Stick with a winner!

Stick with a winner!

We started traveling to France back in 2016. Back then we spent one week at six different locations cycling in the most interesting and picturesque places we could find. All our destinations were in rural areas and noted for the scenery, wine, food, and places of interest. Over the years since then we visited the Loire Valley, Champagne region, Provence, Normandie, Brittainy, Canal de Midi, WWI battlefields, and other interesting places in between. We avoided big cities with a passion (Paris especially) which may have other appeals but biking is not one of them. 

Along our French odyssey we stumbled upon the Dordogne region with a one week stay in Saint Julian de Lampon situated on the Dordogne river and gateway to the Dordogne river valley. Our time there opened our eyes to the beautiful rolling hills, winding secondary roads, moderate climbs, charming villages, and castles or chateaus on every corner. During the middle ages that area was fought over by the French and English as exemplified by the 100 years war (116 years from 1337 to 1452) among other conflicts. 

After one week in the area we were hooked. The following year, 204 we split our time between a small village to the west called Castelnaud and small village in Provence. In 2025 we decided that moving around the country like gypsies was too hard on our aging bodies so we parked ourselves for all of our six week stay in France. 

View with castle taken from hot air balloon

View without the castle.

After tedious AirBNB searches Kim found this house perched on the hill below the castle. The accommodations were ideal offering three bedrooms on two levels, with spacious living area, upgraded modern kitchen, dining sun porch, courtyard sitting area, and terrace looking east down the Dordogne river valley. The original structure was built in 1777 but upgraded with modern amenities like indoor plumbing, ample electrical service, and WIFI internet connections. Complete with a dish washer, clothes washer/dryer, and acceptable French sized queen bed measuring 160 cm (63"). 

The view from the terrace sealed the deal. Overlooking the small village of Castelnaud below we can watch the balloon launches in early morning or evening twilight. Ballooning has become popular world wide but owes its beginning to the French Montgolfier brothers who launched their first hot air balloon in 1783. During the warmer months the river is a hot bed of canoeing/kayaking and even a river cruise ship docked in the nearby town of La Roque. 

But I digress. We are here for the cycling so other activities take a back seat to our daily rides; weather permitting. In our past more adventuresome days we would load the bikes into our car and ride wherever our obsession would take us. The one feature of this location that brings us back is the ample variety of rides that start and end from our house. An added luxury we covet. 

A tourist is a casual visitor that likes the place but has little connection with the people. We graduated on our first trip to the area when we connected with an Australian couple Darlene and Shaun that I met on their YouTube channel. All it took was two bottles of bubbly to cement our friendship and start our quest to create a social life here. Another introduction to Natasha and Tony (British expats) doubled our friend group at the start of the second year. We met Ali and Rob when we noticed their bikes along a wall in La Roque and started a conversation (in English) about bike routes in the area. Ed and Mel came to us by way of Facebook, and Thom we met during a coffee stop in Daglan and his wife Mel at a dinner party at Darlene's and Shaun's (photo below).

Clockwise: Darlene, Thom, Mel, Shaun, Kim, Alan

After several meals at local restaurants it was time for Kim to host our first dinner party at our place. Clockwise: Darlene, me, Shaun, Kim, Tony, Natasha.