Monday 1 September 2014

Sleeping in a Troglodyte Cave

 
We've just come back from a great holiday in the Dordogne. We stayed in the medieval town of La Roche Gageac on the banks of the river and the view above was taken from my bedroom window.
 
It's years since I've holidayed in a country other than Greece and it did us good to be made to remember our classroom French - why should we always presume that people should speak English?

We swam in our pool, visited Chateau, walked the cobbled streets of small villages such as Beynac and Rocamadour and of course ate too much - but what can you do when the markets such as the one below in Domme are filled with such wonderful produce?

 
We hired canoes and having been driven 16km upstream, paddled back to our village. The photograph doesn't show how exhausted I was by the end of it and two of our family members ended up with badly sunburnt feet! It was great fun though.


"What about the  Troglodyte cave?" I hear you ask.

Well here it is:

 
It was a bed and breakfast just outside Loches in the Loire Valley. We stayed in it on our way back to Dieppe and it really was a cave! The conversion was amazing and the owners (who live in another cave) couldn't have been nicer. I have to say, though, that my night in the cave was the strangest experience. I woke to find the downstairs wood burner had sent strange shadows across our ceiling, like cave paintings!


Our bedroom was on the first floor and below was a small sitting room and the second bedroom.




We ate breakfast in a cave too!






Now I'm home again, it's back to the writing. Luckily, as always when I've been away, I've come back with a wealth of ideas - I've just got to find time between the unpacking and the washing to write them down!

18 comments:

  1. Oh, it looks heavenly. What a stunning view you had. I love those little cobbledy streets as well. I'm a bit claustrophobic about caves, but yours looks very nice!

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  2. I am severely claustrophobic, Joanne - so had to make sure that there was natural light coming in before we booked it. The roof thing you can see in the picture is corrugated Perspex and is our bedroom window.

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  3. Most of our holidays with the children were spent in France and your lovely photos of the Dordogne have brought back so many happy memories. It makes me want to go back! Looking forward to those France inspired holidays, Wendy.

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    1. Glad my photos brought back good memories, Jan.

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  4. It look absolutely magical Wendy

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    1. It was a beautiful place. Hope to go back sometime.

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  5. This sounds like a wonderful holiday, Wendy, and I love your stunning pictures, especially the magical lighting in that little street.

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    1. I wasn't sure if the photo would come out but I'm really pleased with it.

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  6. Wow, the pictures look stunning - am loving the cave house!! Good luck with catching up with all the washing and getting time to write! :)

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  7. Very classy-looking cave! I'd heard of these and am so glad to have the chance to see one... even if I didn't get to go on the holiday!

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  8. Looks amazing, Wendy - lovely photos :-) x

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    1. Thanks Teresa - I'm really pleased with how they've come out.

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  9. Sounds so lovely... Wish I was there right now!!

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