A quick summary of the highlights of our 2017 family holiday in the southeast of the Dordogne region, situated in the southwest of France. Using the Airbnb site, I managed to track down a holiday home in a small town called Saint-Cybranet, which was no mean feat given that our dates were irregular (10 nights from Mon-Thurs) and given that we needed somewhere to accommodate 9 people, including our friends (another family with kids). We took the Eurotunnel after my Mum's 60th on Sun 23rd July, which was a first for us as a family, as was doing a mega-journey on French roads. To make life easier, we booked a Novotel in Le Mans, which we'd recommend as kid-friendly. On the way back, we stopped at a Novotel in Rouen, which was equally well set up for kids – with a pool, tennis and other activities – and friendly staff who served us steak & frites and rosé.
On the drive down, I got flashed by a speed camera just outside Rouen (you have to be careful when approaching tunnels in France as the speed limit drops quickly), but haven't (yet!) received a speeding ticket, now exactly a month later. On the second day of driving, after a good night's sleep in Le Mans, we set off again on the road and cut across country through Brenne natural park to get to the A20, and after a few wrong turns and some time stuck behind a large truck carrying logs, we finally started making good progress. We started to get to grips with the signs for the "aires" (service stations), after mistakenly stopping somewhere that had only picnic tables and awful toilets, and ventured on to find a stop with a Paul, which served lovely sandwiches and delicacies.
As evening approached, we turned off the A20 at Souillac, and after stopping at a Leclerc for provisions, we carried on through the stunning Dordogne valley and arrived at the Granges de Goursac around teatime, to be welcomed by our lovely host Guillaume (as well as his English neighbours, Vincent & Maria, who were keen to chat, but we were all dog tired). After a tour of the property, I finally got to sit and take in our lovely view with a beer. We also had time for a brief swim in our lovely pool, which was slightly cold but very refreshing after a long drive, and some rotisserie chicken and salad for tea. Guillaume had also left us a few local bottles of rosé, which we soon polished off.
Tuesday was cloudy and relatively cool (about 24-25 C) and we all enjoyed having some time to explore the house and grounds, as well as spending more time in the pool. Ruth and Kath decided more provisions were needed, so ventured into Sarlat and we had a BBQ that evening (and more rosé, of course). On Wednesday, the weather started to warm up, which was noticeable as we made the slow ascent to Chateau de Castelnaud – like many of the medieval fortresses in the area, it is set atop a steep hill. A visit is highly recommended, not just for the views, but also for the history (it was active in the Hundred Years' War) and the exhibits on medieval weaponry.
On Thursday, we went to Jardins de Marqueyssac, which had views even more magnificent than Castelnaud and is probably the sight I'd most recommend visiting in the Périgord Noir. On Thursday nights in the summer, they have special candlelit evenings in the gardens, and we managed to extend our day tickets to take in some of the experience. There was so much to see in the gardens, from mazes and ropewalks to peacocks and panoramic views, and the kids (and adults) all had a great time. We rounded off the evening with a drink on the terrace overlooking the castle of Beynac, and spied our first hot air balloon (which became Archie's "wow" obsession during the holiday, along with wind turbines and dogs small enough for him to stroke).
On Friday morning, I went on the boulangerie run and picked up some croissants, pain au chocs and Suisses (a new discovery), and also booked Ruth, Rosie, Kath and Jacob on a canoeing trip that day from Vitrac back to Castelnaud. They had a great time, while Jamie and I had a more challenging experience with the young ones (especially Archie) in the supermarket. That night, we went to a local food market in Saint-Cybranet, where we ate Thai food and listened to live music. Saturday was a lovely day spent in Sarlat visiting the market, and we got there early enough to find a parking place and also to dive into a cafe for breakfast to avoid a torrential downpour. I also picked up a lovely little artwork of Serge Gainsbourg carved into a vinyl record. In the afternoon, we enjoyed the much warmer weather around the pool, and that night got a bit carried away with the rosé and gin. Sunday was very much a hangover day, largely spent reading by the pool.
On Monday, we visited the fortress town ("bastide") of Domme, and had fun eating lunch at Pizzeria des Templiers, exploring the underground cave and eating an ice cream while taking in the spectacular views of the Dordogne. I also found an amazing second-hand bookshop, where I whiled away half an hour (picking up copies of the Chanson de Roland and À Rebours by Huysmans). Tuesday was glorious and so largely a pool day, allowing Archie to take in the spectacle of several hot air balloons floating through the sky. Wednesday was even hotter, and Jamie, Jacob, Rosie and I spent the morning canoeing on the river, taking in the sight of La Roque-Gageac and stopping for an ice cream en route.
On our last evening, I slaved over a red hot BBQ, and then we ate local meats (including duck kebabs, a revelation!) and drank rosé while taking in the glorious view for the final time. All in all, it was a very memorable, relaxing and fun holiday and we're glad that we made the effort to venture that far south to catch some good weather. It was very cold and wet coming back to Blighty.
On the drive down, I got flashed by a speed camera just outside Rouen (you have to be careful when approaching tunnels in France as the speed limit drops quickly), but haven't (yet!) received a speeding ticket, now exactly a month later. On the second day of driving, after a good night's sleep in Le Mans, we set off again on the road and cut across country through Brenne natural park to get to the A20, and after a few wrong turns and some time stuck behind a large truck carrying logs, we finally started making good progress. We started to get to grips with the signs for the "aires" (service stations), after mistakenly stopping somewhere that had only picnic tables and awful toilets, and ventured on to find a stop with a Paul, which served lovely sandwiches and delicacies.
As evening approached, we turned off the A20 at Souillac, and after stopping at a Leclerc for provisions, we carried on through the stunning Dordogne valley and arrived at the Granges de Goursac around teatime, to be welcomed by our lovely host Guillaume (as well as his English neighbours, Vincent & Maria, who were keen to chat, but we were all dog tired). After a tour of the property, I finally got to sit and take in our lovely view with a beer. We also had time for a brief swim in our lovely pool, which was slightly cold but very refreshing after a long drive, and some rotisserie chicken and salad for tea. Guillaume had also left us a few local bottles of rosé, which we soon polished off.
Tuesday was cloudy and relatively cool (about 24-25 C) and we all enjoyed having some time to explore the house and grounds, as well as spending more time in the pool. Ruth and Kath decided more provisions were needed, so ventured into Sarlat and we had a BBQ that evening (and more rosé, of course). On Wednesday, the weather started to warm up, which was noticeable as we made the slow ascent to Chateau de Castelnaud – like many of the medieval fortresses in the area, it is set atop a steep hill. A visit is highly recommended, not just for the views, but also for the history (it was active in the Hundred Years' War) and the exhibits on medieval weaponry.
On Thursday, we went to Jardins de Marqueyssac, which had views even more magnificent than Castelnaud and is probably the sight I'd most recommend visiting in the Périgord Noir. On Thursday nights in the summer, they have special candlelit evenings in the gardens, and we managed to extend our day tickets to take in some of the experience. There was so much to see in the gardens, from mazes and ropewalks to peacocks and panoramic views, and the kids (and adults) all had a great time. We rounded off the evening with a drink on the terrace overlooking the castle of Beynac, and spied our first hot air balloon (which became Archie's "wow" obsession during the holiday, along with wind turbines and dogs small enough for him to stroke).
On Friday morning, I went on the boulangerie run and picked up some croissants, pain au chocs and Suisses (a new discovery), and also booked Ruth, Rosie, Kath and Jacob on a canoeing trip that day from Vitrac back to Castelnaud. They had a great time, while Jamie and I had a more challenging experience with the young ones (especially Archie) in the supermarket. That night, we went to a local food market in Saint-Cybranet, where we ate Thai food and listened to live music. Saturday was a lovely day spent in Sarlat visiting the market, and we got there early enough to find a parking place and also to dive into a cafe for breakfast to avoid a torrential downpour. I also picked up a lovely little artwork of Serge Gainsbourg carved into a vinyl record. In the afternoon, we enjoyed the much warmer weather around the pool, and that night got a bit carried away with the rosé and gin. Sunday was very much a hangover day, largely spent reading by the pool.
On Monday, we visited the fortress town ("bastide") of Domme, and had fun eating lunch at Pizzeria des Templiers, exploring the underground cave and eating an ice cream while taking in the spectacular views of the Dordogne. I also found an amazing second-hand bookshop, where I whiled away half an hour (picking up copies of the Chanson de Roland and À Rebours by Huysmans). Tuesday was glorious and so largely a pool day, allowing Archie to take in the spectacle of several hot air balloons floating through the sky. Wednesday was even hotter, and Jamie, Jacob, Rosie and I spent the morning canoeing on the river, taking in the sight of La Roque-Gageac and stopping for an ice cream en route.
On our last evening, I slaved over a red hot BBQ, and then we ate local meats (including duck kebabs, a revelation!) and drank rosé while taking in the glorious view for the final time. All in all, it was a very memorable, relaxing and fun holiday and we're glad that we made the effort to venture that far south to catch some good weather. It was very cold and wet coming back to Blighty.
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