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Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Sarlat-la-Caneda

20 km east of Les Eyzies is Sarlat-la-Caneda. This is another adorable town that is worth a stop. There is free parking north of town but the closest lot is south of town. Parking isn't expensive--€3 for 2 hours.


Cathedral de Saint Sacerdos, which was founded in the 14th century, is next to the TI. Rick Steves has a nice walking tour of the town and it starts at the Cathedral.


It's a medieval village with atmospheric arches.


The bullet shaped building is known as the Lantern of the Dead. It dates from 1147 and was built in gratitude to St. Bernard de Clairvaux who taught hygiene standards which saved the town from further deaths from the Plague. It had already claimed 1000 of the 4000 citizens in 4 days.


Other than the main street (Rue de la Republique) that cuts north to south, many of the streets in town are narrow and pedestrian.


Sarlat's mascot is the salamander, an animal unfazed by fire or water.


The Church of Sainte Marie now serves as the covered market. It's open Friday to Wednesday.


The market has the largest doors I have ever seen.


Inside, there are stalls selling food, fruit (fresh & dried) and crafts.


The dark stone roofs on many of the roofs in Sarlat are called lauzes and are typical of the region. The flat limestone rocks were initially gathered by farmers clearing their fields and used for roofing material. The roofs last up to 300 years. The small windows in the roof provide air circulation, which allows lichen to grow and seal gaps between the stone, making it waterproof. 



View of Place de la Liberte from the statue "Boy of Sarlat."


See the statue of geese. It's an homage to the geese that are traded on market days from Nov to March.

We didn't spend the night but next time, we'll do that. Sarlat is the only town in France that is lit by gas lamps.



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Monday, July 30, 2018

Les Eyzies

There is a small town, Les Eyzies, about 1 km from the Font de Gaume. Park in the lot on the main road then walk into the town.


The town is mainly 1 street.


There is a Musee National de Prehistoire--entrance is €6. 


The museum is built into the limestone cliffs in town.


There is a statue of a Cro-Magnon man just outside the museum.

There is another museum in town--the International Center of Prehistory. This museum is free and gives you an overview of the prehistoric people who lived in this area. 



2018 05 25

Sunday, July 29, 2018

Grotte de Font de Gaume

It was a 1 3/4 hour drive to Grotte de Font de Gaume. The Vezere Valley, north of the Dordogne, is famous for its caves with prehistoric paintings. There are numerous caves but the last open cave with multi-color paintings is the Grotte de Font de Gaume.


Entrance to the cave with guided tour is €10. The cave is not open on Saturdays. 


They do not take reservations so you have to get there early to get one of the 78 tickets allowed per day. 


The cave opens at 9:30 am. We got to the cave at 8:45 am on a Friday in late May and we were #40 & 41. We did not make it on the English tour but the French tour included some English. There are 6 tours daily with 13 people per tour. The tours last 45 minutes. We chose the 12:15 tour and had to return by 11:50 am. This gave us some time to see the nearby town. It was better than sitting at the entrance for an hour to get on an earlier tour.


You are not allowed to bring anything (including cameras and cell phones) inside the cave so leave it in your car. If you did bring something, there is a locked area to the left of the entrance to store your items. You will need a jacket, even if it's a hot day.

The cave is dark. The guide will light up areas to see the prehistoric drawings thought to be over 14,000 years old. There are more than 230 figures but you will see about 25 on the tour. I must admit that you will need some imagination. 


No pictures are allowed inside the cave. This is a picture of the entrance. You might be able to see a horse in the lichen.


It's a 400 yard, slightly uphill walk to get from the ticket office to the entrance of the cave. You'll see wild orchids


and wild strawberries.



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Saturday, July 28, 2018

Chateau Fleur de Roques & La Table de Margot

Our stop for the night was Chateau Fleur de Roques--a chateau B&B.


Chateau Fleur de Roques is located at 1 Lieu dit Roques in Puisseguin.


Have a glass of wine outside.


Our room with canopied king bed.


Sitting area


Modern bathroom


We had dinner at the restaurant onsite--La Table de Margot. We had a bottle of the red wine produced by the winery--€38.


Amuse bouche of Fromage Cru & Gazpacho with Balsamic Vinegar.


My husband chose the €32 menu. His first course was Fricassee of Squid & Chorizo, Parsley and Vegetables.


He chose Duck Confit for his main course.


His dessert was a Creme Brûlée.


I chose the €25 menu. First course was Roasted Camembert Cheese with Gascon Bacon and Onion Jam.


One of the main choices was Pork T Bone with Tarragon & Violet Mustard.


Dessert was Homemade Clafouti with Pears and Chocolate and Raspberry Sorbet.



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Friday, July 27, 2018

La Table de Plaisance

There is a 2-star Michelin restaurant in St. Emilion--La Table de Plaisance.


It's located at 5 Place du Clocher. If you have a car, leave your car outside and give the keys to the maitre d'. They'll park it for you.


The interior is light and beautiful. You have a choice of a la carte or Menu Decouverte--3 courses with 2 wine pairings for €68 at lunch.


Amuse Bouche of Beetroot with Wine Coating.


Another amuse of Buckwheat with Seafood Tartar (served on a bed of rocks and seaweed).


Another amuse of Carrot with Compari Gelee (served on a bed of orange peel).


Closeup of the Carrot Gelee.


First course of Green Peas with Oyster Foam--this had too strong an onion flavor


The peas were paired with a Sauvignon Blanc.


Bread with Butter from Brittany.


2nd course of White Asparagus with Asparagus Veloute & Coffee Foam


3rd course of Ling Fish with Clams and Potatoes, with Fish Foam, Ling Fish Canele.


The fish was served with a Chablis.


Cheese course--€25 extra.


I chose a cow milk cheese, a gouda and a roquefort, along with several glees.


My husband sampled 4 goat cheeses.

The cheese were interesting but I would say not worth the €25 price tag.


Palate cleanser of Basil Sorbet with Java Pepper


One of the desserts was a White Meringue with Strawberry Juice


The other option was Raspberry with Marshmellow & Mint Jelly.


Dessert was followed by Mignardise of canele, macarons & chocolate tart with gold leaf.


We even got a gift to take home--raspberry clafouti.

Lunch here was much more memorable than lunch at Arzak. It helps to go to a 2-star place--they try harder to get the 3rd star.



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