Guilford’s Worst Nightmare (5/7)

Dalek Geese. Dalek. Geese. We are totally and unequivocally doomed. All we can do is barricade the door and hope the Squirrel Doctor shows up in time.

On the morning of the 4th I woke up early and gathered all the stuff I thought I’d need for Briançon into my traveling backpack and put everything else in my suitcase and school backpack and stowed them in the Binets’ basement to pick them up when I fly back out of Paris. If I get the extension to July 26, they might be on vacation in Brittany at that time, but in that case they promised to leave the stuff at their son-in-law’s bookstore in the 19th arrondissement.

I thanked them profusely for the stay, and Jean-Jacques drove me to Anguine, where I caught the Transilien to Gare du Nord and then Line 4 to Montparnasse. I arrived in Libourne on time and tried to book my ticket to Pamplona, but there wasn’t time. I hopped on what I thought was the train to Sarlat, and luckily it was. During the long ride out into the country I met some Russian girls who had been studying in Oregon, and near the end of the line I also started a conversation with an older lady who was also from Virginia and also attended the Episcopal church.

John and Janet Lincoln were there to meet me at St. Cyprien, and then we drove to Sarlat, which despite its small size is one of the most visited towns in France, probably because it serves as a hub for travelers who want o sample all the delights of the Perigord region. We explored the town for a bit, and found the aforementioned gansine abominations. They were actually a monument to the region’s raising of ducks and geese. The Perigord is also famous for truffles, nuts, and of course wine.

This region is absolutely beautiful, and it’s an immense relief to get out of the city. As relaxing as my stay in Montmorency was, now I feel like I can really breathe. When the English held Aquitaine this valley was the frontier zone, and it’s known as the “Valley of Five Castles.” They live virtually in the shadow of one of them, Beynac, in the village St. Vincent de Cosse.