The Dordogne, Part 1
19th September, 1999 continued
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The map left shows our onward progress. As we journeyed towards our objective, Sarlat - in the Dordogne, the scenery got more hilly and the vegetation more lush - a sure sign that we were going to see more rain. We had decided to head for a camp site that advertises in our Caravan Club Magazine, Les Deux Vallées - email: les2v@perigord.com. We found the site quite easily and the rain held off long enough for us to pitch camp. This site definitely deserves a plug. |
Les Deux Vallées is easy to find being in Vézac, just a few miles south-west of Sarlat on the D57. It is a four star site but modestly priced and is open all year. It has a bar, restaurant, and shop (below left) and a swimming pool(below middle). From the edge of the site several pitches enjoy a fabulous view of one of the five chateaux that are nearby. It is a little British enclave in an area that some say is a bit like England without the people. At least part of its attraction are its owners Peter and Monique.
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20th September, 1999
Being Monday yet again we spent the morning doing chores before venturing down for our first considered look at the Dordogne river with the Chateau at Castelnaud towering above it. We should point out that we have taken hours of video - enough to bore all of the UK when we return but we are trying to be a bit selective in the shots we are putting in our journal, mindful of poor bandwidth most of us have to put up with. The picture right is of the war memorial below the Chateau. We think this is the most touching we have seen. |
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21st September, 1999
We set off to see Sarlat - a town we had heard so much of and which seems to boast the most caravan sites in the guide book. It is indeed a truly remarkable town with so much of its ancient fabric intact. The pictures below show a view of the main square, below left, the Chamber of Commerce, middle, and on the right one of the hundreds of quaint houses we could have shown. We returned to the town later in the week to see its famous market - one of the best in France.
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22nd September, 1999
As we had anticipated, the Dordogne can be very wet and, as was the case most nights, we were wakened by the din of rain on the roof followed by trees dripping for an hour or so. None the less, when the rain cleared, we had glorious and hot sunshine. |
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| We decided to take in a 'Bastide'. These were new towns built in various parts of Europe in the middle ages to strengthen the hold of the rulers in the area. In the Dordogne the English and French fought the 100 years war for Aquitaine and built many Bastides, of which Domme is a good French example, a gate of which is shown above left, and its breathtaking views over the Dordogne above right. So shear was the drop at this point that no defensive wall was necessary. The Bastides were unique in that they were planned military towns with special financial inducements for people to move there. They were usually laid out on a grid basis - not unlike Milton Keynes. | ||
23rd September, 1999
After Domme, we visited Monpazier, shown to the right, which was built by Henry II of England and has a remarkable square surrounded by arcades and having a free-standing wooden market hall. |
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| We returned to camp via the Chateau Biron, above right, which is a most imposing sight. | ||
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Last updated: 18/03/01
