September 28 to October 6 2008

The French countryside  9 days in the dordogne and limoges

The Dordogne and Limoges

This trip is composed of
8 days in the Perigord Noir the celebrated part of the Dordogne. It is a spectacular and beautiful region featuring hundreds of castles bearing witness of a 400 year struggle between the French and the British.This area is also known for its very ancient history going back over 50,000 years and it features hundreds of caves with ancient paintings and artifacts documenting the early history of humanity. We shall visit some of the most spectacular caves and sites.
Our hotel will be a beautiful luxury hotel The Manoir de Hautegente located in a secluded area on the banks of a winding river. The hotel is a 700 year old mill and flour mill and is charged with history. It has been owned by the same family for 300 years

 The Dordogne is the capital of the famed foie gras and one of the most prestigious culinary regions of France. There will be a foie gras preparation cooking class by a master chef followed by a memorable dinner.
We shall visit unusual sites off the beaten paths ranging from a 16 th century walnut oil mill to the town of Sarlat and its marvelous outdoor market, the Lascaux 2 cave to majestic castles to charming villages to private chateaux.

We shall spend a day in Limoges, a city famous for its fine Porcelain, great porcelain shopping, enamels, beautiful buildings and great bistros.

Day 1

Sunday September 28

Arrive at the Brive railroad station from Paris in middle afternoon
Start of the trip
Meet at the station your tour director and bus driver
Drive to Collonges la Rouge a spectacular village entirely built with a unique blood red stone visit the village and drive to The Manoir d’Hautegente our hotel for the next 7 days.
 The Manoir is a 700 old building built along a scenic river. Its water was used to power a flour mill and a forge. It has been the property of the Hamelin family, our hosts, for over 300 years
Welcome aperitif and dinner at the hotel

Day 2

Monday September 29

Visit of the Vezere valley. A beautiful winding road follows the famous Vezere River whose banks, adjoining forests and caves have been used by early humans for many millennia. Visit of La Roque St Christophe. A half mile long cliff that been a cave dwelling for over 20,000 years and has sheltered a community of up to 1500 people. The Roque St Christophe is a living history book and it shows the evolution of human life and living conditions over a very long period in a very unique site.
Visit of the Renaissance chateau de Losse overlooking the river. Lunch on your own in a scenic inn
Afternoon visit of the Lascaux II a faithful and spectacular reproduction of the world famous cave located a few yards away now closed to the public. Lascaux cave is said to be the Sistine chapel of prehistory and a must see.
Return to the hotel via scenic routes to see the Grande Filolie castle
Dinner at the hotel

Day 3

Tuesday September 30

The Dordogne is home to world famous created by fabulous gardeners. We shall visit some of the best ranging from a water garden to a very romantic garden to a classic and formal setting.  We shall start with a visit of St Genies a beautiful village where many of the roofs are built using the traditional, very long lasting traditional Lauzes characteristic of the Dordogne. We shall also visit a 16 Th century walnut mill still producing rare and expensive walnut oil. Lunch on your own at the restaurant of one of the gardens

The owners of a small fairy tale castle, that they lovingly restored over 25 years, will open their doors to our group and you will have the opportunity to see a rare gem.     
 Dinner at the hotel.

Day 4

Wednesday October 1

 Day of prehistory discovery.
 We shall start with a colorful market in Montignac where local farmers sell walnuts and related products from their orchards.

 The Dordogne is the birth place of the science of prehistory because of its wealth of caves and sites and the inquisitive minds of a few individuals who early on understood the importance of the numerous finds made by people in the area. Over 200 caves and sites within a 50 miles radius makes the Dordogne the world highest concentration of early human’s artifacts. The sites in the immediate area around the village of Les Eyzies have seen continuous human presence for over 20,000 years. The national prehistory museum illustrates the history of our early ancestors over 200,000 years and places our modern life in a humbling historical perspective. The museum's prehistory collection is one of the most extensive and famous in the world.
 Lunch on your own. Visit of the prehistory sites and shelters and caves overlooking the valley of the Vezere and if available visit of the cave de Font de Gaume the only cave still open to the public with spectacular 15 000 year old polychrome paintings of ancient bison and reindeers. Access is very restricted due to conservation requirements.
Dinner at the hotel

Day 5

Thursday October 2

Visit of The 11 Th century fortified abbey of St Amand de Coly a charming and typical village hidden in a secret cove.  Demonstration of the rare and ancient art of copper hand hammering to make beautiful copper cooking pots. This artisan is one of the last dinandier in Europe.

Depending on the weather we shall have a picnic by the river or nearby.
Cooking class by the hotel master chef who will prepare Perigord specialties followed by a spectacular  dinner at the hotel. After the cooking demonstration walk along the river and the woods around the hotel or engage in a game of Petanque a popular outdoor bowling game.

Day 6

Friday October 3

Drive to the riverside village of la Roque Gageac (Officially listed as one of the most beautiful village in France) and river trip on one of the gabarre, an ancient boat used for trading goods along the river.
Lunch on your own in one the village restaurants along the river,
Afternoon, visit of the quintessential medieval castle of Beynac.  It is being restored  single handedly by a passionate man who devised a 100 year restoration plan. The chateau of Beynac has been the setting of many movies and it showcases the history of the area and the challenging living conditions of life 700 years ago. Visit of the beautiful fortified village of Domme. Drive among the many castles of the area along the river including Josephine Baker’s les Milandes.
The Dordogne area was, for centuries, an area heavily contested by the French and British occupiers. Each promontory was an excuse to build a stronghold and a castle. As a result the region is teeming with castles making it the highest concentration in France all are different, all spectacular, and all memorable.

Special 8 course dinner at the hotel where the chef will pull all the stops

Day 7

Saturday October 4

Drive to the old town of Sarlat la Caneda and visit the very colorful and busy outdoor market, visit of the old town. Sarlat is the main town of the Perigord Noir and is considered to be a living museum town. Orientation tour of Sarlat. Lunch on your own in one of the many local restaurants. Sarlat is very pedestrian friendly and is very easy to visit with many interesting stores and monuments, an unusual market in an old disaffected church and food specialties. In the afternoon, optional visit of the Marqueyssac gardens located on a cliff overlooking the Dordogne River and made of thousands of box tree topiaries. The garden is one of the most spectacular gardens you will ever see
Dinner at the hotel

Day 8

Sunday October 5

Check out of the Manoir de Hautegente.

Drive to the spectacular Chateau de Hautefort 30 minutes away. It is currently owned by Mr. and Mrs. David Weil who was the former head of the prestigious investment firm Lazard Feres. Lunch in on your own in the village. Stroll in the winding streets and visit of a museum dedicated to ancient medicine and dentistry
Drive to Limoges. Check in the hotel in the heart of Limoges. Walk in the old town
Dinner on your own in one of the many regional specialties bistro nearby.

Day 8

Monday October 6

Morning, Visit of the Bernardaud porcelain manufacture. One of the leading porcelain company producing some of the finest tableware pieces. Visit of the display explaining the whole process from the basic ingredients to the finished pieces and all the steps in between. See artists at work decorating the porcelain. There will be time for shopping in the company store for beautiful whole dining sets, a Limoges porcelain box or a bargain.
Limoges has been a thriving city since the middle ages. Here fire, earth and art have combined since the Middle Ages to produce glorious, secular and religious enamel objects.                                                           In the eighteenth century porcelain became an extension of the town's ancient crafts with the discovery of the precious kaolin a key component for porcelain. In parallel, the region's wealth was based on cattle and its active trade brought prosperity to the town’s butchers trade whose legacy dot the city under the form of spectacular monuments. Farewell lunch and brief tour of the city time allowing before leaving for the railroad station for return to Paris in mid afternoon.

  End of the trip

The cost includes
·  Accommodation in luxury hotels for 8 nights
·  8 delicious breakfasts with fresh croissants fruit and a variety of dishes
·  7 Five course gourmet dinners one of which will be a spectacular 8 course
·  1 farewell lunch
·  1 picnic lunch
·  1 regional specialties cooking class with a master chef
·  Tasting of regional specialties
·  All admission fees to sites
·  Transportation during the trip. From the rail road station on the day of arrival in Brive to the train station on the departure day in Limoges

What is not included
·  Trans Atlantic airfare
·  Transport from and to Paris or London to the train stations in Brive and Limoges
·  Alcoholic beverages at the hotels or restaurants
·  Travel insurance
·  Any special requests
·  Optional gratuities and special services

• Additional costs due to airlines delays, missed connections, strikes or acts of God beyond our control however we shall make every effort possible to help alleviate any unfortunate difficulty.  
  
  What to expect.
  The hotels we shall be using are excellent first class hotels selected for their character and charm. The rooms like the rest of the hotel are furnished with antiques, all have private baths. The restaurants are highly rated and while the menus are pre selected to offer you a broad tasting of regional specialties, for dietary or religious reasons, advance requests can be made to substitute a dish. All menus will be explained to allow you to learn as much as you wish about the preparation, ingredients, their origin and history.
  
  On our trips we shall not only take you to spectacular and interesting sites but what you will see and experience will be placed in a historical and cultural context by Emmanuel your tour director. We shall also visit out of the way places where regular tours do not go. You will have the opportunity to meet French people who live in the area and who will be encouraged to offer you a glimpse of their lives and values. The small number of participants will make it possible to give you personal attention and to answer your questions. Upon your return you will have experienced French culture by having seen first hand the people and places where an important part of French history took place, what struggles shaped the country’s heritage and you will return with a better understanding of French values. You will also have gained an in depth knowledge of an exceptional French region.
  
  There will not be long distances to walk but as in all old buildings there will be some stairs to climb. Should a participant wish not to visit a particular site an alternative in the immediate area will be offered conditions permitting.  Your tour director and the bus driver will make every effort to accommodate you.
  You may use your usual airline ticket provider. Upon request we will be happy to assist you in determining the best schedule and transfer to the Brive train station and return to Paris or to arrange a extension of your trip in France from a simple hotel reservation to a detailed personalized itinerary. A charge may apply depending on the service requested and a quote will be furnished.
  
  We would be happy to recommend the best schedule for air transportation from your point of departure as well as transfers from your arrival airport to Brive and the corresponding return. Extra days in Paris or any other place in France can also be arranged from a simple hotel reservation to a detailed personalized itinerary. A charge may apply depending on the service requested and a quote will be furnished. For air and rail travel your usual agency will provide you with tickets.
  
  Ready to reserve your space for 9 great days in the Dordogne and Limoges?
  Please call 
  Emmanuel Roux or at (727) 251-1879 or email him at emmanuel@franceculturaltours.com
  We look forward to have you join us for a fun and enriching trip.
  
  
  We appreciate referrals. Please feel free to forward this information to friends or relatives or suggest they visit our web site. www.franceculturaltours.com

 
Rate shown is per person in U.S. dollars, based on double occupancy. It is subject to change without notice due to currency fluctuation or extra charges from our suppliers. Prices are guaranteed once a deposit is received. The rates include the accommodations, meals, and services as described in the day-by-day itinerary hotel taxes, and ground transfers between the rail stations and hotels on days of arrival and departure.
Rates do not include any air or rail transportation, travel protection/cancellation insurance which is suggested, personal expenses, or optional activities and alcoholic beverages except when specified.
Restrictions may apply, including, but not limited to, a minimum number of group participants.
Tabankor Excursions Inc, Emmanuel Roux and/or any of its sub-agents act solely as agents for the companies providing services and facilities to travelers, and they have no responsibility or liability for loss of or damage to property, injury, or death due to errors, omissions, or intentional acts of the companies that provide said services.
Enrolment Terms:
Per person deposit of half of the reservation amount is required to hold space and guarantee rates from currency fluctuations or other unexpected extra charges from our suppliers.
Final payment is due 60 days prior to departure. An invoice will be produced and payment will imply acceptance of the terms and policy.
Cancellation Policy:

• Travel protection/cancellation insurance is strongly recommended.
• Any cancellations will be charged as follows:
• 90-61 days prior to the beginning of the trip = 75% of total per person cost;
• 60 days to 31 days = 50%
• 30 days or less prior to departure = No refund.
• Exceptions to this cancellation policy cannot be made for any reason, including personal emergencies, weather or illness due to the guarantees required by the service providers to insure the services availability.

Please feel free to call or email us with any concern or question you may have
  Emmanuel Roux at 727 251 1879 or emmanuel@franceculturaltours.com
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Ready to go? Here's where to send your deposit:
Checks should to be made to Tabankor Excursions Inc.
 Please mail checks to: 2519 Driftwood Rd, St. Petersburg Fl 33705