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Winter in France
  • Catherine Wright
  • Catherine Wright

Winter in France

A 73-day adventure by Catherine Read more
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  • Trip start
    January 11, 2022
  • Catherine WrightWinter in FranceCatherine Wright
    3

    Starting to explore

    January 13, 2022 in France ⋅ ☀️ 41 °F

    After a solid sleep, we set out on a few errands - groceries, French SIM cards, and a pharmacy that issues French Health Passes (passes sanitaires). Drove a beautiful route to Souilliac, where we were overwhelmed by the huge size of the grocery store! Found most of what needed, then drove home along winding roads and lanes with stunning views of the valley. Potato leek soup and local wine for dinner, mini skeeball, a couple episodes of Ted Lasso, a brief power outage, then to bed!Read more

  • Catherine WrightWinter in FranceCatherine Wright
    1

    Success!

    January 14, 2022 in France ⋅ ☀️ 45 °F

    Today we finally were able to activate our SIM cards with our new French numbers and also obtain our French Health Passes from the pharmacy in nearby Gourdon. Now we have a QR code to gain entrance to restaurants, museums, and other sights and venues. Our neighbors and landlords brought us a lemon drizzle welcome cake - so good! We also walked around our new neighborhood before sunset and it's truly enchanting. Can't wait to keep exploring on foot. Next up, a simple pasta dinner and a few episodes of Ted Lasso. A good day overall!Read more

  • Catherine WrightWinter in FranceCatherine Wright

    Sarlat Market and Truffle Festival

    January 15, 2022 in France ⋅ ☀️ 36 °F

    It's high truffle season in Dorgogne, so we set off today to check out the Sarlat Saturday market and annual truffle festival. Charlotte hates the taste, but Aaron and I tried cream of truffle soup, truffle risotto, truffle deviled eggs, and for dessert, a chocolate truffle macaron! Sounds crazy, but I really liked it!Read more

  • Catherine WrightWinter in FranceCatherine Wright
    The dogs here are such a delight!
    3

    Before and after our trip to Sarlat

    January 15, 2022 in France ⋅ 🌙 36 °F

    Castles are everywhere! I took pictures as we drove through the villages so we can find our way back to them. After we got back to the house we took a gorgeous several mile walk around our new neighborhood- and of course, Charlotte made a friend.Read more

  • Catherine WrightWinter in FranceCatherine Wright
    Our guidebook said to make sure to take a certain route in order to get this view!
    1She's a cat magnet.

    Rocamadour

    January 16, 2022 in France ⋅ ☀️ 37 °F

    We spent several hours exploring this clifftop village about 40 minutes from our house. It gets over a million visitors every year, but on a Sunday in mid January, it was completely deserted. It truly is astonishing.Read more

  • Catherine WrightWinter in FranceCatherine Wright
    The table d'orientation in Gourdon. Fascinating!
    Great pizzas here. Aaron and I had the Belliqueuse.Charlotte had standard cheese, and ours was local goat cheese, honey, walnuts.This is the view from our walk near the house. That's Gourdon in the distance.1

    An afternoon in Gourdon

    January 17, 2022 in France ⋅ ☀️ 37 °F

    Gourdon is the nearest town to our little hamlet of La Plaine, about a 10 minute drive away. It's perched on a hill, an ancient town with a fortified gate, narrow streets and half-timbered houses, and a view for miles from the top of the hill. We stumbled across a glorious empty church, charming gardens, closed shops and restaurants (normal for Monday, we learned), and finally found an open pizza place for our first meal out in France! Then some grocery shopping and back home.Read more

  • Catherine WrightWinter in FranceCatherine Wright
    Juanito!
    Meet Rosie the horse! And note the castle in the background!These cows are our next door neighbors and get loose regularly!1Raoul: accordionist, author, composer1Our recycling instructionsOur trash instructions1

    A couple days close to home

    January 19, 2022 in France ⋅ ⛅ 41 °F

    The last couple days (Tuesday and Wednesday) have brought cold, grey weather, so we have stuck close to the house and the area. Yesterday we took a quick trip to the nearby village of St Julien de Lampon and walked around its cemetery, then checked out the grocery store and the boulangerie.

    Today, the weather was even worse, with colder temps and drizzling rain, but we managed to get out in the afternoon and find some horses! About a seven minute drive from our house is an equestrian center (Ferme Equestre du Chateau), and through connections with our landlords, Charlotte was able to hop on a beautiful black cob named Juanito and join a lesson for almost two hours!    Read more

  • Catherine WrightWinter in FranceCatherine Wright
    1These cats walked up to us in the cemetery, then proceeded to meow at us the entire time!
    Still meowing, feigning hunger. Charlotte found they have food and water right there!11

    Domme, Sarlat, and a long walk

    January 20, 2022 in France ⋅ ☁️ 37 °F

    Yesterday we drove to Domme to check out its weekly market, but by the time we got there, only a few booths remained open. The fortified town is stunning, but all the businesses were closed over the lunch hour and/or the winter months, plus it was cloudy and the views were quite limited. On our way back to the car, we stepped into the local cemetery and were greeted by a couple very vocal cats! We hung out with them for a bit and decided to move on to Sarlat for some shopping, and return to Domme another time.

    Sarlat was busier, and we got gas, grocery shopped and wandered the old town some more, then drove home. Charlotte's muscles were sore from riding the day before, so she stayed home and Aaron and I took a 3+ mile walk before sunset.

    We are quickly learning that not a lot happens during the winter in this area, but the quiet pace is really lovely for the most part!    Read more

  • Catherine WrightWinter in FranceCatherine Wright
    Found our favorite cafe! La Fabrique in Gourdon.
    These enormous doors are the entry to the indoor market in an ancient church

    Gourdon and Sarlat

    January 21, 2022 in France ⋅ ⛅ 37 °F

    Yesterday Charlotte and I took a ladies' excursion to Gourdon and enjoyed a leisurely hour or so in La Fabrique cafe. Nutella is everywhere, so of course we needed to try the Nutella muffin. :-)

    After we got back, Charlotte did school work, Aaron had work calls, so I decided to learn how to write French cursive in their uniquely gridded notebooks- it's not easy! Aaron spotted a mouse so I walked over to the store for a few mousetraps, and two dearly departed mice later, we hope they are gone. Nothing new for us- rural living, old house, cold temps, et voila...mice!

    Today we headed to Sarlat again for the Saturday Market, then headed home in time for Charlotte to have a riding lesson on the lovely mare, Diana, at the barn just down the road. She did great and will get to ride regularly!    Read more

  • Catherine WrightWinter in FranceCatherine Wright
    It took us a while to figure it out, but the dirt hills we see everywhere are mole damage
    1

    Around the neighborhood

    January 22, 2022 in France ⋅ ☀️ 43 °F

    We've been wondering what the dirt mounds are that seem to be in every field and garden- turns out it's a big issue here: mole damage. The chickens we walked by were curious and friendly, almost more like our friends' turkeys we know in Vermont!Read more

  • Catherine WrightWinter in FranceCatherine Wright
    Our escort for the first part of the hike.
    I love the horses on the right waiting their turn to be greeted!1

    Walk to Grotte de Soupiers

    January 24, 2022 in France ⋅ ☀️ 52 °F

    The day was gorgeous so we found a good walk on the AllTrails app that that took us thru woods and eventually, after some scrambling, the elusive Grotte de Soupirs. At the start of our walk, a friendly dog ran from its house and joined us, leading us up the road, with zero plans to leave us on our own! We met a couple walking the direction with their own dog, and they recognized our companion and took him back down with them! We continue to be impressed with how friendly and/or perfectly trained the dogs here are.

    After almost giving up on the grotto, Aaron finally gound it! We tried to spot prehistoric drawings said to be in many of the area's grottoes, but sadly there was too much graffiti.

    The way home took us through gorgeous countryside, where naturally, horses found Charlotte. Walking here is such a delight; every day presents new roads and paths right around the corner from our house!    Read more

  • Catherine WrightWinter in FranceCatherine Wright
    On our very steep uphill climb to the chateau, which we discovered was closed
    It may not look that high up, but the climb was intense!The roads are incredibly steep and narrow, yet cars use them!

    A few hours in Beynac-et-Cazenac

    January 25, 2022 in France ⋅ ☀️ 46 °F

    The weather is beautiful and the tourist crowds are non-existent, which is great...but everything is still closed even though Google and websites tell us otherwise! We set off to Chateau de Beynac, ascended the narrow, steep, cobbled streets, only to find the giant doors locked. At least the views were fabulous and we got some exercise, right? Not a shop, restaurant, or café open anywhere, but we'll be back once things pick up!Read more

  • Catherine WrightWinter in FranceCatherine Wright
    Getting Juanito ready to ride again
    His hooves are so much bigger than Cricket'sThe farm has a fenced in area with one lone duck, a bunny, and a flock of friendly chickens!They all hang out together. Not sure the bunny knows it's not a chicken.1The bunny and the chickens all came running as I approached the fence!

    Another riding lesson

    January 26, 2022 in France ⋅ ☀️ 48 °F

    We have been so fortunate to have stables just five minutes away that really seem to mirror the friendly, laid back environment of what Charlotte has back at home at Horse Amour and Diamond Pine Farm. Yes, there's the language barrier, but it's impressive how much can be communicated when the common thread is the love and knowledge of horses!Read more

  • Catherine WrightWinter in FranceCatherine Wright
    1Charlotte's hot chocolate at the Lili Bowl vegetarian cafeCharlotte's acai bowl at the Lili BowlVegetarian kefta bowlThe side of the Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de CahorsInside the main sanctuary of the Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Cahors)The cloister

    Cahors, part 1

    January 28, 2022 in France ⋅ ⛅ 39 °F

    We're in the middle of a stretch of gloomy weather, so decided to take a little road trip to Cahors, which is a vibrant city about an hour away. Parking in the center of town was easy, and we enjoyed meandering the medieval alleys and cobblestone streets. We had wanted to eat at a vegetarian restaurant called Marie Colline, but learned that it requires reservations. Another attempt at a vegan restaurant, Le Jardin de Susan, was a dead end as it was closed. Finally, we found a tiny corner place called Lili Bowl, and it was just delicious!

    After lunch, we explored the Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Cahors, and as we entered the sanctuary was filled with organ music, making the experience rather overwhelming, emotional, and quite beautiful. The cloister and its garden was magical, and as I've mentioned about other places before, it felt like we had the entire town to ourselves since it's the end of January and nothing is open!    Read more

  • Catherine WrightWinter in FranceCatherine Wright
    Not only is the baby adorable, the dad is, too, with his backpack of leeks and half eaten baguette
    Vin chaud table (hot wine) and a long haired WeimeranerEvery time we passed this off leash dog, it sat at our feet!1Aaron found an Irish beer vendor!1It's still chilly and more like Vermont in November, but there are some signs of spring.We drove up to Chateau Fenelon, which won't open until the spring. :-(More horses - quelle surprise!2

    Sunday market in St Cyprien

    February 2, 2022 in France ⋅ ⛅ 43 °F

    We love this market! Sure, the products are amazing, but the real reason we go is for the dogs and the babies.

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