A Frosty Start

The New Year has brought chilly but beautiful weather so time can be spent out in the garden preparing things for Spring. The last of the leaves from the plane trees have been gathered and bulbs are pushing their way through.

 

Sunflower fields

This is such a colourful time of year with fields of sunflowers stretching over the Dordogne countryside. Sunflower seeds and oil are one of the main crops of the region so there is an extra delight to be had anticipating an excellent harvest.

 

The Bergerac Troc

One of our favourite things to do when visiting Bergerac is to pop into the ‘Troc’ and explore the vast rooms that contain all sorts of old brown furniture and articles from traditional French houses when a clearance has been necessary. We have found some wonderful items to use in our French home and really enjoy painting them using chalk paint to enhance their decorative features.

Chateau de Campagne

We had a really pleasant stroll round the park of the Chateau de Campagne. After many years of trying the commune has eventually been given the responsibility for the chateau and park and is busy renovating the building having restored the park as a community area.

Chateau Lanquais

Not far from our self-catering holiday manor lies the beautiful Chateau Lanquais. Still privately owned it offers the visitor a fascinating insight into both the medieval and renaissance periods of architecture. The grounds are mainly woodland with circular walks.

Markets

Sunday morning is market morning in Issigeac and very busy and successful it most certainly is. Guests enjoy browsing and shopping and often stop for either a coffee at Sylvie’s Cafe or lunch in one of the restaurants.

The Vignette

The vignette is very popular in classic French interior design. The grouping together of treasured items to form a picture is a wonderful way of showing the character of both home and owner. Unfortunately it is not used sufficiently in holiday homes. Here at Domaine des Faures we believe in creating vignettes and our guests say it gives them a very welcoming and homely feel when they arrive.

vignette

Dordogne home

The historic homes in the Dordogne are beautiful. The stone has mellowed to a soft colour and the lauze roofs add to the wonderful way they blend into the countryside enhancing and not detracting from all that nature has to offer. The lack of uniformity in design reveals the history of the building and how it has developed over the years. The greenery of the trees and hedging are punctuated with colour from the roses and geraniums that do so well here. This area is a beautiful part of  the world to enjoy a holiday with family and friends.

Dordogne home

Pigeonnier in the Dordogne

The Dordogne countryside is dotted with pigeonniers. They can be attached to barns or free-standing towers. The designs are so varied even within the Dordogne region.

The Romans introduced the use of ‘pigeonniers’ to help supplement a diet made mainly of cereals. The droppings also made excellent fertiliser which was very important.

Our pigeonnier (not shown here) is attached to one of the barns and is the home of a family of barn owls who entertain us as they emerge at dusk.

Pigeonnier

Signs in the Dordogne

Visiting the Dordogne in the spring or autumn is an excellent idea if you are in search of an active and cultural holiday. There are less tourists than in the busy summer period. The roads are perfect for cycling and the countryside is woven with You also you have the space and leisure to look at all the wonderful signs that adorn the boutique style shops.

Hoorse sign

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