Family Travels
| Family Travels Dordogne Valley |
| Date Last Visited -- 2004 |
| The Surrounding Area |
When driving by car to Castlenaud, the road will take you past a Walnut Grove and museum. We stopped for a quick picnic lunch with items from the Sarlat market that morning (we made great salads with walnuts and had fresh cantaloupe). The museum is worth a quick visit...we were fascinated to learn about the tractors used to shake those walnut trees! |
| Our evening concluded with a trip to Rocamadour, an hour east of Sarlat. 800 years ago, this became a pilgrimage town. The town sits at the base of the cliff, with the Cite Religieus, with assorted chapels, shrines and museums 300 meters or 143 steps up and a chateau 200 meters above that. We parked at the top and took the elevator halfway and walked the rest. We arrived too late for entrance to the main sights, but had a wonderful dinner and then ran for the elevator....barely making the last one of the evening. |
| Rocamadour |
| Walnut Museum |
| Brent spends his 13th Birthday canoeing down the Dordogne |
| Sarlat |
| Several operators offer do-it-yourself canoe trips of the Dordogne River. Park your car, take the bus up river to pick up your canoe, spend the day swimming, canoeing and enjoying some of the most beautiful scenery as you slide past the castles soaring over the river. Wear your suit and bring water shoes. The water is pristine and so clear you can see the bottom in up to five feet of water. Stop for a picnic...or even french fries at the local campground ....or even ice cream-- We did! |
| Castelnaud and Chateau de Beynac |
Prehistory thrives in this area. Don't miss your chance to have an experience of a lifetime....visiting the caves of the Cro-Magnon and their cave art that is 15,000 years old. There are several caves in the area...we chose Font du Gaume...one of the few that allow tourists into the original caves. Visitors are limited to ten tourists per half hour to guard against carbon monoxide damage to the drawings. Reservations required....call by phone to reserve your spot. (05 53 06 86 00) 9:00a-12:00, 2:00-17:30 Closed Wed. This will "wow" you...The colors of the bison, horses, reindeer and cats are enhanced by the natural cave formations to provide depth and dimesion. Bring a jacket or sweater for the caves...no photography allowed... Trust us...don't miss this one! There is also a very good museum in Les Eyzies--National Museum of Prehistory! Market day is Monday--we bought some sausages and cheese for a picnic |
| Font Du Gaume |
Above right: Museum of Prehistory, Les Eyzies Below right: Another picnic before our tour at Font du Gaume |
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| Canoe the Dordogne River |
| L Cheminee d' Angele Pont de Campagnac 24200 Sarlat-la-Canéda Tel. : (+33) (0)5 53 28 39 27 Wonderful place Kids enjoyed the small pool No AC -- and it was very hot www.lacheminee-angele.com |
| Sarlat is one of our favorites. Food is fabulous in this region....There are walnuts in everything--salad, entrees and desserts. Sarlat is a fun evening town with lots of entertainers and music. The market fills the town during Wednesday and Saturday. Geese Hate Sarlat. It is the geese capital of France ...famous for its foie gras (goose liver) Brent wasn't sure what he was ordering...we later it was goose gizzard salad! Truffles are also a specialty of the region. |
| II am going to live in Sarlat one day. I fell in love with the weaving cobblestone alleyways adorned with window boxes overflowing with flowers. that led to a wide open square filled with glittering nightlife. -- Erica, age 15 |
| It's easy to think of early man as primitive and not particularly bright--until you visit a sight like Font Du Guame The detail and craftsmanship of the cave painting was extraordinary. The way they used the shape of the cave and the lighting to create three dimensional movement was nothing short of amazing. --Dad |
| In Sarlat there was a market and there were so many different types of walnuts. He didn't speak any English...I didn't speak any French so we used the "pointing" style of talk. He a hammer in his hand and he quickly cracked walnuts so I could try different types. I became hooked on walnuts. Brent, age 13 World Shopper |
| Randonnee Canoes When coming from Sarlat, take first left after crossing bridge to Cenac tel 05 53 28 22 01 |
| Michael Crichton book, Timeline, and associated Hollywood movie made this area famous. These castles were the fortresses of Britain and France during the Hundred Years War! Although you can stop as you canoe along, we chose to spend a day sightseeing these castles and the surrounding area. Beynac looks more impressive and offers great valley views, but Castelnaud is a medieval wonderland. The castle is filled with furniture and artifacts and the ramparts filled with catapults and cannons. This is every little boy's dream castle. |
| Market Day is fun in Sarlat. We bought lots of Walnuts, walnut vinegar and walnut oil. We also bought picnic supplies...cantalopes, fresh sausages, |
