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Report 471: A Long Weekend in the Dordogne

By Ger from Canada, Spring 2004

Page 4 of 7: Les Eyzies de Tayac and Font du Gaume

I greeted the day with enormous enthusiasm, full of nervous energy and excitement. This was the day that I would see those wondrous paintings at Font de Gaume that I had dreamed of since childhood. I was a little apprehensive, as sometimes that level of excitement results in disappointment. I had decades of dreams and imaginings around my first experience of primitive cave paintings and wondered if the reality of this object of fascination could ever meet those decades of expectations.

I need not have worried. Font du Gaume proved so much more powerful and moving than I had ever anticipated. I can't write about it, even now, without my eyes tearing up like a daft softie! It is an experience that will occupy a place in my heart forever.

The morning broke sunny and clear, but it quickly became overcast and, throughout the day, and there were frequent downfalls. The drive from Domme to the Font du Gaume is just lovely, but so are all of the drives in the Dordogne. If you really want to be bored senseless by delightful, lush scenery, then get yourself to this region. If I had one regret on this trip it was that it had taken me so long to visit the Dordogne.

I parked my car at Font de Gaume at 9:15 and lined up until the booth opened at 9:30. My ticket was stamped for the 10 am tour. It is really important to understand that they only allow 200 people in per day into the caves (and are thinking of reducing this number), each tour takes 10 people and they are scheduled every 20 mins. If you are visiting in the high season, book ahead or get there early.

I climbed the hill to the cave entrance (this is a fairly steep climb, sensible shoes required) and was delighted to see that two French Septuagenarians had made it there before me; obviously I am not drinking enough red wine!

The tour was in French, and I could understand most of it, but who needs to? This is not an intellectual experience; it is a spiritual and emotional voyage How can I describe my personal experience? An unseen force wrenched my heart from my chest, kicked me in the stomach and the tears streamed from my eyes. The emotional experience was so sublime, that I felt it as a physical assault.

I walked through a confined passageway, into a slightly larger chamber, recognized vague shadows on the wall that became more distinct and real as the tour proceeded, as the images became more solid and the significance more real. These images are not primitive; they are the works of great artists that understood perspective, musculature and movement. These artists had the skills, intelligence and emotional sophistication to touch the viewer's heart and soul. The emotional effect is akin to the wonder and excitement that one experiences when one sees the Sistine Chapel, or any other great work of art.. This is an experience that confirms, however briefly, that man truly is a superb creation and a reflection of a great and good deity.

The tour guide was simpatico. She probably conducts this tour every day, 10 times per day, but she was as enthusiastic about the experience, as if she had just discovered the cave herself and was seeing it for the first time. I watched the mixed group, all ages, all nations, and knew that they were as overcome as I was. Everyone was conducting himself or herself as if they were in a sacred place of veneration; we were all overcome by the experience and tried to hold back the emotion, and, when we caught each others glances, we smiled shyly, somewhat embarrassed, that a stranger caught us in this vulnerable state.

There is humour and whimsy in these paintings, and these are such sophisticated emotions, that truly separate the man from the beast. Reproduction and caring for young is a trait man shares with all mammals; fear and fight we share with even the most basic organisms. Humour and laughter appears to be isolated to the higher orders: Apes, dolphins, whales. The ability to express humour in art is unique to man and a few gifted gorillas. The tour last for about 45 minutes and I walked out into the morning sunlight with a new-found respect for our ancestors and, quite honestly, I was in love with all of mankind. This is one of those emotional experiences that remains with you, long after the details disappear.

The prehistoric museum in Les Eyzies is closed for renovations until July, which would have been a catastrophic disappointment, had I not been floating in the stratosphere. There was no minor inconvenience that could possibly irritate or depress me on this trip, because I was as high as a kite on my Font du Gaume experience.

Instead, I drove along the Vezere River, another beautiful drive, and stopped at La Roque St. Christophe. Over 100 caves have been carved out of the cliff and it was a refuge for man from the Paleolithic era to the 16th century. . At one time, this was a self-contained vertical town, with butchers, bakers, blacksmiths and other trades, and even had a small church. This may well have been Western man's first experience with living in a high-rise Condominium. The stench must have been overwhelming! The exhibition has been set up for the kids, who I am sure will find it fascinating.

St. Leon sur Vezere

I stopped briefly at the charming village of St. Leon sur Vezere. It was completely empty, as it was around lunchtime, but for a young Basset hound who greeted me warmly on arrival (he had no-one else to play with) and stayed with me for the entire tour. There is a truly excellent Romanesque church, built by the Benedictines in the 12 century, over the ruins of a Roman Villa. The interior is divine in its simplicity and lack of ostentatious ornament. There are two important Chateaux in the town, one overlooking the river. I struggled to get a photograph of it through the trees, until my little friend showed me the way. He leapt up on the wall and beckoned me to follow, which I did, and managed to get a good shot. He tried to encourage me to go further, but I was a bit concerned that this might be a private residence and the owners would not be too pleased about an invasion of a mad tourist and doggie, scrambling over their walls.

I wandered around the town and ran into a few residents that greeted me pleasantly. Being a city dweller, I always enjoy this natural politeness country folk have; it costs nothing to smile at a stranger and say hello. Following my exploration of the village, I wandered down to the banks of the river. The weeping willows swayed gently in the breeze and ducks and geese waddled about on the banks. I was surprised my new pal did not rush into the middle of the birds; I know my own two terriers would have! It was absolutely peaceful, the only sounds being the lowing of the breeze through the willows, the soft music of the water over the stones, the occasional lethargic quaking of the fowl.

I walked toward my car and wondered if I should stop off at the bakery and pick up a treat for my little friend; the usual problem, how much should I tip the tour guide! As it happened, it wasn't a problem, on the way to the car-park, he abandoned me and wandered over to a restaurant, and was greeted by the staff; perhaps his owners. What a good life doggies have in the Dordogne. I was glad of his company and I made a mental note to bring doggie treats with me on my next travels.

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Trip Report Pages

Introduction

Domme

Driving through the Dordogne

Les Eyzies de Tayac and Font du Gaume

Wonderful Sarlat!

The best laid plans often go awry

Lascaux II

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Report 471: A Long Weekend in the Dordogne

Page 4 of 7: Les Eyzies de Tayac and Font du Gaume

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