Hotel Au Perigord Noir Hautefort

Set upon the River Vezere and quite pretty due to its 15th and 16th century Maisons a Tourelles, which looks like miniture castles due to their turrets. The rain had stopped for our little walk around the village but started again when we got back to the car - great timing!<br>

Today was eventful yet relaxing. We just walked around this town that had tons of history and shops and was just great. I bought some new jeans and a shirt and found some things that i only wish i had the money to buy! We got a can of Dr. Pepper, which you can't find anywhere by the way, for 2 euros which is like $3.50 or something. Karen keeps getting ...

We left the bordeaux region today for the dordogne valley - the ancient town of Sarlat - waaaay medieval- <br>I've determined that there is not enough of france to walk in to justify the amount of food we've been eating...oof. We havent even had any pastries or creme brulee we're so full from lunch and dinner! <br>we"ll post more in the matin! <br>Bonne Nuit! <br>

... the sunshine, practising my best Gallic shrug, sitting in the shade of the cherry tree and chatting or reading or daydreaming or snoozing or just asorbing the stillness and birdsong, trying to resurrect my school French following 22 years of neglect, devouring my mom's incomparable home-cooking, consuming obscene quantities of tantalisingly pongy cheeses, guzzling ...

... br>But I'll get there, sooner or later, and will be keeping a web log provided by the organization I'll be working for. I think it is www.katherinelapthorn.helptmee.nl, so if you like you can give it a try. Might even be able to hook it up to travel pod somehow, I'll sort that out.<br><br>Anyway, tonight we have been invited to dinner by Bernadette and Nico, her new beau. <br>I am amazed by the speed at which both Bernadette and ...

... he, he knows I have a thing for ants.<br>There is a busy trickle of them now, climbing up the table leg, scurrying across the surface, in a straight line, as ants do. I start to study them; going back and forth, some seem to briefly connect or check each other out before continuing on their way to the killing fields. <br>Once there, they halt and then daintily pick their way through the bodies. Stopping every now and then, maybe someone ...

... to stay, join the fun. <br>Timing, just not getting it right.<br><br>Still, we were fed, and mellowed by the - real - Bergerac wine we returned to Aubas for a night of music and dancing.<br>Dark now, the little square, lit up by the colourful lights of the fair, was transformed into a magical and romantic spot.<br>The roadie we had seen lumbering earlier, was also the star, the entertainer. You could just make him out, tucked away between the speakers and all the other equipment ...

... see in a spaghetti western, but inside it was surprisingly warm and cosy. Decorated with all kinds of bits and pieces and I couldn't help wondering what these little treasures would fetch at some brocante. There for the taking, the chandeliers, crucifix, statues and some ancient benches and chairs. <br>Many of these churches have been looted already and now you will often find the doors locked or anything valuable nailed down or removed from sight. Shame. But this church had kept it's faith ...

... I suggested we'd look in to one or two of these events and find something to eat while we were at it.<br>We drove off to Beauregard de Terrasson, a sweet village, and the beau regard is certainly not exaggerated. Long rows of parked cars starting far from the venue, meant a steep walk up the hill, but I wasn't going to let that stop me.<br>It was a sporting event and we had definitely arrived a the wrong time, meaning: it was over. A few teen-aged youths hung around, showing off ...

... br>Next was a trip up to Bordeaux where we met with Emma. Spend the next few days around the coast south of here including the biggest sand dune in Europe. Really good.<br><br>More to follow...