Day 7: Château des Milandes, Ferme de Vielcroze, Beynac Castle.
Our sightseeing today takes us to the Château des Milandes, built around 1489, but most famous
as the home of French entertainer Josephine Baker.
A look out from the grounds to the Dordogne valley.
The main building in the foreground and the chapel in the background.
We take a guided tour of the main building with artifacts and history of Josephine Baker, but
pictures are not allowed.
The beautiful little chapel.
All of the grounds have undergone amazing renovations.
On the grounds there is a show featuring birds of prey. This is our drive Boris with Maarten watching
from the other side of the stands.
It's all in French, with short prerecorded snippets in English, but this is a hawk.
They make short flights and alight again on the glove of the handler.
They make it look like the birds will be after this ferret...
...but they use this remote control "ferret" instead.
The main handler with a larger barn owl.
The marking on these owls is very beautiful.
The owl flies and Boris tries to get a picture.
Another type of owl with different markings.
This one likes to hop/walk around as much as it likes to fly.
The smallest bird they bring out is this tiny owl....
...and the largest is this bald eagle.
We head on to Freme de Vielcroze for lunch. Here is a large concrete representation of a black truflle,
in front of a walnut orchard.
Kimberly arriving at the grounds...
...and making her way up to lunch.
It's a peasant lunch featuring bread with truffle butter, and walnut wine as an apéritif.
The main course is this delightful truffle risotto.
Wade with the carved truffle hunter figure.
Our host with the truffle dog giving a short demonstration.
The truffles are not yet in season, so she has planted truffles for the dog to find to keep
its training from getting rusty.
Some of the equipment used on the plantation.
These machines do a course and fine grind and then a press of the walnuts to extract walnut oil.
On to Beynac Castle, once home to Richard the Lionhearted.
Overlooking the Dordogne river and valley.
Our intrepid adventurers. The partial clouds complete the river scene.
Maarten explaining the various additions to the castle over the centuries.
Starting to climb up, we look out again over the Dordogne, to watch for Viking raiders.
A nice overview shot of the castle.
The rooms have various states of decor, like this guard post.
Maarten explaining the history of how wardrobe chests became furniture pieces.
A reception hall; we are on the raised dais.
Just off the reception hall was uncovered a drawing centuries older depicting the Last Supper.
This dining hall has been beautifully restored...
...as has this office.
From the very top of the keep, we can see out over the valley...
...in several directions.
Making our way back down from the tower.
This kitchen area has been used in several French period films.
Cobblestones and hills everywhere to help keep us in shape.
That evening, we needed something with a little spice, so we ate at the Indian restaurant next to the hotel.
