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| Steve Smith and Monsieur Lascaux 1999…2007
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On one Dordogne day, I enjoyed a perfect storm of travel thrills. A ritual for me and Steve Smith (co-author of my France guidebook) is to canoe down the Dordogne River. Last year, we actually charted a little river map for our guidebook — this year, we got to use it. (What we dubbed “Heron Gulch” still had its herons.)
Pulling our canoe up in Beynac, we hiked up to what stood over the village and river like the mother of all castles. And the lady of Beynac castle actually opened it up for our TV cameras (to the surprise of the local tourist board). It was lit by little oil lamps — puddles of light giving the spiral staircase a visual rhythm — just as in medieval times.
The attendant let me lower a huge plank door that opened up a treacherous little balcony high above the castle grounds. From that ledge, I got to reenact a goofy little speech (to our camera), which I imagine happened many times during the Hundred Years War. (This was the messy front, as England and France battled from roughly 1450 to 1550.) The local noble lord would gather his subjects together (after some dicey negotiations with military types much stronger then him) and declare, “Now you are French” or “Now you are English…deal with it.”
As we left the castle, its aristocratic owner (who so elegantly greeted us earlier) was sitting in a little glass room just inside the drawbridge, selling tourists tickets…making her living five euros at a time. On the way out, I saw her family name on a list of owners that went back a thousand years and included Richard the Lionhearted. Perhaps such is the lot of France’s 21st castle-owning nobility. (Perhaps, also, visions of selling tickets to commoners touring their grandfather’s palace is why the old wealth in American society is so afraid of an inheritance tax that seems logical to Europeans.)
Driving home, Steve and I stumbled onto the classic old farm we dropped in on 10 years ago. We pulled in, not knowing if the dear old man — whose wonderfully ruddy face made it (with Steve’s wonderfully cute face) onto our French phrasebook a few years back — was even alive. He was doing great, remembered us (thankfully, we sent him a copy of the phrasebook) and invited us back into his barn’s attic where we filmed ECU (Extremely Close Up in TV-production jargon) shots of the magnificent stone lauzes roofs characteristic of this region. The man’s name: Monsieur Lascaux. The famous copy cave, 10 miles down the road, is called Lascaux II. We now call our man with the stone roof Lascaux I.
People Add the Colour
Great item. I feel like I’m there enjoying the Dordogne. As you always say Rick it is the people you meet (and your friends over there) that really make Europe special.
I spent January in France. When I passed through Avignon the Hotel du Parc was closed so I went down the street to the Hotel Bristol which is a great 3 star hotel for slightly more than the du Parc. A solid recommendation for inclusion in the Provence Guide. JS
Rick, I’ve watched your show about the production of your shows and I know that you are a workaholic! I so much appreciate you taking the time to write this blog! If you ever – God forbid get tired of traveling you should consider writing a novel. (I’ve read several of your guidebooks, and find myself laughing at your descriptions) You have a wonderful writing style!
Thanks for taking the time to share your adventures with us!
Rick,
I went to the Dordogne in 2000 and stayed at a hotel directly across from the Chateau du Beynac. When the hotel ownder saw us with your book they remembered your visit with the TV cameras and were happy to see you sending people their way.
It is a wonderful place and canoeing down the river is a must!
Cool!
Rick–
Ditto Jill (above) !!
Hi Mr. Rick,
Something has been on my mind and I want to express my thoughts to you.
Because I love to travel, I watch many travel shows and read travel blogs and message boards. Yours are better by far and so are your fans!
I want to be fair, so I wont name any names. There is a forum for another travel show, and all they can talk about is how they love the female host and how sexy she is. I bet over half that read their forum are not travelers and watch it because of the sexy host.
Serious travelers go to your site to really learn something. As a travel host, you are the cute brotherly type, Do we need a Brad Pitt to be a travel host? GOD NO!!!
Rick Steves rocks the world!
oxox,Lisa
Just in case you are wondering, at the end of my last post, at the end of my name, I slipped on a key and it looks weird. Too bad we can’t edit!
It’s been a tough day for me. My son had surgery today and it was very scary! I need to recover too!
I just hope my son recovers fully in six weeks before he travels to Riga Latvia!!!
I yet need to visit Latvia!
Lisa P.
Lisa P,
Gushing fangirl commentary here…I had the pleasure of meeting Rick in person at a travel convention in Orlando last year. He is as gracious, humorous, and intelligent as can be. He gives personal attention to all his (many) fans and somehow makes time for everyone to talk and take photos with him. He’s quite a charmer as well as being very tall, blond and actually rather handsome!
I also agree, that if you are a real traveler, his tips are spot on. We did his “dodge the line at the Coliseum” advice (buy your ticket at the Forum instead) and we waltzed right by a 2+ hour line at the gate. Right on Rick!
I went to Rick’s travel festival in Edmonds WA. and I came in from Texas. I also had the pleasure to meet Rick many times, and what a wonderful person! And yes, very handsome and down to earth. That’s the kind of person I like!
I just want people to know that everyone that is serious about travel should attend his classes! Very much worth it!! The classes are free! It was worth my time, airfare and the hotel. I would do this again and take even more classes that Rick and his staff has to offer.
Lisa P.
Great Photo!
Tell Steve his “cute face” hasn’t changed a bit since our days at San Diego State University back in 1975 . . . Love all your stories, commentaries and travel tips. Please give a big hello to Steve Smith from Holly #1 – he will know what that means!! Holly Anderson
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