We arrived at Le Maine after a 7 hours journey from Normandy a little weary and saddle sore. What a sight met our eyes! A long avenue of slender trees leads to a palatial house with slate roof and ivy festooned walls. Catherine met us with an umbrella as it had just started to rain.
Maison de Marc or the hen house where we are to call home for the next week was charming and so very French! Limestone walls and tasteful furnishing were a delight. The fridge contained the essentials like a can of foie Gras and delicious fragrant strawberries with a tasty loaf of bread.
We slept well and next morning with a French market basket courtesy of Catherine we set off for the market at Excideuil. There is a market at different towns nearly every day.[except Monday and Sunday] So I am in my element! Faltering French aside we buy Baguettes, goat cheese and cherries and head home for a delicious meal in the garden.
Maison de Marc is set in an estate of 63 acres with lovely forest walks through a little gate in our garden. There is a swimming pool that Ken has tried but it is too cold for me.
There are two house cats that love to be stroked and they are to be found nearby sunning themselves in the garden.
Thursday night was our 43rd wedding anniversary and Catherine booked us a table for two at a cosy restaurant in Perigueux. The owner was charming and made us feel very welcome. For dessert the chef had written “Congratulations” and Happy Anniversary” on our plates in fruit sauce. Catherine had told him that we were celebrating!
Friday – we went to the local market at Cubjac in the morning , ate a leisurely lunch and went for a drive in the afternoon. We visited Bourdeilles. It doesn’t even feature in our tourist guide but it was a delightful town with a stone bridge and chateau. It certainly could rival Brantome for charm. We continues on to Gresignac for a nostalgic visit to the house we stayed at 20 years ago. It was well maintained but not a patch on Le Maine.
Saturday- over to Sarlat for the market and to look at the towns around the Dordogne river. This is easily the largest market we have ever seen. It stretches about 500 meters down the main street as well as going into many of the side streets. I buy a leather belt for €9(a bargain) and a chook (cooked) for €12.50 (a rip off). At least we eat and my pants stay up. Further up the Dordogne river we spend time at Domme-a town perched at the top of the hills and a town we last visited some 20 years ago. It has spectacular views down the river. After a busy day it is time to go home and decide which bottle of wine will best suit the chook.
Sunday. Time for a rest. We decide to go out for lunch and head out for the nearest village with a restaurant. A few kms down the track we arrive at Blis et Born. (Don’t look at the atlas, you won’t find it). It looks deserted, but we knock at the door of the only restaurant (and for that matter, one of about 3 buildings) town. Yes, they are open and we are invited inside and we are not alone. The first course comes out – a tureen of their special mushroom soup. We serve ourselves and after 3 helpings with baguettes, decide leave some room for the remaining courses. We managed about half the contents of the tureen. The next course is escargot for me and pate de foie gras for Mavis. Outside the window the chef is feeding some scraps to the village cats. The window is closed and we cannot call on the cats for help with our meal. We watch the main course come out for the other table. It is huge, but before we can waive the white flag, our mains arrive. At this stage our planned tea of left overs from yesterdays chook is looking safe. We still have the cheese plate and the desert to look forward. Needless to say we persevere .
Monday. We need to go to Perigueux and have the car serviced. Catherine says this is not a good idea, because the town (of some 50,000 people) is closed on Mondays and no one goes there. However, it is raining, and with nothing better to do, we set the GPS to the nearest Citroen dealer and set off. They are located in the industrial area and are fortunately open (after the normal 12 to 2 lunch). I show the service manager the service book with the required service instructions. There seems to be a slight language problem and he sends out a search party for someone on staff that speaks English. Sandra appears and introduces herself and the problems are all resolved. We are getting low on wine (again) so at stop at the nearby supermarket is in order. This should last until our next stop further south in France
