Perigord

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From Tours to Brantome (northern part of the Perigord region) we will pass through Limoges which has a beautiful porcelain museum ( www.musee-adriendubouche.fr ).
In Brantome we will stay at Maison Fleurie (B&B) (www.maison-fleurie.net ).
The owner is Carol Robinson, one of the many British expats living in this part of France. Brantome's river-meadow location earns it the regional title 'the Venice of the Perigord' .The Perigord is divided into four regions, the Périgord(s) Noir, Blanc, Vert and Pourpre; its geography and natural resources make it one of the untouched regions of Europe. The area is noted for its cuisine, more particularly its products related to ducks and geese, such as foie gras. It is one of the truffle areas of France, historically the most famous. Périgourdine wines include the famed Bergerac (rouges and blancs) and Monbazillac.
The whole area is known as the 'birthplace of mankind' due to its wealth of prehistoric sites, of which the most famous prehistoric site is the painted cave of Lascaux. The Périgord is also the land of 1001 medieval and Renaissance castles like Puymartin, Losse, Hautefort and Beynac situated mainly along the Dordogne and Vézère rivers.

After Brantome, our next hotel will be Chateau les Merles ( www.lesmerles.com ) which is about 10km east of Bergerac. The owners are from Holland. From Bergerac to the Pyrenees we will travel through the Gers part of the Perigord and will try to visit a few “bastides”. Bastides are fortified new towns built in medieval southern France in an effort to colonize the wilderness. Many were build during the Hundred Years War between the French and the English. The conflict lasted 116 years from 1337 to 1453. French soldiers fought on both sides, with Burgundy and Aquitaine providing notable support for the Plantagenet side. The war finally ended in the expulsion of the Plantagenets from France .
The majority of bastides have a grid layout of intersecting streets, with wide thoroughfares that divide the town plan into blocks, through which a narrow lane often runs, and a central market square surrounded by arcades .
Our trip from Bergarac to the Pyrenees is too long to do in one day, so we will stop to overnight in the village of Segos, about 40km north of Pau. Pau is the gateway to the Pyrenees. In Segos, we will stay at Domain de Bassibe (www.bassibe.fr ) .
On the way to Segos, we will stop off at Bleu de Pastel de Lectoure www.bleu-de-lectoure.com This is halfway between Agen and Auch in the Gascony - Gers part of France. Since 1994, Bleu de Pastel de Lectoure, has developed the project to grow Woad (Isatis Tinctoria) on a larger scale. Some of their products include: Chalk pastel sticks in the 4 light blue shades , pastel beeswax stick in the 7 Renaissance blues, blue cobalt porcelaine inkwell, blue woad goose feather with silver metal writing point. water paint and oil paint: manufactured only with natural ingredients offering a large scale of different blue-grey shades, textile fabric paint, sealing wax in the ancient blue woad.
The Truffles of Perigord: No one can cultivate truffles, only pigs or trained dogs can unearth them from under the ground. Sold at the price of gold, truffles can accompany the most sophisticated dish, or even a simple omelet.

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Photos

Where in the world is Perigord ?
Now you know.

National Porcelaine Museum
In Limoges

Our hotel in Brantome
Maison de Flurie

Town of Brantome
We were here for the July 14th Bastille Day celebrations.

Canoeing in Perigord
We saw many cyclists, canoeers, campers.

Lascaux
We did not have time to visit Lascaux, but saw the caves at Villars (near Brantome).