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| Aquitaine / Midi -Pyrenees |
| Best known to British visitors within these two Regions are the Departments of Dordogne and Lot which is where most of our properties will be found. Roughly equivalent to the ancient provinces of Perigord and Quercy, this is where Frenchmen have made a home for some 40,000 years. Deep in the many caves on valley sides, prehistoric paintings record man's hunting skills. Within 15 miles of the beautiful medieval town of Sarlat is the best known of this archaeological wealth at Montignac, Lascaux and Les Eyzies. |
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Early man chose to live in a landscape of rare beauty. The rivers Lot, Dordogne and Vezere carve spectacular and gentle valleys through an area as varied as any in France. In the north, forests of old evergreen oak broken by pine and chestnut give way to a gentler landscape of meadows and poplar plantations. |
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| In the broader valleys, farmers cultivate a complex range of crops such as tobacco, maize, sunflowers, walnuts and fruit in small orchards. Each farmyard seems to be animated by a gaggle of ducks, chickens and geese. |
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| The climate gives another clue as to the good choice of the prehistoric Frenchmen. Spring and Autumn are unusually mild and the southern blue skies of summer mean long hot days and warm evenings eating outside on the terrace. The buildings of the region are mainly built from a slightly ochre stone which looks yellow in the summer evening sun. |
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| The legacy of a long and tumultuous history has left its mark throughout the region in the form of chateaux, fortified manor houses, churches and walled hilltop towns and villages. Perigordine style houses typically have steeply sloping roofs of weathered stone tiles, pierced by dormer windows. The individuality of local rural architecture is well expressed in the form of long low barns and pigeonniers (pigeon lofts), formerly a sign of prosperity. |
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| Our holidays in Aquitaine allow you to explore the endless and well known list of towns, villages, chateaux and natural features, but visitors should at least see the military chateaux of Beynac, Castelnaud and Bonaguil; the medieval towns and villages of Monpazier, Domme, St. Cirq Lapopie, Sarlat and of course the spectacular Rocamadour and the underground rivers, caves and chasms at Pech Merle and Gouffre de Padirac. |
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| Not to be missed is the relaxation and enjoyment of the peaceful countryside. Throughout the region there are lakes for swimming with specially made sandy beaches and other recreational facilities. Numerous country walks (randonnees) are well documented and signed. Gastronomes should spend time at the wonderful local markets and restaurants choosing between regular or truffled pate de foie gras, confit de canard, goose, wild mushrooms and game in abundance. Local wine is varied and made for 'degustation' - Cahors is red and robust, Montbazillac sweet and white. |
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