Today was going to be a quick drive to the medieval town of Issigeac via a few Chateau's and vineyards but I ended up seeing a lot more than that. It felt like I was doing the Tour De France on four wheels. Driving through incredible countryside, full of grapes and hazelnut trees and every now and then amazing dark forests. I visited a total of five towns and all of them were similar with unusual timbered houses and squares from the middle ages, narrow winding streets and postcard perfect. Stopped for lunch in Villereal for some local Bergerac wine and some fresh oysters!
At one of the vineyards I visited the owner was keen for a chat as he had worked a few seasons in Margaret River. He complained that the Government of France was pushing growers to become organic, but with the climate in the area it has resulted in them using 20-25 sprays per season of copper or sulphur because of the downey mildew problem. It also meant they had no time for cultivation (they are not allowed to use herbicides), so the weeds have become a real issue. He wished he could farm conventionally as he would only need 4-6 fungicide sprays per year. Anyhow we had a great chat!
Got back to town early for another walk around the old city and saw a number of statues (with a huge nose) of Cyrano De Bergerac. It turned out the man had never even visited the town and has no link whatsoever with the town, so no idea why his statue takes centre stage! He is a fictional character from poet and dramatist Edmond Rostand’s comedic work from 1654. Recently "Roxanne", a 1987 film by Fred Schepisi and starring Steve Martin (with a prosthetic nose), is a modern retelling of the story.
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