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Published: July 25th 2022
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Our little Dordogne apt After Bilbao we had originally planned to spend a few days in the Bordeaux wine region, but wildfires are currently sweeping Europe and 2 of the worst are in the Gironde south of Bordeaux. So we think it is better to avoid that area altogether. We’re aware of the unpredictable nature of fires and how fast they can move and don't want to be caught out.
J finds a good place to stay in the Dordogne, another area I am keen to visit, it’s close to the Lascaux caves and also has a swimming pool.
The drive is more than 500km so even by the AutoRoute this is over 5 hours, but it is not tiring particularly once we clear Bordeaux. South of the city we pass through an area with some smoke from the fires but not thick enough to be a problem. I’m pleased to be past the fire danger area, even though the wind is from the south and we are still in an area with 40C plus temperatures, but this will pass in a day or so.
We’re keen to see the cave paintings here. The famous Lascaux cave is no longer open to
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The Mammoth - Rouffignac cave visitors, a replica Lascaux IV is. Tickets for some caves are fully booked until September. J thinks the Rouffignac cave is worth a try as you cannot pre-book there, despite there being reports of long queues and long waits for your permitted entrance slot. This cave also has paintings, considered to be about 13000 years old and is particularly known for drawings of Mammoths.
The stories of long waits turn out to be unfounded. We arrive after 10am and find a queue of less than 20 people and have about 30 minutes to wait before our tour. This is by electric train as the tunnels here are large and very extensive. The tour takes us about 1.5km in but the whole cave has over 10km of tunnels. At the final chamber we exit the train and can see the paintings up close, many painted on the ceiling of the cave. The tour is in French but not too hard to follow; an English audio guide is also available. As well as Mammoths there are a series of woolly Rhinos, bison and large drawings of horses. The cave is dry and so does have limestone formations of others and means
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Castle at Madeleine village the focus here is on the paintings. Overall, I think it’s very good.
After the cave we drive a few km further to the Madeline Troglodyte village. This is a site of rock overhang caves overlooking the Vezere river that have been settled for about 17000 years. Much of what you see is from the Medieval Ages but it is well done and interesting.
The Dordogne is an appealing place to stay; very green, lots to do, beautiful river valleys with charming villages, good Bergerac wine and fine local produce. The area has plenty of farms selling local produce, mainly it seems Foie Gras, walnuts, honey and truffles.
On the last night here, there is an evening fair in the local village, La Bachellerie We buy some meat from one stall which another stall then barbeques for us. There is live music, beer on tap and local wine. They hold this every few weeks during the summer months and it attracts a good mix local families and some tourists like us. Weather has now cooled slightly so is perfect.
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