Dordo Ne September 17 to 25, 2020 Dear Spartans
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VILLAGE LIFE® DORDO NE September 17 to 25, 2020 Dear Spartans: Join a small group of travelers for this unique opportunity to experience provincial Dordogne, still referred to by locals as Périgord. One of France’s most compelling regions, Dordogne offers timeless rituals, epicurean traditions and archaeological treasures that are preserved within a landscape of hills, rivers, limestone gorges and old-growth forests. Here, storybook castles feel like recent history alongside the region’s extraordinary 25,000- to 17,000-year-old cave paintings—the largest concentration of prehistoric art in the world. Our carefully designed itinerary and expert guided excursions explore five UNESCO World Heritage sites: the cliffside village of Rocamadour; the archaeological sites of L’Abri du Cap-Blanc, Rouffignac cave and Les-Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil; and the prehistoric troglodyte village of La Madeleine. Visit the International Center for Cave Art at Lascaux to appreciate one of humankind’s earliest artistic creations, known as the “Sistine Chapel of Prehistory.” Exclusively arranged presentations and the Village Life® Forum provide personal perspectives on la vie in the villages of Dordogne. Fall into the rhythms of Dordogne in Sarlat-la-Canéda, one of Europe’s most intact medieval villages and your “home” for seven nights in the Plaza Madeleine Hôtel, a restored 19th-century townhouse. In addition to the included meals in the hotel, dine on regional specialties during traditional three-course dinners in French bistros. Village Life® Dordogne offers a quintessential sojourn through the timeless southwest of France at an excellent value—and you unpack only once! This enchanting educational travel program is exceedingly popular, so book now while space and Early Booking Savings are still available. Go Green! Regina Cross Director of Alumni Travel MSU Alumni Office Cover photo: Visit the Dordogne River Valley, In medieval Dordogne, street lamps along ancient lanes a rural idyll of hilltop castles and quaint villages. are one of the few concessions to modernity. n a e c Itinerary O REGION OF DORDOGNE c i Bordeaux Pre-Program Option* t n a l 1 Depart the U.S. t Saint-Émilion 2 Bordeaux, France/Sarlat-la-Canéda A Bordeaux u Transfer to Sarlat to check into the Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil Plaza Madeleine Hôtel. D iver 3 Sarlat-la-Canéda ordogne R Sarlat-la-Canéda u Walking tour of medieval Sarlat. FRANCE 4 Rocamadour /Souillac REGION OF DORDOGNE u Tour of 13th-century Rocamadour. u Visit to quaint Souillac. Lot River 5 Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil / Toulouse Albi L’Abri du Cap-Blanc Carcassonne u Visit to the Jardins d’Eyrignac. Cultural Enrichments: u Specially arranged tour of the National Museum of Prehistory in Les Eyzies and viewing of cave friezes of Dordogne L’Abri du Cap-Blanc. The region of Dordogne today u Sarlat Village Life® Forum. appears much as it did to Richard 6 Lascaux/Saint-Amand-de-Coly the Lionheart in the 12th century. u Visit to Saint-Amand-de-Coly. During this comprehensive, Cultural Enrichments: Dordogne small‑group travel program, u Specially arranged viewing of prehistoric Coat of Arms experience firsthand its character, cave art of Lascaux. age‑old traditions and scenery seemingly lifted u Lecture on the preservation of medieval from the pages of a fairy tale. Explore the architecture in Sarlat. medieval village of Sarlat‑la‑Canéda within u Sample local wine and cheese pairings. the oak‑forested Périgord Noir and the world’s 7 Rouffignac /La Madeleine largest collection of magnificent, prehistoric art. u Morning at leisure to enjoy individual Learn more about the cultural heritage of pursuits in Sarlat such as their quaint Dordogne—sample Aquitaine wine and cheese twice-weekly market. in an épicerie gourmet, engage with dordognais Cultural Enrichments: u (local residents) and expert local guides, and Specially arranged tour of prehistoric visit historic monuments and Paleolithic caves Rouffignac cave and excursion to that are premier artistic masterpieces of their era. the prehistoric troglodyte village of This one‑of‑a‑kind, custom‑designed travel La Madeleine. program will immerse you in the pastoral u Private evening folk music performance. départements of southwest France at just the 8 Beynac/Domme right pace. u Tour of 12th-century Château de Beynac. u Walking tour of historic Domme. Cultural Enrichment: u Cruise in a typical gabare on the bucolic th Dordogne River. Enjoy views of 19 -century châteaux and villages aboard a 9 Sarlat-la-Canéda/Bordeaux/ flat-bottomed wooden gabare. Return to the U.S. Albi ◆ Toulouse Post-Program Option* * Available at additional cost. iver R La Madeleine re zè St-Amand-de-Coly Rouffignac Vé Lascaux L’Abri du Cap-Blanc Jardins d’Eyrignac Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil Souillac Beynac Dordogne River Sarlat-la-Canéda Domme Rocamadour Lot River UNESCO World Heritage Site Air Routing Visit Sarlat-la-Canéda’s twice-weekly market in the heart of the village, filled with local products and specialities. Sarlat-la-Canéda seek miracles at the crypt of St. Amadour. Author Henry Miller called Sarlat Embedded in the cliff above the doorway to the “the Frenchman’s paradise.” Your charming Chapelle de Notre Dame is a sword said to be “village home” is in the pre‑French Revolutionary that of the heroic knight Roland, the Frankish capital of Périgord Noir, a lushly forested military leader under Charlemagne. Nearby, visit the quaint town of Souillac and corner of the Aquitaine region, ideally located th between the Dordogne and Vézère Rivers. It is its 12 ‑century Abbaye Sainte‑Marie, noted for its a bon vivant’s dream, renowned for truffles, magnificent Byzantine roof domes and treasury wild mushrooms, strawberries, walnuts and of Romanesque statuary and Biblical carvings. duck, and close enough to Bordeaux to procure Cultural Enrichment: Savor a lunch of the finest wines directly from vintners’ cellars. regional specialties in a village restaurant. Sarlat’s vieille ville (old city) has one of Jardins d’Eyrignac Europe’s greatest concentrations of medieval, th Designated a national monument, Renaissance and 17 ‑century façades. Stroll along the Eyrignac Manor, constructed in local golden cobblestone streets illuminated by gas lamps and stone with a slate roof, has been the continuous lined with Renaissance‑style stone houses family residence of 22 generations spanning crowned with pepperpot chimneys. The artful over 500 years. On this 17th‑century estate just blend of flamboyant and subdued styles is most outside of Sarlat, view what many consider evident in the architecture of the townhouse of the finest jardins (gardens) in all of France. writer‑humanist Étienne la Boétie. The cultural Originally an 18th‑century Italian design, heart of Sarlat is the Place de la Liberté, where the landscape was converted a century later to every Wednesday and Saturday one of France’s an English‑style, coniferous garden and has been most storied markets is held, a tradition dating immaculately manicured by hand to preserve the from the Middle Ages. theatrical topiary patterns. Cultural Enrichments: During the course of the program, immerse yourself in the Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil joie de vivre of Sarlat. France’s capital of prehistoric humanity, Meet dordognais in the Village Life® Les Eyzies is home to fossils of Early Modern Man. Forum and hear candid perspectives on At approximately 35,000 years old, these fossils contemporary daily life in historic Périgord Noir. are among the earliest known evidence of human Attend a private, specially arranged life in Europe. presentation by a local expert on preserving Cultural Enrichments: The exceptional Sarlat’s architectural monuments. National Museum of Prehistory, housed in a th Enjoy a private, 19 ‑century French folk 13th‑century castle built into a cliff, provides music and dance performance. Sample regional an ideal primer for exploration of the area’s cheese and wine in a specialty épicerie gourmet. prehistoric sites. Savor two specially arranged dinners, See L’Abri du Cap‑Blanc’s UNESCO World each in an authentic French bistro. Heritage‑designated prehistoric cave friezes that Rocamadour/Souillac are distinctive for their life‑size images of animals emblazoned across entire walls. Built on the face of a sheer 400‑foot cliff, the UNESCO World Heritage‑designated Lascaux village of Rocamadour has one of the most In 1940, a quartet of schoolboys stumbled dramatic settings of any village in the world. onto the Lascaux cave, a repository of the most During the Middle Ages, pilgrims flocked here stunning works of prehistoric art and today a from across Europe to perform penance by UNESCO World Heritage site. ascending the 216 steps of le Grand Escalier Cultural Enrichment: Explore a meticulous (the Grand Stairway) on their knees to simulation in the state‑of‑the‑art International Visit Rocamadour, the multi-level 12th-century village built into the side of a cliff, where the famous hermit St. Amadour sought the sanctuary of the Black Madonna (Virgin Mary) statue. Centre for Cave Art at Lascaux, which provides Cultural Enrichment: Cruise the tranquil a fascinating portal into the history of the site Dordogne River aboard a private 19th‑century through 600 wall painting fascimiles. gabare, which has served as traditional Périgord transportation for more than 150 years, followed Villages of the Périgord Noir by a lunch of Périgord specialties in a local Petit Saint‑Amand‑de‑Coly, one of the restaurant overlooking the river. “most beautiful villages” in France, is dominated by the 13th‑century abbey church, an unusual Domme fusion of Romanesque and Gothic styles. Among the “most beautiful villages” of France, Traces of the Hundred Years’ War remain in Domme is an authentic medieval bastide the ramparts and towers of the fortress‑like (fortified village). Enter through its original church and the remnants of its abbey.