MONTPEZAT 

This is another village we will discover during our adventure.

Lunch in a Medieval Village

One of our many meals during our French Adventure will be to lunch at Lou Canton, a French Restaurant in the small medieval village of Cestayrols which is south of Cordes.  Bernard Gisquet, the chef/owner, is well regarded for his authentic French cuisine.  

The link for the restaurant's web site is below for you to have a look at.

http://restaurant.loucantoun.fr/

Meet 

Laurent Zimmermann

Laurent is an extremely experienced sommelier from Vins Sur 20 which is in the nearby township of Cassaude.

He will be sharing his knowledge of local wines, champagnes, cheeses and breads with us at Chateau Dumas one evening.

Laurent's easy and very charming French personality will ensure an entertaining evening where we can all sit back and relax some more and try the best of the local produce.

Chateau de Haute-Serre

We shall be visiting this vineyard which is near the town of Cahors.  We have organised a private tour, an education session and then a magnificent meal in the estate's restaurant.

Château de Haute-Serre is an estate belonging to the Vigouroux Family.  The vineyard is situated on the “Mountain of Cahors”, over the Lot River Valley, on the historical slopes where the vines were grown during the Middle Ages. When Georges Vigouroux bought this property in the early 1970's, he was one of the few pioneers who decided to re-plant the vineyards of Cahors which had totally disappeared after the phyloxera disease in the 19th Century.  The new vineyard of 65 Ha surrounds the beautiful 18th Century Château and the modern semi-underground cellar.

Here is a link so you can visit the web site for this amazing winery.

http://www.hauteserre.fr/index.php/en/wines/chateau-de-haute-serre.html                                        

St Antonin Noble Val

St Antonin Noble Val is where we will spend sometime visiting the great markets and exploring this medieval village.  Those of you who have seen the movie Hundred Foot Journey and drooled over the countryside and the market scenes in this film will love this because it was filmed in St Antonin Noble Val.  Another great movie that was filmed in this picture perfect village was Charlotte Gray.

It has its origins in a Benedictine Monastery built in the 8th century. Some of the buildings of the main square and the surrounding streets date from the first half of the 12th century - notably older than most 'medieval villages'.

There are numerous small alleys to explore, lined with attractive houses many of which feature fascinating historical features - a small bridge, a statue, or an ornate window - which make an exploration very rewarding.

Among the most notable medieval houses are the Kings House, the lower part in stone and with ornate windows, and the upper storey half-timbered, the Maison de l'Amour, and the Maison de l'Ave Maria although you will discover many others as you explore.

Four of the buildings in Saint-Antonin are classified Historic Monuments. These are: the town hall; the arcades of the 'Maison d'amour'; the 'Maison Fonsagrives-Muratet' and the Moulin à huile de noix (walnut-oil mill). 

   

Les Chateaux de Bruniquel

This is one of the villages which we shall explore on our adventure.  Situated  in the Midi-Pyrenees region of France and in the Department of Tarn et Garonne.  Population 587.

Bruniquel is one of the many bastides (a fortified town) in France and occupies a high position along the southern edge of the Lot and Quercy regions at the meeting of the Aveyron and Vere rivers.

The town is dominated by an imposing fortress of two castles, 'Old Castle' and 'Castle Young'.  These 2 castles are built on the remains of buildings dating back to the 6th Century.  the 'Old Castle' was built in the 13th Century and the 'Castle Young' was built in the 15th Century.

The date of the first medieval French bastide (a fortified town) starts around 1229.  All bastides have a grid layout and a central market square with a covered weighing and measuring area for ease of trade.