Tag Archives: Sarlat le Canéda

Sarlat le Canéda, France

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Day 36, Tuesday, October 3, 2023

Bob is out early exploring the streets of Sarlat and he comes home to tell me how interesting this medieval town is. We both go out in the afternoon for a walk. Sarlat Cathedral, just around the corner from our apartment is a Roman Catholic church.  It is a national monument and was established in 1317!  We hear its bells chiming several times a day. It is a nice wake up call at 7:05 am when the bells chime for several minutes.  The ringing of the bells at 7:05 am and 7:05 pm each day is called “Angelus,” and that it is an ancient pattern of bell-ringing that is a call to prayer for Catholics to pray a particular prayer.  This is the back of the church, with several ancient sarcophagi, which I discovered is the plural form of sarcophagus.

We climb the steps behind the church and I notice a light shining through the stained glass window, although the church is closed at the moment.

At the top of the steps behind the church we find this Lanterne des Mortes, which means Lantern of the Dead. Lanternes des Mortes are small stone towers. “Pierced with small openings at the top, a light was exhibited at night to indicate the position of a cemetery, hospital, or leper colony. These lanterns were originally constructed to warn passers-by of the danger of infection, as well as to illuminate cemeteries where it was feared that repenting souls, ghosts, and criminals could hide. Later, they were also erected at the intersections of important routes and roads.”  ~Wikipedia

Bob checks it out but there are no repenting souls, ghosts or criminals about.

We continue to explore the old narrow streets.

This very large dog just quietly watched us peek through the gate, even when I called to him he didn’t move a muscle.

Someone cemented a little piece of art onto the wall on one of the side streets. It makes me smile.

Everywhere we look the old buildings are crammed together, often one on top of another up the hillsides.  This one looks a bit castle like.

This charming little stained glass room is on the roof of the Présidial, which was built in the17th century.  At the time it was a sort of Court House where a Royal Officer would hear complaints and make rulings.  

I have mentioned that I love peeking in windows and courtyards whenever it is possible.  I don’t think this is being renovated, it just sits empty.  

A block or so away a renovation is definitely taking place. there even was a box with old dishes sitting on the sidewalk, free for the taking.

There are so many old houses boarded up and for sale.  I think we could probably buy one quite reasonably, but the renovations would be terribly expensive. If they are historic buildings, which they probably are, there are many restrictions on what renovations are able to be done and how they are done.  Guess we will pass on owning a little piece of Sarlat.

Most of the yards in this area are very overgrown and unkept.  Tidy gardens are not the norm here.

This narrow street ends in an abandoned overgrown yard and building with a lot of ‘stuff’ lying about.  Kind of creepy but just before the broken gate leading to this are doorways to apartments with new mailboxes and doors.  I wouldn’t want to be walking home at night here.

I don’t know what it is about French doors, but so many of them are very very old, and have peeling paint like this one.  But notice, it has nice new hardware…just not a new paint job.  There seems to be some sort of pride in having a very ancient looking door.

I forgot to take a daytime photo from our apartment window but this is the view when it is dark.

Sarlat le Canéda, France

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Day 34, Sunday, October 1, 2023

Our first day in Sarlat, Bob goes for a walk to check out the neighbourhood and I am quite content to watch the world go by from our window.  There is a knock at our door and when I answer it there is a box of local goodies from our Airbnb hosts.

In the late afternoon we go for a little walk through the narrow cobblestoned streets.

This is a Medieval town and most of the buildings date from the the 15th century and even some from the 13th century!

This old church is now an indoor market.  We will have to return when it is open.

This statue of three geese is a reminder of the importance of the local fois gras industry.

Some of the shops are already starting to decorate for Halloween.  This clown is particularly creepy.

There are always interesting doors in French cities and towns.

What to do when you want a garden but don’t have a yard.

The Fontaine Sainte-Marie is nestled in a natural grotto not too far from our apartment.. This 12th century fountain was used until the 18th century when the water became polluted from nearby streets and stables.  

We walk back home under a street festooned with flowers.  This is going to be an interesting place to stay.

Montrésor and Sarlat le Canéda, France

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Day 33, Saturday , September 30, 2023

We leave for Sarlat la Canéda in a heavy fog.  It is quite beautiful , but not the easiest driving.

Before too long the sun is shining and we are driving through farmland that looks a lot like Alberta. 

Then we drive through a beautiful forested area.

We stop for a visit and lunch in Montrésor which is listed as one of France’s 140 most beautiful towns.  The church is small but interesting.  The church was built to house this white alabaster tomb for three family members.  The stained glass windows and the carved wooden stalls all date from the 16th century when the church was built.

We walk along the river which has interesting information plaques and great views of the Château de Montrésor and the village.

Loved the reflections in the river.

There are some very large, very old trees along the way.  Bob is standing on the bridge just behind the tree.

Many of the houses are built right into the stone cliffs.  This little shop is an example, the ceiling and back wall are all natural stone.

I loved this sign in the window. It says “Turn off the TV and look at the sky.”

I also love peeking in windows and open gates whenever I have the chance.  You never know what you might see.  I wonder what happened to the owner of this little bookstore?

This gate looked interesting…

and it hid this tiny garden complete wth a chair, a bottle of wine and a very interesting statue.

The half-timbered houses date back to the 15th century!  In the background are the towers of the Medieval Keep of the Château de Montrésor.I loved this carved lizard, which is the symbol of Montrésor.

The Château de Montrésor is a medieval castle with a Renaissance mansion built in the grounds.  We decided not to tour the château and soon we are back on the road to Sarlat.

The canola fields are just starting to turn yellow here, much later than back home.

I have a chance to sneak a few sketches of people waiting for a bus at the gas station when we stop to fill up.  There hasn’t been much opportunity for this so far this trip.I notice that the leaves are staring to turn colour…winter is coming!

The hillsides are dotted with charming little villages.

Our bnb in Sarlat is right in the heart of the old town.  On the Airbnb website it says “Come and discover the entertainment, restaurants, shops, the famous market of the city with its local products, surrounded by the walls and history of the city of Sarlat. All at your feet.”  It should be interesting, we have never stayed right in the heart of an old city before. The circled windows belong to our apartment.