With much anticipation we pack our picnic basket for a day out to the Dordogne with Peter and Michelle. Crusty bread, jambon, comte cheese, salad and if I say so myself perfectly boiled eggs, that even a Masterchef contestant would be proud to take to the judges. Wine of course, what would a french picnic be without wine, a pear and walnut tart completes our share of the picnic. Today we are guests of Peter and Michelle and will take the back seat in the car and really be tourists for the day. A glorious day greets us for what will turn out to be one of our very special days of our trip. Lovely Michelle is our tour guide for the day, and gives us a running commentary in her very best English, she always starts a sentence with and I quote "sorry my English is not very good, but I will try and explain it for you". Well can I tell you if my French was anything like Michelle's English then I would call myself fluent. Our first story involves what will be forever more known as the happy wash! As we make our way up the winding road through the Monclur Forest we see by the side of the road a stone built hut which only consists of a framework of stones to support the roof, the structure straddles a little stream, Michelle explains to us that many years ago long before washing machines, the local women in the area would meet at a pre-agreed time, maybe only three or four times a year at this place to do their washing, which I guess would be quite a significant pile. The women would treat these washing days, yes days, as it was often a couple of days trek for the women to reach the designated area, as a chance to catch up on all the local news, swap stories and generally have a good old gossip. The women did not travel alone, the men folk also came along, but not to help of course, the story goes, that the men would seat next to the wash huts and watch the women bent over in the stream washing the clothes, the sight of a women bent over gyrating her hips back and forth while rubbing the washing was too much for the men and the evenings where spent in some very happy nocturnal activities, and the local population always seemed to increase 9 months after a 'happy wash'!
As we travel along we notice the scenery changing slightly, the earth is darker, a beautiful rich colour of burnt red, this is a great wine region and I'm not surprised, the vegetation is extremely lush, great farming country says Ian. The buildings are different from the ones in Le Lot, they are built of yellow stone and seem to be beautifully maintained, the gardens of the homes are absolutely immaculate. As the Dordogne River comes into view, so do fairytale chateaux one after another, one side of the River houses English Chateaux (a remnant of the 100 year war or as the French like to say an angel was passing by, she had an apron full of castles as she flew over the Loire, Limousin and the Lot she dropped one here and there, when she arrived at Dordogne she was very tired she decided to empty her entire apron full of chateaux and return back to heaven) and on the other French Chateaux. I'm getting whip lash from looking from one side of the car to another.
Peter finds a most perfect spot for our picnic, right along side the Dordogne River, we drive down a slip way to the waters edge, park the car and voila we have our picnic spot. A blanket and cushions are quickly thrown on the ground and we have our dream location.
From our spot on the lawn, we look up to this magnificent chateau, which has an interesting story!! Apparently an old lady lives alone in the Chateau, she is currently looking for a man!! If you manage to please her (Peter said you would need magic mushrooms and plenty of Armagnac), then she will bequeath you her Chateau. Peter and Ian discussed the idea of a tag team effort!! Ian thought he would take the days and Peter the nights.......
After our picnic we made our way to Domme, a Bastide town (which is a fortified village built in the thirteenth and fourteenth century, usually high up on a hill with a wall built around its boundary for protection) for a welcome cup of coffee and a pleasant hour sitting on the terrace people watching. The sky is turning a beautiful shade of purple which tells us it is time to make our way back home, as the sun starts to set we struggle to keep our eyes open in the back of the car as we drive past fields aglow with buttercups and daisies. Positively perfect in every way.
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