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i8 Club Dordogne Excursion 2022 Review
Our rally began on Friday, September 23rd, with a meeting point at the BMW branch in Mannheim. There, we received a warm welcome from the BMW team, and coffee-bike.com had prepared French sweets and an excellent espresso for the arriving participants. Finally, we headed to the Radisson Blu Hotel in Mannheim for the last leg of the day, followed by dinner at Mr. Postman and a relaxing evening at the rooftop bar. After leaving the hotel garage, we set off on Saturday for the first official leg towards France. This transfer stage took us along the first winding country roads, past a reservoir, onto a golf course, and to our first idyllic little lock in France, followed by an overnight stop in Beaune. In a fish restaurant nestled in the narrow streets of the old town, we enjoyed our first multi-course meal, fueling us for the second transfer stage to our destination, the Dordogne. … We made our afternoon stop in Vichy, from where we finally arrived in Lacave and our home for the next five days at Château De La Treyne. Our hostess, Stephanie Gombert, welcomed us with champagne under an orange-blue sky as the sun set. Looking at the photos from that evening, you might get a sense of it – we felt like we were part of a painting. On the following two days, we were to be treated to a five-course and a seven-course meal at the château. Each evening, we would meet and gather to share our experiences of the day. Fortified by a hearty breakfast, and sometimes starting our journey in fog and frost, we traveled exclusively along back roads, winding mountain passes, and narrow lanes to our various destinations. We visited the production facilities of Sothys, a renowned French cosmetics brand, and the town of Collonges-la-Rouge, built entirely of red sandstone and home to many remarkable examples of craftsmanship. Afterwards, our route took us past the breathtakingly beautiful rock city of Rocamadur. The following day’s route was characterized by the vineyards and the extensive cave systems of the region. We visited Château Lagrezette in Caillac, the winery of Dominique Perrin, former CEO of Cartier, known for his exceptional red wines made from the Malbec grape. In the afternoon, we descended approximately 100 meters underground. On the agenda was a visit to the “Pound of Padirac,” a circular opening in the landscape with an extensive cave system. As the last group of visitors of the day, we experienced the 2-kilometer-long accessible underground world. Besides the gigantic chambers reaching up to 94 meters in height, the highlight was the underground boat trip on the cave river in complete silence. For dinner, we went to the Restaurant Cuiellette in Altillac. Wednesday took us to the weekly market in Sarlat-La Canéda. In the narrow streets and the market hall with its unusual gates, the region’s wares are offered for sale. The entire town center has been preserved in its original form, and the design of the market further contributes to the feeling of being transported to another era. The town has served as a backdrop for films such as Les Misérables, The Four Musketeers, and others. Of course, a drive along some winding country roads was also a must. That afternoon, the roads led us to Lascaux, where we could admire the cave paintings discovered only in the last century. In the evening, we enjoyed a group dinner at a small bistro in Martel. Admittedly, we were initially shocked by the menu—or rather, the translation of the dishes—but the three-course meal that followed left nothing to be desired. On Thursday, the sixth day of the trip, after a final leisurely breakfast in the castle’s grand salon, it was time to say goodbye. The participants took advantage of the individual departure options and traveled north, east, and south, some home, others to other holiday destinations.
Best regards, Dominik Spahn
