Country Hotels of the Dordogne This Month
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JULY 2017 | Our 39th Year AndrewHarper.com TRAVELING THE WORLD IN SEARCH OF TRULY ENCHANTING PLACES GRAND CHATEAUX, GOURMET CUISINE, PIONEERING WINERIES COVER PHOTOGRAPH Château de la Treyne / PHOTO BY ANDREW HARPER COUNTRY HOTELS OF THE DORDOGNE THIS MONTH he Dordogne is one of France’s of the war. The region later prospered BORDEAUX TO CAHORS On a 10-day trip through the Dordogne and Lot most entrancing regions, with thanks to its wine, with the river acting valleys, I explored one of the most beautiful and a cinematic beauty that seems as a conduit to the more populous north, T culturally rich areas of France. .................... 1-7 almost too perfect to be real. Curv- but a vine pest and railroads conspired to ing gracefully through a landscape of ruin this trade. The Dordogne became a vineyards, pastures and orchards, the backwater, ensuring that its idyllic land- PANAMA CITY UPDATE The capital’s old city, Casco Viejo, has emerged Dordogne River is often lined with steep scape remained more or less unmarred as a fascinating destination. ...................... 8-9 hills and limestone bluffs riddled with by modernity. caves. And on seemingly every convenient But the Hundred Years’ War (1337- rise stands a château, sometimes alone, 1453) is relatively recent history. Cro- MEXICO CITY REVISITED A boutique hotel in the upscale Polanco district sometimes surrounded by a medieval Magnons who lived in the area left a rich provided a fine urban sanctuary. ............. 10-11 village of golden stone. legacy of cave paintings and etchings, The Dordogne valley looks like a dating back some 15,000-plus years. The Find additional stories, video and more fairy tale now, but it owes its appearance astonishingly sophisticated compositions photography of my trips at AndrewHarper.com. to having been the front line during the at Lascaux are the most famous, and the Andrew Harper travels anonymously and Hundred Years’ War. Richard the Lion- recently opened replica, Lascaux IV, is pays full rate for all lodging, meals and heart occupied the imposing Château a highlight of the region. And before the related travel expenses. Since the launch of de Beynac, and not far away at Castillon Cro-Magnons arrived, Neanderthals this newsletter in 1979, the featured hotels (now known as Castillon-la-Bataille), the lived in the Dordogne for hundreds of and restaurants have been selected on a English and French fought the final battle thousands of years. The valley has an completely independent basis. Full-service travel planning is available to members at (800) 375-4685 or [email protected]. For comments and inquiries concerning The Hideaway Report, please email [email protected]. Exterior, garden pool, our Grand Standing Room, roasted pork at Bistrot de la Place, and river trout at the Gastronomic Restaurant at Le Vieux Logis / PHOTOS BY ANDREW HARPER unusually strong link with deep human On the edge of the tiny, tidy village of Our first accommodation, a Comfort history, and sometimes the connection Trémolat, Le Vieux Logis occupies a Room (one step up from a Standard), was feels astonishingly palpable. small collection of buildings overlooking small but pretty, with wood floors, a queen formal topiary-studded gardens, a swim- bed, a table with a coffeemaker, a tiny work fter renting a car in Bordeaux, it ming pool and a broad lawn fringed with desk and a towering antique wardrobe Atook all my willpower to press on mature poplars. A former farm dating that concealed the minibar and a televi- through the vineyards of Saint-Emilion to the 16th century, Le Vieux Logis feels sion. Windows shaded by heavy brown to Bergerac, a lesser-known region that comfortably worn-in but not worn-out. and green canvas drapes overlooked the nowadays makes wines of real quality and The two lounges to the left of reception gardens. In the marble-floored bath, the interest. Look for rich reds from Péchar- have plush furnishings upholstered in white-tile shower was separate from the mant and carefully crafted Sauternes-like burgundy velvet and tartan wool, invit- tub. As I had requested a larger room if whites from picturesque Monbazillac. ing relaxation by the fire. A third lounge one became available, the staff moved us Having enjoyed an impressive tasting at to the right, beyond the bar, has a cozy, after our first night to a nearby Grand Château Tour des Gendres, we headed clubby vibe, with wood paneling, leather Standing Room, a double upgrade. This to my longtime recommendation in the armchairs and another woodburning category is much better suited to a couple, region, Le Vieux Logis. fireplace. Overall, the atmosphere is styl- with more storage and a larger bath. In many ways, this 23-room property ish without being trendy. This is a hotel The staff provided similarly thought- is my ideal of a French country hotel. with real charm. ful service throughout our stay. Too often I sit in a lounge or by a swimming pool without acknowledgment from passing BORDEAUX DORDOGNE employees. But at Le Vieux Logis, wher- ever we chose to relax, we had to wait only DO LASCAUX IV a minute or two before someone came 5 RD OG NE R. BERGERAC FONT-DE-GAUME by to inquire if we needed anything. In 4 1 & LES COMBARELLES both dining options too, the service was MONBAZILLAC CHATEAU SARLAT 1 Le Vieux Logis (94) DE BEYNAC polished and professional. We had an 2 Château de la Treyne (96) VEZAC elegant dinner of seasonal small plates 3 Château de Mercuès (92) LA ROQUE- 2 CHATEAU TOUR in the airy Michelin-starred Gastronomic 4 Château des Vigiers (86) GAGEAC DES GENDRES Restaurant, and in Bistrot de la Place, a 5 Les Sources de Caudalie (95) ROCAMADOUR casual, friendly spot down the street CHATEAU DE BONAGUIL LOT also run by Le Vieux Logis, I relished the LOT R. PUY-L’EVEQUE deceptively simple, deeply flavorful dishes PECH MERLE PARIS CLOS 3 accompanied by excellent local wines. GARO TRIGUEDINA CHATEAU DORDOGNE N BORDEAUX NE CAHORS SAINT-CIRQ LOT LAGREZETTE rom Le Vieux Logis, we made day R LAPOPIE . Ftrips along the Vézère Valley, visiting 020 40 MI prehistoric sites such as Font-de-Gaume, 020 40 KM a cave where you can see 19,000-year- France National Capitals Cities 250,000-899,999 International Boundaries Major Rivers 0210 0 40 Miles Cities 75,000-249,999 Adminastrative Boundaries Intermediate Rivers HIDEAWAYAdministrative Capitals Cities 25,000-74,999 REPORT JULY 2017 Highways Lakes Cities 3,000,000+ Cities 0-24,999 2 Primary Roads 0210 0 40 KM Cities 900,000-2,999,999 Minor Primary Roads Local Primary Roads Liqueurs at Distillerie Louis Roque old paintings in situ; Les Combarelles, a massive wood mantelpiece, walls paneled smaller cave rich with similarly ancient in red silk damask and a wide Aubusson engravings; and, farther north, Lascaux tapestry. We had a delicious candlelit IV. One of the most spectacular stretches dinner of white asparagus with a walnut of the Dordogne River starts just east of crust, morel duxelle and lemon sabayon; Le Vieux Logis, where immense castles flawlessly cooked local lamb with multi- and steep medieval villages appear on the colored carrots; and a delicate dessert of horizon like film sets. In season, this is mille-feuille topped with vanilla custard the stretch for a cruise in a gabare (tradi- and orange gelée. Our knowledgeable tional wooden cargo ship) or a leisurely and personable waiter also acted as PHOTO BY ANDREW HARPER / paddle in a canoe. sommelier, recommending some fine We visited in early spring, which Cahors pairings, both red and white. In meant that no cruises or canoe rentals summer, it’s also possible to dine on the CRAFT SPIRITS were yet available, and some of the broad terrace overlooking the river. We bout 10 minutes from the Château de la region’s Michelin-starred restaurants had an apéritif there each evening as ATreyne, on a rather unpromising street were closed. In compensation, we had the sun set. After dinner, I liked to take in Souillac, the Distillerie Louis Roque still major sites like the Château de Beynac my digestif in the adjacent wood-beamed produces its spirits largely by hand, going so and the extraordinary gardens of Fragonard salon, with its Renaissance-era far as to manually apply labels and sealing wax. Marqueyssac almost entirely to our - woodburning fireplace and comfy sofas, One of the English-speaking employees, Jessica, selves, and ordinarily overcrowded or sometimes in the wood-paneled library led us on a tour of the facility, including through towns like La Roque-Gageac and Sarlat just off the bar. the barrel-aging room and the distilling room, were blessedly quiet. Our palatial junior suite, Louis XIII, where the copper stills looked as if they might A little past the Dordogne’s most also overlooked the river and came with have been borrowed from the adjacent museum. famous towns stands the remarkable parquet floors and Fortuny-like red It was fascinating to learn, for example, that the distillery uses only the fruit in its walnut Château de la Treyne, a romantic silk damask fabric covering the walls. liqueurs, harvested in late June, as opposed to castle perched on the edge of a limestone Serpentine wooden columns supported the walnut itself, which develops in autumn. I bluff above the river. Surrounded by a canopy over the firm queen bed, and a quite enjoyed the well-balanced Apéri Noix, a almost 300 acres of formal gardens and large inlaid work desk bore a silver tray sweet vermouth-like apéritif that would surely forest, the château’s central tower dates with complimentary treats: walnut cake, be superb in a Manhattan, as well as the Eau from the 14th century, but most of the candied walnuts, prunes in Pineau des de Noix, a 40-proof liqueur redolent of walnut 17-room hotel was built some 300 years Charentes liqueur and a crystal decanter and cherries that started syrupy but finished later.