Khalid has plans to renovate the barns where livestock were once kept, and turn them into self-catering units to take advantage of the tourist who flock to this area in their thousands each year...
In time to come, this will be Sami's cottage...
There was so much to see and do in Castels, and my days with the Kaab’s were filled with great food, visits to village restaurants and Castles, drives down beautiful country lanes…and “Jack the Black”…
No…, they do not have a gardener named Jack…!! But Khalid did have a good stock of Jack Daniels… Well, actually he doesn’t have a good stock of this fine tipple anymore…!! Empty bottles of wine and Jack began piling up in a corner of the kitchen by the time I left to ride across France…
The castle above the village of Bezenac... We enjoyed a wonderful meal at the restaurant which looks out onto the village at the foot of the mountain...
Ducks and geese donate their livers to make this area famous for its Foie Gras...
It was a very festive few days…! It was a pity that Sami could not be there with us, and I had hoped to spend some more time with him. We had spent hours in Egypt, kidding each other and taking the mickey out of the Egyptians, and I am sure it would have been no different back here in France…
Just outside the front door, were two large fig trees and we picked and ate figs to our hearts content. Their home was once part of a large estate, and has since been parceled off by the owner of the original farm. A beautiful chateau stands among rolling lawns and the forest backdrop, just a few metres away from Khalid’s front gate..
The large barn and its adjoining sheds are all waiting for Khalid to complete his plans for renovation, and a small cottage on the slope above the main house has been earmarked for Sami…
Rising up above the garden are a few hectares of forest, where we found signs of wild boar, which had been rooting around under the large stand of oak trees… Deer come down out of the forest to graze in the field behind the barn, and rabbits and squirrels scuttle through the undergrowth…
Walnut trees are dotted around in the open field, and there are also various fruit trees such as apple and plum planted among them… Although Khalid and Sami are returning to Morocco for a year or so, and Marie-Helene is going back to Mayotte to complete her contract there, the Kaab’s have plans to renovate and restore the property back to what it once was… This will be their permanent home in the years to come, and living in this beautiful valley is something they are looking forward to…
We were able to enjoy being together without the interruptions of emails and websites, and I was grateful for the few days I had to relax and unwind here… Marie-Helene arranged for me to stay with a cousin of hers, who lived on the Swiss border, very close to a town that I had intended to overnight in anyway, and once this was arranged, I finalized my plans to ride across the centre of France…
The Chateau Castlenaud house an amazing collection of weapons dating back to when it was under siege in 1442...
From high up on the battlements of Castelnaud, we looked down on the Dordogne River and the holidaymakers paddling along it's banks...
Biking gear had come a long way since the 14th Century...
Khalid, Marie-Helene and I up on the castle walls...
With the Big Fella looking on, we enjoyed many meals under the branches of the large fig tree...
"What do you mean, "They don't have any more Jack Daniels...?"...!! A concerned Gypsy Biker prepares to take the waiter to task...
From the walls of the Castelnaud, we could see back to the village of Bezenac...
In the evenings we would sit down to have dinner, accompanied by a little liquid refreshment, as is the custom in France...and who was I to argue with customs...!!
Khalid and I also enjoyed a "Blonde" or two, but not the kind that you are thinking...!!
The village of Serlat is a major tourist attraction. Hordes of people pour through the narrow streets to marvel at the old buildings, like this wedge-shaped one...
There be witches here...!!!
We couldn't seem to shake our recent past...!!! We came across this little dress shop during our walk through Serlat... Egypt was still with us...!!
©GBWT 2010
Wow what a beautiful country. We love your photographs. The one of the village of Bezenac is magnificent. I see Khalid and Marie-Helene kept you well fed and watered. We wish them well with their future renovations.
Some awesome castles in this blog. Wow ! Hope you had time to explore everything.