Oliver’s Travels Visiting Dordogne

Recently our two newest interns had the opportunity to spend eleven days with our in-house photographer travelling around Dordogne. We were so pleased to have them visit some of our best villas in Dordogne. We’ve been eagerly awaiting their stories and lucky for us, they’ve gone to great effort to recount their journey..

Day One

Recovering from an offensively early start and a violently unpleasant rush hour journey, the two of us found ourselves angry and sweaty at the Stansted airport terminal gate. Finding the travelling partner and photographer extraordinaire Laeti without much problem and after quickly devouring two enormous burgers, we boarded the plane bound to Limoges, excited and hesitant about what to expect next. What awaited us was a dazzling azure French sky and temperatures that seemed positively tropical after the English summer. After boarding our VW rental car and a quick battle with our Satnav, we managed to find Ailliac Farmhouse – a pretty, remote and unassuming property nestled quaintly amongst leafy and very green Dordogne country lanes. After wandering around and a fraught and near-death experience for the company drone we left the property one propeller down and severely worried about our piloting skills. After a long and tiring day we arrived at the Ibis hotel we were staying in we settled down for a night of cheap gin and dirty sheets.

Day Two

After perhaps overindulging in the joys of the Ibis bar and sleeping through our alarm, we woke the next morning to Laeti’s pounding on the door. It soon became apparent we would be late for the first property. Finding it without much trouble, the dazzling and magnificent Chateau Le Duc awaited us. Another day, another near-fatal drone crash, but despite a violent collision and a considerable fall, our resilient drone still survived. Lazarus with propellers. The majestic grounds and the grand interior seemed entirely alien after our Ibis adventure, and after nursing the drone back to good health, we reclined at the end of the garden for long hours.  Stopping quickly at a Patisserie for lunch we went on to the next property, Le Chai – a lovely property with a cosy farmhouse feel.

Day Three

After a long and heavenly morning drifting through the cobbled alleyways and the picturesque medieval architecture of the market town of Sarlat, we travelled to the elegant and glamorous Astier Petit Chateau. Walking through the door what struck us was it brilliant Britishness in design and style. A pillar of Union Jack solidarity standing proud and undaunted by its French surroundings. It was a home from home and we strolled happily around the gardens and lazed around in the pretty kitchen. That night we went on to the Archaic and chic Chateau Granges Dans where we gatecrashed the owner’s daughter’s birthday party. We sipped Belgian beer outside with our hosts while poor Laeti toiled and slaved, camera in hand, around us.

Day Four

It was with pounding heads and heavy hearts we left our generous hosts for the Chateau La Moinerie. he chateau had an imposing and austere front. The interior though is delightful – understated and welcoming with an elegant yet homey feel. Half fairytale fortress, half Palladian manner, it was a joy to amble through its rooms and to laze in its pretty library. However, the stuffy cockpit of our VW beckoned and soon was streaming through our postcard surroundings, bound for the quirky and modern Grand Carre. After the stuffy splendour of the Chateau’s of the last two days, the upmarket, contemporary style was different and refreshing. Made up of three separate cottages set around a courtyard furnished with a glamorous pool, the Grand Carre provides the perfect holiday for groups of families who value comfort, privacy and soaring countryside views.  Traversing rolling hills, dark forests and a couple of shopping malls we soon arrived at our dwelling for the night. A pretty and rustic B&B farmhouse, we had a quintessentially French evening gobbling steak tartar, Foie Gras while draining glasses of rich local wine.

Day Five

Next on the itinerary was the graceful and stately Chateau de Cardou. After an hour of well-reasoned abuse from the owner about the state of English rugby, we got down to some droning and were pleased to see our ability had come on leaps and bounds, the drone remaining airborne for most of the flight. The afternoon and evening were spent at the scenic and striking Domaine des Fargues with breathtaking views looking out over the utterly unique and sweeping Dordogne countryside. For supper, we feasted at a French restaurant in the local village. Arriving back at the hotel we collapsed into our beds and lay immobile like pythons, full to bursting.

Day Six

After an appallingly early wake up time, we arose bleary-eyed to a wonderful breakfast put on by Laeti of local baguettes, croissants and great gallons of hot chocolate. Unfortunately though it seemed our luck had finally run out and the weather had turned. A positively English dark and grey sky festered above us whilst a persistent drizzle plagued us for most of the day. The only property we visited that morning was perhaps the most impressive property of the trip. Sprawled high up a wooded Dordogne hillside the Chateau Ruffiac rises up magnificently from its surroundings- a mass of golden walls and turrets visible from miles around making a striking contrast with the damp and overcast skyline. However within these royal walls the chateau is rustic and homey with a rich history as it belonged for many years to the current owner’s father – one of France’s premier zoologists. After exploring the extensive grounds we made off for Sarlat for a long and exquisite lunch at a restaurant where poor Laeti had to spend the whole meal batting off the advances of waiters. We passed the afternoon at the home of family friends of mine who live just outside Sarlat before driving out to see Lascaux, the caves where one can see the drawings of prehistoric men.

Day Seven

Sunday morning brought the promise of hard work and stiff backs as we had three properties and four hours of driving to get through. Visiting the pleasant manor house of Chateau de la Cheine we went on to the luxury leisure complex Chateau Les Oiseaux that was once the residence of one of Napoleon’s generals and now boasts a luxury spa, a critically acclaimed gastronomic restaurant, an 18-hole golf course and a whole host of celebrity visitors. Finally we arrived at the Chateau Gastebois, home to a world class yoga platform which we thought would serve better as a dance floor, an enormous pool and pool house and an all-weather tennis court. The property seemed to be heaven for children with a big cosy room that had been completely put aside to accommodate children’s every need, overflowing as it was with board games, toys, books and DVDs.  The four hour trek across France that followed seemed to go on for months, and will be remembered in my mind only by the incident of the wild boar and the VW’s front wheel which gave us a stark wake up from our dozing.

Day Eight

Waking up drained and exhausted from our marathon Sunday, we were greeted with the joyful surprise of scrambled eggs on toast by the kind and hospitable hosts of the first property of the day. Sitting for long hours around the kitchen table we chatted the morning away before strolling around the striking house and sublime gardens of the charming Chateau Alarie. Next was the pretty and archaic Chateau de Caillaud with its glamorous indoor swimming pool after which followed an odd night at the Fasthotel where glancing around the hotel restaurant it became clear we were the only people in the room who weren’t fat, bald truck drivers.

Day Nine

After a hurried departure from Fasthotel, and with blue skies back again, we sped through winding country roads and lanes to the handsome Manoir Beaulieu. Set in many acres of rolling Dordogne countryside dotted with lakes, forests and the odd patisserie, the manor would be a haven for children what with its gorgeous pool and fluffy Shetland pony. Basking in the sun for a while we were scooped up by Laeti and hurried off to our next property – the Villa Grand Champ. Boasting badminton, five-a-side football and its own go karting course, the Villa is like a rabbit warren, full of long decorous corridors and dotted with luxurious ensuite bedrooms. Staying the night here and dining at the family’s friendly and resoundingly English restaurant in the local village, we arrived back at the house and all promptly fell asleep in front of the huge screen in the villas own cinema room.

Day Ten

Day ten was spent at the two English owned properties of the Biron Farmhouse and the Tobacco Barn. The Farmhouse was homey with a lived in, family atmosphere while the Tobacco farm was modern and chic. These properties were refreshingly different from grandeur and luxury of a number of the larger chateaux we had visited.  Stopping also at the gorgeous Lacapelle Biron we gorged on croque monsieurs before hitting the road to find a place to rest our heads. Striking out for the next industrial estate, we arrived late at night and soon collapsed into our beds but not after drinking quite large quantities of the cheapest local wine we could find and spending our last supper eating sickening amounts of cheese at a local restaurant in which you can find at the same building a post office and tobacco shop where you can get the best vape pen.

. A raucous last night to end an eventful trip.

Day Eleven

We were a little worse for wear when we kicked off on the last day to visit the charming and elegant L’Ecurie. Set on a vantage point which means guest can soak up many miles of the picture book surrounding countryside, the comfortable living spaces, elegant design, and chatty, hospitable owner makes L’Ecurie one of the properties of the whole holiday.  It is striking and modern yet at the same time homey and welcoming. Forgiving the slight smell of stale vino that clung to us, we set around the pool laughing with the owner for a long time and it was with reluctance that we hopped into our faithful VW to catch our flight. The last drive was uneventful and it was with sadness in our hearts that we climbed out of our trusty automobile for the last time. A long sweaty flight and couple of trains later and we were back home, sitting at the pub reminiscing over what had been a fun and frantic trip. Many thanks to Laeti for her industry and humour and it is safe to say without her the trip would have been vastly more difficult and not nearly as enjoyable.