
2 place Pasteur
24200 Sarlat |