The villages of Périgord

Ted. The French state of Dordogne is usually referred to by locals as Périgord, a name for this province that goes back to the Romans. Tomorrow is October 1 and Judy and I will leave this area and head west for a one week stay in the village of Pomerol which is in the Bordeaux wine region. 

During our 17 days in Périgord, we have had many wonderful experiences of food, wine, churches, caves, castles and markets (more to come from Judy on that). Although our Airbnb hosts are very nice, we haven't really gotten to meet many other folks. One exception is a guy who left the rat race of Paris to open a small cafe called the Pink Elephant.

I think my favorite memories are of simply wandering the streets and alleys of the villages and small towns. On this map, which I found on the internet, you can clearly see the four parts of Périgord; black (truffles), white (limestone cliffs), purple (wine) and green (forests) along with many of the famous villages.

Our first little house was located in Périgord Noir just west of Sarlat and our current cottage now lies between St-Astier and Neuvic in Périgord Blanc. Here are a few images that I captured.

Belvès

Brantôme (this monastery was founded by Charlemagne)

Domme

La Roque-Gageac (taken from a boat on the river)

Monpazier is a bastide (fortified town)

Périgueux (People stop wherever they want to chat)

Rocamadour (just outside of Périgord)

Saint-Jean-de-Côle

Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère

Sarlat

Château de Beynac

Ted. We don’t typically tour a lot of castles. For one thing, the sheer number of them is a bit daunting. There are literally thousands in France alone. Driving around Dordogne, it is nothing to see at least two or three from the road every day. Like churches, after a while they all sort of look alike. But we thought we should pick out one, pay the money and wander around. After a bit of deliberation, we settled on Beynac. Note that it is called a château which is a broad term in French, encompassing fortified castles, palaces and even big houses. 

Annoyingly, most castles are at the top of a hill. I suppose it made sense for defensive purposes back in the 14th century but it is a pain for 21st century tourists. So, we joined the folks wandering up the hill. Going on a weekday morning in September, we weren’t overwhelmed by the crowds so it was very pleasant. 

Some scenes from the film "Chocolat" were shot here

Finally - the front door!

Arriving at the top, it was easy to see how tough it would be to take this castle. During the 100 years war between France and England, the Dordogne River was a border between France and Aquitaine, the duchy controlled by England. From this castle, on the north shore of the river, it is easy to observe two castles on the opposite side. 

The "English" castles are in the upper left corner

Chapel and Dordogne Valley

Though there were frequent skirmishes between the opposing forces, Beynac never fell. Built in the 12th century and expanded over the years, it fell into disrepair in more recent times until it was purchased and restored by an Italian businessman in 1962. He decorated the rooms in styles from several centuries.

This was Richard the Lionheart's room in the 12th c

"Throne" room (toilet)

I am currently rereading Barbara Tuchman's A Distant Mirror in which I am reminded that for every majestic château or church in Europe, there were thousands of hovels. It sort of makes one wonder. Still, it is impressive.

An aerial view from the internet

France...again!

Ted. Maybe it’s because Judy and I are very comfortable with the language but we find ourselves returning to France nearly every year. We love the food, wine and culture and still have long time friends there. 

We decided a few years ago that each time we returned to France, we would try a new region. For 2025, we picked the city of Bordeaux and the nearby department (state) of Dordogne; named for the eponymous river that flows through it. The borders of Dordogne encompass much of the ancient province of Perigord so that is another name for this region (yeah - it's a little confusing). 

Our plan was to stay in an Airbnb for four weeks in Bordeaux and then take a four day driving tour of Dordogne. However, two months ago we were informed by our Airbnb host that she had to cancel the reservation that we had made almost a year earlier. Apparently an infestation of termites called for some major work. This close to our arrival meant options were limited. But then we thought, “What might this make possible?” 

In the end, we totally changed our itinerary and decided to take a three week roadtrip of the countryside, followed by a week in the city of Bordeaux. On September 14 we bid a fond farewell to Kaunas, Lithuania and drove to Vilnius for our long trip, via Frankfurt, Germany, to Bordeaux, France. Just before leaving, I messaged my nephew, Chris who lives in Frankfurt to say we would be thinking of him during our 90 minute layover. He immediately messaged back to say that he was dropping off his brother-in-law at the airport that afternoon so we should look for him while we were there. Funny enough, Josh’s gate was near ours so we were able to give our nephew (in-law) a quick hug before we boarded our next flight. 

What are the odds?? Pretty good according to our daughter!

After spending the night at an airport hotel in Bordeaux, we picked up our rental car and drove to our first destination; a gîte (holiday cottage) just outside the tiny village of Meyrals. 

This community of less than 600 is nestled in part of Dordogne known as the Perigord Noir (Black Perigord). There are four regions of Perigord and each is known by a color. Our corner of Perigord is called "Black" because of the truffles that grow in its lush, dark forests. This area is most famous for the caves, many of which have magnificent prehistoric paintings. Here are a couple of snapshots of our house and our village.

Home Sweet Home (for 10 days)

View from our porch

Our little village, about a 30 minute walk through the forest

St Eutrope Church (12th century)

A lauze (stacked stone) roof

Lauze roofs are typical of Perigord Noir

The bar/restaurant/convenience store

Palanga

Judy. You know I love the sea and the seashore. And you can’t come to the Baltic countries without spending some time on the Baltic! So Ted made reservations at Palanga, a seaside town two hours away. We got endless amounts of grief from locals who insisted we should have gone to the more charming village of Nida, where you can buy fish right off the boat, and the houses are cute and wooden, but that was much further away, requires taking a ferry, and we didn’t have means to cook that fish anyway! 

Palanga is not only nearby, but it houses the Amber Museum, which fascinated us both, so off we went. 

Park next to the beach and town

Nida may be quaint, but I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a more beautiful seaside town than Palanga. It’s nestled in a forest, and that forest leads right to the dunes. It was 31 August, so we were at the end of tourist season, and there were very few people there. Our hotel, normally way our of our price range, was well within our reach, and I’m only sorry we had just one day, as I’d love to have tried the specials the spa was running. 

A couple of blocks from the hotel is a huge park that the locals walk daily. Turn right at the park and walk for five minutes, and there’s a beautiful white sand beach with a gentle surf. Surprisingly, the water was warm enough for me to wade in it, looking for amber. We’re told that sometimes it washes up on shore, particularly after a storm.

 

Park in front of the Amber Museum

After Ted took his nap, we headed to the Amber Museum, located in a chateau in the middle of the park. The house itself was stunning, and we were surprised that it was “free day”! We headed to the first floor to start looking at the collection of amber. 

Insects trapped and pieces of raw amber

It was a massive collection, of raw amber, pieces with fossils and insects, stunning jewelry from around the world. The monetary value of this gift of nature varies with its popularity year to year, but it always amazes me that resin from an extinct tree can be so very beautiful, and in so many shades of color and transparency.

 

The forest runs right to the dunes

From the museum we walked to the beach and along the almost empty shore, stopping at a bar for a little sparking wine—and potato chips. No judgement, please. 

Time for celebration--always!

Dinner at a Ukranian restaurant, and a quiet walk back to the hotel, ready to crash.

After breakfast the next morning, we walked to the beach again, which was absolutely deserted! In the US, it was Labor Day, and I dare you to find an empty beach on Labor Day! 

A VERY quiet Baltic beach

Then into the town, where we discovered another park, more open, filled with sculptures. Church bells were ringing, and students, who were starting school, were heading with their families to the church for a blessing mass. A short walk to the small market (we’re always up for a market!), and a cafe that served—I kid you not—coffee and cheese! Remarkably tasty! 

Entrance to the downtown area

Great way to hang flowers!

Monument to the first President of Lithuania

Concert Hall

Sculptures in the Rotary Park

It was really tough to leave. The friendly hotel staff offered suggestions and information, and chatted with us about the town. Palanga was lovely, and the beach—well, there are no words.

The Jews of Kaunas

Ted. By one estimate, there were about 9.5 million Jews in Europe in 1933; approximately 6% of the population. Roughly 70 percent of them lived in Poland, the Soviet Union, Romania and the three Baltic countries. My Grandma’s village was not unusual in that 60% of the residents were Jewish. 

When I try to imagine the impact the Jews must have made, it’s sort of like thinking about the impact that Protestants make in my community in Georgia. They are everywhere - running businesses, teaching in schools, doctors, lawyers - you name it! 

Between the wars, during the Golden Age of Kaunas, Jews comprised about 25% of the population of the city. There were 40 synagogues, many Hebrew schools and four Hebrew high schools. Again - like Protestants in Georgia. 

By the end of WWII, the Jews in Kaunas and most of Europe had pretty much vanished. What would life in Georgia be like if one removed all of the Protestants? 

Judy and I visited the Ghetto Museum in Riga, the Ninth Fort Museum in Kaunas and heard stories of desperate attempts by millions of families to flee the slaughter - but I decided not to dwell on that. 

Instead, I have walked the streets of Kaunas listening for the faint echoes of the rich life that once was.

Former synagogue for kosher butchers

Former Hasidic synagogue (an art studio in the 90's)

Choral Synagogue (still in use)

Interior

Former Žalniakalnis synagogue (now an events venue)

Setting up for a wedding!

I even imagined spirits returning to these sacred spaces to listen to the laughter of young people.

Abraham Mapu, 19th cent Jewish novelist