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the Vezere River valley and the inspirational 400millennia of human history unearthed here was artfullylaid-out in this light-fi lled museum.Halfway between Les Eyzies and Montignac-Lascaux,famous for its remarkable cave art, we clambered upRoque St Christophe to a long terrace carved deepwithin a limestone escarpment. Tenuously shaped bythe elements, families here literally lived between a rockand a hard place in this defensive troglodyte fortifi cation20,000 years ago. From this hidden place high abovethe river, my hand traced the marks of human ancestryon this ancient piece of rock.Close to the village of Montignac, at Lasceaux, wefast-forwarded a few millennia to view a collection ofcave art at its sophisticated zenith. Discovered in 1940and hidden from the masses, it was estimated that theimages of oxen, bison, cows, deer and cave leopardswere painted some 17,000 years ago. Consideredsymbolic sacred art that was both cultural andmythological, awe-inspiring facsimiles can be viewedin the Hall of Bulls and Axial Gallery while the originalsremain safely tucked away in a controlled environment.MEDIEVAL PERFECTIONOne of the most beautiful villages in France is thefortifi ed town of Monpazier founded in 1284 byEngland’s King Edward 1. Virtually intact, the orthogonalplan, fortifi ed gates, arcaded square, archways andvaulted streets remain authentic jewels of medievalarchitecture. Under an intense azure sky we pausedto lunch under grape vines and espaliered roses inthe market square framed by ochre shingled roofs andstone walls. In the cool cloistered walkways, shops soldtraditional wooden toys, jewellery and antiques – instantmemories of the Perigord.RIGHT: A street barrowladen with garden-fresh,seasonal produce at alocal food market.FAR RIGHT: A bronzestatue of a boy in Sarlat’smedieval laneways.90 TRAVEL 3SIXTY˚
Sipping Bergerac’s celebrated wines inspired us toexplore its winding medieval streets. A statue of Cyranode Bergerac – the town’s swashbuckling centerpiecestood imperiously on a pedestal. His nose pointedtowards Maison des Vins de Bergerac where, let’s faceit, noses are important! The Romans were the first touncork Bergerac’s ability to grow fine wines here. Aftera swift education on the 13 appellations, we drove toMonbazillac, just 15 minutes away, for a wine tastingamongst the vines. An appellation with elevation,this grand 16th century chateau was straight out ofthe pages of an Alexander Dumas novel and I halfexpected to hear the clatter of hooves in the courtyard,announcing the arrival of the three musketeers.Not to be outdone, petit Paunat too had a few secretgems right on its doorstep. On the edge of it's cornfields,Tremolat patisserie’s freshly baked croissants aux buerrequickly became a breakfast staple while a posh dinnerin a private booth overlooking topiaried gardens at the17th century Relais & Chateaux property Le Vieux Logiswas unforgettable.RIVERINE RESONANCEJust five kilometres away, the port village of Limeuilmarks the confluence of the Vezere and Dordogne rivers.Graceful willow trees were rendered a rich chartreuse bya setting sun and Café l’Ancre du Salut was busy servingpeople who’d <strong>com</strong>e to this picturesque place. Duckingunder a stone arch, we followed a narrow pathway thatwound its way through a charming village to a panoramicgarden with spectacular river views.From the stone terrace of Les Fortous, the bells ofPaunat’s Romanesque abbey tolled eight and it was timeto cross the gravel square for dinner. For a thousandyears the abbey has been both an impregnableTRAVEL 3SIXTY˚91
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