Toulouse, Carcassonne and the Dordogne region in Southern France is heavenly.

I had gotten spoiled having a guide/driver in various previous trips, and decided to try to also see the Dordogne region that way. But Europe is more expensive than Morocco or SE Asia. Therefore, it made sense to share costs by inviting our friends, Barbara and Harvey Hellering, to join us on this trip. We had traveled with them before and knew that we would enjoy another trip together. We hired Connie Wilson, an American living in France, to arrange the trip and to drive the 4 of us for 10 days in May, 2008.  

We met Connie in the lovely city of Toulouse, to begin our trip. I loved the interesting architecture and the delightful meals, especially at the beautiful Le Bibent Brasserie and the Brasserie Beaux-Artes.  The former is decorated to look very much like an 1880 opera house.  

Mirepoix and Carcassonne

From Toulouse we headed to Carcassonne by way of Mirepoix, a tiny, lovely medieval town.  The half-timbered buildings from the 13^th to 15^th centuries surround the main square.  The second floors jut out over timber couvertes or covered arcades.  The supports for these arcades are actual tree trunks.  It is a quiet town with few tourists; therefore, I could sit at a café and imagine myself back seven centuries. So glad we stopped.

Carcassonne is a different story.  It is a 13^th century town within an immense fortress. There are 3 sets of walls around the city and 52 towers.  The town started to decay in the 17th century when it lost its strategic importance of protecting France from Spain. But at about 1840, France established a department for conservation and began the process of restoration. The castle (unfurnished), the fortifications and the church are visit-worthy, consequently, Carcassonne was full of tourists.  We spent the night in the new city of Carcassonne, (15th century), which enabled us to return and view the fortifications at night – all lit up. 

Rocamadour

The town was constructed in three levels. The lowest level, where most people used to live, has shops and restaurants. One level above it – accessible by hiking or elevator, is the religious level with the church built into the side of the mountain. Then a third level, also accessible by hiking or elevator, has the ruined castle. I imagine that it might be restored some time, but right now, it is just a ruin.

Sarlat

Sarlat is a delight to stay in because it is so beautiful, but it is also a wonderful anchor from which to visit the surrounding towns and castles.

Lascaux Cave II

The original Lascaux cave was found in 1940, but was closed in 1963 because the million people, who had been through it, were ruining the paintings by breathing in the cave. Lascaux II was constructed from an old quarry and made to be an exact replica both of the cave and the pictures. This was important because the paintings used the contour of the cave to make the animals come to life. I had read about Lascaux and saw programs about it, but it was really amazing to see it in real life. The paintings (17,000 years old) have vibrant colors and give the feel of motion. 

Rouggignac Grotto

Also amazing for pre-historic drawings, is the less known Rouffignac Grotto. It is a very deep (going back not down) cave. It is open to the public by means of a little train. The train driver, also the guide, stopped the train at various points and activated a light to show us the drawings (otherwise we were in semi darkness to help preserve the paintings). We saw some bear claw marks, from 20,000 years ago. The drawings of bison, horses, mammoth and ibex were from 13,000 years ago. These are line drawings rather than the colorful ones of the Lascaux caves, but they are well executed and it was exciting to see the real paintings.

Les Eyzies

What a fun and educational trip! Lots of relaxed meals and plenty of wow factors.

Final Comments:

1. Having a dedicated driver/guide making arrangements and knowing the area of the opportunities was great.
2. Sharing the expense with friends worked beautifully.  Unfortunately, our friends, being older than us, were not willing or able to take future trips.  They have since passed away.