Sarlat is hosting the International Truffle Festival today and tomorrow. This two day event included two truffle markets, a re-enactment of truffle hunting, art depicting the truffle, cooking demonstrations, truffle products and truffle sampling. If you have never smelled a truffle, the odour is very distinctive and was quite evident when we got close to the market. Trying to describe it would be impossible. Truffles were on display and purchasers were picking them up and smelling the individual products. Prices ranged from €600 to €1000 a kilogram and are down this year due to a good harvest. Dogs are used more extensively than pigs and a re-enactment showed how adept theses canines are in searching out the buried truffles. The dogs begin digging but the owner quickly takes over, rewarding the pup with a biscuit or ... read more

Winter In Dordogne The owner of this gite said to me that some people find it too quiet. Sandra went to read in the sun on the patio while I wandered around the property. A chainsaw was buzzing in the distance, a hen next door was particularly pleased about something and was clucking noisily, one of the miniature horses across the road snorted while another slurped water from a blue bucket. It was anything but quiet however, the sounds were distinct. You could distinguish each individual sound. I don't understand the seasons here as it is only the tenth of January yet there are plenty of plants budding or flowering - what we would call "the signs of spring". Snow Drops are ready to open, flowers have buds set to explode, trees have that special tinge ... read more

Three Days in Sete France We took three days to drive south to see our friends Ross and Maureen. They had rented an apartment in Sete. Sete is a fishing village of about 30,000 people on the Mediterranean. It is the second largest fishing village in France (Marseille is largest). Located in the Languedoc-Roussillon area, it is often referred to as the Venice of France. The area along the port has an old Atlantic City feel with side by side cafes, tourist stores, bars, restaurants, hotels. We were there during the second week of October and many of the seasonal places were closed and little or no evidence of tourists. The city gives off a no nonsense working town impression, almost industrial with few embellishments and frills. What would you do in Sete? A wonderful 11 ... read more

Dordogne Markets One of the joys for us is to visit the local markets that abound in France. The colours, the smells, the sounds, all gently assault you as you wander with the locals. There is also a sense of participating in a custom and commercial enterprise that has flourished for centuries. Living in a gite has allowed us to buy foods and prepare them in our own kitchen. We love the idea of shopping for what you need every day or two although it is hard for us to accept a partially stocked refrigerator. More food in our kitchen than we could possibly eat seems to be bred in us as a sense of security and prosperity. Shopping every day or two makes sense and results in fresher produce. Markets differ but we have noticed ... read more

Our Gite in Dordogne L’Ecurie at Le Fournil - Carlux - Dordogne We drove from Paris in mostly rain to our gite in the Dordogne. The highways are wonderful and we love the numerous “aires”, rest stops, along the way. Some are fully serviced with fuel, food, washrooms and picnic areas. Others have only washroom facilities and picnic tables. Our home for four weeks is an apartment attached to the residence of two former Canadians. Located in the town of Carlux (pronounced “Carloo”), it is about 20 minutes from Sarlat and central to most of the desired villages, chateaux and activities in the Dordogne. Moolyn had visited this particular place, had taken pictures and had emailed me about it, when she knew that we were considering a month in Dordogne. Fodorites are great sources of valuable ... read more