Honfleur to the Dordogne (Vitrac/Sarlat)

Despite the fact we were trying to leave the Honfleur area we were still bumsteered left and right and any which way by the gendarmerie protecting the G8 people; on the bright side it was a pleasant drive however narrow the roads became! Our mission was to get to Mont St Michel via the Normandy D-Day beaches. We called in at a blustery cold sword beach to start (most easterly of the 5 beaches) and worked west. Typically not much to see; the odd monument, museum, and a little strip of sand and terrace style homes usually. No where near as pretty as France generally.
Eventually, after a night along the way, we rolled into Mont Saint Michel which really was a sight to behold!

Mont Saint Michel

The imposing abbey atop the larger of 2 rocky islands in the bay. The road connecting it to the mainland sadly dry today as it would have been fantastic to see it at during high high tide. Rather tide was out. Sadly the abbey wasn't open frustrating Manda and I immensely (someone was striking?!?) along with about 10000 other tourists there that day! Ouch! Manda opt to wander the village there (home to 40 permanent residents and maybe 200 shops) whilst I walked around it carefully avoiding the quick sand and any deep streams of sea water. Quick sand incidentally a real risk - I watched one goose try and pull himself out from being bogged to the knee before he ended up bogged to the waist. I left him when his hips went under... Saw him later so assume he got out!!! Otherwise it was a really cool place! Cider, another of the Normandy regions specialities, was alas not so goo but for 1.50€ per L at 5% alcohol it was tolerable!
From here we headed south over a few pleasant but uneventful days to the Dordogne region where Manda had booked us a little gite/cottage close to the river. It was a terrific place to relax and recuperate from the travels! Hahaha! Our time here was indeed very relaxing and comparatively taken at a slow steady pace!

View of Dordogne from town of Domm - wow!

Activities included;
1. chateau de castlenaud: amazingly lavish chateau perched high above river; Manda saved Fransour from a certain death and won a fabulous poster!
2. le roque gageac: A pretty little town built around the cliffside troglodyte dwellings and tightly hemmed in against a big bend in the Dordogne river.
3. le roque st Christophe: another rather large and impressive troglodyte cave/rock shelter used over the eras (approx 25000 years of history)
4. a monkey park where we fed them popcorn and I found a long lost brother! See Manda welcoming  him to the clan!

Our long lost brother Hugh

5. the jardin marsquees: another close favourite. Incredible topiary work in gardens solely dedicated to hedges with 360 views of the Dordogne.    

Manda at gardins looking over the Dordogne River

6. the little villages of domme, Sarlat, and les ezysie again very picturesque.
7. Canoeing with picnic lunch and a capsized vessel and embarrassed and cold captain (me). Just ask Manda who advised against it and thought in advance to film it.... Great way as always to see the area. Manda paddled us about 25km, quite impressive really!
8. Markets markets and more markets with great fresh produce and CHEESE! Raspberries, Manda's favourite for 1.50€ a punnet picked the day prior from their farm - nearly as good/fresh as dads berries at home!

Market at Sarlat - largest town in the Dordogne, 6 minutes from Vitrac/cottage

9. Without doubt our favourite, the Font de gaume caves: prehistoric polychrome paintings by the Neanderthal man believed to have been done some 15000 years ago. No photos and only 12 people per tour group (170 per day max) so it is booked out before time generally (we only managed to get a French tour!?! Guide, thanks to Manda asking her in French, did some in English much to most of the groups delight and benefit - thanks M!). I suspect our future generations may not get access as they have closed to the public all the other caves with original paintings in the Perigord region and the Font de gaume is very much limited in where you go/what you see. All in the name of preservation! What a contrast to good old slap stick Turkey where you live for the day!