What an interesting day today! Our driver, Didier, and guide, Sandrine, took us to the village of La Roque Gagaec which had houses built into the cliff. This time we walked up stairs to the first level where a walkway allowed us to see the buildings -- including private residences, some small hotels or B & Bs and a few shops. And the view was amazing. We were surprised to see how verdant it was--- really looked tropical to me and my pix confirm that. Looked more like Hawaii than France. 😊 I'm not sure why the trees were such as they were.
We then drove past the home/chateau that was Josephine Baker's-- in Castelnaud. We didn't get to go into it however.
Our lunch today was quite unique---A restaurant & small hotel in Vitrac owned by chef Philip Treille-- who first gave a cooking demo. He showed how to make a duck breast roulade. Then for lunch, that was the main dish. Folks said it was yummy. His sauces were spectacular. Our entree was a dish with asparagus, poached egg, a bit of mushrooms and a fabulous sauce. It was more than a 2 hour lunch, but I have to say it was special-- with the regional ingredients & expert preparation. & presentation.
This afternoon. We went to the museum of Prehistory-- a Huge collection of bones & artifacts from this very rich region. I was surprised to see a list of how many sites there are here. What was most interesting to me was the examples of what the people might have looked like--- sort of Madam Trusaud's version of several people. A short film showed the process used to create a realistic looking head & body. Interesting.
And finally we went to a truffle farm to hear a short presentation about truffles. But then the best part was going down to the trees in the back and watching the man and his dog retrieve some truffles ! The dog was so excited to be doing his job! Great fun to watch!
They gave us a sample of truffle on a toast with butter. Some folks then tasted a truffle toast that also had fois gras.
Whew! A very full day! And I think I'm the youngest person in this group!
This hotel has CNN so we are all catching up on the bizarre, adolescent political BS in the US. So glad to not be home now!
We leave Sarlat tomorrow and head to Rocamadour.
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