Toulouse, Carcassonne and the Dordogne with France à la Carte
My husband, Jerry, and I, and our friends Barbara and Harvey Hellering wanted to visit Toulouse, Carcassonne and the Dordogne region of France. Since none of us wanted to drive, we decided to hire someone to arrange the trip and do the driving. Through ITN, we found Connie Wilson, an American living in France and proprietor of France à la Carte (La Chaîne Soulière, 37240 Manthelan, France; phone +33 [0] 247 921 640, http://francealacarte.net).
From the first e-mail, we knew that we would be pleased with Connie’s services. She listened to requests and was flexible and resourceful.
We told Connie that we wanted full, energetic days (in spite of the fact that our ages ranged from 63 to 82), lots of photo opportunities and, if possible, two or three nights at each location. We asked her to book us into charming, mid-range hotels. We had time constraints that limited the trip to nine days, but we made full use of the time without ever feeling rushed or spending long days in the car.
Connie fulfilled all our requests and expectations and never made us feel that any request was out of line. For instance, if she had prepaid for a dinner based on a certain menu but we wanted something else, that was not a problem. She also made sure we were reimbursed for any “included” activity that we paid for ourselves.
Our cost, $4,051 per person (based on four people), included nine nights’ lodging, breakfasts, nine 3-course meals, all entrances to venues, and Connie’s full-time services as driver and guide. The following were among highlights of our trip, May 5-15, 2008.
We ate delightful meals, especially dinner at the beautiful Le Bibent Brasserie (decorated to look like an 1880 opera house) and lunch at Brasserie les Beaux Artes (Art Nouveau décor), both in Toulouse. At the latter, Barbara and I shared a crêpe Suzette, made at the table, that was the best I ever ate. Main courses in both restaurants were around €20 (near $29.50).
We also ate at the really great Le Sixieme Sens in Carcassonne, where a 3-course dinner was only €25 per person, and had an excellent, similarly priced dinner at Le Bistrot in Sarlat. Just below the Castelnaud near Sarlat was the Crêperie Les Machicoulis, which served savory and sweet crêpes as well as other light lunch items for €10 or less. I highly recommend it.
In general, 3-course meals averaged €25. Wine cost €4-€5 and mixed drinks, €7. Breakfast was included at each hotel, and for lunch we usually chose a light meal for €5-€10 per person.
We had wonderful accommodations, including the beautifully restored B&B La Maison Coste in Carcassonne with its very large bedrooms, lovely garden and whirlpool.
Mirepoix, a tiny, lovely medieval town with half-timbered buildings from the 13th to 15th centuries, was quiet with few tourists, making it possible to imagine being seven centuries in the past.
Fortified Carcassonne, built in the 13th century, is a different story. The city, with its three sets of walls and 52 towers, is very interesting and, subsequently, full of tourists. We stayed in the “new” town (15th century), so we could see the fortifications of the Old Town lit up at night.
Rocamadour from across the valley is an amazing sight. Constructed in three levels, the town was built into the mountain.
Beautiful Sarlat dates from the 15th and 16th centuries and, luckily, was never “modernized.” Its beauty recognized, it has been lovingly restored. The buildings are of yellow stone that appears to dance in the light. Sarlat is a delight to stay in because it is so beautiful, but it also is a wonderful anchor from which to visit the surrounding towns and castles. We planned our stay to include the Sarlat Saturday market, with many fruit, vegetable, foie gras, cheese and bread stalls.
We took a number of side trips a short distance from Sarlat, including one to La Roque-Gageac, a town built into the mountain along the Dordogne River. We took a boat ride on the Dordogne to see the town from the water.
About 10 minutes from La Roque-Gageac is Castle Beynac, which dates from 1155. The castle has been restored, with some furnishings added to give the rooms scale. Some rooms are lit only with oil lamps, which gives it atmosphere but makes it difficult to see.
Also a short trip from Sarlat are the beautiful Marqueyssac Gardens. The paths are very pleasant, and there is a wonderful viewpoint about a mile from the entrance.
Near Les Eyzies is the Château de Hautefort. This beautiful château was built over five centuries (12th-17th). Most of the furniture and finishing work was done around 1650. The grounds are absolutely breathtaking.
A short distance from Brantôme is the Château Bourdeilles, built in the 16th century. It has wonderful carved doors and handsome furniture. It is much smaller than the Hautefort but felt more personal and was lots of fun to visit. The grounds, again, were great.
Connie Wilson understood our style of traveling and made excellent suggestions. Southern France is a bit of heaven.
NILI OLAY
New York, NY