Halloween isn't really a big deal in France but Jason had heard that they had a pretty good celebration for it in Limoges, a city about 3 hours north east of Bordeaux, best known for its porcelain. After doing a bit of research, he decided it would be much more interesting to check out some of the small towns in the area surrounding Limoges instead. So much for the pottery museum tour. Jason was chatting about his plans for the weekend at work and suddenly our romantic countryside getaway involved Rick, Fabrice and a 3-months pregnant Elodie. The more the merrier, though, and we were off for our adventure in the Lot/Dordogne/Corrèze area.
At quitting time on Friday afternoon, we hit the road and arrived at our countryside gîte in Baladou just in time to drop off our things and head into town for some dinner. While much of French cuisine is based on delicate techniques and careful presentation, this region is known for hearty, rustic dishes like duck confit and cassoulet. They also make some delightfully stinky cheeses that are impossibly creamy, as well as foie gras that will knock your damn socks right off. We were not disappointed with our meal.
On Saturday morning, we had a very nice breakfast with our gîte host before heading off to the Gouffre de Padirac: a massive 75m deep hole in the ground, formed by the collapse of an underground cavern in the 3rd century or so. A series of winding staircases takes you down to the bottom of the pit, where you can find a sprawling network of caves, only accessible by a boat ride along an underground river. It would be impossible to fully capture the magnitude and majesty of this place, but I tried my best.
When we had had our fill of spelunking for the day, we got back on the road. We stumbled upon the adorable town of Carennac, where we had a fantastic 4-course meal for a 17€, a delightful stroll along the Dore river and some truly charming old houses to look at. Highly recommended if you're in the area. Alas, there were many more things to see, so we made a quick stop in Curemont (skip it if you're short on time) before reaching our final destination for the day, Collonges-la-Rouge. As the name suggests, most of the buildings in town are made of red sandstone, giving everything a rosy hue. As if it weren't enchanting enough, it was Halloween night and all the kids in town were dressed up for the municipal party in the town square, sipping hot chocolate, mouths stained red from candy apples.
On Sunday, we made the trek out to Rocamadour, known for its stunning views of the valley and cliffs below, as well as its Cité Réligieuse, home to all things Jesus. The name was also given to a tasty cheese that's made in the area. It smells like the goats it's made from but is actually really delicious. Jason delighted us all with his remix version of the Three's Company theme song, which he sang non-stop the entire weekend. Come and Rocamadour!
After the splendor of a town built into a cliff, I wasn't sure much else could impress me but then we went to Pech Merle. You're not allowed to take pictures inside because the site features cave drawings from 29,000 BC and you know, that stuff's fragile, so you'll just have to trust me when I say it was incredible. The size of the cavern and the intricate rock formations are amazing in and of themselves and then you realize that the drawings on the walls were some of the first pieces EVER to depict motion. The techniques that the artists used were revolutionary and surprisingly clever, making our prehistoric ancestors feel much less removed from our modern times.
Fabrice and Elodie decided to head home but Jason, Rick and I decided to stop in Cahors for a stroll and a glass of their delicious wine before hitting the road back to Bordeaux. There's not much to see or do there aside from the Pont Valentré, but that's enough to sate your appetite for 14th century infrastructure.
We never did make it to Limoges but I don't think anyone was disappointed.
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