Cathedral of Saint Front in Périgueux
Pendant les deux jours que j’ai visité Patrick et son château, j’ai resté en Périgueux. Périgueux est le capital de la Dordogne, un département situé dans le Sud-Ouest de la France. La Dordogne a le surnom « Dordogneshire » à cause des 5,000-10,000 Anglais qui habitent la-bàs.
While visiting Patrick and his château, I stayed in Périgueux, capital of the Dordogne, a department located in the Southwest of France. The Dordogne has earned the nickname “Dordogneshire” because of the estimated 5,000 to 10,000 British citizens who have settled there, apparently drawn by a laid-back lifestyle, warm climate, and lower cost of living.
Rooftops of Périgueux
Narrow street in the medieval part of Périgueux
Couldn't resist a photo of the quiet street!
Périgueux est une ancienne ville du marché où on voit les ruines romaines, aussi bien que constructions médiévales et de la Renaissance. Le bâtiment la mieux connue est la Cathédrale Saint-Front. Il y a des parties de la cathédrale des 11e, 12e et 13e siècles. De 1852 à 1895 eu lieu la restauration, réalisée par Paul Abadie, futur architecte de la basilique du Sacré-Cœur à Paris, qui n'est pas sans ressemblance avec la cathédrale Saint-Front. À moi la ressemblance est saisissante.
Périgueux is an ancient market town where one sees Roman ruins as well as buildings dating from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. It’s most famous building is the Cathedral of Saint Front. You may well ask, as I did, who is Saint Front? Well, a pamphlet distributed in the church says he was the first bishop of Périgueux. His tomb was the foundation of Puy Saint Front, which is the original site of Périgueux….and that’s the extent of my knowledge of Saint Front! Parts of the cathedral date from the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries. But during the second half of the 19th century, a major restoration was carried out by Paul Abadie, who went on to design the Basilica of Sacre-Coeur in Paris, which bears some resemblance to Saint-Front. To me the resemblance is striking.
Cathedral of Saint Front with its multiple domes resembles Sacre Coeur in Paris
LOVE these chandeliers in the cathedral
One of the 5 domes in the cathedral and chandelier
And yet another chandelier!
Samedi est le jour du marché et j'ai eu la chance d'être là.
Saturday is market day in Périgueux and, as I was staying just around the corner, I strolled over to Place de la Clautre, the market square and one of the oldest sites in the town.
Market day in Périgueux :
One of two Wallace fountains I saw in Périgueux
Patrick.....
...and his beer....(only wine is served at the Château de Montréal, so it was much savored on a hot afternoon)
J'étais un peu triste de ne pas être à Paris pour la grande célébration de 14 juillet. Mais pas de souci. La célébration à Périgueux, même s'il n'était aussi spectaculaire que laquelle à Paris, était charmante et typique d'une petite ville. Il y avait le feu d'artifice et après un bal populaire dans la place.
I was a bit sad to miss the spectacular Bastille Day celebrations in Paris, but not to worry, the celebration in Périgueux, though not so grand as that in Paris, was charming and typical of a small French town. There were fireworks by the river and then a delightful dance in the cathedral square....perfect!
Fireworks!
Local band
Happy maman dancing with her son...
This little guy was totally into it....
Patrick et moi avons bien passé l'après-midi à Bergerac, une autre petite ville du marché dans la Dordogne, connu pour ses maisons à colombage et le Château de Monbazillac, qui est la propriété de la Cave coopérative de Montbazillac.
Patrick and I spent that afternoon in Bergerac, another small market town in the Dordogne, known for its half-timbered houses and the Chateau of Monbazillac, which is owned by a wine cooperative that produces the distinctive Monbazillac dessert wines.
Château de Monbazillac
Crew race on the Dordogne River in Bergerac
Half-timbered B&B in Bergerac
