Place de la Liberte is the main square in Sarlat and the place they have there weekly market.
The day started of very promising. We got up relatively early, for us (08:45) and the weather was overcast but mild (18C). We were headed for Sarlat and the Dordogne River Valley, which is about a 2 hour drive. We put the coordinates into our Tom Tom and headed out. After 2 ½ hours we were in a wonderful place of forests and farms, but no villages and our Tom Tom said we would be reaching our destination in 300 meters. The sign came into sight, Sarlat and we passed about 4 buildings and it was back into the country. We pulled over and checked our Tom Tom. This time it showed us two Sarlat’s to choose from. Obviously, we had selected the wrong one. We reprogrammed the Tom Tom and it showed “our” Sarlet was a 90 minute drive away!! Turn the car around and backtrack to the Sarlet we wanted to see. It was well worth the wait.
Sarlet became an important village under Charlemagne in the 7th Century with the establishment of a Benedictine Monastery. However, the city really prospered in the 15th to 18th centuries and many of these building are still standing today. What’s unique about these old buildings are the Lauzes Roofs. They are made from flat limestone rocks and last about 200 years. Lichen grows on the black rocks, sealing the gaps between the stones and effectively waterproofing the roof.
It was a great day, but with the detour we did not get home until 8:30pm. We had planned to go out for dinner as it was our last night before leaving for Carcassonne. But we were too tired to make the effort to clean ourselves up to go out again. So Rita put on a great dinner from the leftovers of a delicious lamb dinner she had made the night before. It was the best way to end our stay in this lovely old barn.
The next time we come through France, we will definitely spend more time in Sarlat and the beautiful Dordogne River Valley.
Rita at Old Manor House door. The door still has the original wood door from the late 1500's.
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Place de Oies is a small secluded square where they have held geese auctions for centuries and still do today.
15th Century houses in a lane that is now filled with quaint cafe's
1 comment:
Have fun in Carcossonne. There's a great little wine/tapas bar called Bar à Vins at 6 rue du Plo, in the Medieval City. It looks dumpy from the outside, but inside, it's a nice terrace with inexpensive drinks/eats.
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