Brantôme, Dordogne and Marthon, Charente

All work and no play… even the Oldies realise that they have to take a break sometimes and we have gone on a few lovely outings in the area on our days off. One of the highlights was a trip to Brantôme, also known as the Venice of the Dordogne as it is almost entirely encircled by the river Dronne. This makes it very popular with canoeists. Oops! Better not mention canoeing. Her Ladyship might start having nasty flashbacks…

This impressive building is a Benedictine abbey, dating back to the 8^th century. The original abbey was built onto the caves which are a feature of Brantôme. Many of the pretty little boutiques and restaurants are also built on to the caves and there are still several troglodyte dwellings in the town today. Not a bad idea, turning a niche in a rock into a home. Now, why didn’t we seagulls think of that?

Brantôme is extremely popular with tourists, especially the British. Many have settled in the area and there are several British owned shops and cafes in the town. Here’s a good example of their influence: they have established a French Conkers Federation which stages an annual French Conkers Championship.

We also visited Marthon, a small Charentaise town close to the Dordogne border. I loved this tower. Super views! Parts of the town have been nicely restored, but sadly, as in so many small towns in rural France, there are still a lot of neglected and decaying properties. And hardly a soul to be seen. As one British tourist who got chatting with His Lordship one day remarked, ‘The small towns here are like ghost towns. Where is everybody?’ Good question.

Another lovely treat was visiting some friends of the Oldies at their beautifully restored property in a tiny hamlet in the Dordogne. A traditional English Sunday roast with all the trimmings, afterwards sitting out on their patio in warm October sunshine enjoying the stunning view. English hospitality in rural France. Perfection!