We’re in the Dordogne

As we pried ourselves away from Cairanne, we headed towards the west in brilliant sunshine and rapidly rising temperatures. The autoroute from Orange to Montpelier was extremely congested with holidayers heading mostly for the Mediterranean beaches. I only know this because, by the time we passed Montpelier, the majority of the deluge had disappeared so I’m thinking La Grand Motte or Cap d’Agde, both fabulous sandy beaches south of Montpelier. It’s all those Germans and Dutch looking to get naked on a Med beach!
As we turned west towards Toulouse, the highway had cleared up remarkably and as we headed north from Toulouse there was, like only us, on the road. Emily once again did a number on us and got us off the autoroute too soon and on to cow paths too fast. In her defense, it was a beautiful drive, but not exactly a speedy one.
When we finally thought we were in close proximity to our destination, there was a fete in one of the nearby Plus Beaux de Villages, la Roque Gageac. Route Baree! Fortunately, we had already purchased a local map, so with that and Emily’s help we crossed back over the Dordogne and wound our way to the next Dordogne crossing past la Roque Gageac. I have to tell you that this is one seriously twisted, hilly terrain!
We’ve already determined that the architecture is notably different here from elsewhere in France. There a lot of square towers on buildings with more steeply arched roofs on the houses.
Once near St. Vincent la Cosse, our digs for the next week, we phoned the caretakers of the house – a property management company out of St. Cyprien next door – and arranged a meeting at the gates to the local chateau. Every village has at least one local chateau, don’t you know!

Once he arrived we followed him over a very rustic route – not as bad as Fraise-Corbieres – for anyone counting. Les Hortensias is in the heart of the village, a stone’s throw from the church – that means annoying church bells. We were able to park in front of the house off road, which was great for off loading.


This is a large house with 3 full baths and bedrooms. We feel a little greedy having it all to ourselves. There are 3 outdoor sitting areas, one always in the sun and at least one always in the shade. As we arrived in plus 30 temps, only the front patio was habitable. There is no mustiness here so I won’t have any difficulty with breathing.



So, we are very pleased with our selection and other than the fact that there is no internet, we’ll quite enjoy being here for a week to explore the amazing surrounding villages.
Tomorrow we go on a quest for the closest and most convenient Wi-fi to get this future entries posted.