Falling in Love with the Dordogne
Ever since I went for a visit, in my family’s house, I am crazy in love with the beauty of the French Dordogne. Never have I thought the landscape is so pretty. The first time, we drove the night from the Netherlands and arrived at sunrise. Instead of feeling tired of driving all night, I was wide awake and amazed by the gorgeous surroundings. The sun was slowly rising behind the hills, the Limousin cows were already in the field. I could feel this fresh morning dew and the warmth of the first sun.
After this first meeting with the Dordogne, it was time for me to get a few hours of sleep. I already looked like a zombie anyway.
The Local Feeling of the Little French Towns
Spending time in the countryside is not the only thing we do. My family’s house is in the Périgord area, which is famous for his production of cheese, duck products and its Limousin cows. The farmer’s markets of the small towns are where you want to be. Locals sell their fresh products made on their farms. We even saw our neighbour selling his sensational cheeses here. Of course, we bought some!
While my family sat down for a drink in the sun, I wandered around by myself. I’m very fond of the small French towns. It has a something fairy tale and romantic to it, the small streets and architecture. I find it absolutely gorgeous.
The Ancient, and slightly creepy, Templars House
We also visited good friends of the family, who happen to live in a 12th Century Knights Templars house. A very cool, slightly creepy, house which tells its own story. We were given a tour through the house and our host was happy to tell us the story, explaining what happened when the Templars lived here.
After our tour, Chris saved the best for last, and he showed us the cellar. Well, it is a room underground where it is moist and dark, with the original, irregular quartz floor. He tells us, they think there’s still a space hidden behind the thick walls. They are trying to cut through the wall, however, that’s no easy job. Why? No one ever found the Templars’ documents or the Spanish treasure…
Playing like a kid in the forest
It was so much fun spending a week with my family in France. It reminded me of when we were kids. Always when we get together, we would play at grandma’s house or climb in our backyard tree and do all sorts of crazy kids stuff. So when one of us suggested we’d go into the woods to find the creek, I was definitely game. Off the beaten track, into the woods, climbing trees, avoiding the cows and crawling underneath barbed wire.
That quiet feeling when looking at the stars
Yes, you can see the stars out here. I almost forgot how amazing it is, when you’re not in a city. We all love to be outside. Some of us even slept in a tent (okay partly because there weren’t enough beds in the house). My cousins had built a pizza oven outside. And even when it was slightly too cold at night, we still would go outside.
I can’t wait to visit this place again, spending time with my family and being in this gorgeous part of the world. Maybe next time, our friends found their treasure…
♥ – Dani
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