Exploring the Dordogne Valley

We were actually meant to be staying in Sarlat last night and tonight but the story is that the hotel we were meant to be staying in won’t be finished being built for a couple of months. Not sure that this makes a whole lot of sense to me but, in Brive we are so this morning our forecast is 18 and we have a full day out and about planned.
Getting dressed and ready to go for breakfast this morning, I was greeted by my room mate impersonating Henry. Thank goodness she rolled down her trouser legs before we left our room.

After breakfast, which was very basic, we head out to Lascaux which was a fascinating place. A cave system was accidentally found by four local boys in 1940, when one of the boy’s dog fell down a large hole that had been created after a huge tree had been blown over and uprooted. Anyway, the cave system had 100s of paintings over the walls and roof. Archaeologists guess at the time period as it appears the drawings pre date carbon being used in the ochre or whatever else was used to draw the animals. The caves were very popular for tourists more so after the war, but I think it was about 20 or so years ago they closed the caves as the artwork was significantly deteriorating from all the human intervention. However what I find amazing is that an 8,500 square metre replica of the Lascaux cave has been made about 200 metres from the original. To all intents and purposes (apart from the cement floor) you would swear you were in a prehistoric cave. Our guide even showed us through the underground cave by a lit flame. He turned lights on only later during our hour long tour. Amazing!

Back on the coach and our next stop is at somewhere I can’t remember the name of but yet again it is a very quaint little village. Had a wander through the fresh fruit and veg little undercover market that had the biggest doors. Again, there is nothing I want to buy at any of the shops so we head to a restaurant where I have a delicious Thai Beef salad and J has a mushroom omelette. And yes we shared a half litre of vin du Blanc Sec.

Saw the cutest little cars parked in the street as we headed back to our coach.

Back on the coach and now we head to a walnut oil producing farm. Really could have done without that visit but we did at least get to taste a spring truffle which was delish.

Back on the coach again and now we are off to the Dordogne Valley to get on a Gabarre replica to cruise the river. Lovely views of the town built into the cliff face, plus flash chateaus dotted high on hills.

Very pretty but we didn’t have our little boat to ourselves so it was a full pay load. The non-French speaking amongst us were given headsets that had a. Recorded English translation. Mine gave up the ghost ten minutes into the tour so I plugged my headset in with J’s little recorder and heard most of it. We were meant to have wine and cheese during the cruise, but all Laura was able manage was handing us each a plastic cup and giving us some rose from a couple of bottles she brought with her. All a bit tacky, but at least she tried hard for us, bless her!
Needed to use the bathroom after the little cruise ended, so headed for the public WCs as did a number of others. I don’t mind unisex toilets (have encountered a number in France)but this beggared belief. The men’s urinal was clearly visible from the entrance so we saw a row of men with their backs to us, but all still putting wobbly bits away and zipping up as they turned around! I just turned my back to them as I waited to use the loo. I was about to start a punch up with three french speaking women who all pushed in front if me in the queue but finally decided, when in Rome... so used the one and only men’s stall which was at the side of the urinals. This is an experience I may take some time to recover from...
Back on the coach and we head back to Brive but don’t get in until about 6.30. It has been a long day since our 9 am start. J and I decide to head for our room where we plonk on our beds. I get out my trusty Swiss Army knife corkscrew, open the bottle of Malbec and determine that some black wine, cheese biscuits and chocolate covered walnuts that Laura gave us all as our ‘flourish’ for the day will suffice for tonight’s dinner. If I can ever get the bloody photos uploaded, it will be an early night for me.