Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Day 12...
Today I set out on a trip to Périgueux, the gastronomic capital of Dordogne (apparently) , which attracted me because of it's enormous cathedral and deeply rooted roman history.
Using the French train system to my advantage, firstly I took the train from Chalais to Coutras and had an hour to spare there. I took a stroll down to the river and up to the centre of town, happened upon the market and bought some typical market items and headed back to the train.
My train to Périgueux arrived on time, I imerged to the big and wonderful town of Périgueux. Immediately I was walking in the balmy heat to the centre of town.
The tourist offices, in all these french towns that I have been, to are great and so I got a map of the town complete with walking tour guidelines etc in the Office de tourisme. However I don't like to stick to them I prefer to mill about myself and just see what I want to see, so indeed I did and I popped in and out of some shops on my way to the Cathedral. I was quite surprised to emerge from some shops to find myself sprinkled by some on/off rain. Hardly bad weather as It was evaporating just as quick as it was landing, so it was almost like a nice cool down.
I enjoyed a pleasant light lunch complete with a mocha frappé to cool me down. After that I did some more sight seeing and got some sweet souvenirs and what not.
To finish off my flying visit to this beautiful place I took a trip down to the old town where there are roman ruins and a museum about Périgueux being a former roman town, Versuna.
The museum was amazing ! Built un top of an excavated roman ruin of a domus (roman urban dwelling) they have really done their bit to preserve and simulate the historic roman times. I wish I had had more time to really think about and question what I was learning at the museum through every part of the tour but unfortunately, as it always is when you're travelling, time is of the essence.
I would highly recommend anyone to visit the museum Versuna in Périgueux. It was by far the most impressive museum I have ever been at and I felt it was a shame that I was the only person there. I asked the lady at the counter why it was so quite (in french of course, huho!) and she said it was because if the heat. I just thought "ah well c'mon now if a pasty meagre Irish girl who is almost incinerated by the sun can do it surely native french people can try to cope in a heatwave".
On returning I felt delighted I had seen such a brilliant town and happy to rest my feet on the train and rest my head on my pillow when I got home to LG
Once again Life's Good at LG ( La Giraudiere http://www.lagiraudiere.com )
À demain,
Aisling x
- comments
Ray Palin Votre blog est tres interessant, Aisling. Nous vous suivons attentivement -- continuez si'il vous plait aussi souvent que possible. A bientot: Ray