Visitors from French class!

For the second time in as many years, a group representing our former French class arrived in Bergerac to pose as tourists! So, I pretended to be a tour guide and brought them to various places in the general Dordogne area.
Our first stop, on the way from the airport, was for coffee and crepes in the World Heritage town of St. Emilion.

In the afternoon, we went on to explore the wonderful Gouffre de Proumeyssac, a cave containing huge numbers of stalagmites, stalactites and other shapes formed over millions of years. Until relatively recently, the only way to enter was in a bucket which held three people and was lowered and raised by walking a horse round in a circle. This meant, on occasion, a hair-raising experience, if the horse decided to behave in an unfriendly manner!

Next we stopped at the little village of Limeuil, one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France, which overlooks the confluence of the Vezere and Dordogne rivers. The riverside area looked beautiful in the early evening sunlight.

On the following morning, we set off for the chateau of Castelnaud, which supported the Cathars in the early 13th century, and suffered for its efforts. It changed hands many times during the 100 years years war (which actually lasted 116 years!) and the wars of religion which followed. It was also wrecked following the French Revolution, but is now restored and has an excellent collection of arms and weapons from the various periods.

This was followed by a tour of the nearby "hanging gardens" of Marqueyssac. These gardens are a little different, and contain, inter alia, 150,000 box plants, trimmed to a variety of shapes. It's a deceptively large area, topped by a "belvedere" with a great view of the river Dordogne, the chateaux of Castelnaud and Beynac, and the lovely village of La Roque Gageac.

We then drove the few kilometres to La Roque Gageac for lunch. La Roque is another of the Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, and is partly built into the rock overlooking a wide stretch of the Dordogne. It is packed with restaurants and cafes, and cruises on the river are available in the local gabarres or flat-bottomed boats. In high season, it is over-run with tourists, and it is often difficult to find parking. By early October, despite the Indian summer, the numbers have thinned out a little.

Having seen at least some of the Dordogne valley, we decided to have a look at the valley of the Vezere, a tributary of the Dordogne. So we drove through Sarlat to the little village of St. Leon sur Vezere, yet another of the Les Plus Beaux Villages de France.

We then turned around and took a back road to the Roque St. Christophe. This fortified rock dwelling was inhabited continuously for a period of around 55,000 years, much longer than any of the towers in Ballymun. It is favourably situated, overlooking the Vezere from a height, and the whole valley for miles in three directions. It also appears that other lookouts were able to signal the approach of attackers from long distances, which made surprise attacks very difficult.

Very close to the "Roque" is the tiny village of Le Moustier. This is the village after which the Mousterian Age and tool culture are named in archaeology. It became famous after the discovery of a neanderthal skull over 100 years ago, in an "abri" or shelter made of rock. The skull was 55,000 years old.

On the way "home" we passed through the famous and historic town of Les Eyzies de Tayac, famous for its "Cro-Magnon" man statue, outside the museum. The museum itself is unique in that it is partly built into the rock, as the "abri" where many early artefacts were found has been incorporated into the museum building. Many regard this area as the "cradle of civilisation".

We passed through the scenic village of Le Buisson on the way west towards Bergerac. It is best known for its Cadouin Abbey and cloisters.

Next day, after a good night's sleep and some shopping, we repaired to the recently restored chateau of Bridoire. Once the subject of protests that landed the protesters in jail, Bridoire has been restored as a result of a campaign that lasted 22 years. It was originally owned by the state, and neglected, hence the protests. Eventually, it was sold into private ownership and restored. It is ideal for groups of children, as it features dozens of medieval games for their amusement. Adults have been known to attempt these games, with varying levels of success!

Finally, another visit to sample the famous wines of Monbazillac. This hilltop chateau is a major venue for weddings, and wedding photographs. During our visit, a wedding was taking place in which Bernard and David were joining up for better or for worse. The view from the chateau grounds is stupendous, with the town of Bergerac spread out in the valley below, topped by the spire of the church of Notre Dame.

The visitors returned to Dublin next day, tired but happy, after another good night's sleep.

Please note that I did not take any of the above photographs. But, they're all in the public domain, and I have not infringed any copyright.