“The Other South of France”
Many go to Paris and believe they have seen France. An old saying holds that “Paris is not France and France is not Paris!”. Imagine traveling to Los Angeles and believing you have seen the United States! Then there is the Rhone Delta (Provence) and the Cote d’ Azur (France’ Miami Beach). Summer crowds can be a bother in these places.
There is another France that the French call “La France Profonde” Most French consider their roots to be in French countryside. The undiscovered Southwest of France is in the heart of la France Profonde
A four and a half hour journey from Paris brings you to this beautiful countryside, far from the high prices, indifferent treatment, and citified arrogance that tourists some times complain about. Certainly Paris or the cote d’azure are beautiful, but are just the tip of the French “ice berg”.
The history of the Southwest of France goes back to pre-Roman Gaul, the passage of the crusades, the dowry of Eleanor of Aquitaine to Henry II, the Hundred Years War and the friction of episodic English occupation. The region is dotted with medieval castles churches and ancient buildings. Not too far away in the Lot and Vezere valleys there remains of prehistoric cave dwellings.
Set against this rural backdrop is the high-tech center in Toulouse, home of Airbus Industries. The people of the southwest are casual, relaxed and friendly. The villages are a treasure trove for lovers of old stones and antique fairs abound. While there are starred restaurants nearby, the local cuisine features “comfort food” made with the fresh fruits, vegetables poultry meat that grow in abundance here. Rather then the architectural creations that one sees elsewhere there is a wealth of medieval buildings built with native stone and timber.
Most villages have a weekly market with local produce and food items. The village market is not only an opportunity to purchase local produce, meat, fish and wine but is also social occasion for the locals to catch up on the news from each other. Many small wineries sell their wines and have tastings at the wineries.
These small villages have summer and winter festivals where locals and visitors celebrate everything from Pentecost to 14 July (Bastille day) to the end of the hunting season.
The delights of this treasure of history and local culture are available to all and sometimes are found serendipitously. We invite you to see what this region has to offer and we will try to find things that fit your interests, for your stay, should it be history, food, wine, local culture, music or any other celebration of French country life and joie d’vivre.