Villages – Life In The Dordogne

18th April 201918th April 2019

Collonges-la-Rouge

One of the advantages in living in this part of the Dordogne is that we’re close enough to the attractions in the neighbouring departments. Today we visited Collonges-la-Rouge, a delightful village in the Corrèze. Built from delicious red sandstone the village features some excellent restaurants and a number of gift shops. There’s a pay car park on the edge of the town, which I should image will get very busy in-season. Parking was reasonably priced at 3euro for the afternoon\ We ate lunch at Le Cantou and very nice it was.

15th April 201815th April 2018

Objat Market

Objat is a pleasant little town in the Corrèze that is renowned for it’s Sunday market. There’s plenty of parking space and the market wends it’s way through the town streets to the market hall. Here they have vegetables, flowers, bedding plants and some poultry, guinea pigs, cage birds and rabbits. Outside there’s the usual shoes and clothes for sale along with plenty of cheese and meat stalls, fresh cooked chickens and huge pans of paella and potatoes fried in duck fat with lardons and onions. There are plenty of shops and cafe bars open too. Here’s a few snaps from this morning’s visit, I’m sure we’ll be going back again soon.

12th April 201815th April 2018

Spring At Last

After, what people have told us, was the worst winter in 20 years, and spring is here at last. Yesterday was fabulous, and the first day with the temperature topping 20C.

The countryside is beginning to wake up too. Buds are bursting on all the trees, kites are becoming a familiar sight in the skies and the first cuckoo’s were heard over the Easter weekend.

Each week I visit Excidueil for my French lesson. This small town has plenty of interesting architecture and links to the templars. Here’s a few pictures from the town.

Part of the Templars' stronghold

Templars' stronghold

Excidueil chateaux

Street scene

Excidueil chateaux

3rd November 2017

Autumn

It’s been a very pleasant week here with plenty of warm autumn sunshine. As that’s likely to change from tomorrow I took a walk around the village at lunchtime to take in the autumn atmosphere. Here are a few photos from our beautiful village of Badefols-D’Ans.

The Mairie, the Auberge and the Chateau beyond

22nd August 2017

Saint Robert

With the weather being so nice we decided to take the afternoon off and head up to Saint Robert. This is a very pretty little village just inside the Corrèze with an imposing 12th-century church and a good scattering of historic buildings including some of the ancient gateways to the village. Really it was too hot this afternoon for any serious exploring with the temperature at home pushing 40C, but I still managed to get some pictures. You can read more on the history of the place on the Saint Robert website.

5th May 20175th May 2017

Limeuil Panoramic Gardens

The beautiful village of Limeuil is situated at the confluence of the Vézère and Dordogne rivers in the south of the department. Les Jardins Panoramiques are located on the site of the old castle and offer lovely views over the village, rivers and country side as well as an excellent themed garden to wander through. Roses abound, both in the garden and surrounding village along with wild flowers, herbs and cultivated beds. Park down by the river and wander up through the village to the gardens, it’s a beautiful place to spend a day.

Vézere and Dordogne Rivers — Vézere (left) and Dordogne (above) rivers

Les Jardins Panoramique – great views of the countryside

Les Jardins Panoramiques - roses — Limeuil – Les Jardins Panoramiques – roses

12th March 20176th May 2017

A Bientôt

It was with heavy hearts that we had to say “A bientôt” to our new home today as we have to head back to the UK tomorrow. We’ll be counting the days until we’re back to bring our home to life.

To help us through the day we decided to visit Salat-la-Canéda. A medieval town and very popular tourist destination it was pretty deserted; out of season and pouring with rain.

Did I mention that the sun forsook us today and it rained heavily for most of the day with temperatures a much more season 12 to 13°C.

Still we managed a lovely lunch at the traditional cuisine restaurant “Le Clos du Périgord” of entrecôte and confit de canard. Very tasty. This was followed by a very brief sightseeing tour in the increasingly heavy rain. So here’s a couple of hastily taken shots. We must get back here in the summer to do it full justice.

Sarlat-la-Caneda — Le Badaud – The Bystander