Day Three – to Bourdeilles

Today’s walk took us along the Dronne river to the ancient barony of Bourdeilles where we visited the two châteaux – one with a golden bed and a golden room decorated for Catherine de Medici and one with 148 steps up to the keep for a great view. The opinion of some of the hikers is contained in the phrase CDZC ZRR ODQEDBS. This is a humanist rendering of a more recent expression. The humanists liked to play around with codes to show off their intellectual abilities and it seems as though one of these involved writing a sentence using the letter which immediately precedes the desired letter in the word. The group is still working on this one – known as the da Cronk code……

From Jim’s journal:
After breakfast, we spend a short time exploring the Abbey at Brantome with its tower built on rock outcroppings. The original Benedictine Abbey was founded by Charlemagne in 769 A.D. The Abbey and abbey church were destroyed by the Normans and reconstructed in the 11th Century and again in the 18th Century. Behind the Abbey church are the steep and rocky cliffs so prevalent throughout the Dordogne and the remnants of caverns (rock overhangs) that were inhabited by early man and later formed the defensive backdrop for the Abbey and the village that grew around it. The “Day of Judgment” cave behind the abbey contains decorations dating to the 15th Century. We then begin our hike towards Bourdeilles. The hike, like most others, covers both woods and farmland. In the woods, chestnut and oak predominate. We picnic along the trail at a high spot overlooking the valley. Then on to Bourdeilles where we visit the Chateau de Bourdeilles with its remarkable furnishings and beautifully decorated interiors—the gift of a local resident who wished for a place to display his remarkable collection of renaissance furnishings. We return to our hotel by van. Following the cocktail hour, we eat at a local restaurant across the River from our hotel (Au fil du temps) and have a wonderful meal including mushroom risotto and pigeon. Total hiking on this day – 8 miles.