Category: Dordogne

One of the highlights of any trip to France is the food. The Dordogne has a fantastically  unique food culture based on local ingredients. We have thoroughly enjoyed not just sampling the food in restaurants but also having the time, and our own kitchen, in order to experiment with these great ingredients ourselves.

The fresh, direct from the producer nature of the ingredients is wonderful. Many of these producers sell directly from the many markets in the region. We have been able to see several of these producers repeatedly as they travel the weekly rotation of markets. We have visited markets in Belves (very small, but unique with the covered town square) and Sarlat (a little too big and touristy) but have enjoyed the markets of St. Cyprien and La Bugue the most because of the more manageable size and noticeable local presence. The markets have been a contrast to the daily covered markets of the Basque country and Seville we have already experienced on this trip. We loved the local strawberries, sausage, baked goods, cheeses, duck, asparagus, mushrooms and other fresh produce.

One of the items the region is well known for is foie gras. Foie gras is duck or goose liver that has been fattened by use of a tube that force feeds corn to the animal for 12 days before it is slaughtered. The process is called gavage. There are many types of foie gras from whole or entire, to mousses and pates. My experiences with foie gras in Canada had all been of the pate variety, which I was not a big fan of. However, the entire was a whole different experience and I thoroughly enjoyed the buttery, rich delicacy on a thin slice of bread. There is some controversy about the treatment of the animal based on force feeding it in order to be able to eat the liver. Seeing how the french use and eat every single part of the bird however, it seems far less appalling than some of the things going on in the chicken or beef industry.

One of the other specialties of the region is confit de canard, which is duck preserved in salt and it’s own duck fat. This was probably our favourite meal. We cooked it ourselves, and ordered it several times in restaurants. When you buy the canned version, as most french people do, the duck fat is then kept for cooking later on.

While in the Dordogne, Katy and I treated ourselves to a day at a cookery school called  La Chevrefuille. With the kids happily spending time with Katy’s parents, we got to experience the local cuisine in a much more relaxed manner. After arriving at the Auberge, run by a couple of British expats, we had coffee while meeting the other participants in the class, a couple from North Carolina. After discussing what the day’s menu might look like with Chef Ian, he took us all off to the market to buy the days ingredients. It was fantastic to experience the market with the chef. He spent time explaining many of the different local produce and ingredients at the stalls including all the different types of duck that were being sold: from the raw pieces, to the confit to the foie gras. He showed us what to look for to get quality meats and produce and explained many of the local specialties. Some of the highlights were included in the ingredients for the days meal including white asparagus, cepes mushrooms, brown mushrooms, honey from bees in a walnut orchard, walnuts, fresh strawberries, walnut oil, canned confit de canard and the fat, and cabacous goat’s cheese. Because of his relationships with the producers, we got to sample many of the range of products at each stall and learned about how they were produced. It was great to see these same producers again and again at the markets throughout our stay.  We felt much better versed in how to ‘shop’ and this all added to the fun we had cooking in La Dordogne.

When we returned from the market we discussed the days menu over another coffee and got right to work. We started by preparing the dessert which was to be a chocolate fondant with strawberries, fresh homemade banana ice cream and creme freche. This was a very measured recipe and it was good that no wine had yet been consumed as it was very important that we follow the instructions from chef exactly in order for the fondant to be a success.  While we were waiting for it to set in the fridge we started working on the starter which was cabacous cheese in puff pastry with ice greens, strawberries, walnuts and a garlic, walnut oil, honey and mustard dressing. Once prepared we took a break to enjoy our creation.

We then got back to work on the main course which was confit de canard with white and green asparagus, fava beans (also known as broad beans), onions and shallots, with a rich and creamy cepes mushroom sauce. Special care was taken to prepare the duck so that the extra fat was removed (and saved to cook with) and all excess water and moisture cooked out of it. The chef drove the point home with his observation of, “there is nothing worse than floppy duck fat”. The end result was delicious, the crispy duck and the rich sauce mixing the cepes, creme fraiche, homemade stock, garlic, duck fat and walnuts was amazing. This will definitely be added to our regular cooking repertoire at home if we can source the duck.

After enjoying our mains we went back to the kitchen to prepare the rest of the dessert. We put the chocolate fondant in the oven, made a banana ice cream and strawberry salsa to top it all off. All in all it was a fantastic experience (we even left with a jar full of duck fat) and we plan to make cooking classes with the whole family more of a part of our travels in the years to come.

We took what we learned (and the duck fat) home to our accommodations for the next two weeks and had a lot of fun experimenting with the local ingredients and feeding friends and family. We didn’t get out for dinner too often but the two meals that stuck out were at the Auberge Medieval in Audrix and at La Merenda in Meyrals. Confit de Canard with the three course menu was again my meal of choice and the desserts were amazing.

With the rich food and wine eaten by the French we had to ask why people were not overweight. The answer we got back was portion size and no snacks.  In general they don’t over eat and they drink in moderation compared to the British and North Americans.  We resorted to exercise because the food and drink was far too good to pass up… because everything tastes better with duck fat!

We have been overwhelmingly surprised by the number of quality family friendly activities available to us in the Dordogne.  Within about 30 minutes drive we have experienced numerous surprises at attractions that have entertained us all. This is not an easy feat with a seven month old and busy 4 and 5 year old boys.

Les Chateaux

The first thing you notice in the Dordogne is the castles or les Chateaux. There are so many it is impossible to see them all even with a month long stay. Every drive in the area resulted in the discovery of another castle up on a hill, many of which looked to be private residences and not tourist attractions.

Our first visit was to Chateau de Beynac. Located at the top of a cliff towering over the Dordogne river, this imposing structure has an amazing view of the valley below. It looks across the valley at it’s rival Chateau de Castelnaud. Eleanor of Aquitane and Richard the Lionheart played major roles in this region. These castles were later involved in the Hundred Years War between the French and the English.   There was plenty to see  at Beynac with the guards room and kitchen being highlights, but the view from the ramparts stole the show.

Chateau de Castelnaud was a totally different experience from Beynac. Our adventure started with a lesson for the boys about how to be a guard of the castle. This included sword lessons which Matt very diligently completed and resulted in us making a stop in the gift shop afterwards… There was also a demonstration with the loading and shooting of a rifle and swordsmanship by a guard, a blacksmith demonstration and a trebuchet demonstration. There were great displays of knights in armour and weaponry of the middle ages. It was great to have Katy’s cousin Jenny, her husband Mike and son Isaac with us to enjoy the chateau.

Our next excursion was to Chateau de Milandes. One of it’s claims to fame is that it was the home to actress/dancer/singer Josephine Baker.  It has recently been renovated and had beautiful gardens and grounds including aviaries and a play castle for the kids. The chateau itself had a museum dedicated to the life of Josephine Baker. One of the highlights was the raptors show. They showcased owls of various sizes, a bald eagle and a peregrine falcon. It was amazing to see these creatures in flight and in such close proximity.

Fort Maison de Reignac looks small and underwhelming when you first drive up, but behind the walls in the cliff lies a surprising expanse and a multitude of exhibits on life in this cave dwelling, turned fort and chateau. The room dedicated to devices of torture was both fascinating and disturbing. It is really hard to fathom how awful people can be to each other. The one instrument of torture that I noticed right away was “the rack”, as for years a modern version of it provided frequent relief for my back in the physiotherapists office.

Le Bournat was another interesting full day excursion. It was a recreation of life around the year 1900 and included a full village with a working windmill, a blacksmith, wood turning, a baker, a walnut press for oil, a brewer, pottery, glass blowing, farm animals, and farming equipment of the time. It also had numerous period carousel rides and games that the kids thoroughly enjoyed.

The Marqueyssac Gardens were another pleasant surprise. The views from the belvederes over the valley to Roque Gageac and Castelnaud were fantastic. There were an amazing number of boxwood hedges that were all maintained by hand cutting. There was a dinosaur bone discovery displayed which the boys loved, and a fantastic suspended walkway in the trees which my mother-in-law gamely conquered on her 68th birthday. There was even a Via Ferratta, although unfortunately I wasn’t able to try the route that day.

Les Grottes

Our first cave experience was at the Gouffre de Proumeyssec. We chose to walk through the pedestrian entrance rather than being lowered down in the basket. We were led to a giant cavern where a dramatic light and music show took place where the 11 people who bought the ticket for the basket were lowered down as part of the show. We were glad we chose the walking route… When the lights came on we saw a giant cavern with beautiful pools of water, stalagmites and stalactites. They even leave pottery in the cave to be calcified and sold to tourists. The colours and size of the cavern was amazing. Outside they had a great setup for the kids with a route to learn how to move like a caver through the tunnels and around obstacles, as well as many learning centres. They also had stationary bikes that produced the power to lower the basket into the cave. The boys pedalled enthusiastically if not effectively.

After exploring the bastide village of Domme we ventured underground to explore the caves below the town. It was in contrast to our experience at Proumeyssec as the ceilings were low and the tunnels tight despite being excavated for tourists. It was amazing to see the stalagmites and stalactites up close and many that had actually grown together. We were all again amazed by the wonderful crystalizations. We smelled the bats inside and heard how the caves needed to be cleaned by hand annually to counteract the bacteria brought in by humans. We exited outside of the cliff outside the town, where the caves had been originally discovered.

La Roque Saint Christophe was another pleasant surprise. After a morning tour of Fort Maison de Reignac, we stopped for a picnic lunch and decided to check out the site. It was a cave on the side of a cliff more than a kilometre long that has been inhabited for over 55,000 years. It was amazing to see how this cave dwelling evolved into a thriving village in the cliff with the buildings built right into the rock and supplies brought up by crane from below. It actually thrived during the middle ages as it had defensive advantages. The machines rebuilt to show what they used to build and supply the town were a definite highlight.

As a history teacher I was looking forward to the Lascaux caves.  The original cave was discovered in 1940 and was closed to the public in the 1960s to better preserve it. In the 1980s they constructed a copy built beside it out of concrete called Lascaux II. Recently they rebuilt this copy down in the town of Montignac called Lascaux IV (Lascaux III is a travelling exhibit).  The scale of the reconstruction was amazing. They used 3D printer technology to create an exact replica of the original caves. It was an enormous undertaking and the scale of the reconstruction was probably the highlight of the visit. We showed up and were encouraged to do the english language tour that didn’t start for a couple more hours. They suggested we go to their sister park Thot and visit and have a picnic while we waited. Thot was probably our first disappointment of the sites on our trip to the Dordogne, there were animals to see (descendants of those depicted in the caves) and some small scale exhibits, but nothing too exciting. When we returned to Lascaux, the actual viewing of the caves was underwhelming as we took part in the mandatory guided tour which was a little drawn out and even more difficult for three little kids. We definitely felt we should have taken the french language tour earlier in the day when we were all excited to explore and ready for the day.  My french has improved enough that I probably could even have understood the main points. After the guided tour there was a great interactive display called the workshop, which showed how Lascaux IV was constructed and had full size 3D models of all the caves and paintings which could be further explored through the interactive tablet you were provided.

After Lascaux the last cave experience on our to do list is Font de Gaume in Les Eyzies. We would like to see the cave paintings in their natural state. We will head early one morning to hopefully get a spot, as they only allow about 80 visitors per day. We are also heading out this weekend on the river. Unfortunately children under 5 are not allowed on the canoe rentals, so we are going to take a gabares, which is the traditional boat used to move merchandise along the river. It would have been great to spend more time on the lovely river looking up at the chateaux and villages.

Overall we have found the Dordogne to be a wonderful family vacation spot. With a lovely old farmhouse to stay in with a pool to play in, we have been quite happy and comfortable.  The amazing assortment of family friendly attractions nearby has made it a thoroughly enjoyable experience. We have enjoyed sharing our experiences with cousin Jenny and family from the UK as well as Nonna and Papa (Annette & Peter) who again traveled to find us by bike from Biarritz in La Dordogne – cycling is such a wonderful way to see the countryside.

And we say all this without yet mentioning the amazing markets and food in the area. Stay tuned…