Geo: 44.8833, -0.15Today is special, as 33 years ago our lovely daughter Allison was born! We toasted her special day with a lovely glass of Bordeaux wine at lunch! Sonya headed off early on the train for a visit to the Cite du Vin in Bordeaux. We decided to spend our day back in the pretty village of Saint Emilion. We had a nice lunch on a terrace patio in Saint Emilion before wandering through the village streets again. It was a nice way to spend one of our last days in this area. On returning home we picked up Sonya from the train station.... read more

Geo: 45.0405, -0.49275Today we visited Pair-non-Pair Cave. This underground cave was discovered in the late 1800s, and was found to have been occupied by humans between 200,000 and 20,000 years ago. The cave is noteworthy for engravings of animals on the walls, believed to have been made between 33,000 and 26,000 years ago. The engravings include representations of horses, bison, deer, ibex, and even a large moose-like animal,that is now extinct. Interestingly, ibex were not present in the area at the time, leading to the conclusion that the cave's occupants travelled to mountainous areas. One of the engravings, of a horse, depicts the animal looking back over its shoulder, and exhibits correct perspective. The cave yielded over 15,000 artifacts, including tools, ornaments, animal remains, and even an ancient flute..... read more

Geo: 44.8374, -0.576144Today we met our home exchange hosts, Marie-Ange and Geraldine, for lunch in a suburb of Bordeaux. The restaurant was in a redecorated old home, and we ate on the lovely patio. Marie-Ange, who has lived all her life in Bordeaux, chose an excellent wine from Pessac Leognan. Like most French restaurants, this one offered a set menu, and we could choose from pork or fish. Each course was well-presented and delicious. We are trying to make the adjustment to the French custom of having a very large meal, with wine, in the middle of the day!... read more

Geo: 44.8913, 1.21511After a fine breakfast at Chateau de Monrecour, we headed off to Chateau de Beynac. This is a well-preserved castle, built in the 12th century, high above the cliffs on the north bank of the Dordogne. The castle is very large, and its cliffs and high walls make it an imposing defensive structure. The Dordogne was the boundary between the French and the English in the 14th and 15th centuries, and the castles in this area saw much fighting. Parts of the castle have been restored, but the work has remained faithful to original construction techniques. We were fortunate enough to find ourselves alone at the top of the ramparts high above the Dordogne - the view was stunning.Next we drove to the mountain-top bastide village of Domme. Here we had a quick lunch, ... read more

Geo: 44.8374, -0.576144As a treat today Jim has booked us a 2CV tour of the city of Bordeaux. Bordeaux was once known as "La Belle au Bois Dormant" (Sleeping Beauty), but no longer. It is now UNESCO listed, making it the largest urban World Heritage Site. It receives 5.5 million visitors annually. We took the train from our village into Bordeaux for the day. Bordeaux is a charming city full of ancient 18th century dignity. After arriving by train and tram, it was wonderful to stroll along the thriving waterfront of the Gardonne River past chic boutiques and cafes. We then headed to the beautiful building of Place de la Bourse near the Water Mirror. Our weather was perfect to enjoy the reflections from the Water Mirror, before commencing our 2CV tour. Martine picked us up ... read more