Classic Rural Scenes along the Dordogne

Bonjour mes amis! Thursday, June 2, Lee and I began driving the Dordogne River Valley. We wanted to discover the character of this region for ourselves. We left Sarlat and headed south towards Carsac. We discovered a typical scene along the Dordogne, the lovely Eglise de Carsac, set off the road in cornfields, with its Romanesque style and World War I memorial. What a picture this was! We continued our drive along the Dordogne and pulled off at a scenic point called Cingle de Montfort. From this vantage point we could see "black Perigord" so named for the thick blanket of dark-colored oaks which stay green all winter. In the distance we could see the castle of Montfort. This castle was once owned by Simon de Montfort, who led the Crusades in the 13th century. We continued our drive to La Roque-Gageac, a storybook town along the Dordogne. This town appeared sculpted out of the rock between the cliffs and the river. It is a one-street town stretching along the Dordogne. Looking up at the cliffs, as we were walking along the riverfront, we could see the 12th century cave-dwellers village, which was built during the Viking river raids. La Roque-Gageac is affected every year by floods. When there is a big rain in central France, this little town always floods two days later. The first-floors of all buildings along the riverfront are restricted to commercial use, as there are usually serious floods which occur every 5 years. We took a trip along the Dordogne on a boat that was modeled after those used to take oak barrels to Bordeaux. Interestingly, such boats were often unable to return because the river current was so strong, so the boats were taken apart for lumber. There was a lovely castle built in the 19th century downstream. After leaving "La Roque" we went to another town, called Domme, with magnificent views of the Dordogne. After lunch (un sandwich de jambon et fromage and une tarte de noix) we drove on to Castelnaud with its interesting medieval castle. From the armory to the kitchen, we experienced medieval castle life. The upper courtyard has a 150-foot deep well. Our final stop of the day was Beynac, another charming Dordogne village. We were amazed at the consistent "golden tones" of the houses and buildings throughout the Dordogne. We loved to meander the side streets of these towns, noticing these tones and the characterictic medieval architecture. Beynac's feudal village included a fascinating castle, called the Château de Beynac. This château stands 500 feet above the Dordogne. The French were housed here during the Hundred Years' War while the British were located across the river in Castelnaud. This castle has amazing valley views and made us imagine what life was like during medieval times. We returned to Sarlat late in the afternoon feeling compelled to learn more about the medieval history of France!

Mme. Wallace