Easter or Pâques in the Dordogne is a great time to come for a holiday or weekend break for many reasons.

Normally the weather is warmer than northern Europe and we get sunny days. The area is waking up after it’s winter hibernation and the restaurants and tourist sites are open so that you can enjoy the food and drink that this area is famous for. You can often sit outside at lunchtime and enjoy the warmth on your body whilst eating foie gras and drinking a local wine like Monbazillac.

What is there to do? As I said the tourists attractions shrug off their winter sleep and open to the public. All the chateaux, the prehistoric caves, parks and gardens open so there is plenty to see and enjoy. This is the time for vide greniers and brocantes – car boot sales and flea markets- wander around and try to find a souvenir of France or maybe an antique. Just contact the tourist office in the area you are staying and find out where the nearest one is.

Easter is also a good time for golfers to come here. The courses, which can be soggy in the winter, dry out and you can easily get in 18 holes in a day. Chris has been trying out the local courses – all in the name of market research you understand – and is quite happy to advise you on which courses to try!

Easter is also when the cheap airlines start to increase the number of flights into Bergerac so getting here takes less than 90 minutes from the UK.

If you want to book a weekend break at the auberge just email us on lpar@wanadoo.fr or visit our website www.auberge-razac.com .

Technorati Tags: brocantes, Dordogne, Easter in France, golf in France, monbazillac, vide greniers

Last Saturday night was the local chasse dinner at our new village hall.

What’s a chasse I hear you ask? The chasse is the hunters who go out on Sundays and Wednesday from September to March to hunt. Our local chasse hunt mainly wild boar and deer, Whilst I do not want to join in the chasse, I understand why they do it.

Firstly, hunting of wild animals was the prerogative of the privileged few before the revolution and the ordinary people only gained the right to hunt after 1789. The people who hunt now do so partly to keep this  bond with the revolution. Secondly, the French hunt for the pot – killed animals are eaten. The third reason is that if the population of boar and deer is not kept under control then crops are damaged and people’s livelihood is affected.

Back to the dinner – each year the hunters have a dinner, using some of the meat that comes from the hunt, and we are invited to join them. For a small fee, we had a six course meal with wine and coffee. The two main courses, were a wild boar casserole and roast venison, both cook to perfection. The wine was from the local vineyards – maybe not the best you have ever drunk, but drinkable.

The dinner started at 8pm, well that’s when we arrived although the first course was served at 9pm. Coffee was served after 1am! Last year Chris didn’t get home til after 3am so this year we had an early night.

Village meals are common in this area of France. Our small village has at least 2 per year and all the villages around us seem to have them as well. To save on the work, we all take our own crockery and cutlery which we bring home to wash. What a great idea; nobody stuck out the back washing up so all can join in the fun. In the winter they are held in the village halls or the local school whilst in the summer they are held outside. The main course at the summer meal in our village is chicken casserole with about 4 other courses and like the hunters meal it goes on late into the night. The children tend to stay awake for this meal as at the end we have fireworks.

Technorati Tags: holidays in France, hunters in Dordogne, hunting in France, village meals in France

The month starts well as the as the 2ND of February is Candlemas (La Chandeleur) and the French have their pancakes on that day. For weeks there has been crêpe pans, etc for sale in the supermarkets. There is a saying in France which is translated as:

“Eating crêpes on Candlemas Day (2nd February)
will bring a year of happiness”

In France it is custom to prepare “Crêpes” for “La Chandeleur”, which symbolises, wealth, good crops and health for the year to come. If you can toss a pancake with a coin in your hand and not drop it then you are supposed to have good luck and prosperity for 12 months. The crepe is supposed to represent the return of the sun after winter.

February sees the first of the spring flowers arrive although a friend of mine already has a crocus or two in bloom and it’s not the end of January. The hazel nut trees have been in flower since before Christmas which seems to be normal in this region. Another natural phenomenum is the arrival of the cranes on their migration north for the summer. 60 to 100 birds can be seen and heard going over in large V formations and it is a great sight to see and a sure sign that winter will soon be over.

It is also the season for brocantes and vide greniers – antique fairs and car boot sales to the English. You could pick up a piece of French history or junk – the prices vary and the junk is not always the cheapest. We have bought some old plum drying racks which we use for wall decoration from our local market.

Sarlat celebrates the goose at a fair on the 21st February. Geese are allowed to roam through the town, controlled by the herding dogs and dishes based on geese are available to tase. As it is still winter there are truffle markets to be found at St. Grenies and  Sarlat as well as foie gras markets.

If you are thinking of booking a trip here at this time of year, make sure your accommodation has central heating and bring warm clothes. The resturants that are open are often better value at this time of year and there is always wine tasting.

Technorati Tags: brocantes, crêpes, foie gras, pancacakes, Sarlat, truffles, vide greniers