Perigueux: Preserving its Past

La cathedrale St Front - Perigueux

Perigueux is a big French city with a long history of occupation as evidenced by the variety of architectural styles that can be seen spanning the Roman times through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance up to the present day. 

Like many big cities it was a nightmare to ride into until we found the cycle path along the river l’Isle which took us from the busy national highway on the outskirts of Perigueux right into the heart of the old city at the Pont de Barris. 

Then things were definitely looking up  -  literally -- as the Cathedrale St Front on the edge of the medieval city dominates the skyline from most vantage points.

 

 

After ten days straight with backsides on bicycle seats; we were ready for a day of tourist laziness and Perigueux fit the bill perfectly. The old town is a pedestrian only area as are so many in France.  This adds an extra layer of enjoyment to the tourist experience. We were charmed by the cobbled streets; the open squares lined with cafes restaurants and small shops and the stone buildings dating from a number of different eras.

 

We were fortunate that our day of touring happened when the town had its bi weekly market. Nothing animates a French town as much as a market. Every square was crammed with vendors of bread fruit vegetables cheeses fish meat  wine and flowers. In fact everything you could want for a quality French life style is available to you in a French market.

We wandered. We bought some little savoury tarts for lunch and we sat at a sidewalk café watching the people go about their shopping. 

  There are few things that I like more than people watching and as this was a French city there were of course beautifully dressed women. I tried to absorb their style; take lessons from their appearance;  store their confident approach to life but I fear I am missing the fashion gene. Still – it was fun.

The local government has done a marvellous job of preserving the city’s  heritage  continuing to renovate and redo the old buildings. When they needed to renew the water mains they didn’t just asphalt over the repair; they replaced the cobble stones one by one in a backbreaking labour that is done on the worker’s hands and knees. Of course their policies bring in the tourists and that puts money in everyone’s pockets.

In Perigueux we walked and we walked and we walked. From exploring all the quaint ruelles and alleyways of the medieval city to strolling the more stately cobbled streets lined with renaissance townhouses; we enjoyed it all.

 Out of the medieval city in an area known as Le Cite lie the ruins of a Roman amphitheatre that once seated 20000. As the French care for their 'patrimoine' as they call it; they have developed a city park around it.

Roman ruins of a temple

It goes without saying that we ate well in Perigueux although my researched restaurants either looked like they had seen better days or were too formal for our tastes. We settled on two that appealed to us and we were not sorry to have departed from “the plan”.

Leaving Perigueux on the bike was an unpleasant experience as we did not have the benefit of the bike path. It meant a couple of hours of nasty traffic before we got to the smaller roads that led us into the Valle de la Lozere : to  pre-history and the caves of Cro Magnon man.

From Grape to Glass

One of my favourite places to ride is on small roads through the vineyards. Last Sunday we spent an enjoyable morning  cycling through the small towns and the beautifully groomed vineyards around St. Emilion. 

the groomed vineyards of St Emilion

The ride was up and down the slopes around Montagne, Lussac Castillon, St Georges, St Christophe and Puisseguin ( to mention just a few). 







All were densely planted with carefully tended vines heavy with purple fruit.

We had lunch in busy St Emilion before heading 2km. downhill to our B&B in St Laurent des Combes.

 

the bell tower of St Emilion

a street in St Emilion

Throughout this trip we have have been told by more than one restaurant owner that it was time that the Grand Cru classifications of St Emilion wines were re-assessed as we were paying for the name when the wine had not kept up with its reputation.

vines just outside St Emilion

vines far from St Emilion

But when you compare the care they take with the vineyards of St. Emilion compared to the "laissez-faire" attitude of other 'vignobles' then perhaps you do want to pay the big prices. 

Most of the grapes grown outside of the St Emilion Grand  Cru chateaux, in these  vineyards you see, are sold to large wine consortiums in Bordeaux and then labelled as  Bordeaux wines. However, there are some small winemakers around St Emilion who are making, marketing and selling their own wines. When our B&B host can sell me a bottle of local wine for the grand total of five euros that he, himself, has sourced and it tastes great, then you know that when you pay the big bucks then you are paying for the name. 

So buy the wines of St Emilion that have another village name attached---Lussac, Montagne, Cotes de Castillon and you will probably be getting your money's worth. Just so that you believe me... here is an ad from a grocery store with award winning wines from the small towns around St Emilion. And the prices don't break the bank either.

  And if you ever find the rose named Cuvée Constance, then buy a case for me. Because if he sold it to me for five then he probably bought it from the winery for two. And it was delicious.

As we went a little further from St Emilion, we were offered Bergerac wines with our dinners. They are excellent and a much better value of course. We are especially enamoured with the  Pecharmont wines, of which the best is 'Chemin d'Orient'. When we ate at the "Le Citronnier" in Riberac it went very well with Minas' duck and the lamb that I chose. 

So I cycle on and I hope when we get to the wine region of Cahors that it might be time for the harvest - " la vendange" and I might have a few more things to learn about wine. 

Until then , we appreciate and look forward  to our wine each evening. 

Until next time..... Sante from France
Minas and Catherine

Bordeaux: Better than Before

The Gallo Roman amphitheatre - Bordeaux

In 2002 I took my first bike trip with Minas. We started from Bordeaux and travelled west and south down the coast to the Pyrenees and back up through the wine country of Entre Deux Mers to Bordeaux.

 In those days we found Bordeaux quite depressing. There was no access to the riverfront; the houses of the historic old town were dark and dreary; and there didn’t seem to be much life there at all. One cyclist I met said that when she and her husband first arrived in Bordeaux twenty years ago it was a city that had been abandoned. 

 

Bordeaux on the River Garonne today

 I was not terribly keen about returning to Bordeaux to start our bike trip this year but what a pleasant surprise was in store for me.

Catedrale St. Andre

 

all cleaned up - Monument aux Girondins - people who were guillotined

Thanks to a very enterprising and forward thinking mayor Alain Juppe the city has become quite beautiful. The old stone buildings blackened over the years have been cleaned;  new stores and restaurants line the tiny streets of the old town and the apartments on the upper floors are  occupied by a healthy mix of young people families and retirees.

 


 Needless to say the tourist trade is thriving. We enjoyed our walks around the city our meals and our wine.  








There are walkways and cycle paths along the Garonne River and a new tramway system (some of whose cars have been built in Canada by Bombardier) connects the various parts of the city.
 

One of the “pieces de resistance” is the new Cite du Vin an ultra modern showcase for anything you wanted to know about wine. It is a bit of an overload of information: but all presented with the latest of technology and a teeny tiny sample of a Bordeaux wine of your choosing to round off the visit.

Pont St Pierre

Our  practice run to get out of the city

 The exit from the historic centre by bike was as easy as crossing the bridge and cycling the bike path for 27Km to the smaller roads of the wine area of the Dordogne.

the grapes of St Emilion

But more about that next time.
Cheers
Minas and Catherine

An Early Start

We usually take our bicycle trips in Europe in the late Spring so that we can enjoy the hot summers of Ontario. But, just for a change, and to experience the bounty of the farms and vineyards of France in September, we have planned a fall bike trip from Bordeaux to Toulouse prior to an extended stay in our favourite village in the Luberon - Saignon. 

That means leaving our beloved rural home in Ontario while the vegetable garden is still producing and the flowers are blooming profusely.
But the hills and vineyards of France beckon so we have packed up for a month on our bikes from Bordeaux to Toulouse followed by several more months in a provencal village.

That means a lot of stuff to organize and pack and the question always is..."Do I really need this?" How little can we get away with? One big duffle bag for each of us, holds our belongings for the village and two small bike panniers carry all we need for the bike trip.

But we do have sexy new bike bags on wheels that Minas is excited about. Now he doesn't have to spend hours dismantling the entire bike in Canada only to resurrect it when we get to our destination.

So we board the plane on September 6th for Bordeaux and make our way east and south to finish in Toulouse on October 2nd. 

I look forward to the harvest season in midwestern France: to the small villages uncluttered by tourists, to the warm September days and the refreshingly cool evenings, and to working the body on the bike.

 You will hear from us next when we are on the road.
Cheers
Catherine and Minas