Most beautiful

We are awash in beauty. Limeuil, a living, breathing medieval village of about 300 permanent inhabitants, is stunning. But it is not alone. Each village, small town or bastide (fortified town) in the Dordogne region seems to be vying for the title of THE most beautiful village in France. 

Almost overwhelming at times. And there's always that antipodean sense of awe at living in a 500 year old cottage and visiting a 1000 year old abbey (on this evening's walk). 

 

It's as much about texture as colour: warm limestone walls, faded terracotta tiles, dark, weathered timbers and brightly-painted doors and shutters. Add flowers and shrubs in pots and terraced gardens...et voila!

The drive to the Dordogne was not uneventful. After three busy days in Paris, we picked up our brand-spanking-new little Peugeot 308 from the Sodexa agency on the outskirts of the city. For the next three weeks, there were to be three of us in the marriage: The Writer, the Spouse ...and The Lady, the pleasant but firm voice of the car's inboard GPS system. We soon learned to Listen to the Lady. Some detours, motorway excursions and full-circle loops later, we drove thankfully up the steep slope to the fortified village of Limeuil.

Our days here have fallen into a pattern of relaxation punctuated by bursts of sightseeing, walking and food shopping. This morning's market at Le Bugue provided us with entertainment as well as bread, veges and fish for the next few days. 

Yesterday's sightseeing marathon took us to Sarlat-la-Caneda, a largish, well-kept medieval town on the  'must-see' list. I'd add to that: 'must see first thing in the morning'...We were there early enough to observe the town preparing itself for the expected hordes and smugly drove away as the big tourist buses began to arrive. One doesn't like to think of oneself as a tourist, of course...

Sarlat-le-Caneda

Next stop: Chateau de Montfort. This was on our itinerary because Bruce had been reading about and taken a strong dislike to Simon de Montfort ("the bastard!") His crime? In 1209 he ordered the massacre of the entire (Catholic) population of Beziers, all of whom had sought sanctuary in churches. A couple of years later, he captured and razed to the ground the original Chateau de Montfort. But wait , there's more... See Wikipedia       The bastard!

Finally: Domme, a hilltop bastide built by Philip the Bold in 1281, which was under seige by various intruders - French, English, Protestants, Catholics - from the 13th to the 16th centuries. Today, it's still under seige , of course, but that's the price it pays for being un des plus beaux villages de France.

Domme