Overdosing on Foie Gras

[holger]

When I GET HOME AND POST FULL DETAILS, YOU WILL SEE A DISTINCT PATTERN IN MY FOOD CHOICES. CURRENTLY WE ARE IN THE DORDOGNE AND I HAVE HAD FOIE GRAS IN SOME FORM AT EVERY LUNCH AND DINNER. WAS ALMOST AS BAD IN AMBOISE. SORRY SHOESY. BUT SINCE IT IS A FOOD I LOVE AND REALLY CANNOT GET AT HOME-- GOOD THING I AM WASHING IT DOWN WITH WINE OR MY ARTERIES WOUD BE MORE CLOGGED.

WALKING A LOT. WENT TO FONT DE GAUME TODAY AND EASILY WALKED ABOUT A KILOMETRE AND A HALF THERE AND MORE AT MUSEE OF PREHISTORY AND IN TOWN. TOMORROW LASCAUX 2. NEXT DAY PECH MERLE. IT IS UNBELIEVABLE TO SEE WHAT ART WAS DONE BETWEEN 12 AND 18,000 YEARS AGO. EQUALLY UNREAL TO BE WHERE IT WAS DONE.

GOOD NIGHTS MY FRIENDS.

[Becky (Berkeleytravelers)]

Hi Holger - glad to hear you're enjoying the food! (There is an expression I've heard that translates as, "In the Dordogne, they eat well"!) You're in the heart of mushroom and foie gras territory, so indulge because as you say, you can't do it in the US (which is probably just as well, sigh . . . .)

I will be interested to hear your thoughts about Pech Merle. I was not familiar with it when I started seeing references on line, and as we will be over in that area with family next May I'll be interested to see how you feel it compares to places I know (like Font de Gaume).

Have fun - I'm so jealous, you're in my favorite part of the world.

[Jody]

Maybe I shouldn't tell you this but I have a wonderful source for foie gras in the US. In fact it's close to Philly , you wouldn't even have to pay postage!! You could do a day trip ith a cooler.

[holger]

GITTE, YOU ARE RIGHT ABOUT THE WINE MEANT KILOMETRE AND A HALF.

DEMARIS, PLEASE SEND ME THE LOCATION OF FOIE GRAS NEAR PHILADELPHIA.

YES, I WILL POST ALL OPINIONS WHEN I GET HOME.

[Truffaut]

Make that a second on your foie gras source, Demarais!

[Jody]

It's D'Artagnan in Newark, NJ. This is always one of my Christmas gifts to my sweet thing.

www.dartagnan.com/search.asp?criteria=601

[Anne]

We visited Pech Merle a few years ago and thought it was great . There is a very interesting prehistory museum there too, with weapons, ornaments, tools, etc ... which have been found in the area (Quercy) over the years .
Have never been to Lascaux or Font de Gaume though, so I cannot say how it compares . I hope that you know that Lascaux is not the "real" cave : this one was closed to visitors (except from scientists) long ago, because so many visitors created damage to the cave, bringing in bacteria and such . So the cave that people visit is a copy of the real one, but it is said to be a very good and extensive copy .

A diet of foie gras + wine is a very pleasant and classy way to dig one's grave, isn't it ? ;D

[Shoesy]

Holger - It sounds like you're having the time of your life........visiting spectacular places and eating your favorite food choices. I'm really thrilled for you. Continue to enjoy every minute of your fantastic trip!!!!!!!!

[sistereurope]

Yes, Holger - remember, you're having that Foie Gras for ALL of us! ;D

[Happygoin]

I've seen d'Artagnan products in some specialty markets around my area for several years. They're vacuum sealed. Oh! to be near the source...I envy you, holger! Continued happy travels!

[geordy]

They had a restaurant for a year or two east of Grand Central Station in the high 40's or low 50's(streets)

I went to a "Behind the Scenes" event there. It was wonderful! The owner, a French woman , had beautiful furniture shipped over from her family's homes in the SW of France! Her Grandmother's hugh armoire had to be shipped in pieces!

The menu had all the specialties and the bar snacks were marvelous..foie gras stuffed olives, foie gras "lollipops".

Unfortunately it didn't last. The owner is now obviously very involved in preventing more places from taking Chicago's stance of banning sales of foie gras!

[Happygoin]

I've read that enforcing the ban on foie gras isn't high on the list of any law enforcement officials in Chicago anyway.

[geordy]

Thank goodness someone has some sense!

[buzet]

I hope that you know that Lascaux is not the real cave (Anne266):

I don't understand - are you saying that people are paying good money to see the Lascaux caves and they're not even genuine?

[joan1]

Buzet, yes it is true, the real caves used to be able to be visited, but then the scientists realized the damage all the exhaled breath was doing, so they have recreated the caves exactly , and that is the ones visitors can go in.

[Becky (Berkeleytravelers)]

Joan is right - and even though everyone says that they are great, somehow I just have never been able to get up the enthusiasm to go there, rather than return to Font de Gaume, or one of the others in the area that's "real"! I was told a few years ago that actually, they were (then, at any rate) letting two or three people per day into the actual Lascaux cave, if one made an appointment (which was not limited to scientists, or whatever, although there was of course a very long waiting list). I don't know if that's still the case, although the friend who told me is in that area several times a year and probably would know where to find out if anyone is interested in having me ask him.

[holger]

;D

As an anthropologist who teaches about the period, I could have gotten in to the original Lascaux and chose not to. It would be supremely selfish to add more damage to the original paintings when the reproductions are available. While not the originals, the details of the paintings are as close as one can get. For the lay person, it is perhaps even better to see these as the colors are what they would have been in the originals, predamage. There is also time, we were in almost an hour to really see how the paintings must have looked when first done. I will write my report on Lascaux later this weekend. But it is also easier for people with mobility problems to get about. For those who are claustrophobic, Lascaux II may also work better.

Would Lascaux be my first choice? Probably not simply because my educated guess is that they will begin to close some of the other caves like Font de Gaume in the next few years to prevent more damage there. Peche Merle, may stay open longer as it is spacious and less likely to have damage from people aand the cave complex itself is spectacular.

[Becky (Berkeleytravelers)]

Holger, did you happen to get to La Madeleine? It's more like Roque St Christophe (cave dwellings, rather than paintings) and quite small, but part of the chain of prehistoric settlements along the Vezere (and I was intrigued because during times of war and turmoil it was in occasional use into relatively modern times - and a small area was converted to a Christian chapel, complete with a little stained glass window).

[holger]

Becky,

No we didn't. But the Dordogne is on the list for a return visit next trip. I would really like to spend more than five days and your pictures make that even more probable.

Not only are the sights wonderful but I adore the food.

[Becky (Berkeleytravelers)]

Holger, there are lots of gites in the area that would make a great base of operations - there are many chateaux there that are on my list of places to see, as well as lots of other historic sites.

Among other things, I want to go back to Perigueux, which we saw only for an afternoon. It reminded me of Sarlat in terms of the tiny winding streets in the area around the church (which is about 13th c. as I recall), but without that "museum feel" you get in Sarlat because it's a living city filled with real people, but it just happens to be really old. (There also is a small area of Roman ruins in Perigueux, but we did not get there on our short visit - next time!)