Carcassonne and Dordogne

After driving up from Spain, we spent the night in Carcassonne. We arrived at around 9 PM, then headed into the castle walls for dinner. We had some yummy cassoulet, and Orion fell asleep in his car seat, which we had thought to bring with us. Gabe and I traded off watching Orion until 1 AM, exploring the medieval town's outdoor restaurants, ice cream vendors, cobblestone streets, and fairy-tale atmosphere.

The next morning we hopped in the car and explored the French countryside, filled with fields of sunflowers. Here we stopped to take some pictures.

Soon we arrived in Dordogne, where we had rented a house east of Bergerac, and met up with Orion's Grandma Karen, Grandpa Joe, Aunt Mary, and Uncle Rich. The quaint and very pleasant rental house dated from the 17th century, and slept us all very comfortably. The French countryside surrounded us, though there was a bakery 1 km away. The house also had a fabulous pool. The inside of the roof, however, was a popular nightlife spot for a number of least weasels (belettes) who sometimes made a ruckus while we were trying to sleep.

Above is a castle that Orion, Joe, and Dan explored one day, zipping off in Joe's new red sports car.

The outdoor dining table at the Dordogne house, where we passed many a pleasant evening. At night the stars were tremendously bright, and we could see the Milky Way.

Orion still in his pajamas, playing with his bus from Barcelona.

Orion, looking smashing in Grandpa Joe's cap.

One day we explored a garden and neighboring chateau, and finished with ice cream.


We also explored the very impressive castle of Castelnau, complete with a collection of trebuchets.

A visit to Dordogne is not complete without seeing the Paleolithic cave paintings. We couldn't take pictures inside, but here is a shot of the entrance to the Font de Gaume cave, which is filled inside with 15,000-year-old bison paintings. Seeing these was a unique and powerful experience.

One day Orion, Gabe, and Dan spent the day in the tremendously pleasant town of Sarlat, full of cafes and shopping. Orion liked climbing on the sculptures of geese.

Gabe making friends with a local canine.

On our drive back to southern France, Orion, Gabe, and Dan visited Rocamadour, a visually impressive medieval town clinging to the side of a cliff.