You are what you eat -- Creation's Pharmacy on your doorstep!

I often write about the many advantages of living in the beautiful Dordogne -- and in particular about the pleasure of being able to buy locally, fresh and seasonal. Anyone living here can be green -- it is easy to find a multitude of products to create the most delicious and nutritional meals of five star gastronomic standards.

-- When I heard recently for the first time about the Slow Food movement -- first in Austria when visiting friends, then from as far as Australia where other friends had become involved with the movement, I commented that we, here in the Dordogne, have been practising the Slow Food principles -- well -- forever! It was only at that time that I discovered that the movement had in fact started in Italy, some 21 years ago and now in more than fifty countries.

The philosophy of Slow Food is:
"We all have the fundamental right to pleasure, and we are responsable for protecting a gastronomical, traditional and cultural heritage, part of this pleasure".

As its name indicates, Slow Food tries to counter the concept, sadly universal, of junk food, safeguarding gasronomical traditions and becoming an international movement.

Thus, when this, one of the many little e-mail titbits that comes across ones screen -- and which, normally, I do not pay these much attention, it grabbed my attention immediately -- it is clever and useful and very much in line with my chosen lifestyle -- close to- and in the cycles of nature, aspiring to a healthier and more natural way of eating and living. Read and enjoy -- and learn -- and when next you go to the little farmers' market to buy your natural, seasonal, organically - and locally grown - and - unpackaged! food, put this little list into your basket and make sure you take as many as possible of these products home with you!

Nature left us a great clue as to what foods help what part of our body! Creation's Pharmacy! Amazing!
A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye... and YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.

A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All of the research shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart and blood food.

Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.

A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.

Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.

Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

Avocadoes, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (mo dern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).

Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm as well to overcome male sterility.

Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.

Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries

Oranges, Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just l ike the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.

Onions look like the body's cells. Today's research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes. A working companion, Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body.



Where to get your fresh products in the Dordogne

The French country market is an event not to be missed. You can rub shoulders with the locals who come to meet their friends while doing their weekly shopping and indulge in a feast of fine food. You will discover everything from fresh oysters or mussels or fish brought that morning from Arcachon, to home made cheeses, delicious foie gras, a hundred different kinds of dry sausages, truffles, giant mushrooms freshly picked in the surrounding forests, and an array of nut oil and olives. The market abounds in dew covered vegetables and fruit, every kind of meat, cut flowers and interesting plants, books, textiles, pottery, handicrafts. The list goes on, and you can be sure to discover something that will either take your breath away or make you laugh, but most certainly will give you pleasure.

Make it a full day’s outing, or combine it with sightseeing in the area, taking a closer look at the market town or village, enjoy a picnic lunch on the banks of the river, an afternoon of wine tasting, or simply a leisurely few hours sitting at a little café, sipping the house wine, soaking in the local way of life and watching the world go by.

Here are some of the markets in the area -- each town and village has interesting places to visit as well:
Monday Beynac, St Alvere (main truffle market), Les Eyzies
Tuesday Beaumont, Bergerac (organic market), Brantome (July and August), Le Bugue, Riberac, Tremolat
Wednesday Biron, Cadouin, Bergerac, Cahors, Sarlat, Perigeux
Thursday Lalinde (main market day), Domme, Monpazier, Mouleydier, Brive
Friday Brantome, Bergerac, Brantome (all day), Sigoules, Le buisson, Souillac, Riberac
Saturday Sarlat, Lalinde (smaller market), Beaumont, Belves, Bergerac, Le Bugue, Bergerac, Perigeux
Sunday Issigeac, Bergerac, Brantome, Couze, Creysse

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Hallowe'en in France

Last year I wrote about the chrysanthenums that are so frowned upon by the local French when ignorant expats put them in their homes -- instead of on the graves in the cemeteries where they belong! This year another type of splash of colour has been catching my attention wherever I go -- the wonderful arrangements of pumpkins and gourds and autumn flowers! A veritable feast for the eye!

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A Feast for Obelix: The wild boar of Mortemart

About 30 minutes' drive from Lalinde, one could very easily imagine oneself in an Asterix comic strip: there, in the oak forests of the Perigord-Dordogne is a place that Obelix had obviously never heard about, or else it would not exist! --- a wild boar farm where no fewer than some 500 wild boar roam the hills.

Mortemart Ferme des Sangliers is a beautiful spot against the forested hills where one can wander along the little pathways between the well-fenced enclosures and enjoy watching the antics of the large herds of wild boar.
The boars are farmed for their meat, and at the end of your visit, you can taste the delicious products made from wild boar and the marcasin -- the young piglets: rillettes (the fatty soft meat 'spread'), terrines,sausages, and tinned braised and roast boar. Other products are the best ever hair brushes, back brushes and paint brushes made from the strong hairs of its fur.
For a few Euros, this is definitely a visit that is well worth while. The farm is open right through summer and over weekends during the winter.

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Epsom salts

** Interesting thing about Epsom Salts or Magnesium Sulphate: Originally comes from Epsom in Surrey -- and here I could make a few bad taste quips about the fast running horses at Epsom Downs or the constant look of discomfort and disdain on the faces of many who live there or the pre-back-to-school de-tox nightmare sessions we all had to endure as children and no doubt was the cause of so many of our generation to be mentally scarred for life but super healthy all
the same! --- but I won't! However, it has to be mentioned that it is becoming more and more difficult to obtain Epsom Salts -- pharmacists are no longer keeping it and supermarkets often have never heard of it, so if you find some, let us all know where and stock up for yourself -- not only for this excellent lemon syrup recipe, but also for: 3 table spoons of Epsom Salts/Magnesium Sulphate around the base of your rose bushes and then well watered 3 or 4 times a year will boost their growth and yield of flowers like nothing you have ever seen -- trust me -- there is no fancy (expensive) fix at any garden centre that will beat that for prize winning roses!



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Why the Brits (don't) come to the Dordogne............. A smile for Expats

Photo: Clare
Recently in The Telegraph, Jim White listed -- tongue in cheek -- 30 reasons why Britons say that Britons stay in Britain ---

The Great Brit Exodus: British citizens are starting new lives abroad at the rate of one every three minutes. With 385,000 people emigrating in the 12 months to July 2006, we're witnessing the biggest exodus for a generation - which has reignited the debate about what exactly is wrong with our country.

These are the reasons why the readers of Tne Telegraph think the Britons who are still in Britain, stay in Britain:

1 There's never a problem getting a Polish plumber.

2 The walk from Solva to Whitesands Bay, round St David's Head in Pembrokeshire - probably the world's most scenic stroll.

3 Barbecuing in the rain.

4 Somewhere in virtually every British television schedule, there still lies a gem: Armando Iannucci's The Thick of It, Andrew Marr's A History of Modern Britain, David Attenborough's Planet Earth series…

5 London's revitalised Southbank. Art, architecture, design, culture and a big wheel all in one astonishing, two-mile-long strip. Try finding something to match that in Perth.

6 This summer, there has been no need to ring the neighbours to see if they'd remembered to water your garden while you were on holiday…

7…Or any worries about suffering from sunburn.

8…Or any fear of being snitched on for putting the sprinkler on your lawn at three in the morning (that's if the sprinkler hasn't rusted up under the swell).

9 Not having to spend four hours traipsing round town looking for a bar that might be showing the Rugby League cup final.

10 Teeing off at the first at Wentworth. Forget bungee jumping in New Zealand, hang-gliding in the Himalayas or croc-taming in Oz, there is no experience on Earth that gives an adrenalin rush quite like that. Absolutely terrifying.

11 You can't get a decent chicken tikka masala anywhere else.

12 Meeting up with an old mate in the pub, rather than sending an email to make an appointment to be at the computer at the same time so you can talk via Skype for five minutes before losing the link.

13 The rail journey from Plymouth to Penzance.

14 Where else can you pay £150 for the privilege of wading thigh-deep in sewage-laced mud before sitting in a sodden tent, unable to get to sleep at four in the morning because the bloke in the next door tent has decided to regale the world with his atonal version of Redemption Song? And do it every weekend, all summer long, anywhere from Loch Lomond, via Glastonbury, to the Isle of Wight?

15 Cheese-rolling in Gloucestershire, bog-snorkelling in Llanwrtyd Wells, barrel-burning in Lewes: no one does bonkers traditions like they do here.

16 Some of the best French, Italian, Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Spanish and Thai restaurants in the world.

17 Here, you can walk on pavements where dog owners clear up after their mutts, unlike much of France, which is close to being buried under a rising brown drift.

18 The view from the top of Mount Snowdon.

19 Being able to watch great Shakespearian actors, who the rest of the world only get to see on the movie screen as they bolster their pensions in ropey Hollywood blockbusters, performing Shakespeare on stage. And doing it so well, it makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

20 Not having to pay to be stuck in a five-mile jam on the motorway.

21 Blackberries the size of ping-pong balls.

22 The announcements to passengers on First Great Western trains. Where else can you find anything to match the invention ("The delay was caused by the effects of sunshine on signals"), the self-righteousness ("We are held up behind a slow-running train operated by another operator") and the complete lack of self-awareness ("This is a special announcement for those passengers waiting for the special to London Paddington. This special train has been cancelled")?

23 Going for a swim in the sea without fear of being assaulted by anything larger than a passing condom.

24 Listening to The Archers omnibus on the radio while preparing Sunday lunch - rather than via the internet in your study at 11 o'clock at night.

25 The drive from Glasgow to Oban.

26 Never having to worry that you might catch a chill from the air conditioning on public transport.

27 The Edinburgh Festival: you don't often get to see Hungarian stilt walkers performing a comedy mime version of Macbeth in Puerto Banus.

28 A day at Lord's, the most civilised sporting venue in the world.

29 John Humphrys, the Matt cartoon, Sky Plus, Alan Green, Fighting Talk, Mark Radcliffe, Private Eye, Craig Brown, The Spectator, Chris Morris, Jeremy Paxman, and all those other media delights whose output we casually consume every day. Nowhere else in the world can begin to match strength like that.

30 Plus, at least here, unlike in the Dordogne and southern Spain, you're not surrounded the whole time by other bloody Brits.




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Food writing that leaves a bitter after taste...

In an article he titles "When food tribes go abroad", Jay Rayner of the Observer Food Monthly, gives a somewhat bitter and twisted view of any- and everyone who ventures across the channel to come and enjoy the different lifestyle of life in La Belle France.

He starts off well --- "Holiday eating is like holiday sex: nowhere near as exotic as you think it's going to be but just as risky. You can pick up a dose of something very nasty doing both. My parents, siblings and I still talk fondly of the violent food poisoning we acquired in some dodgy cantina on Ibiza. We were all taken out by it, one by one, within hours. Oh, how we laughed."

He continues to make an astute remark: "These things happen, of course - but they carry such significance on holiday because our expectations are so damn high. We insist that everything be wondrously lovely and this makes us behave very oddly indeed where food is concerned. The meal at the end of a day is an expression of who we are, of how we like to imagine our true selves to be."

But then his not-so-sub-conscious envy of all who have the good fortune to come to this part of the world to sample the gastronomic delights -- and disasters -- of a foreign and different culture, bubbles to the top and forms an unsightly and distasteful scum which completely covers any other possible tasty bits that may still have been underneath -- and as much as I tried to skim it off, hoping to reveal something that would reveal a tongue-in-cheek soupcon of dry humour, even if somewhat twisted, there was none. Just a bitter brew -- with a strong flavour of sour grapes.

"After some rigorous research, I have been able to sort the modern British gastro-traveller into five distinct, and equally irritating, categories. And they start with ...

1. The Dordogne Bore

Dordogne Bores have been holidaying in crumbling gites around Bergerac for the last two decades. They insist on calling it Périgord, and throw around words like 'paysanne' and 'terroir' to bolster their foodie credentials. They also claim to have a handful of their own 'secret' little places where they go to eat; restaurants so far off the beaten track that their location is known only by 23,000 other people from Dorking, Guildford and Cheltenham.

What the DB will never recognise is that every single restaurant in the region serves exactly the same bloody food: duck confit, foie gras, more duck confit, herb omelettes, duck confit and more duck bloody confit. What's more, 85 per cent of the restaurants will serve mediocre versions of these dishes, though the DB will either not notice or not acknowledge this. Usually this is because they are plastered on cheap wine, arguing that you don't have to spend big money 'down here' to get good wine. This, too, is nonsense. No matter; they will praise the 'civilised' French attitude to drinking, while failing to recognise that France has one of the highest rates of alcohol-induced liver disease in Europe.
Most likely to be found in: the Dordogne, natch; the Lot and Garonne; Tuscany.

2. The Authenticity Addicts

The AA is convinced that only by eating exactly what the locals eat can they really connect with the culture they are visiting. This means they end up consuming some of the nastiest food items ever devised, though they will always claim to really, really like them: stews made from goat intestines; braised cow's udder; pressed pig's ear in vinegar. What the AA fails to recognise is that renowned local dishes like these are almost always the product of poverty, and therefore generally more a matter of necessity than tastiness.
Most likely to be found in: India; China; Thailand; and the more wretched, typhus-sodden corners of the former Soviet Union.

3. The Anything-with-a-View Crew

Everybody knows that the worst restaurants in any fishing town are the ones right on the water, where the smell of food is undercut by the foul stench of the stagnant sea-bilge lip-lapping at the harbourside. The owners of these prime pitches know that the punters will come solely for the location, so they don't have to worry about the quality of the food, plus they can also charge the suckers roughly double what those places a street back are charging.

The AWAVC will happily leave the beach at five in the afternoon to drive two hours into the mountains to this 'fabulous little bistro with the most fantastic view of the sunset', forgetting that, after the first half hour, the sun will have indeed set and that they will then be eating their mediocre dinner in total darkness.
Most likely to be found in: the Greek islands; Provence; Sardinia.

4. The Gastro Tourist

The GT regards a holiday as an eating opportunity, and time spent on the beach between lunch and dinner as an irritating distraction. The GT needs only one holiday read - the Michelin Guide, and will tick off restaurants as they go. But few of the meals they pay astronomical sums for will meet with their approval, as the GT has shockingly high standards and cannot be conned by gastronomic smoke and mirrors.
Most likely to be found in: Burgundy; around Lyon; northern Spain near San Sebastian; Catalonia.

5. The Market Kings

Market Kings stay in villas or gites and never eat out because, as they insist, loudly and often, 'really, why would you when the produce in the markets here is so fabulous, I mean look at the tomatoes nothing like the flavourless rubbish you get back home and the peppers are so sweet you could eat them for dessert. Here try some of the bread - it's made by a local man who's 103, blind, incontinent and crippled by arthritis but he's still got the touch ...'
The MK gets up every morning at six to go to the local village to buy their produce (even though exactly the same stuff is available at half the price at Carrefour nearby).
Most likely to be found in: Tuscany; Dordogne; Provence."

The Observer Food Monthly would do well to send Mr Rayner on one of our excellent Relocation Orientation courses at the Chateau Lalinde before allowing him to write another article about something he knows so little about or on which he holds such prejudiced -- or should I say, 'jaundiced' views; and Jay Rayner would do well to forget about the frissons of 'risky sex' in Ibiza and rather come enjoy a heavenly few days in -- yes! the Périgord, also known as the Dordogne, and soon officially to be known as Dordogne Périgord -- where we will initiate him into the true pleasures of life -- which I can guarantee will exclude anything boring, but include a fair few pleasurable hours of fine dining with interesting people and stimulating conversation.

POST SCRIPT: See Jay Rayner's response in comments below.

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Cooking up a storm............in a tea cup?

A little like the Aesop fable of the stork and the jackal inviting each other to dinner................

It is not a summit, not even a working lunch. Just a social meal between two world leaders who happen to be vacationing near each other in New England?

By welcoming Sarkozy to his parents' seaside home, Bush might have been hoping to lay a foundation for what he hopes are drastically improved relations with France over the reaminder of his term.

The fact that Cecilia and her children cried off sick, probably showed what she thought of the whole thing -- and good for her for standing her ground too!

And yes --- "It would be impossible to think of Jacques Chirac stopping by Kennebunkport for lunch. This speaks volumes for the desires on both sides to try to turn the page." -- as an analyst remarked.

But then -- to serve hot dogs and hamburgers to your guest? Especially a guest who happens to be a French head of state? A French head of state who also happens to be a fitness and health fanatic??



Apparently Sarkozy promised Bush that the United States "can count on our friendship," --- and reminded Bush that friendship means respecting differing views.

Perhaps that was why the side dish was baked beans and not "Liberty Fries" (the new name for French fries - since the French would not go fight in Iraq....)

But I still wonder if Bush will be given frogs' legs and garlic snails when he comes to visit the French president?.......



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The Orpheus and Bacchus Music and Wine Festival, St Emilion and Bordeaux

Travel Video and TV News report:

Music and Markets Offers Sumptuous Bordeaux Fall Getaway

Fall into the ultimate French getaway – luxuriating in Bordeaux’s renowned wine country and imbibing inimitable wine, food, music and guests on this, their most splendid tour, a sumptuous autumn escape to Bordeaux. This week-long getaway includes a rejuvenating grape-treatment spa, delectable haute cuisine, world-class wines (of course!), and best of all, mingling with internationally recognized musicians throughout the day before hearing them perform in an intimate soirée setting.

Throughout the week, guests will indulge in a lavish menu of cultural and gastronomic pleasures. The first night is spent delightfully decompressing amid the vineyards of the Château Smith Haut Lafitte at the Sources de Caudalie Hotel and spa.

The next day, guests can relax and refresh during a morning of pampering at the renowned Caudalie Vinotherapie Spa, before departing for St. Emilion, a medieval village set above the Dordogne River valley and surrounded by chateaux and vineyards. Postcard perfection awaits as guests can stroll the cobblestone streets, enjoy an aromatic pause at a patisserie, tuck into a boutique or two, and select a bottle of wine at a town vintner. Then in the evening, epicurean delights await during dinner at a former Cardinal’s palace, now a gracious hotel and restaurant inside the ramparts of the historic village, a Unesco World Heritage site.

For the next four days, as part of the Orpheus and Bacchus Music and Wine Festival, guests will continue to discover the lush beauty and culinary riches of the region, following the route du vin through the oft-toasted vineyards of Bordeaux at harvest time, and can either test their culinary prowess during a hands-on cooking class with Chef Georges, sniff, swish and swirl at a wine-tasting class with a Master of Wine, or just absorb the distinct pleasures of the treasure-filled villages of the region. Other activities include an insider’s visit to a winery that will allow guests to learn about the intricacies of quality wine making, and purchase, if they’d like, wines direct from the viticulteur.

It is the evening entertainment; however, that sets this Bordeaux getaway apart from all others. In the midst of stellar vineyards is the home of the Orpheus and Bacchus Music and Wine Festival, owned and organized by Ian Christians. Here guests will enjoy his bubbly house party with world-class musicians and fellow music lovers, sharing many a bon soir mingling with other guests, savoring hors d’oeuvres and aperitifs before stepping into the salon, La Musique, where artists introduce the works they’ve prepared for the evening. The grand venue, originally designed in the 1700s as a celebration hall for the vendage, boasts wonderful oak beams, stone-arched windows, and a splendid Steinway, owned previously by renowned pianist Alfred Brendel.

The artistry continues, as Chef Georges Gotrand presents his culinary masterpieces at a candlelit dinner table. Georges introduces each evening’s palate-pleasing menu, and the resident Master of Wine provides expert commentary about the wines and the rationale for the pairings. After the main course, guests return to the salon for a shorter, less formal concert before completing the evening with an abundant array of cheeses, as well as dessert and coffee.

This captivating combination of fine food and wine, marvelous music, and plenty of pampering – all in a lush French countryside setting – begins October 5 and is priced at $4450 per person. Each Music and Markets tour is limited to no more than 10 people, allowing each participant to receive personal service and attention that’s often unavailable on other tour packages.

For more information about the Music and Markets in Bordeaux tour, or any other
Music and Markets offering, contact us here.

Related articles:
Bordeaux
Canadian Resort near St Emilion
Bordeaux
Tourism and Porperty in France
Wine tasting weekends in Bordaux


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Bordeaux : A Feast for the body and soul

Bordeaux : Centre of Wine, Food, the Arts and Shopping -- A Culture Vulture's paradise!
As Alain Juppe, the Mayor of Bordeaux says:

The world capital of wine, famous for its excellent lifestyle, Bordeaux also features some of Europe's most charming and impressive examples of 18th century architecture.
Located in the heart of a region offering countless attractions, Bordeaux combines celebration, great wines, and first class cuisine.

The excellent public transport makes getting around so easy -- the tram system introduced a few years ago has revolutionised Bordeaux and probably made it one of the visitor-friendliest cities in the world. The trams are convenient and quick and excellent value. There are many underground parking garages all over the city and finding ones way into the city is made easy with many clear signs indicating where the different areas and the different parking garages are.

The Quartiers of Bordeaux:
The Triangle
The triangle is formed by the Allees de Tourney, Cours Georges Clemenceau and Cours de l'Intendence. This is the city's heart where every kind of shop, every type of restaurant, and every class of hotel can be found to suit every person's taste.

Rue St Catherine
Stretching from the aristocratic Place de la Comedie to the student district at Place de la Victoire, it is the longest pedestrian-only street in Europe. It is lined with many of France's best known retail outlets -- and it is crossed by the other very interesting pedestrian streets such as Rue de la Porte Dijeaux, as well as the bigger arterials such as Rue Alsace Lorraine and Cours Victor Hugo. A giant open air shopper's paradise!


Quartier Saint-Pierre
The Saint-Pierre district is a maze of cobble stoned streets and alleys amongst the beautiful stone buildings of Bordeaux -- many of which are craftsmen’s and artist's studios and galleries. The district also features avant-garde showrooms - and some of the most spectacular examples of the massive restoration project which the entire Bordeaux is undergoing. Saint-Pierre's many little squares tucked away amongst the buildings offer outdoor restaurants and cafes and wherever you decide to sit and enjoy a meal or a glass of wine, you will also have a lovely - and often entertaining view of your surroundings.

Quartier St Michel
This has always been a district where beautiful antiques and unusual second-hand items can be found. There is a flea market as well as a second-hand and bric-a-brac gallery, and a colourful variety of Mediterranean and especially Moroccan grocery shops and bazaars -- with a feast of colour and smell and sound. People who enjoy hunting for good deals will just love this area, which is also much appreciated by students - and tourists in the know.

Les Chartrons
This is a virtually self-sufficient district with a village atmosphere and plenty of quality boutiques. The district includes Rue Notre Dame, a street full of antique dealers, second-hand shops and art galleries, as well as Rue du Faubourg des Arts which has recently become the area for serious artists and designers. Les Chartrons is reputedly the developing 'in' place to be in Bordeaux and there are still some interestingly-priced properties to be had for the prospective buyer, but you will have to be quick, as the prices are going up as we speak.


When you wander through the market, you may see a table with a hot plate and a large pot of soup simmering........ Bring a vegetable, take a seat in the shade under one of the lovely trees, peel your vegetable and then give it to the man with the bright floral apron. While he is cutting up your vegetable into the soup pot, you can enter a small cubicle and listen to someone tell you a fascinating little two minutes story............. And comes lunch time, return to the table under the trees and the man in the apron will give you a delicious cup of the 'composed' soup! ----What a lovely way to spend a Saturday morning!
 


On the river there may be a cruise liner from some exotic shores that is in port for the night, or there may be a opera costume festival where you can try on well know opera figures' costumes, or an interesting exhibition in the Aquitaine Museum, or street musicians performing for passers-by - for the pure pleasure of it, or perhaps a slightly more formal dinner and music recital in Cafe Louis adjacent to the Opera House... always something going on and always something for everyone's taste....

Related Links:
Bordeaux: Renaissance of a City
Morocco comes to Bordeaux
Wine Tasting in Bordeaux

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A Saturday night in La France Profonde

During the summer there is something going on all the time and everywhere!

If you live in France, or you are lucky enough to be here, in the Dordogne, on holiday this summer, and you find yourself at a loss for something to do on a Saturday night, simply look around -- there is bound to be a community dinner-dance in one of the local village halls.

All you need to do is take your own plate and knife and fork, and the local community will provide the rest -- delicious food, wine, music, dancing, lots of laughter and hospitable conversation.

Whatever you do this summer, do not leave the Dordogne without having treated yourself to at least one of these events!



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