"The Dordogne..." who has not heard of The
Dordogne? Equally well known are the Aquitaine and
Périgord, all names for almost the same area, which can
lead to confusion. In the beginning was the Aquitaine,
known from Roman Times to the Middle Ages to cover the
South West of France. On the marriage of Eleanor of
Aquitaine to Henry II of England, the area fell into
English hands, but as time went on, the owners of the land
fluctuated between the English and the French. The English
could not pronounce Aquitaine and named it Guyenne, a name
which can still be heard today in some places.
Within the Aquitaine was the county of Périgord part of
which was renamed by Napoleon as the Dordogne when he
redesigned the whole of the French administrative regions.
Numbering them alphabetically; thus making the new region
of the Dordogne, Départment 24. The boundaries of this new
départment coincided roughly with the old Périgord but not
completely, and to complicate matters still further he
divided the Dordogne into four sections named the White,
Black, Green and Purple Périgord. The river Dordogne itself
runs through the Black and Purple Périgord.
The old area of the Aquitaine is now covered by the
Dordogne, Gironde and Lot-et-Garonne with Bordeaux as the
capital. From La Barthe there is easy access to all these
départments and is therefore ideally situated for exploring
the Aquitaine and to rediscover the fascinating history of
the area which is so closely linked to England.
Purple (or red) is the main wing-growing area, a landscape
striped with the vineyards of Bergerac, Pécharment,
Monbazillac and Saussignac merge into the flavours of St.
Emilion on the western borders. The area is prosperous
thanks to man's avidity for good vine. The manor houses of
old money reflect a less functional style of architecture,
while the service industry which fed and restored the
stream of gabariers floating their precious cargo
down-river to the warehouses of Bordeaux is still apparent
in the charmingly shambolic old quarters of Bergerac.
Contrary to popular belief, the Black Périgord is nor named
for its truffles. Black is the colour of the abundant live
oaks which only drop their leaves in spring. In winter
their dark silhouettes on the skyline, visible from miles
away, are emblematic of the scenery in this part of the
Dordogne, which is the best known, thanks to the reputation
of Lascaux and other painted or sculpted caves and its
wealth of prehistoric remains, mediaeval Châteaux and towns
such as Domme and Sarlat.
The two areas are so different in their content that you
could be mistaken for thinking you'd moved to a different
country. The rolling hills of limestone and the forests of
evergreen oaks of the Périgord Noir (Black Pèrigord) are
crossed by the valleys of the Dordogne and the Vézèere
which meet at Limeuil, although they now no longer echo to
the sound off flat-bottomed barges going down to Bergerac.
Instead, they give the impression that peace and
tranquillity have reigned here forever.
These two valleys have been inhabited by people since the
Magdalenian Age and decorated shelters and caves with
engravings, paintings and carvings, masterpieces of
parietal art can still be seen today at the Saint-Cirq
Cave, and at the Tursac Prehisto Park you can see and
understand how these far-off ancestors lived. In the Middle
ages a network of churches and fortified castles were
built, around which the fortified villages or Bastides were
established. As time went on, and living became easier,
great Châteaux were built and many are open to the public.
This is an area abundant with places to see, places which
must be seen. Along the Vézère river you can find whole
towns cut into the cliff face, such as La
Roque-Saint-Christophe which was inhabited from the
Magdelenian Age right up to the Middle Ages. This town was
captured by the English during the 100 years war and
occupied by them from 1401 to 1416. In fact, as you drive
along the road, you can see houses cut into the rock and
still lived in today.
In the same area you will find Lascaux, where around 17,000
years ago, the artists of the Upper Palaeolithic age were
painting the walls of the cave which was their home, with
pictures of bulls and horses and the animals they would
watch and hunt. Their work was hidden from view until 1940
when two local lads went looking for buried treasure which
legend said was under an old dump. What they found was not
what they expected, but they did find a treasure beyond
price. The cave was open to the public in 1948, but
unfortunately due to the effects of bacteria, carbon
dioxide gas and humidity, Lascaux suffered more during the
next few years than it had done in several millennia. In
1963, the cave was closed to the public. However such was
the public outcry that the Department of the Dordogne
financed a 15 year long construction of Lasaux II, 2Omts.
below the original. This incredibly painstaking
reproduction of the two most beautiful chambers of the
original, was painted using the same colours and techniques
used 17,000 years ago. Don't be disappointed by thinking
that you are missing out on the original, this reproduction
must be seen, not only as a reproduction, but as a work of
art in its own right.
The holy village of Rocamadour, bills it-self as the
'Second Site in France' (after Mont St. Michel). The
origins of Rocamadour are murky and the Grotte des
Merveilles suggests that this remarkable site was a holy
place long before any of it's stories were written. In the
late 11th. century, L'Hospitalet was founded by Helene de
Castelnau for pilgrims en route to Compostella. The
Benedictine Monks of Tuille promoted the cult of the Black
Virgin which was given a boost in 1166 when a mans body was
discovered buried near the alter said to be that of St.
Zaccheus who became a hermit and built the first
sanctuaries in the cliff face. He was called by the locals
'the lover' or 'Amator' in French for his devotion and so
the name Roc-Amadour - the rock of the lover or lover of
rock was given to the where he lived.
Rocamadour became one of the busiest pilgrimage shrines in
France, but suffered a set back during the Wars of Religion
when the shrine was laid waste and desecrated by the
Huguenots, who hacked the relics of St. Amadour to bits but
left the Virgin and her bell intact. Three centuries later,
the village was restored by the Bishops of Cahors, giving
the buildings a feeling that you are on a film set,
somewhere unreal, which increases in high summer with all
the tourists who have to queue just to get into the narrow
lanes of the village which is entered by way of the 13th.
Century Forte due Figuier, one of four gates which defend
the village's only road.
Visitors be warned there are well over 144 steps if you
intend to climb the Grand Escalier, but if you are fit and
able, this is well worth the effort as the majority of the
village's places of interest are to be found along the
staircase. The Black Virgin herself can be found in the
Chapelle Notre-Dame which dates back to 1479. She is
believed to have been carved from a walnut in the 11th.
century and sits stiffly on her throne, the Christ Child
balanced on her knee. She has a very primitive appearance
which only heightens her mystic power. It is said that when
she performed a miracle, it would be foretold by the
ringing of the 9th. century bell hanging from the roof. The
chains worn by pilgrims still hang in the back of the
chapel.
The rusty sword embedded in the stone high in the rock
above the door is said to be Durandal, the famous sword of
Roland, who confided his blade to the archangle Michael,
and when Roland died, Michael hurled the sword from the
Pyrenees like a javelin straight into Rocamadour's cliff.
Today, it is held in place by a chain to prevent it from
falling on someone's head.
For those who cannot make the long climb up the Grand
Escalier, there is a lift near the second gate Porte Salmon
which will take you to the Parvis de St. Amadour, the
centre of the village and where the Chapelle Notre-Dame can
be found. Another lift will take you to the ramparts of the
Château from which you will have one of the most
magnificent views to be found in France.
There are so many and varied beauties of the Perigord Noir
that it is impossible to preview them all here and
therefore a trip around the area is essential.
Wine is the order of the day in the Périgord Purple, the
capital of which is Bergerac, named after a poetic cavalier
with a very big nose, Savien Cyrano de Sergerac, who by the
way, was never anywhere near the town. He was born in 1619
in Paris and grew up to become a swashbuckling extrovert
and poet. In his lifetime he wrote several tradgedies,
comedies, letters and a humorous essay called La Voyage
dans la Lune. He was appointed as a musketeer in a company
of Gascons who were, to say the least, a boastful lot, so
he added Bergerac to his name to help him fit in. It is an
enchanting city, with swans swimming in the Dordogne and a
cluster of medieval, half-timbered houses basking by the
old- river port. In the Perigord Purple, there are 93
communes producing a wide variety of wines, but tobacco is
also grown here in large quantities and in Bergerac there
is a unique museum to this weed, first made popular in
France by Catherine de Medici, who is said to have used it
to cure her migraines.
This is the area for all you wine lovers where there are
abundant big and small vineyards where you can call in and
taste their brew. Don't be put off because the vineyard
seems to be very small, they can produce some excellent
wines. However, there are of course, the well known ones
which are a must. Bergerac has produced wines since the
12th. century and as far back as 1250 was exporting wine to
England. The quality controls laid down in the 1300's
strictly defined the planting area and set the date of the
harvest and these controls are still used today.
Monbazillac - the wine growing region of
Monbazillac is some 6 kms. south of Bergerac, dominated by
the imposing Château de Monbazillac, which was built in
1550 and is virtually unchanged today. Walk round the
Chateau and you will be offered a view of the whole of the
Bergerac valley, truly a sight not to be missed.
Monbazillac wine today is a heavy sweet white wine but this
was not always so. In 18th. Century, the Dutch developed a
taste for sweet heavy wines, or 'Vins Liquoreux' and the
vineyards of Monbazillac were converted to produce a strong
white dessert wine using Semillon grapes with small
quantities of Muscadelle and Sauvignon and the vines were
planted on the north facing slopes to take advantage of a
microclimate where autumnal morning mists help to incubate
Botrytis Cinerea, the 'noble rot' which withers the grape
but adds an extra distinctive sweetness and fragrance.
However in the 19th. Century, the reputation of Monbazillac
sank until it was described as cheap plonk and in 1960 the
growers rooted up much of the old stock and planted new
vines producing a dry white wine and drier lighter vins
liquoureux. This resulted in a lovely golden coloured wine
which deepened with age and smelt of wildflowers. Good
years 1988, 1989 and 1990 can be safely kept for 30 years.
(If you could refrain from drinking it for so long).
Continue to travel south, and you come to the vineyards of
Pomport and Sigoules and especially the Château Caillavel
at Pomport which produces one of the finest red wines I
have ever tasted - and a dry white wine with the smell and
flavour of elderflowers. Perfect served chilled on a warm
summer evening. Well worth a visit.
The otherside of Bergerac towards Périgueux you find the
wine growing region of Pécharmant with it's truly
distinctive flavour of oak barrels. A rich heady wine not
to be missed.
Follow the river down past St.
Foy-le-Grande and you will come to the vineyards
of St. Emilion but give yourself time to stop at St.
Foy-le-Grande, a bustling market town founded as a bastide
by Alphonse de Poitiers in 1255. Although not one of the
well known wine regions the town is well worth a visit.
St. Emilion itself is set in a natural amphitheatre
surrounded by its vineyards. Although the site has been a
town since Roman times, it was not until the arrival of a
Benedictine hermit named Emilion that the town was put on
the map, when he and his companions enlarged the natural
shelters and caves on the site, the largest of which was
used as a church and when he died the town took his name.
This is not the place for high heels as the lanes called
Tetres are unevenly paved with granite blocks from Cornwall
and are so steep that handrails have been installed down
their centres. However the great secrets of the town are
underground, not only the cellars for the rich ruby wine.
but also Europe's largest subterranean church. In 1199 a
new civil authority was set up of a hundred peers called
the Jurade and they were responsible for everything
including the quality of the wine up until the Revolution.
The wine was exported to the English court where interest
was so great that in 1289 Edward 1 set the limits of the
production area - these same limits are used today.
The reputation of Saint-Emilion soared in
the Middle Ages and was praised by the French and English
alike as the 'King of Wines'. It's quality is a mystery
that cannot be explained, for the growing area on the north
bank of the Dordogne has no special microclimate as with
the Monbazillac. The predominate variety is Merlot which is
mixed with Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and/or
Malbec. The vineyards of St. Emilion are subjected to some
of the strictest quality control in France and the estates
are remarkably small compared with others, the Grand Crus
being only 10 or 20 hectares. In 1948 the civil authority
set up in 1199 the Jurade was reincarnated and they now
announce the Ban des Vendages, or the beginning of the
harvest with a fete the night before. In June, they gather
to taste the new wines and give the appellation if they
consider the wines of sufficient quality, but in May of
each year, a dozen Châteaux open their doors for free
tastings of the previous year's harvest.
Although the Périgord Purple does not have the wealth of
touristy attractions of the Perigord Noir, it has many
bastide towns such as Issigeac and Eymet which are well
worth exploring. The bastides were not, as many people
think, initially built as fortified towns and some like
Miramont-de-Guyenne never did become fortified. The towns
were built to a specific design of either square or
circular streets forming a kind of web radiating from a
central square, which was the heart of the town and
surrounded by arcades. Here were the administrative and
commercial buildings with a tithe barn and a Market Hall.
It was nor until the end of the 12th. or the beginning of
the 13th. century that the walls were built, not as some
would suppose to resist the assault of organised armies but
rather to discourage bandits for from the time of their
creation, the role of the Bastide was essentially economic.
The site of the Bastide of Eymet has been
occupied since prehistoric times and many jewels and
domestic utensils have been found in the locality and are
now displayed in the Château museum. The dolmen of Eylias
and the sites of standing stones, the 'Peyrelevades' prove
the existence of a Gaelic cult, a 'Nemet' which is probably
the origin of the town's name. The remains of many
important Roman villas have been found near the villages of
Serres, Sainte-Eulalie and Sainte-Innocence, many of which
are still to be excavated, proving that the area was
popular in Roman times when the river Dropt would have been
navigable providing easy travelling and trade with
Bordeaux.
The official history of Eymet begins on the 28th. June 1270
with the creation of the bastide. It's location at this
time, depended on its links with Marmande in the Agen
region which was the property of Aphonse de Poitiers,
brother of Louis IX and Count of Toulouse. Alphonse
inherited the region on the death of his father-in-law
whose estates extended from Marmande to the Rhône, and he
began to construct several bastides to ensure control of
his new territory. To the North he built St. Foy-le-Grand
in 1255, Castillonnes in 1259, Villereal in 1267 and
finally Eymet in 1270 marking the border with Périgord.
Market day in Eymet was fixed by Charter to be a Thursday
and remains so to this day.
In 1271, one year after the completion of the town.
Alphonse de Poitiers died with no descendants and according
to the Meaux treaty of 1229 his property went to the crown
of France and so Eymet became French, but not for long.
Eight years later, following the Amiens treaty, it was
given to Edward I of England. This was challenged by the
Kings of France, but Eymet remained in English hands all
through the 14th Century. However, from 1337 onwards it
changed hands several times. On the 1st. September 1377,
Bertrand du Guesclin commander of the troops of the Duke of
Anjou, brother of King Charles V, took back from the
English more than 100 defensive positions, towns and
castles in Aquitaine, then the steward of Bergerac, Thomas
Felton set up an ambush at the approaches to Eymet, but Du
Guesclin heard of the ambush and ordered his Lieutenant
Jean de Bueil, to attack and a large number of English and
Gascon soldiers were drowned in the river Dropt just south
of Eymet at a place called 'Gua de Roupy' which became
known as 'The Englishmen's hole'. A great battering-ram
called 'La Truye' became blocked at Eymet's southern gate
which was too narrow and had to be partially demolished.
This gate from then on was called 'Gate of the Engine' and
the street which leads to it was called Rue de l'Engine,
and to this day this street is so called.
The Walls of Eymet, built around 1320 had four principal
gates which were destroyed along with the ramparts in 1830,
but a smaller gate called 'Le Portanel' overlooking the
Dropt still exists today.
500 years after the fall of the Roman Empire, the Duchy of
Aquitaine was formed, which was eventually inherited by
Eleanor of Aquitaine who gave the Duchy to her husband
Henry P1antagenet, King of England, and the area remained
in English hands on and off for the next 300 years. In 1360
Edward III renounced his claims to the crown of France in
exchange for sure title to the quasi-independent
principality of Aquitaine, extending from Poitou to the
Bigorre, and to rule it, he sent his eldest son, Edward
known as the Black Prince. It is the Black Prince who is
reputed to have built the Château at Eymet and to have
lived there on and off when he was in the area. The exact
date of the end of the English occupation of Eymet is
unknown, but around June 1451 Gilbert de Pellegrue
surrendered to Charles VII King of France and on the 17th.
July 1453 the defeat of the Anglo-Bordelais troops
officially marked the end of the 100 years war, and Eymet's
place in the French Nation.
For the lovers of the sea, just west of
Bordeaux is the 250 square Kilometre
Bassin d'Arcachon. There was a small fishing village of
Arechon which in 1841 was turned upside down by the coming
of the railway and the new fashion for sea-bathing. From
then on, this small fishing village never looked back and
evolved into a smart resort and the 19th century Bordelais
built second homes there, letting their hair down and
building in the Neogothic, Tyrolean, Tudor and
Pseudo-Medieval and some 200 of these unique villas still
survive.
About 8 kms south of Arcachon are the
largest sand dunes in Europe. They are an awesome,
terrible, extraordinary sight that really should not be
missed; the dune du Pilaf is a huge 347ft. pile of sand,
2.7 Kms long and 550 yds. wide. If you like sun, sand and
sea, then this for you is paradise. The dune is thought to
have started forming some 8000 years ago, and reached it's
present size in the 17th. century, but like all dunes, it
is constantly moving and every year it encroaches little by
little inland. Climb the wooden stair for an unforgettable
view, but beware there are 190 steps to the top of the
dune. Be there at sunset and you will be greeted with the
most wonderful view of schools of Bottlenose Dolphins and
Porpoises frolicking just off-shore. To see Arcachon and
the Dune du Pilar to their full advantage, leave early in
the morning and be prepared to stay until after sundown.
You will not regret it, and if you do get overwhelmed by
the wonder of nature, there are numerous activities and
excursions you could take. Every half hour in the summer a
boat crosses to Cap Ferret, or there is a two hour long
excursion to the Ile aux Oiseaux at 3.30 p.m. all year
long. This is the Bassin d'Arcachon's only island where
there are sea birds and oyster farms together with the
islands picturesque 'Cabanes Tchanquees' or huts perched on
stilts.
The department now known as the Lot-et-Garonne, an area not
so well known as the Dordogne, but none-the-less beautiful,
was once described as the 'Tuscany of France'.
Unfortunately most people rush through the Lot-et-Garonne
in a hurry to get somewhere else, but not only is there a
wonderful collection of Bastide towms hidden away in the
landscape of rolling hills, woodlands and meadows, such as
Villeneuve-sur-Lot, Monflanquin, Monpazier, Issigeac and
Castillonnes to name but a few, but there are two of the
finest castles in the Southwest, the Château de Bonaguil
and the Château de Biron.
If you want to see the French equivalent of an English
Folly, then the Château de Bonaguil is it. Few Châteaux
were as useless but as photogenic as this great prow-shaped
monstrosity. It was begun in the 13th. Century by a family
of knights from Fumel and passed in the 1460's to the
hunchback Brengon de Rocquefeuil, one of the cruellest,
nastiest and vainest people thrown up by history, who, when
fined by Charles VII sealed himself in at Bonaguil with
years worth of provisions and weapons and surrounded the
Château with a moat, surging walls and towers designed to
withstand a long siege, but no-one ever came or showed the
least interest. By the 18th. century it was such a white
elephant that it was sold for 100ff and a bag of walnuts.
It was eventually purchased by the town of Fumel in 1860.
Today, whichever way you approach the Château you will see
a stunning site equal to any Hollywood set and on summer
nights it is illuminated until midnight.
In contrast to the Château de Bonaguil is the superb and
beautiful Château de Biron. The largest of all Périgord's
castles. The original castle was built in the 11th. century
to command the northern approaches to the Agenais. Over the
centuries it has been added to and improved by the Gontaut
family who came into possession of the Château in 1189 and
retained it until the early 20th. century. Gaston de
Gontaut built the square 12th. century keep. The Romanesque
walls and the Tour du Concierge were added after the 1212
siege of Biron by Simon de Montfort. For the next 200 years
or so there were no further additions. Then in 1497 Pons de
Gontaut-Biron added a delicate Pavillonde la Recette and a
two-story Chapel. Biron was raised to a duchy by Henri IV
as a reward to Baron Armand de Gontaut who fought at his
side against the Catholic League, and his hot-headed son
Charles who received 32 wounds in battle. However Charles
fell from grace and in 1602 he was un-duked and beheaded
for conspiracy. Thus began the story of Biron's headless
ghost. The notorious Cardinal Richelieu, worried about the
power of the French aristocracy, ordered that the moat be
filled in. In the 18th. century building began again but
the Revolution came along and the work was never finished.
When visiting the Château de Biron, a visit to the village
Lacapelle-Biron is a must. The village stands near the head
of a mini-gorge created by the Lede. Sit and listen to this
little stream. It's tinkling music really does take all
your cares seem far, far, away.
Villelleuve-sur-Lot today is a bustling market city, yet it
was originally a Bastide founded in 1264, and you can still
find the old town in the heart of the city. The central
market square, Place Lafayette, is still surrounded by it's
original arcades or 'Cornieres', but the original Gothic
Church was replaced in the 1930's by an elaborate brick
building, Sainte-Catherine in which was incorporated the
magnificent stained glass windows of the old church. Today
if you take the Périguex - Auch road over the Pont Vieux,
built in 1282 by the English (worthy of a closer look. The
bridge originally had three fortified towers, but these
tumbled down when the bridge was partially destroyed by a
flood and a rather dolly like statue of Our Lady of Joy was
placed in the chapel overhanging the north end when it was
rebuilt in 1642) and travel for about 2kms. you will arrive
at Pujols. Entry is under the arch of the tower of the
15th. century Saint-Nicholas which leads into the ancient
market square. The church has little fireplaces so that the
barons of Pujols could stay warm whilst attending Mass. The
town itself has white walls and deals mainly in antiques.
About 10 kms. south of Pujols are the Grottes de Fontirou,
and 7 kms. northwest are the Grottes de Lestournells, if
you like exploring caves, these are worth a visit with
their extraordinary limestone formations.
Monpazier, quoted as 'the most perfect
Bastide' was founded by Edward I in 1284. In the 14th.
century it bounced back and forth between the English and
the French, it was pillaged by the notorious Baron de Biron
and suffered from bad harvests followed by an outbreak of
typhoid fever, then to cap it all in 1350 came the Black
Death. Obviously not the best of places to be living at
that time. Despite all of this the town survived and the
fortified church still bears a Revolutionary slogan 'The
People of France believe in a Supreme Being and the
Immortality of the Soul'. The bastide of Monpazier was not
built in the same fashion as the others, but you will see
that the arcades around the square are irregular with
narrow spaces left between the houses and it is believed
that these spaces were where the residents threw their
rubbish.
Monflanquin is built on top of a hill with
views for miles around which was a great advantage when it
was built in 1256 by Alphonse de Poitiers. Much of the
original Bastide elements such as the central square with
it's arcades have been preserved, so has the fortified
church and blocks of medieval houses. It's most recent
claim to fame is the late Robert Maxwell's Château on the
outskirts of Monflanquin which is now up for sale, although
the locals believe he is still inside the building.
Castillonnes has also retained it's
arcades and narrow medieval lanes. The church is well worth
a visit to see the 17th. century gilded retable.
Issigeac must be the most photographed of
all the Bastides as it has changed little over the
centuries and has been used as a location for several
films. Walking around the medieval streets you will
discover many original houses and the half-timbered Maison
de Têtes which is decorated with leering faces. This is a
town where time seems to have stood still especially if you
visit around lunch time when the inhabitants are inside.
There is a distinct feeling of unreality that you might
have stepped back in time.
The best wine of the Lot-et-Garonne is to be found in the
northwest corner. The French come here to rediscover life
and the English, remembering that the Aquitaine was for
many years, English owned, have returned in great numbers
to buy back as much as they can of this part.
Côtes de Duras is mostly overshadowed by
it's more famous neighbours of Bordeaux and Bergerac. The
Côtes de Duras reds are usually made from 100% Merlot or
Cabernet Sauvignon and the whites from Sauvignon, Mauzac or
Semillon. It is well worth remembering the Côtes de Duras
and taking some time to visit a few of the vineyards to
sample the brew.
The town of Lauzun is best known for the
Duke de Lauzun who fell in love with the 'Grand
Mademoiselle' Louis XIV's headstrong cousin. It is said
that they were secrefly married and a furious Louis
committed him to the Bastille. It was the Duke de Lauzun
who added the domed pavilion to the golden half-medieval.
half-Renaissance Château.
High on a hill overlooking the valley of the river Dropt
sits the pretty Bastide of Duras, reputed to be the only
town in France never to have had a Catholic Church. The
main attraction beside the market square with it's arcades
is the prow shaped Château de Duras, built in the 1100's
and completely restored in 1310 and in 1794 the surviving
towers were reduced in size and by the 20th. century it was
little more than a ruin. It was purchased by the town in
1969 and a 20 rear restoration was started and the Château
can once again be seen in it's full glory; now thanks to
the same designers who created Futuroscope in Poitiers, the
Château has come back to life. Thanks to laser technology
the troubadours, knights, and ladies, the music in the
great hall and boiling pots in the kitchen can been seen
again.
There are so many other wonderful sights which could be
labelled 'not to be missed' that it is impossible to give
an account of them all, but if you really wish to make sure
you do not miss out on anything, then I can strongly
recommend you purchase 'Southwest France, Dordogne, Lot
& Bordeaux' by Dana Facaros and Michael Pauls -
published in England by Cadogan guides and in America by
The Globe Peguot Press, before you come on your holiday.
This book will give you a full guide of the three areas and
is written in an interesting and humorous manner