Périgord Paddling
Our next destination was Beynac. At the confluence of the Dordogne and Ceou Rivers, it is the ideal spot to study the Hundred Years War and the hostility between the French and the English as they battled for control of the region. The ferocious dukes of Beynac were based in a huge castle above the town. Standing on the parapet, it is easy to see how well the fort controlled the river, which means around the village below. Rocks were heaved down from huge catapults, still intact, to smash enemy vessels.
We spent the last two days of our trip in the vicinity of Beynac. At our group’s final dinner, we bade farewell to the river flowing majestically below our window seats in the hotel’s outer dining room. It was our last hurrah and our last foie gras. Mellow with wine, we all agreed that our “time machines” had added an unanticipated dimension to the canoeing that many of us had done for years, both in the United States and abroad. It was perhaps the most diverse, educational, and enjoyable journey that any of us had ever taken.
If you go...
Information on Périgord is available at the French Tourist Offices in New York City (212) 838-7800 and Beverly Hills (310) 271-2693. The region can be accessed through flights to Bordeaux or Paris. From Charles de Gaulle Airport, go to the Austerlitz Rail Station for a train to Brive, a four-hour trip. BattenKill Canoe runs guided trips to the Dordogne in May, June, September, and October. They can be reached at www.battenkill.com or (800) 421-5268. E-mail: trip@battenkill.com.
Charles Jacobs is the former editor-in-chief of Travel World Magazine. He can be reached at jac391@aol.com.
|
|
 |
|
|
||
|
||||||
|
During this special online offer, you can get a TRIAL ISSUE and receive 6 more (a total of 7 issues) for only $17.95 - you save 35% off the cover price! Outside the US? Canada or International GIVE A GIFT |
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
|||||
|
|
||||||
