Tag Archives: Boutique Tours

Lascaux – The Most Famous Painted Prehistoric Cave

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Font-de-Gaume,, Painted Caves, Cro Magnan, Prehistoric, Reindeer, Dordogne, Culture, France

Discovered in 1940 by a teenage boy, the cave of Lascaux, located in the Dordogne region of France, opened the world’s eyes to the beauty and sophistication of prehistoric cave art.  Preserved for over 17,000 years, the images are life-like and depict the animals that roamed this area of France at the time the paintings were made. The paintings are striking not only for their rich color but also for the realistic reproduction of the animals, the shading to indicate form and shape, and the primitive attempt at the portrayal of perspective, something that would not be addressed, let alone mastered, until the Renaissance.

Since the discovery of Lascaux, many more sites have been found in this region.  In 1979 UNESCO designated the Vézère River Valley, of which Lascaux is a part, as a World Heritage Site that includes 197 prehistoric sites and 25 decorated caves.

According to Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lascaux the original cave was closed to tourists in 1948 because of severe deterioration of the paintings due to the carbon dioxide humans introduced into the cave.  Since that time, the French government has made it possible for us to see the main part of Lascaux with an exact replica called Lascaux II.

A Day Visiting the Vézère River Valley

2013-01-05 St. Leon Sur Vezere TownDuring the upcoming boutique tour to the Dordogne, we will spend an entire day exploring the Vézère River Valley including a guided tour in English of Lascaux II.   During the day, we will visit a giant limestone cliff on which there is evidence that ancient, as well as medieval, man lived and a medieval village.  There will be an opportunity to visit Les Eyzies (considered the town of prehistory) and the famous Museum of Prehistory, which has the 3rd largest collection of prehistory artifacts in the world.  (Photo of St. Léon-sur-Vézère courtesy of Rob at http://www.ourfrenchgarden.com)

Lascaux II has a website where you can get an idea about what the cave looks like and some of the drawings and symbols seen in the cave.  Click here for the English language site.  The site is vast and takes a little time to get acquainted with it.  The music can be turned off by clicking the word ‘sound’ at the bottom of the page.  After clicking on ‘Visit the Cave’ just under the word ‘Lascaux,’ an informative map appears in the lower right hand corner indicating where in the cave the photos are located.  Also, a menu will appear by moving your curser to the left of the screen. Clicking on the separate photos will bring up a menu with links to additional, and more detailed, information.   Screen

Books

  • Stepping-Stones: A Journey through the Ice Age Caves of the Dordogne by Christine Desdemaines-Hugon
  • The Cave Painters by Gregory CurtisThe first book I read about cave art was
  • Mapping Human History, Genes, Race, and Our Common Origins by Steve Olsen

Websites

The Bradshaw Foundation offers an interactive map showing the migration patterns of humans out of Africa with a timeline.  It also indicates periods of different ice ages.

Another Cave

There is an opportunity to see another splendid painted cave near Les Eyzies, Font-de-Gaume.  This beautiful bison is from that cave as did the tender painting of the reindeer above.  Font de Gaume, Painted Caves, Dordogne, France, BisonAll painted caves have similarities and differences.  In my opinion, would be well worth seeing this second cave to get a sense of how other caves differ.  Also, one day these beautiful prehistoric masterpieces may be closed to the public.  The following paintings are found in Font-de-Gaume.

The Natural and Cultivated Beauty of the Dordogne

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Several times I have commented on just how beautiful and lush the Dordogne is.  The land and what it can produce seems to be endless and bountiful.  There is something about the proximity of the warm colored stone of the buildings and the plants, flowers and trees that contrast and heighten each ones’ essence.

A dear friend, Nancy, who may love flowers and gardening as much as she does travel, sent a link to a blog that fully illustrates not only the beauty of the area but furnishes photo after photo of the beautiful contrast described above.  The owner of the blog, Our French Garden, Rob, has graciously agreed to allow me to post some of his beautiful photos of his garden and the Dordogne.   Check out his blog at http://ourfrenchgarden.blogspot.com/ Thank you Nancy and Rob. Our small group journey in June will be a perfect time to visit the Dordogne. As we travel around the area the flowers should be beautiful.

Dordogne, Flowers, Perigord Noir
Dordogne, Flowers
St. Léon sur Vézère, Dordogne, Perigord Noir, Plus Beaux Village de France

Dordogne

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France as it used to be.

An ancient land of lush valleys, majestic castles, soaring limestone cliffs, meandering rivers, painted caves and a star studded cuisine, the Dordogne is a place where you can lose yourself for a while.  It’s a place to step back in time while visiting fortified bastides, ancient pilgrimage sites and medieval towns and villages considered to be some of the most beautiful in France.

If you like slightly off the beaten path destinations rich in a culture and tradition that still thrives, join our small group of like-minded travelers to this unique area of southwest France.  It will be a journey to delight each and every one of your senses and bring your camera, there’s an award-winning photograph at every turn and from every vista.

Solo travelers are welcome.  We will be happy to match you up with another solo traveler if desired.  Single rooms are also available.

Each outing on the itinerary includes a professional, English speaking guide, van and driver.

PLEASE CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK TO READ THE DETAILS OF THE ITINERARY.  Dordogne Itinerary 2013

Adobe PDF reader is required to read the itinerary.  To download the free reader, follow this link and download file:  Adobe Reader

Small Group Travel

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We offer small group travel to unique and slightly off the beaten path destinations.  These are cultural tours with the purpose of getting to know the history, customs, foods and people.  Trips are usually 12 to 14 people but often can be as few as 6.

Small group travel offers advantages to independent and large group travelers alike.

Benefits of Small Group Travel

  • Like minded people – traveling alone can get lonely and in a small group you get to meet people who share a similar passion for travel.
  • Time saver and peace of mind – everything is done for you…itinerary, transportation, accommodations, schedule and guides when needed. Costs are known upfront.  You can relax and enjoy yourself.
  •  It’s personal – you are an individual, not part of a herd.
  • It’s flexible – if something comes up, it’s easy to be spontaneous and take advantage of some new discovery at a moment’s notice.
  • There’s more discovery – by getting off the beaten path with close-up exposure to local life, local restaurants and small boutique hotels.  Local tour guides give unique slices of local life allowing for a whole new perspective.