On Being Splendid in the Perigord

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Overview

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Some Splendid London friends of ours set their wedding date for a Saturday last September. Being as the Splendid Bride is one of the Blonde’s oldest friends, the nuptials looked set to throw a huge clanging spanner in our holiday plans with expensively rearranged flights and lost days looking highly likely. Then, in one of those twists of fate that make you listen out for a corny narrator, it turned out that the Splendid Couple had unknowingly, but quite splendidly, chosen to get wed in the Perigord, a few hours drive from where we would be holidaying in Languedoc Roussillon. The Perigord is an inland region of southwest France more commonly referred to as ‘The Dordogne’ although, strictly...Read More

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Chateau Raysse

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Hotel | "Chateau Raysse - La Maison du Parc and le Pigeonnier"

Bedroom at La Maison du Parc Photo - Chateau Raysse, Dordogne, France

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The Splendid Couple have so many Splendid friends that they needed a little more space than the Chateau Raysse alone could provide, even with the other two rental properties on the estate. Small hotels and bed-and-breakfasts in nearby Souillac enjoyed a little of the splendidness overspill although, luckily, our degree of ‘splendipity’ warranted a spot in the chateau’s converted stable block, La Maison du Parc.Afforded a degree of privacy by a high hedge and stone wall, La Maison du Parc is a wonderful holiday home in its own right. Sleeping 18 in eight bedrooms, La Maison has more of a rustic farmhouse feel than the chatea...Read More

The Splendid Couple have so many Splendid friends that they needed a little more space than the Chateau Raysse alone could provide, even with the other two rental properties on the estate. Small hotels and bed-and-breakfasts in nearby Souillac enjoyed a little of the splendidness overspill although, luckily, our degree of ‘splendipity’ warranted a spot in the chateau’s converted stable block, La Maison du Parc.

Afforded a degree of privacy by a high hedge and stone wall, La Maison du Parc is a wonderful holiday home in its own right. Sleeping 18 in eight bedrooms, La Maison has more of a rustic farmhouse feel than the chateau proper and the decor reflects a slightly different target demographic. While the standard is still very high, or will be when the finishing touches have been applied, only four of the bedrooms have en suites and the whole place feels a little more family-oriented and a little less breakable

The accommodation is split over two floors with the four en suite rooms on the ground floor, crafted from the stables themselves, opening directly onto the private walled garden. The loving imagination that has been applied to the main chateau has meandered its way down here too with quirky features in abundance and luxurious bathrooms the norm.

A large farmhouse kitchen and communal bathrooms completed the ground floor accommodation. A further four bedrooms were located upstairs along with an enormous living/snooker/conference room that opened onto a wide stone terrace. Not quite the cosy holiday sitting room one might anticipate – although if you’re renting a place with 8 bedrooms you’re not looking for cosy – many of us wandered through during the course of the weekend and wondered how you might use it. Filling it with slightly damp wedding guests for pre-dinner drinks proved to be a highly appropriate answer to that question. With prices ranging from €2800-€4900 for a week’s stay, La Maison is a shade more affordable than the chateau and, once split between a few families, becomes almost reasonable.

Le Pigeonnier, a converted pigeon loft, is attached to the garden end of the stable block. Fully self-contained and with its own private garden, le pigeonnier is a two/three bedroom holiday cottage. I would like to say more but I didn’t get a look, much as I tried to peer in. I can vouch for its privacy though! Prices range between €600-€1250 for a week.

These two properties share 20 acres of gardens, meadows and wooded loveliness with the chateau proper. There is a shared outdoor swimming pool located at the top end of the gently sloping grounds. I stood at the poolside one afternoon when the rain eased to a mildly annoying drizzle and looked out across the valley, imagining the rolling verdant landscape that was tantalisingly concealed behind the dank, depressing rain clouds. It was probably for the best; if it had been complete I really would not have wanted to leave. Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on March 15, 2007

Chateau Raysse

Dordogne Valley, France
+33 (5) 53319710

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Chateau Raysse

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Hotel | "Château Raysse - The Château"

Chateau Raysse Photo - Chateau Raysse, Dordogne, France

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As holiday rental accommodation goes, Château Raysse sits at the rarefied, exclusive, end of the market. Constructed in the 12th and 17th centuries above the hamlet of Cazoulés, the ivy-clad main house and accompanying buildings had, when we visited in September 2006, been newly renovated to create a spectacular home-from-home for those to the manor born (or who wish it might have been so). Our Splendid Friends had booked the whole venue, consisting of the château proper, the converted stables and adjoining pigeon loft, for their wedding celebrations. We arrived a couple of days before the main event in a vain attempt to escape the atrocious we...Read More

As holiday rental accommodation goes, Château Raysse sits at the rarefied, exclusive, end of the market. Constructed in the 12th and 17th centuries above the hamlet of Cazoulés, the ivy-clad main house and accompanying buildings had, when we visited in September 2006, been newly renovated to create a spectacular home-from-home for those to the manor born (or who wish it might have been so).

Our Splendid Friends had booked the whole venue, consisting of the château proper, the converted stables and adjoining pigeon loft, for their wedding celebrations. We arrived a couple of days before the main event in a vain attempt to escape the atrocious weather that had descended on Roussillon, where we’d been on holiday, and to help out with the myriad of last minute ‘little jobs’ that help make the run up to the big day a calming and stress-free experience for all concerned.

We succumbed to the invitation to nose around all the rooms before their designated occupants arrived; an activity which prompted painful overuse of the phrase ‘Oooh, this is really nice.’ There are seven bedrooms distributed over the two upper floors, each with its own en suite bathroom. The château character has been kept where it matters; bold silks, heavy drapes and a general ‘ornateness’ that screams Louis something-or-other. To ensure that the wedding guests don’t smell like the 17th century, however, no expense has been spared on creating thoroughly 21st century bathrooms with sunken baths, wet rooms and two seater power showers all being encountered during our inspection. The highlight, though, was the bridal suite; an enormous bedroom replete with four poster that screamed sumptuous indulgence, en suite and grand, loggia-style balcony.

The level of utter ‘splendidness’ is maintained throughout the living accommodation too, with all the assorted features one would hope for from a grand pile in the French countryside. A suit of armour guards the stone spiral stair; ornate fireplaces dominate panelled salons and invite you to sprawl decadently, having one’s glass regularly recharged with the finest vintage from the cellar. Or was that just how the Splendid wedding party decided it should be? I’m not sure, but it worked.

Juxtaposed against these period features are the necessary luxuries that, although far from ‘in keeping’ with the fabric of the building, are vitally important for the Splendid château holidaying set. The clean modern lines of the vast kitchen with its limestone worktops and state of the art appliances sat well with the tiles worn with the pathways of centuries of cooks and maids and was accommodatingly huge which, given that everyone ends up in the kitchen at parties (even when they’re wedding parties) was a boon.

Set the whole lot in 20 acres of garden and wilderness, toss in an outdoor pool and a pair of donkeys called Vanille and Chocolat and the recipe for Splendidness is complete. For €3200 - €6900 a week, depending on season, you can be Splendid too.
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Member Rating 5 out of 5 on March 15, 2007

Chateau Raysse

Dordogne Valley, France
+33 (5) 53319710

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Town of Rocamadour

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Attraction | "Rocamadour for Dodgy Knees and Those with Buggies"

City gate Photo - Town of Rocamadour, Gourdon, France

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By the morning of the wedding, the constant rain was getting to be something of an issue. Optimistic proclamations of perceived clear patches in the cloud were banned. New arrivals who pointed out that there was bright sunshine not five miles away were greeted with glares and seating plan reallocation. There was a degree of tension in the air, it has to be said. So I tucked the Tomato into the car and made a sharp exit.My motives for this excursion were many, varied and not without a tinge of selfish indulgence. Any attempt to parcel it up as a valiant act of parental sacrifice was quickly rebutted with little more than a raised eyebrow from the Blonde but she had to accept that a bored to...Read More

Town of Rocamadour
36 M. N-NE Of Cahors
Rocamadour, France

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Wet Weather Fashion in Sarlat

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With the main focus of our stay in the Dordogne being Our Splendid Friends’ wedding, there was little time left over for discovering the delights of the region. On the Friday morning, however, there was a brief lull in the frenetic preparations and we prised ourselves away for a few ‘family’ hours in nearby Sarlat-la-Caneda.The Dordogne is rich in historic attractions, second only to Paris apparently, and Sarlat more than punches its weight in this esteemed company. The town is blessed with having the highest concentration of medieval and Renaissance facades in the country. In the early 1960s the then Culture Minister, Malraux, made it his personal mission to preserve then-obscure provinci...Read More

With the main focus of our stay in the Dordogne being Our Splendid Friends’ wedding, there was little time left over for discovering the delights of the region. On the Friday morning, however, there was a brief lull in the frenetic preparations and we prised ourselves away for a few ‘family’ hours in nearby Sarlat-la-Caneda.

The Dordogne is rich in historic attractions, second only to Paris apparently, and Sarlat more than punches its weight in this esteemed company. The town is blessed with having the highest concentration of medieval and Renaissance facades in the country. In the early 1960s the then Culture Minister, Malraux, made it his personal mission to preserve then-obscure provincial Sarlat and carried out the architectural restorative equivalent of pickling it in aspic for future generations to enjoy. If you’ve enjoyed Jean de Florette or Manon des Sources, both set in Provence rather than the Perigord incidentally, then you’ve caught glimpses of Sarlat in the background. It’s that sort of town; the sort that epitomises France’s self-image as a rural idyll and is easily turned into a period version of itself with a scattering of straw on the cobbles and a liberal sprinkling of horse-dung.

The effect of this preservation is the reverse of that depicted in the movies. Isolated towns that are untouched by time and fail to modernise generally fade away into neglect unless, like Sarlat, they are polished, preened and advertised. The result, while having an unavoidable hint of ‘Disneyfication’ about it, is very impressive and atmospheric. Turn off the rather dull Rue de la Republique down any of a number of narrow alleys left or right and lose yourself in a tangle of medieval streets that expand and contract through arcaded places and passageways. The warm sandstone combined with the grandiose irregularity of the buildings offer scenes of interest around every corner.

We discovered all this as we wandered into the Rue de la Liberté, historically the main thoroughfare and marketplace, and took shelter from the rain to enjoy a little late breakfast of coffee and pastries at ‘Le Glacier’. From our table we could see the elegant boutiques that lined the road; souvenir shops were interspersed with merchants who dealt in the towns many specialties.

The Perigord is a haven for gastronomes and seems to have even more specialties than the average French region (and that’s saying something). Sarlat is walnut country; you’d be amazed what can be flavoured with walnut. The town is also at the centre of the foie gras world; every other shop seems to offer the most original, genuine or purest version of this rich delicacy. I am more than a little in thrall to the whole French food ‘experience’ and can easily put to one side the goose cruelty thing because, well, foie gras is delicious and I’ve had more than one nasty experience with a goose. In my view, they’ve got it coming.

Throw in a 100 different ways of preparing canard (duck), black truffles secretively gleaned from the surrounding woodland, cheeses of all shapes and stinkiness, and the incredibly imaginative things that can be done with pork and you begin to appreciate what the fuss is all about. Markets are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays, with the latter being a full blown ‘fayre’ attracting all and sundry.

With the rain making a slow transition from ‘annoying drizzle’ to ‘depressing downpour’ we had little inclination to linger outside shops or soak in the atmosphere. The Tomato, being the only one appropriately dressed, loved it and drew lots of attention in his enviable ‘Dinosaur raincoat and wellies’ ensemble. We took brief shelter in a converted church – converted, unsurprisingly, into a chic indoor market specialising in all the usual Sarlat suspects. We were pulled through this brief dry respite at some speed – after all, there were puddles outside that wouldn’t splash themselves.

I saw enough of Sarlat to take a shine to it, as one might say (if you were of a certain age and desperately English). It would make an excellent base for exploring the region should you be one of those poor saps who isn’t staying in a château of course.
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