A motorbike outing in Dordogne

On Sunday May 13th, sixteen motorbikes and about twenty-seven people got together for a ride to Dordogne. We all met in Cozes just in front of the upholsterer's shop for a cup of coffee and introduced ourselves.

An English couple Brenda and Andy bravely joined in the 100% French group!

In the morning the weather was gorgeous so the day was promising. First we took the direction of G�mozac, Pons ,then Archiac, Barbezieux, Villebois La Valette, La Tour Blanche and Lisle which was our stop for lunch.

The Charente department ( Archiac, Barbezieux) is typified by a hilly landscape striped with vineyards.

We went past magnificent houses and charming villages. Some village people watched the long parade of motorbikes and Brenda and Andy's three-wheel motorbike didn't go unnoticed!

Then we discovered the Green Perigord which is characterised by beautiful Romanesque churches, it is also named for its green scenery. We rode through woods and valleys following now and then the course of the river Dronne.

At a time, thanks to a detour and while we were slowly riding through a picturesque village, we found ourselves in a little cobbled street revealing a wealth of architectural gems. This part of France is a scattering of unspoilt little towns and villages. We had a few stops in the morning to stretch our legs and relax. We arrived at the restaurant at 12.00 sharp despite a few stops to check the map for directions!

The restaurant stood in a beautiful place on the bank of the river Dronne. It was a former flour mill and today there is also a trout farm. We had a delicious meal composed of traditional local cuisine. We left the restaurant at 2.00 for a short ride to le " Chateau de Bourdeille".

Bourdeille is a former barony of P�rigord on the banks of the river. It is a picturesque village revealing a magnificent Romanesque church.

Bourdeille has two chateaux side by side. The Dordogne department is particularly wealthy in chateaux.

As we arrived in Bourdeille earlier than we had expected, we had time for a wander around the church and from where we parked the motorbikes the scenery was breathtaking so we took some photos of the imposing limestone cliff overlooking the river.

Then at 3.00 our guide closed the gate of the chateau and before visiting the chateau she made a short summary of its history. Our English friends were kindly teased when she mentioned French and English wars and we were kindly teased as well when she added that English people had settled in the area!

We started our visit of the 16th century Renaissance Palace, built and furnished for Catherine de M�dicis who never set foot in it. Inside the Palace rooms had an impressive collection of furniture and some called "Vargueno" drew our attention as they were composed of lots of secret drawers.

Next we visited the medieval fortress ( 13-14th Century) on our own and climbed lots of steps to get to the top of the dungeon. From there we had a splendid view of the village , the Renaissance Palace and the countryside.

We enjoyed watching some horses cross the river or drink the cool water of the river Dronne. The weather was gorgeous at that time of day, a bit too hot on the top of the dungeon so we decided to go downstairs.

Then a part of our group walked in the grounds and some dying for a drink went to a caf� terrace in the village. It was now time to leave Dordogne and ride back to Charente Maritime.

After riding for a while , a strong wind started to blow and some black clouds predicted pouring rain!

Actually we didn't have much rain but the wind was very strong. We tried to fight against it and get to Cozes before a real gale!

Fortunately for us, we were not soaking wet when we arrived in Cozes but we were all worn-out! We hugged ( usual in French culture to say good-bye) wishing to get together again in another rewarding day out!

We all thank the organizers Phil and Graziela and Bernard for the photos.