Brantôme and Sarlat

Oct 12 and 13…
Yesterday (Wednesday) was a travel day to Brantôme. We left our beautiful “home” in La Charité and traveled back to Bourges to pick up our car. We were told at Hertz that gas was a serious issue, and all stations were closed in Bourges. But, with a full tank, we felt confident that we would be fine. Whenever we saw a gas station (not often) we filled up. It cost us $20 for 1/4 tank! Too exhausted to eat dinner, we stopped at Aldi’s in Brantôme and bought a baguette and puréed vegetable soup! Doesn’t sound like me, huh? I just needed to get to bed and feel better.

We’re so happy to have taken a detour to Brantôme which is a little piece of heaven. Brantôme is in the Dordogne region of France and the area that I wanted to visit. We were only there for 1 night. Brantôme is called the “Venice of the Périgord” and is fittingly classified as one the the most beautiful villages of France. It sits on an island surrounded by the Dronne River. There’s an 11th century bell tower with caves beneath it. The bell tower, built in the 11th century, is believed to be the oldest in France. Circling the banks of the river are pretty gardens, ancient stone bridges and centuries’ old houses. The Brantôme Abbey was built by Charlemagne in 769 where the Benedictine monks lived in troglodyte caves…so cool! Imagine…the 8th century! The cobbled streets are filled with cute restaurants and shops. We left in the afternoon for Sarlat-en-Canéda, which is deeper in the Dordogne area.

We passed through Eyzies-de-Tayac where in 1869 prehistoric humans called Cro-Magnons were discovered in ancient cave dwellings, and and we passed by many rock formations and more troglodyte caves at La Grotte du Grand Roc.

Our very modern apartment in Sarlat is in contrast with the centuries old medieval buildings. It’s fantastic though! We each have a master bedroom en suite. We wandered for something to eat but were too exhausted to take the time. We are feasting on cheese, crackers, apples, and cookies and crashing early.

I’m doing a little better today. We’re going to try to give ourselves more time in the evening to relax and heal. We’ll be here until next Tuesday while we explore the many little villages.Read more