DORDOGNE - Montignac

I wasn’t sure if I could be bothered to drive up to Montignac, as there were still so many other things I wanted to fit in, but as with most other places I’d visited, it turned out to be much closer that I’d expected and I was glad I hadn’t missed out.



Montignac turned out to be one of the Dordogne towns of my imagination, and even tempted me to look in the window of one of the many estate agents, but only for a second! There was a pretty square where the bright blue shutters of the yellow sandstone houses contrasted with the vibrant pinks and reds of the potted geraniums, and a couple of interesting antiquey type shops such as the ‘Au Parisien Chic’ which was selling everything we Brits think of as typically French, and the French can’t seem to offload to us fast enough!



Lunch was a simple affair of a goats cheese tart and salad at the Bar du Commerce whilst I watched them set up the fun fair for later, and then I wandered through the main street and down to the public gardens which were really peaceful.



I suspect I was lucky to be visiting on a Sunday as the town was still relatively busy so I imagine it might be tough to find a spot to park in the peak season

DORDOGNE - Saint-Amand-de-Coly

I was actually on my way to the Château de Commarque when I passed the sign for Saint-Amand-de-Coly and the fortified church, and decided to stop by.

The village itself was tiny and I managed to walk through it in just a few minutes. The abbey is impressive more for its size and the thickness of its walls than anything else, as it is fairly simple inside. Priority is given to pedestrians which means there is not much traffic except for residents, so you can explore on foot.

The houses were pretty and reminded me a little of Perouges but on a much smaller scale. I never did find the tobacco drying house and the information point was closed, but there was another shop selling regional produce such as foie gras and various oils and wines, so it was a nice detour.

DORDOGNE - Tamniès

One of France’s ‘ville fleuri’, Tamniès is perhaps one of the most flowered villages I think I have ever seen! Even the town hall is covered, and the church has a little garden full of flowers at the front.



The village is absolutely miniscule, but every building is a tumbling mass of geraniums, ivy, mallow and roses to name but a few. I was seriously miffed that the sun was in the wrong place for the shot I really wanted, but luckily every way I turned was a pretty scene.

Below the village is the Etang de Tamniès lake where there were people taking a stroll or just sitting admiring the view. The only commerce I could find was a restaurant and a potter – I wonder where they do their shopping…

DORDOGNE - Château de Commarque

For some reason, this didn’t actually appeal that much at first glance, but I’m glad I made the effort. Although clearly marked on the map, it is actually tucked away down a tiny road and took me a while to find. The car park is about 600m from the start of the visit, so be prepared. There are also LOTS of steps here so not one for the tiny tots or anyone with any kind of walking difficulties.



The de Commarque is actually in ruins, which I hadn’t fully appreciated, so the best views are from the grounds below, or from the top looking out or down as the rooms themselves don’t really have a lot to offer.

There is an interesting chess board cut into the stone in the main building and I could just imagine the hours whiled away sitting here contemplating the next move. There are also some really lovely views of the ochre coloured château on the hillside opposite.

By the time I’d climbed almost to the top (I chickened out of going right up to the top terrace), the sun was out and it was really hot. I was almost dehydrated by the time I got down to ground level and still had 600m walk back up to the car park so it was lucky that the little ticket hut sold cold drinks!

DORDOGNE - Les Cabanes de Breuil

I really loved the Cabanes de Breuil. I have seen a similar type of thing at Gourdes in Provence but this one felt much more intimate, perhaps because it incorporated as part of a working farm with geese and chickens that run freely.

The Cabanes themselves are absolutely beautiful – perhaps more so because of their sandstone colouring. When I visited in June they were surrounded by lavender, rosemary and various herbs and fruit trees which were all labelled for children as part of the educational aspect of the site. Some of the chickens had tiny chicks and the kids were mesmerised as they all ran around in a little group.

Inside, the Cabanes were tiny and it made me wonder about the size of the Benedictine inhabitants leading up to the 15th century, and later the Perigordian artisans who inhabited them during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Some have been decked out with artefacts of ages all of which is explained by the accompanying guide. However, the most exciting part of the visit is where you can try to build your own at the end – they have provided the stones and what it should look like, but no one had managed it so far…

DORDOGNE - Cingle de Montfort

When I set off this morning, I wasn’t entirely sure where I was going, but luckily my host David was there to point me in the right direction. He suggested a tour starting with the Cingle de Montfort not far south of Sarlat, which is beautiful view point over the château and village of Montfort, then on to Domme, La Roque-Gageac, Beynac-et-Cazenac and either the Château de Castelnaud or the Château des Milandes which was once the home of Josephine Baker and is now perhaps better known for its falconry displays.

I would probably have got to the Cingle de Montfort quicker if I’d listened to the GPS lady when she kept telling me I was going the wrong way, but it did get the day off to a nice start with an interesting little countryside tour. The Cingle de Montfort is actually a couple of minutes drive out of the village, but personally I preferred the views as you get up close and personal with the Château, and wished I’d stopped to take more photos of the amazing rock formations which form the foundations.

DORDOGNE - Domme

Domme was one of my ‘must do’s’ for this trip and I was not disappointed. I got slightly disorientated coming out of the car park on foot – had I turned right, I would have been on the pretty main square in just a minute, but actually it turned out well because I got to see some beautiful parts of the village that I might have otherwise missed.

I started off at the aptly names Porte des Tours which I assume would have been the main point of entry to the village. These days it is still only wide enough for one car to pass through at any given time which was scary when you see the speed at which some of the locals where whizzing in and out – it made me quite homesick for Corsica!



I’d planned to take the ‘Domme Passport’ which gives entry to the four main sights; the Grotte (cave), The Bastide Royal & Graffiti Templiers (never found those) and the l’Oustal (museum of arts and traditions, but once I found the tourist office, I realised that I’d probably have more fun just exploring the town on foot.

The tourist office issues a badly photocopied map of the town with a suggested walking route to see the sights. It starts at the Belvédère de la Barre where there is a fabulous view of the river, and then takes you on a gentle stroll along the Promenade des Falaises (cliff walk) to the public gardens. I could see that there was a windmill nearby, so I followed my initiative and managed to find it, although it did look a little sad with its skeletal sails.

From here, I headed up past the Couvent des Augustins - there wasn’t much to see – to the Place de la Halle where I was able to visit the church, take a few photos and buy Guillaume a crocodile magnet with springy arms and legs.

It’s also the starting point of the tourist train which offers a 20 minute tour of the village with commentary, but as they’d nearly run me down earlier in the day and I’d seen pretty much everything I wanted on foot, I decided to pass this time.

All in all, Domme was stunning and well worth the visit. The one small gripe is the parking situation because the car parks in the village offer only 3 options of an hour for 1€ (not long enough), 4 hours for 3€ (perhaps too long for me) or a whole day at 5€. The high parking charges were what prompted me to approach a young family and offer them my ticket, but my smugness at beating the system was short-lived as I accidentally decapitated the crocodile magnet in the process. Ggggrrr!