Beynac, France
We took the train from Bordeaux with April to journey to the small village of Beynac where she had rented a two bedroom house which she graciously offered to share with us. There are no direct trains to Beynac so we got off on the closest stop in Saint-Cyprien not realizing that it was a small village and the train station had been turned into a Fire Station. needles to say there were no taxis immediately available to take us to Beynac. Luckily, April had been given the name of a driver who the owners of the house use when they travel in the area and he actually lived in the area and was able to pick us up and deliver us to our front door. He turned out to be a great resource and we used his services throughout our stay.
Our beautiful and quaint house was located at the conjunction of the two main paths to the Chateau Beynac which is the castle on the hill overlooking the city. This was the perfect location right in the center of the small village. We would sit out on our patio and watch the people as they tried to navigate the steep hill walkway to the castle. We would engage the people as they would walk up or down to/from the Chateau and have great conversations in our limited French and sometimes in English. But a friendly Bonjour or Bonsoir would elicit a pleasant response from all. They marveled at our house and its wonderful location.
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I woke up early and went to the store to make breakfast. We dinned on eggs and pancakes with orange juice and tea. We decided to take the trek up the hill to visit the Chateau Beynac. The way was steep and we came to understand the comment from the people we spoke to at our patio. It is definitely a climb, on the cobblestones and the steps made from rocks to the summit village where the Chateau stands perched on the cliff overlooking the Dordogne river.
On the way to the Chateau Beynac there is a pathway to the old Church just below the Chateau.The church of Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption is located at the top of the rock overlooking the Dordogne valley. Originally Romanesque castle chapel, the building was built in the twelfth century inside the first enclosure of the castle of Beynac.
The 12th Century fortress is perched high up on a cliff at breath-taking heights, and acts as a stone sentinel, which, for nine centuries, has watched over the Dordogne with a magnificent view over the valley of five castles.
View of the Dordogne valley from the top of the Cliffs of Chateau Beynac
Views of the Chateau Beynac are spectacular from all angles as it is so strategically placed to be seen from the Dordogne river valley where it protected the border between the English and France. The five castles in along the Dordogne were in constant transition as the borders of England and France changed back and forth. At one time King Richard the Lionhearted lived in Chateau Beynac.
Back at our house we sat out on our patio for the evening. It was the perfect place to relax, have a glass of wine and dine on a charcuterie plate of local breads, meats and cheeses we bought in the village.
While dining we were surprised by a whooshing noise and looking up, there was a huge Hot Air Baloon that was so close to our neighboring hose that it almost brushed the roof'
Kayaking the Dordogne
A beautiful warm day in France with a river flowing gently below, who could resist a trip down the river in a kayak. We miss our regular Kayaking in Newport Bay. We rented a three person Kayak so we could all enjoy the trip together.
You may have seen the postcard shots of the Dordogne River Valley. Medieval castles and ancient Troglodyte caves along the glistening Dordogne River. That is the valley we paddled our Kayak through.
Chateau de Castelnaud is built on a rocky spur it offers a magnificent panorama over the Dordogne Valley. Founded in the 12th century. With our view from the river the castle sits on a promontory that rivals the view of the valley that Chateau Beynac has.
Sitting high on top of the town of Rocamadour is the Chateau de Rocamadour, originally built in the 14th-century to protect the sanctuaries and pilgrimage sites.
We stopped to cool off in the perfect temperature of the river. The water was crystal clear and we could see the fish as they swam along the current of the river with us. For the most part the river was calm but there were a couple of places where we encountered some small rapids. we got good at turning our Kayak to negotiate the currents and we did a couple of 180's.
Besides the lovely greenery and high shadowy cliffs we had views of the dramatic villages that sit along the river.
At the end of a three and a half hour river trip we can see our home with the beautiful, magnificent and Majestic Chateau Beynac with its watchful eye on the bend of the river.
Back home from our long journey. We sip our wine and interact with the people who are visiting the Chateau. We spoke quite a while with a charming family where their young son wanted to show off his command of English. We teased him but he was very accomplished and extremely out going. We invited them to come and visit if they come to the United States.
