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Le Pain, Le Vin, Le Aquitaine

By Tracey Davies

A cloudless blue sky is smeared across the horizon enhancing the caramel coloured Chateau de Beynac which leans ominously from the hill. The temperature is a perfect 26 degrees and here, lounging on a grassy bank of the Dordogne river I let my head fall back to admire this charming scene. A perfect moment until splat a blackbird ‘wishes me luck’ all over my ‘J’Adore Dior’ t-shirt. Still, it barely dulls this idyllic snapshot of life in the south west region of France.

Since attending a friend’s wedding in Bergerac six years ago, I have become a true convert to the Dordogne region or Perigord as it’s known to the French. It’s true, many villages are more British than French with their ‘shire’ cricket teams and marmite-selling grocers, but given the simple beauty of the area, the infinite days of sunshine and the fact that its home to quintessential French favourites such as truffles, foie gras and of course, the wine, there’s no wonder the Dordogne Valley is the number one destination for expatriates to France.

The drive from Calais is more of a treat than a trial, and once you have manhandled Paris’ périphérique it’s pretty much a straight road south. Each time I travel this route I bless the French government for introducing their excellent péage system, smooth clear highways are a driver’s heaven. The hours speed by and before you know it you are entering God’s timeshare, the Dordogne Valley, set deep in the wine-growing region of Aquitaine. It is often said, ‘you know you are in the Dordogne when there are more GB plates than French ones’, however do not let this put you off, there is a very good reason why so many of us flock to this area.

Our home for the week, and I really mean home with its Cath Kidston tea-towels, well-thumbed novels and fresh figs in the kitchen, is a wisteria-drenched farmhouse in the hamlet of Paleyrac, just 40 minutes from Bergerac. Set within the rolling hills of the French countryside the farmhouse offers idyllic seclusion but with easy access to larger towns and attractions. After the long drive there is only one way to revive and that’s with a glass of local fizz and a twilight dip in the pool.

Apart from the glorious weather there are plenty of benefits to holidaying with the ‘neighbours’. It’s drivable in less than 9 hours, which is great for aviophobes and also saves pounds by not having to hire a car (which is essential if you are staying out of the main towns). It’s a gastronomes and wine-lovers delight and everyone back home is grateful to receive a decent bottle of something rather than the obligatory shell-covered toast rack from Blackpool.

The main attraction for me (but I am assured for many others) for holidaying in France is the wine. There is something to be said for visiting a country where the wine is not only cheap, but mostly fantastic and actively encouraged to be consumed at any hour of the day or night. Aquitaine, with its perfect wine growing climate is chocker with vineyards from Bordeaux to Cahors. The horizontal landscape is dotted with age old châteaux fronted by craggy, white-aproned wine masters who are only too willing to let you sample their wares again and again and (hic) again.

When a wine lover takes a trip to the Dordogne, a visit to St Emilion is as essential a visit as the Empire State building is to New York. The famous vineyards are located on the north bank of the Dordogne River just as it flows into the Gironde. The town itself is exquisite, older than God and built into a natural amphitheatre. Tobacco brown buildings and polished cobbled lanes are infused with centuries of French charm and was formally recognised in 1999 when both the town and the vineyards were classified as a UNESCO world heritage site, the first vineyards to make the list.

We hang out in St Émilion for the day, trying and buying an extortionate amount of great wine. The wine masters are both handsome and honest and I can’t help but fall for their Gallic charm and buy yet another case. Stopping off for a quick lunch turns in to a full gastronomic blow out with all the fineries of the area. Foie gras, truffles and cuisse de canard are washed down with a magnificent Premier Grand Cru and I fall in love with France all over again.

We travel east to Bergerac, a pretty ex-port town set on the banks of the Dordogne. Its proximity to some of the regions best vineyards makes Bergerac a good base for exploring the area. The town is famed for both its wine and its cuisine, but mostly (especially since the Gerard Depardieu film) for Cyrano de Bergerac. It celebrates it most famous, albeit fictional son, with a large statue set outside the Musée Éthnographique Régional in the heart of the old town.

Other must-see’s include the medieval city of Sarlat-la-Canéda. The tourist friendly town has plenty to offer its visitors, from decadent architecture to alfresco restaurants offering truffle-laced prix fixe and potent local tipples. Visit on a Saturday and the Place de la Liberté, (the main square) is throbbing with fresh, often live produce. Although I don’t have the heart to buy a live rabbit for my supper, half a kilo of pungent local cheese straight from the maker is something I don’t miss.

30 miles south east of Sarlat is the lens-loving village of Rocamadour. Built into the side of a cliff, the view as you drive in is no less than spectacular. A favourite with pilgrims who travel from all over the land to worship the ‘miracle-performing’ Black Madonna, a small statuette housed in the cathedral. These days it is more the dramatic location that attracts the hordes of tourists.

Each year my Dordogne holiday lives up to the last. It truly is the most relaxing and self-indulgent of trips and often feels like coming home. So proudly slap your GB sticker on the Mondeo and get on down to the Dordogne, I promise, ‘je ne regrette nien’.

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