Geo: 44.668, 0.399146After another leisurely morning we headed into Castillon la Bataille for lunch. We enjoyed a nice salad before heading off on our drive to Bergerac, about an hour away. Bergerac is a located on the north side of the Dordogne river. The town has a nice medieval centre which we visited. The narrow streets had lovely old 14th century homes to view, cafes, old squares to sit, and a few boutiques to shop at. There are statues of Cyrano de Bergerac placed around the town, but there is no real connection to the town and him! We did not last long wandering the town as it was 30C and a cold wet beer was calling us!We then headed south to the pretty bastide town of Eymet which is an unspoiled town with lovely ancient ... read more

Geo: 44.7667, -0.31667After a lazy start to our day we head out for another drive in the French countryside. We viewed more beautiful chateaux and vineyards before coming across the 12th century La Sauve-Majeure Abbey in the village of La Sauve. It is a former Benedictine monastery and although it is in ruins it was great to see the wonderful Romanesque architecture. The immense chapel columns, ancient arches and the stone carvings from bible stories. At one time it was the most powerful Abbey in the area with control over almost all of France, parts of Spain and England. It is written that in the Middle Ages the monks were very wealthy which upset the villagers and attracted bandits, and this caused the Abbey to be plundered many times.We thoroughly enjoyed exploring this ancient tranquil setting. ... read more

Geo: 43.2517, 1.67829Today we drove to the lovely Sauternes area of France. On our way we stopped in La Reole for a walk around and a cup of coffee. The historical village is built along the Garonne River. There is a 12th century town hall built by Richard the Lionheart, which is the oldest in France.Almost every village we have visited in our time in France seems deserted. The locals keep their shutters closed during the day to keep their homes cooler. Plus we seldom see any locals so they are either sleeping or holidaying further south!! From La Reole we continued south on our road trip to Mazeres where we visited Chateau de Roquetaillade. This well preserved castle was built by King Edward 1st in the 11th century. It has been the home to the ... read more

Geo: 44.8333, 0.21667Today we traveled to the town of Sainte-Foy-la-Grande to attend their well known lively outdoor market. It was a nice place to experience french living and its wonderful produce. Some local specialties include foie gras, truffles, prunes and walnuts. We toured the market and picked up some local fruit before finding a place to have coffee. We then enjoyed a walk along the Dordogne River before stopping at a local bistro for a light lunch. The town has many historical homes and buildings dating back to the 12th century. It was a bastide town, built to provide protection from marauding armies of the English during the 100 Year War.We then headed off for a drive through more of the beautiful backroads here in France. This Dordogne area has more than 1000 castles and manors ... read more

Geo: 44.8833, -0.15We woke up to another overcast day here. Today we are off to the medieval village of Saint Emilion perched above vineyards known for producing one of the principal red wines in Bordeaux. The Romans first planted vineyards in this area as early as the 2nd century. Saint Emilion is a picturesque little village with limestone buildings, and the steep narrow streets are lined with over fifty wine shops. We first visited the 13th century King's Tower and climbed the 118 steps to enjoy the views of the town and Dordogne Valley. We wandered through the streets looking for a place to enjoy a cafe. Then we walked through a domed Romanesque 12th century church and its cloister, before heading out for a late lunch and a glass of Bordeaux wine. Saint Emilion is ... read more