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The general council of the Dordogne department has announced that it will intercede in the dispute surrounding some of its most popular archaeological attractions.

Concerns have been raised over what will happen when the current lease for the archaeological sites near Les Eyzies expires in 2013. Germinal Peiro, the deputy general counsel, described the property situation as “complex”.

Many of the locations, driveways and parking lots serving the attractions are owned by different operators and the council is concerned that with the end of the lease will come the end of the relationships which have made the area such a success for tourism in the region.

Currently the sites are operated by Semitour, who manage the Grand Roc Caves and the Laugerie Basse excavations sites. They attract nearly 80000 visitors a year and are a popular attraction for holidaygoers in France with a passion for history and nature. It is estimated that their combined turnover is somewhere in the field of 1.2 millioneuros.

To keep the site running smoothly and to help preserve the region’s reputation for heritage and prehistory, the General council has launch a process of expropriation. It is hoped that this programme will bring vital facilities under the direct control of the department and ease tensions between independent commercial operators who hold leases to other tourism sites in the region.

The Grand Roc Caves demonstrates some of the most unique geological features among the Dordogne valley. As well as stalagmites and stalactites there are triangular formations of crystallised rock, developed over hundreds of thousands of years of natual processes. It opened in 1927 and uniquely, its entrance is situated half way up a cliff face. However access has been made easier over the course of the century, with stairs an early addition to the site.

One of the best Monbazillac wine producers has recently become the new president of the Bergerac wine growers. Francois Gerardin makes a wide range of dry white and red wines in order to appeal to a wide range of tastes but his clients do have expensive tastes, he says: “you need fairly well off clients to buy Monbazillac.”

Francois family has been making Monbazillac longer than anyone, and he has inherited the family estate Chateau Le Fage. The 40 hectares of vines make it one of the largest properties in the area, which looks over the main north facing slope in the Dordogne, overlooking the town of Bergerac.

Half of his property is dedicated to making Monbazillac, with the rest being shared between making Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle.

He blends grapes from all over the slope of the Dordogne valley with the aim of “finesse, finesse, finesse”, he says: “I don’t like wines that are too sugary, with a potential of 25 or 26% alcohol. I like fresh-tasting wine. I want it to be crispy. I sell wine, not cooked fruits.”

Francois’s wine is different and so successful because of its location and orientation on the hillside, along with its soils and its complexity. He described his growing process: “some parts are more sandy, others are more based on limestone. Wines from the top of the slope have more finesse; those from lower down have more power, especially the Semillon.”

A new book has been published this month which explores the history of the protestant faith in the Dordogne region.

The Historical Dictionary of Protestantism in Perigord Agen-Guyenne summarizes four centuries of historical studies into the Dordogne Valley and its relationship with the protestant branch of Christianity.

The work was commissioned and published by the Society of the History of Protestantism in the Valley of the Dordogne. It covers over 200 municipalities across the historical Perigord region, including towns in Gironde, Lot-et-Garonne and Dordogne.

Dordogne’s market towns are a constant draw to people on a french holiday, as they boast some of the most distinctive and preserved examples of medieval architecture. A great deal of this architecture comes from the influence of the Protestant church in the area.

After the break with the Catholic Church over 500 years ago, bastions of the faith were established in places such as Perigueux and Bergerac Sarlat in Dordogne, or Duras Monflanquin in Lot-et-Garrone.

The book contains illustrations, pictures and maps of the area as well as a complete timeline tracing the day-to-day developments of the reformist faith in the area between 1542 and 1685. As well as a general history of the reformation in northern Aquitaine, the book attempts to portray what life was like for the faith’s 300 pastors in the formative first century.

The book was written by contributors from historical societies and history lecturers throughout France, and contains over 300 pages of information on the men and women of the faith who made their mark in Dordogne and the Perigord. It was commissioned by the Society of the History of Protestantism in the Valley of the Dordogne and costs 25 euros.

Last week saw school children and families across the Dordogne region take part in workshops, activities and film screenings exploring the wonders of science.

As part of the national festival of science conducted by the French Ministries of Research and Education, science campaigners and advocacy groups around the country encouraged the public and young people in particular to connect with science. The goal  was to bridge the gap between research and everyday life.

During the week dozens of organisations colloborated with municipalities throughout Dordogne and the rest of the perigod to promote science to the public and to the young in particular.

One of the key locations was the Salle Du Chapeaux Rouge in Quimper. Dordogne’s Regulus amateur astronomy club transformed the building’s main hall into a showroom exploring space travel and the moon landings. As well as a replica of lunar soil, there were stereoscopic images of the Galaxy and children from schools throughout the North of Dordogne were treated to 3D screenings of the Lunar landing footage.

Chidren were also encouraged to take part in creative workshops where they transformed plastic bottles into mini-rockets propelled by water. On the final day of the festival, the Regulus club treated locals and interested tourists to an overview of the autumn sky in the Observatory High-Perigord in Perigeux.

Other events run throughout the region included workshops by travelling group Creascience, who visited towns throughout the Dordogne before hosting a central exhibition in Bergerac. One of the national highlights of the festival was the efforts of the European Space Agency (ESA) in Toulouse, situated in the southwestern departement of Haute-Garonne which borders Dordogne.

Two municipalities in Dordogne have been named as sporting champions by the Association Aquitaine.

Sarlat and Trelissac were given the ‘Common Sports for All’ award this week at the Salon Des Sports Conforexpo at the Bordeaux-Lac Adventure Park. Officials from the Association Aquitaine’s board of fitness, health and sports gave recognition and reviewed the efforts of municipalities in Dordogne, Landes, Gironde and the other departments of the south-west region of France.

The awards were given to towns and communes which successfully met the criteria used to judge their commitment to athletics. These included the number of sports educators in an area, the number of sporting events hosted, the number of licensed venues and other such factors. Municipalities were awarded a star rating based on how actively they promoted sport, and how effective they were at providing equipment to the public. Only the very best towns were awarded the ‘Commune Sport Pour Tous‘ certification.

Trelissac gained a rating of four stars – the maximum rating given by the board. Speaking to SudOuest.com Francis Christmann, the sports co-ordinator for the municipality, said that signs championing the award will be placed near all of the town’s sport’s facilities.

The wider Dordogne departements was also praised for sporting achievements this week. The vice president for sports on the French General Council, Colbac Francis led a delegation in the French senate which commended the Dordogne for its sporting initiatives. Francis, speaking on behalf of Trophy Communities committee, praised the region for its regional sports day. This year over 1650 participants from throughout the Perigord attended the annual event in Trelissac.

A new organisation for creative chocolate makers has been launched in the Dordogne.

‘Chocolate Madness’ aims to bring new inspirations to the thriving confectionery industry of the Dordogne Perigord.

Known as ‘Folie Chocolate’ in French, the group was started in response to the interest shown at February’s exhibition of the Union of Confectioners Chocolate Dordogne-Perigord. Despite taking place squarely in the off peak season, where the numbers of people on a french holiday are at their lowest, it proved extremely popular.

Chocolatier Gerald Bousseton and his friend Patrick Brecha decided to capitalise on the interest by organising a new association of chocolate and confectionery makers – and a new chocolate festival for the Dordogne.

Sharing its name with the organisation behind it, Chocolate Madness will run over Saturday the 28th and Sunday the 29th of November. Hosted in the Chateaux des Izards in Perigeux, it will feature chocolate artisans from eight of France’s departements.

These participants will be more than the traditional chocolatiers. According to Bousseton, it will be open to “all those who have ‘soul candy’”. The idea is to showcase some of the most creative and unexpected ideas amongconfectionery makers to both the public and interested businesses. Visitors can expect to see chocolate in all shapes, sizes, colours and combinations. Bousseton himself specialises in colourfully decorated chocolate in range of artistic styles, and often combines fruit with cocoa in his creations.

Folie Chocolat hopes to host the event biannually, alternating with the regional food festival Salon Du Livre Gourmand of Perigeux. As well as workshops for chocolatiers and public demonstrations of some of the tricks of the trade, visitors will be able taste some of the treats.

Speaking to Sudouest.com, Gerard Bousseton said that he and Patrick created the new organisation purely to expedite the event. After the February exhibition he arranged to host an event with the municipality of Perigeux. Considering his vision of a sucessful, unique exhibition, he knew that he would have to quickly organise participants, funds and contracts to make it it a reality.

Bousseton said that”to achieve this, it was necessary to create this association”.

A successful US based winery will host a trip to France next spring. Crossing Vineyards and Winery owners Tom and Christine Carroll and their son Tom Carroll Jr are due to visit France next May for twelve days.

They will stay in Paris, Bordeaux and Normandy where they will host various events, including a cognac distillery tasting and tour, a foie gras farm tasting and tour, and a Dordogne river cruise.

Crossing Vineyards and Winery have won many awards for their wine as they use both traditional and modern state of the art ways. The winemaking process begins with hand picking the grapes, they are then processed as soon as possible to ensure quality of taste. A state of the art refrigeration system stays at a contstant temperature throughout the fermentation process. Ageing takes place in French oak barrels or steel tanks.

Tom Carroll Jr works closely with his parents within the family business, as he is also the vintner at the winery. Although his family’s vineyard is based in America, he believes the tastes of the wine they produce, are more European tasting, he said: “Wines grown on the East Coast have distinct personalities, different from those produced in warm dry climates. Our wines are subtle, reserved, quietly complex. In a word, they are more European.”

The family are holding an informative talk about their trip to France, where they will no doubt be mixing business with pleasure, while sharing their wine expertise with other budding French and European wine makers.

French holidaying has become more popular as more and more people decide to house swap instead of paying for expensive hotels. There has been a surge in membership on home exchange websites this year, as people decide to turn their houses into holiday homes, in order to holiday in another part of the world.

Though it may sound like the perfect plan, Kathlyn Gadd had a bad experience when she trusted people to holiday in her house. She had exchanged her house in the Dordogne seven times with no trouble, until one couple from the US Virgin Islands asked if the cows in the field next to her French cottage could be moved.

Ms Gadd said: “They only stayed five days and left my house in an absolute tip.”

Another family’s experience with house swapping however, changed their lives. Mr and Mrs Ashton, along with their four children, exchanged their house in Phoenix Arizona for one in the south of France. Mr Ashton and his family liked it so much, that they ended up staying for a year, before eventually moving there permanently. Mr Ashton secured a job near their new home, he said: “This was totally and completely life changing.”

There are around 70 home exchanging websites to choose from on the internet. Users are required to upload photographs and a description of their house and its location, before specifying the location you would like to exchange to.

A huge amount of trust has to go into house exchange, but all credible websites will require both parties to sign a contract and take out some kind of insurance to ensure peace of mind.

The Lascaux caves in Dordogne were featured on a BBC documentary exploring the concept of beauty in art.

‘What is Beauty?’ was broadcast on Saturday the fourteenth of November on BBC Two. In it, artist and write Matthew Collings sets out to answer whether beauty is universal, or whether it is “in the eye of the beholder”.

The programme shows Collins discussing and showcasing ten of his favourite pieces of historical artwork. As well as works by Gaugin, Rauschenberg and Michaelango, Collins explored the work of the unidentified artists of the infamous Lascaux caves.

Located in the Dordogne department of France, the Lascaux caves are the source of international significance. Their appearance in What Is Beauty highlighted their historical significance as some of the earliest identified pieces of artwork in the world.

In What is Beauty, Collins discussed some of the 2,000 figures painted on the cave walls. Even older than the statues and paintings of Michaelangelo, the cave art is estimated as being nearly 16,000 years old. They mainly portray animals known to have lived in the Perigord region over that period.

Discussing the cave art, Collins said: “The magic of the beauty of cave art is transformation of dirty little piles of coloured pigment into a magic illusion of the artist’s living reality”.

The cave system is so precious that it is a UNESCO world heritage site, and public access is restricted to the replica caves established to protect the archaeological goldmine of the Lascaux. These replica caves remain a highlight for many people on a french holiday, as they are accurate reproductions of artefacts so old and delicate that even the moisture from someones breath can cause damage.

The programme is available for another 5 days on the BBC iPlayer.

The Bovet chocolatiers in Terrasson, a town in the north of Dordogne, has proven a popular attraction to visitors and tourists throughout the region. In the busy peak holiday period of August alone nearly 5452 people crossed its doors.

In 2002 Valter Bovet opened his business, Chocolate Bovet, described by regional news service Sudouest.com as a ‘chocolate factory’, in Terrasson – the town commonly known as the “gateway to the Perigord”. Not only does Chocolate Bovet sell gourmet products such as chocolate, preserves and sweets, it also incorporates a production workshop with a public gallery and a museum about the art of the chocolatier. This traces the history of cocoa and shows how the industry has grown, improving its processes of harvesting, drying, tempering and producing chocolate over centuries.

Just four years after its opening, Chocolate Bovet had been visited by 30,000 people. Its owner says that the numbers have been growing ever since he went into business, and continues to perform even in the recession.

“Between July 2008 and 2009, we recorded an increase in attendance of 23%” he told local news service SudOuest.com. “In August 2009, we recorded 5295 entries – 5,452 this year.”
“Even in September, a calmer month, the trend was still upward – 897 visitors in 2008, 1152 in 2009″.

Local news service Sudouest.com describes Chocolate Bovet as an innovator of original chocolates, and some of Valter Bovet’s products could explain the fierce interest from tourists. In 1994, before establishing his factory, Bovet invented a machine that produced fully formed chocolate nails and tools. This industrial approach to his creations proved a success, with an order of 30,000 packets of chocolate nails for South Korea placed in 1996 through a Salon International Food event.

Though Bovet has expanded far beyond chocolate hardware, it produces an industrial amount of chocolate – between 200 and 250 tons per year. One of its most popular lines is a range of 100g tablets, which ironically were one of the products that Bovet says he was hesitant to introduce due to their common nature.

“To differentiate ourselves from competitors, we included tablets with flavours that contain things like spiced fruit, flowers or honey.” Bovet says, “currently our line has more than 140 kinds of chocolate bars in black, white and milk base flavours. We manufacture 1 million of them every year”.