Day 13
Woke up to more gray skies and light rain. Breakfast of chocolate croissants and out the door before 10.
Drove through Perigueux to Bordeilles and visited the 13th c. castle. The castle had an impressive great hall where you could imagine 100 knights and princesses dining in front of the 2 huge fireplaces. Kristen and I climbed about ¼ of the way up the 8-story circular staircase of the octagonal tower before retreating.
More impressive was the 16th c. renaissance chateau adjacent. It was chock full of antiques dating back to the 12th c. I most liked the gold salon, built to accommodate Catherine de Medici, who never arrived. Beautiful painted paneling around the room, on the huge ceiling beams, etc.
Then up to Brantome for a late lunch. We got a prime parking spot (tourist season is over, pretty much) and took a bunch of photos of this picturesque town on the way to lunch at Au Fil Du Temps.
Drove through Perigueux to Bordeilles and visited the 13th c. castle. The castle had an impressive great hall where you could imagine 100 knights and princesses dining in front of the 2 huge fireplaces. Kristen and I climbed about ¼ of the way up the 8-story circular staircase of the octagonal tower before retreating.
More impressive was the 16th c. renaissance chateau adjacent. It was chock full of antiques dating back to the 12th c. I most liked the gold salon, built to accommodate Catherine de Medici, who never arrived. Beautiful painted paneling around the room, on the huge ceiling beams, etc.
Then up to Brantome for a late lunch. We got a prime parking spot (tourist season is over, pretty much) and took a bunch of photos of this picturesque town on the way to lunch at Au Fil Du Temps.
A very nicely painted room, about ½ British, was the setting for our drawn-out afternoon repast from 1-3 p.m. Kristen was a bit of a nudge, and we were getting antsy too by the time the check came.
Dave had an excellent meal of fried whole tiny fish (like bait fish), followed by a stewed assortment of fish in a cast iron pot, and chocolate cake. (It was a fish-themed place, with stuffed fish on the walls, gear, rods, etc.) Jill was less impressed with her tomato-mozzarella salad (very good), confit de canard, and pear sorbet. Miss K. – salad, chicken, fries, sorbet. And a ½ bottle of Champagne - 80€.
Then we walked around the streets of the town some more – I didn’t realize till we came home that it’s actually an island. Watched some canoeists go over the small dam – it looks like fun, but not in this crummy weather. It’s still cool – light jacket weather – and misting / light rain. But it’s not interfering with anything but Jill’s mood.
Drove up to St. Jean de Cole – a pretty little town with medieval half-timbered buildings scattered around the tightly-packed streets.
Dave had an excellent meal of fried whole tiny fish (like bait fish), followed by a stewed assortment of fish in a cast iron pot, and chocolate cake. (It was a fish-themed place, with stuffed fish on the walls, gear, rods, etc.) Jill was less impressed with her tomato-mozzarella salad (very good), confit de canard, and pear sorbet. Miss K. – salad, chicken, fries, sorbet. And a ½ bottle of Champagne - 80€.
Then we walked around the streets of the town some more – I didn’t realize till we came home that it’s actually an island. Watched some canoeists go over the small dam – it looks like fun, but not in this crummy weather. It’s still cool – light jacket weather – and misting / light rain. But it’s not interfering with anything but Jill’s mood.
Drove up to St. Jean de Cole – a pretty little town with medieval half-timbered buildings scattered around the tightly-packed streets.
Drove through Thiviers, where I bought a stale (!) baguette from the Boulangerie. Sacre Bleu!
Down through Sorges, the truffle capital, took a picture when the clouds briefly parted. Then down in search of the chateau near Antoine-et-Trigonnat, which we briefly glimpsed from the highway but didn’t get close enough to photograph.
Down through Sorges, the truffle capital, took a picture when the clouds briefly parted. Then down in search of the chateau near Antoine-et-Trigonnat, which we briefly glimpsed from the highway but didn’t get close enough to photograph.
Home via the back roads and Cubjac. Dinner at home of salad, chicken leftovers, and some of the stuff the owner left for us – wine, stuffed goose neck, foie gras, and some of my cheese (and the stale bread).
This was preceded by a celebratory bottle of Veuve Cliquot Champagne on the front porch, to celebrate the parting of the clouds and the arrival of sunshine!
Day 14 >>>
This was preceded by a celebratory bottle of Veuve Cliquot Champagne on the front porch, to celebrate the parting of the clouds and the arrival of sunshine!
Day 14 >>>
