Dordogne Canoe and Hike adventure Sacred River of Dreams

December 21, 2009

Walking Dordogne has the well deserved reputation for offering the best and most unique tours and trips in the Dordogne. Hiking, canoeing, horse riding, mountain biking and caving are all on the must do list for visitors wanting to experience the Dordogne, and not just see the Dordogne.

For 3 years now, they have been taking small groups from every corner of world into the very remote and unmapped parts of the Dordogne, exploring prehistoric caves, shelters, troglodytes as well as Roman and Medieval ruins.

From Walking Dordogne’s Blog

NEW FOR 2010 “Sacred River of Dreams”

After our “Valley of Caves” tour, the “Canoe / Hike the Vezere’ is our second most popular trip, and last year we had to turn down 47 people for this trip alone. “Canoe Hike the Vezere” is a fantastic (long) day trip, as the title suggests, canoeing and hiking to various prehistoric places of interest. However, we did have one big problem with this trip, and that was to decide WHICH prehistoric sites to hike to, because we can only fit so much into “Dawn till Dusk” and there is just so much to see, so, we came up with this new Trip Sacred River of Dreams.

Sacred River of Dreams is the ultimate adventure, we will canoe and explore 30 miles of the Vezere River. Our ancestors settled here, and roamed this area more than 460,000 years ago. These were the hunting grounds of the Neanderthals, and it was here that our ancestors the Cro Magnon settled. This area is riddled with prehistoric caves, shelters and troglodytes, that are unmapped, unknown and unforgettable. Too much to explore in just one day, so we will stay a night in a real Neanderthal cave, with spectacular views of the valley and river. On day 2 we will continue down river and continue our exploration, and at the end of this adventure we will all enjoy a delicious meal in Les Eyzies de Tayac.

This trip will be offered twice a week, from April thru October 20th. NO trips during July and August, and a max. of 6 people per trip ( 3 canoes)

If you would like to do a canoe / hike trip like this, but would rather not, or cannot do an overnight trip, then consider our “Canoe / Hike the Vezere” trip.

As with ALL our trips, you are guaranteed a UNIQUE and exciting trip of a lifetime.

For more info about this and other fantastic and unique trips in the Dordogne, visit : www.walkingdordogne.com

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Lascaux has 6 months

July 13, 2008

 
Experts believe that up to half of the prehistoric art in the Lascaux caves is at risk. Efforts to combat a fungal invasion have been unsuccessful

 
Unesco, the world cultural body, has threatened to humiliate France by placing the Lascaux caves – known as the “Sistine Chapel of prehistory” – on its list of endangered sites of universal importance.
The Unesco world heritage committee, meeting this week in Quebec, has given the French government six months to report on the success of its efforts to save the Lascaux cave paintings in Dordogne from an ugly, and potentially destructive, invasion of grey and black fungi.

At the same time, a scientific committee appointed by the French government has conceded that an elaborate treatment with a new fungicide in January failed to stop the mould advancing through one part of the caves.

An independent pressure group of scientists and historians claims that up to half of the startlingly beautiful, 17,000-year-old images of bison, horses, wild cattle and ibex are now threatened by the fungal invasion – the second of its kind in eight years.

The heritage committee warned France this week that it will consider placing Lascaux on its list of imperilled cultural and natural sites of global significance unless progress is made by next February. The committee requested France to open Lascaux – closed to the public since 1963 – to a visit by independent experts. It also advised France to commission an “impact study” of all past, and possible future, actions in the caves since the first fungal invasion in 2001-02.

There are already 31 sites on the Unesco “List of World Heritage in Danger”, including such treasures as the ancient Buddha statues of the Bamiyan valley in Afghanistan, partly destroyed by the Taliban. Only one of the existing, officially threatened sites is in western Europe – the architectural heritage of the Dresden-Elbe valley in eastern Germany, site of a planned motorway. A decision by the Unesco committee to list Lascaux as “endangered” would, therefore, be a severe embarrassment to France. Unesco would, in effect, be telling Paris that it can no longer be trusted to manage one of the world’s most important historical and cultural treasures.

Officials from the French government’s department of historic monuments and experts from all over the world have been quarrelling for years over the best way to preserve the Lascaux paintings. Some experts have accused the French authorities of a series of blunders, including a change in the air-conditioning system in 2000, the use of high-powered lights in the caves and allowing too many “special” visits.

An independent body, the International Committee for the Protection of Lascaux, infuriated Paris by asking Unesco to intervene last September. Laurence Léauté-Beasley, president of the committee, was jubilant yesterday. “The requirements placed upon France [by Unesco] are significant and strong,” she said. “France will now have to answer to the world community for actions they have taken in the past and will take in the future. Lascaux’s management must now operate in a spirit of transparency.”

The French authorities initially denied that the Lascaux paintings themselves had been attacked by the second fungal invasion. They later admitted to some blotching on the paintings but no lasting damage. The independent protection committee, citing information from experts who have visited the caves, insist that some of the images have been irreparably blurred or that their colours have faded.

Mme Léauté-Beasley said: “Upwards of 50 per cent of the caves’ … art is disappearing under an incursion of black spots, some as large as human hands, triggered by the use of high intensity lights and excess human presence inside the cave.”

On Thursday night, the French authorities admitted a setback. A treatment with fungicide in January appeared to have been successful at first but the black and grey blotches are now spreading once again across one part of the paintings, according to an official statement.

A committee of international experts, appointed by Paris after the first fungal attack in 2001, announced that the new treatment had been “very satisfactory” in one part of the caves, known as the “room of the bulls”. The spread of fungal blotches had resumed, however, in the “right-hand part of the caverns”.

Marie-Anne Sire, the head curator of Lascaux, told the French news agency AFP that the news was disappointing but progress was being made. Studies had revealed that the air which used to circulate in the caves had become immobile. This might explain the fungal outbreaks – and to offer a possible solution, she said.

The paintings were discovered by chance in September 1940. The 600 images of aurochs, wild horses, bison and ibexes are regarded as among the finest cave paintings in the world.

Visions of the past

The Lascaux paintings are in a cave on the left bank of the river Vézère, a tributary of the Dordogne. They include depictions of ibexes facing off, and a “unicorn” chasing a herd of horses. It is thought that they were painted between 15,000 and 17,000 years ago by hunter-gathering people who crushed minerals to create red, ochre, brown and black paints.

The paintings were discovered accidentally by four teenagers in September 1940. After a visit to the caves, the Cubist artist Pablo Picasso declared: “We have invented nothing.” The caverns were closed to the public in 1963 to protect them from just the kind of fungal infections that have appeared over the past eight years. In 1983, a complete life-sized facsimile of the caves and paintings – Lascaux Two – was opened nearby for visitors.

By John Lichfield in Paris
Saturday, 12 July 2008

Our recommended accommodation to visit Lascaux

Ferme de Tayac B&B in 12th Century former farmhouse / monasteryB&B Ferme de Tayac : www.fermedetayac.com Lovely B&B in a 12th Century former farmhouse / monastery opposite the fortified church of St. Martin.
Ferme de Tayac is just 25 minutes from Lascaux

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Flybe boosts Southampton to Bergerac service

February 29, 2008

Due to unprecedented demand, Flybe, Europe’s largest regional airline, is adding extra flights to its Southampton to Bergerac route giving southern travellers even more options for getaways to the south of France.

The increase in service will see extra capacity added to the Monday and Friday schedules with an extra flight on each day from 14th July to 22nd August.

Southampton – Bergerac

- Flights operate twice daily on Mondays and Fridays
- Flights operate daily on all other days
- Fares begin at £39.99 one way including taxes and charges

Flights are available now for booking on Flybe.com.

Bergerac is located in the heart of the ever-popular Dordogne region of France and with its rich cultural heritage, fantastic local cuisine and famous wines the market town makes an ideal location for summer breaks.

Mike Rutter, Chief Commercial Officer Flybe, says: “This service has proved so popular with our southern travellers that we’ve decided to offer extra flights to Bergerac on Mondays and Fridays. The additional services will make the south west destination even more accessible for visitors looking for a long weekend in the Dordogne. However, with the increased service only on offer for a month we’d advise people to book now to avoid missing out.”

“Flybe is strongly committed to its Southampton base and this move sees us listening to our customers’ needs and responding accordingly.”

Original article taken from: http://www.easier.com/view/Travel/Flights/Flybe/article-165042.html

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Race to save moulding Lascaux cave paintings

January 2, 2008

By John Lichfield in Paris

 

The French government is taking emergency action to rescue the world’s most celebrated prehistoric cave paintings from a second fungal invasion in seven years.

Each day until 8 January, experts are treating the caverns at Lascaux in the Dordogne – nicknamed the Sistine Chapel of pre-history – with a fungicide to try to check a gradual spread of spots of grey and black mould. The caves will then be closed to all but essential visitors for three months.

An air conditioning system, installed just before a similar fungal attack seven years ago, is to be replaced. Some scientists believe the introduction of the machinery was misconceived and may be partially responsible for the fungal invasions.

Other experts blame global warming for increasing the temperature in the caves. Others point to an increased level of human activity in the caverns as part of an ambitious attempt to create an exact computerised record in three dimensions of the 17,000-year-old paintings of bison, wild cattle, deer and other animals.

Whatever the explanation, the French government has decided to take no risks and to accept the advice of a committee of experts which met at Lascaux, in south-western France, just before Christmas. The fungicide will be sprayed on the stricken areas of the cave walls. The three-dimensional survey will be halted. The air-conditioning unit will be replaced.

No public visits to Lascaux have been allowed since 1963 but almost all visits by scientists and historians will be banned for at least three months.

Officials from the French government’s department of historic monuments and experts from all over the world have been quarrelling for years over the best way to preserve the paintings. Last September, the “International Committee for the Conservation of Lascaux”, infuriated Paris by writing a letter to the UN cultural body, Unesco, asking for the caves to be included in the official list of world heritage sites “in peril”.

The French government has minimised the scale of the new fungal attack. Officials say that the invasion is much smaller than the blankets of white fungus which spread over the walls of the caverns, and some of the painting, in 2001 and 2002. On this occasion, only small areas of pre-historic drawings have been touched and none has been damaged. Scientists fear, however, that the second attack, so soon after the first, is a warning that the micro-climate in the caverns has been permanently altered in ways which may be difficult to reverse.

The American scientist Laurence Léauté- Beasley, president of the international Lascaux committee, has called for the management of the caves to be taken out of the hands of the French government and entrusted to a “higher scientific body”. She accuses French authorities of “improvisation” and “lack of scientific thoroughness”.

The Lascaux paintings were discovered by four teenagers in September 1940. The 600 images of bison, horses, wild cattle and ibexes, some at rest, some running or jumping, are regarded as among the finest cave paintings in the world. It is thought that they were painted between 15,000 and 17,000 years ago by hunter-gathering people who crushed minerals to create drawings in red, ochre, brown and black.

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Black Spots Threaten Cave Drawings

November 22, 2007

BORDEAUX, France (AP) – New clusters of black fungus are spreading over famed cave drawings in southwest France, scientists warned Tuesday.

But the scientists said they have found a bacteria-killing recipe to protect the remarkable Paleolithic paintings.

The new stains are the latest biological threat to the Lascaux cave drawings, which were discovered in 1940 and are considered one of the finest examples of prehistoric art.

Carbon-dating suggests the murals of bulls, felines and other images were created between 15,000 and 17,500 years ago in the caves near Montignac, in the Dordogne region.

In 1963, after green algae and other damage appeared, the caves were closed to the public. Only scientists and a few others are allowed to enter at certain times; a replica of the main Lascaux cavern was built nearby and has become a big tourist draw.

Even those measures have not stopped the appearance of the fungus-related stains.

This July, caretakers noticed new black spots covering some of the drawings. Samples taken from them showed the stains were caused by two fungi, ulocladium and gliomastix, that developed on top of a sublayer of existing bacteria.

Targeted biocides, which are substances that can kill bacteria, were tested on the samples. At a meeting this week, the Lascaux Caves International Scientific Committee approved the use of the localized biocides to treat the affected cave areas.

Once that is done, the caves will be entirely closed for three months, said Michel Clement, the French Culture Ministry’s top architectural and cultural heritage official.

The climate control system, which was installed in 2001 but has produced some moisture-related stains, will also be modified or replaced, the panel announced.

Just what is causing the new bacteria to appear remains unclear.

Some studies reviewed by the scientific panel suggest that global warming may be to blame.

The average natural temperatures inside the caves, measured by the climate control system, rose about 1.6 degrees Fahrenheit since 1981, according to Marc Gauthier, president of the committee.

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Sarkozy’s Inheritance Tax Laws

November 2, 2007

Nicolas Sarkozy has kept his promise to revolutionise the French inheritance tax laws – and the changes are sweeping, as Bill Blevins reports…

France has updated its antiquated succession tax regime completely, abolishing inheritance tax between spouses and PACS partners. The succession tax system has been reworked to include other generous allowances to inheritances, particularly between close family.

The improved succession tax rules are part of a package of radical new tax legislation that came into force as France’s new president, Nicolas Sarkozy, celebrated his first 100 days in office. During his presidential campaign he had promised revolutionary changes to France’s tax system and a batch of reforms amounting to around €13.8 billion (£9.4 billion) in tax cuts was passed in August.

This will be welcome news to Living France readers who are planning to move to France. It brings the legislation in line with the UK’s tax-free exemption between spouses and civil partnerships. However, where inheritance tax in the UK is paid by the deceased’s estate, in France it is calculated for each beneficiary depending on the amount inherited and then paid by the individual beneficiary.

The inheritance tax exemption extends to sisters and brothers who are single, widowed or divorced providing that at the time of succession they are aged over 50 or they are suffering from an illness which prevents them from working and were living with the deceased during the five years preceding the death.

The allowance for children and parents (who inherit from their children) is tripled from €50,000 (£33,935) to €150,000 (£101,805) per person. The allowance between brothers and sisters is increased from €5,000 (£3,394) to €15,000 (£10,181).

The allowance for nieces and nephews (which is currently only available for lifetime gifts) increases from €5,000 (£3,394) to €7,500 (£5,090) and also applies on death. The allowance of €15,000 (£10,181) for brothers and sisters will apply where a niece or nephew inherits by representation (because their mother or father is dead or has renounced the inheritance).

The specific allowance of €50,000 (£33,935) for the disabled is also tripled to €150,000 (£101,805) and can be cumulated with other allowances (eg the €150,000 [£101,805] allowance for a child).

As the allowances have been dramatically increased, the new legislation has abolished the €50,000 (£33,935) global allowance which applied where children or spouses inherited. From now on, the rate bands will be automatically increased each year in line with inflation.

Lifetime gifts
Lifetime gifts made to children over a six-year period are subject to an allowance of €150,000 (£101,805) instead of €50,000 (£33,935). A child can therefore receive up to €300,000 (£203,611) (€150,000 [£101,805] from each parent) tax free every six years.

Although inheritances between married couples can now be made completely tax free, this is not the case for gifts. The allowance of €76,000 (£51,581) remains in place for lifetime gifts between spouses. For PACS partners the current allowance of €57,000 (£38,686) is increased to €76,000 (£51,581) in line with that of spouses. However, the allowance will be withdrawn if the PACS agreement is broken within the same year or the following year for a reason other than marriage to each other or the death of one of the partners.

Cash gifts

The specific exemption for cash gifts has increased from €20,000 (£13,574) to €30,000 (£20,361) where the gift is made to a child, grandchild or, if there are no direct line descendants, to nieces or nephews. This is provided the donor is more than 65 years old and the donee more than 18 years old. In addition, the gift should be declared and registered by the donee at his/her local tax office within one month of the gift.

This exemption can be cumulated with other allowances, (ie the €150,000 [£101,805] for children, €30,000 [£20,361] for grandchildren and €5,000 [£3,394] for nieces and nephews). However, it does not renew after six years and can only be used once.

The new legislation will revolutionise the French housing market, according to property specialist Trevor Leggett.

‘Inheritance tax, like so many outmoded ideas such as wealth tax, has long been a sticky subject in France,’ he says. ‘But now, with changes to the inheritance tax threshold, Nicolas Sarkozy is set to revolutionise the economy and boost investment in the housing market. It is estimated that with the new changes, as many as 95 per cent of the population of France will no longer pay any inheritance tax at all upon the death of their parents. These changes will be of interest to British homeowners in France as they will also benefit.’

The new tax changes will affect British expatriates if they are resident in France at the time of death or, if non-French resident, where the asset being gifted or bequeathed is located in France. A gift is also taxable if the recipient is resident in France and has been resident for at least six of the ten tax years prior to the year in which the gift is received.

The six out of ten years rule usually also applies to inheritances received by individuals resident in France. However, under the special UK/France Inheritance Tax Treaty, inheritances (not gifts) from a UK domicile to a French resident recipient are not liable to succession tax in France, even where the recipient has been resident in France for more than six years. The treaty also stipulates that if you die a resident of France and have any assets based in the UK they will be subject to UK inheritance tax, as well as French inheritance tax, although any inheritance tax paid in the UK will be credited against the French tax due.

There are various ways to reduce or avoid French succession tax and one is to take out an assurance vie which is the French term for an insurance bond, such as a personal portfolio bond, which allows you to hold your own choice of assets, excluding property, within a tax ‘wrapper’. If an assurance vie is set up before you become a French resident there is no succession tax liability on death. Setting up an offshore discretionary trust can also avoid French succession tax, although specific advice should be sought.

The succession tax reforms in France are good news for taxpayers. However, it is advisable to review your tax planning and tax mitigation arrangements on a regular basis regardless of changes in the law.

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Dordogne Tourism facts 2007

November 2, 2007

Key facts and figures from 1 March 2007

  •   Over 3.1 million tourists
  •   Average length of stay (all accommodation): 10 days
  •   Representing almost 31 million nights’ accommodation
  •   A direct turnover of at least 980 million euros
  •  Over 6,000 permanent jobs in tourism (6900 in July & Aug.)
  •  Tourism in the Dordogne represents over 31% of the local economy

More facts and figures.

  •  77% booked part of their vacation online. (airline, ferry, rental car etc)
  •  93% of visitors researched the area online before visiting.
  •  71 % of visitors booked accommodation online

5 years ago, these figures would have all been below 28%, and 10 years ago they would have all been below 3%, however, in 3 year time they will ALL be above 90%.

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3 New Routes! Bergerac, Beziers & Pau with Ryanair

November 1, 2007

Plus 50,000 Seats For £5 Including Taxes!

Ryanair, Europe’s largest low fares airline, today (12th Oct) announced three new routes from Bristol to Bergerac (Dordogne), Beziers (Languedoc) and Pau (Pyrenees Atlantique). 

Ryanair will launch its 20th European base in Bristol in just three weeks, and will deliver 1 million passengers on 20 low fare routes from the airport in the coming year.

Announcing the new routes, Ryanair’s CEO, Michael O’Leary said:  

“Passengers in the South West have just three weeks to wait until Ryanair launches flights from Bristol. 

Our record advance bookings confirm that passengers in Bristol can’t get enough of Ryanair’s guaranteed lowest fares and in response, we are now adding three new routes to Bergerac, Beziers and Pau starting in May 2008.”  

To celebrate these three new routes, Ryanair are releasing 50,000 seats from Bristol for £5 including taxes and are urging passengers to log onto http://www.ryanair.com/ immediately, as this offer must end at midnight on Monday.  Special fares are available on most Ryanair routes from Bristol International for travel between 5th November 2007 and 12th March 2008. 

Route   Starts  Frequency 
Bergerac  May 2008 3 x weekly
Beziers  May 2008  3 x weekly 
Pau May 2008 3 x weekly 

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An increase for property owners in the Dordogne?

November 1, 2007

Renovation can be taxing

To complicate the issue, work to renovate a building will incur VAT (TVA), at 19.6% only if it affects more than 50% of the building stock.
Similarily, repairs to a wall will be taxed at 19.6% VAT if it affects the whole wall,but 5.5% if only half of the wall is being repaired!
Additional complication, second oeuvre work;floors,door frames, wall partitions,plumbing, electricity,heating and sanitation will only incur VAT at 19.6% if the overall work to the building requires more than two of these types of work.
The move has left both builders and property owners confused and disgruntled.
Such is the complexity of these policies that where there is a disagreemen, people are returning to the tax office for clarification and are finding that response takes for ever.

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Brive-Souillac airport to start test flights in 2007

November 1, 2007

By next year (2008) the new airport of Brive-Souillac is programmed to come into operation. Although originally conceived to service the town of Brive in the neighbouring département of the Corrèze, it is likely to be of use to all inhabitants of the Périgord Noir, due to its location at a point 25 kilometres from Terrasson and 40 kilometres from Sarlat. Market research has revealed that 5,700 second homes lie within 30 minutes’ drive, and that 53% of these belong to English owners. This number vastly exceeds those for the Corrèze (900) and the Lot (2,600) and reflects the greater popularity of the Dordogne for English buyers.

The new airport is to service flights to Paris, Lyon and London. It may therefore provide some competition to Bergerac, which has grown in importance. However, behind the apparent success of the older establishment is a degree of concern. Roumanières is currently running at an annual deficit of 600,000 euros, far in excess of the provisional estimate of 173,000. The difference appears to be accounted for by the removal of flights to Paris and by a shortfall in the anticipated number of international flights. The poor financial result has given rise to a dispute between the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Dordogne (the CCI) and the mayor of Bergerac. The CCI is in charge of Roumanières, but complains of a lack of co-operation on the part of the local authority, which was allegedly to cover the cost of much needed new parking lots. The CCI is threatening to withdraw from the airport management, and hand it (together with the financial shortfall) back to the town of Bergerac.

The spectre of Bassillac

Lurking up the road is a reminder of what may lie ahead: the old airport of Bassillac, just outside Périgueux, formerly much used by Parisians escaping to their weekend properties in the Dordogne but now without any scheduled services. The local authority in Bergerac will have to face the challenge of investment if it wishes to retain Roumanières as an investment, particularly when faced with the challenge of Brive-Souillac just up the motorway.

Impact on property prices

One indirect effect of these airport shenanigans is the impact on property prices in the area. Weekending and telecommuting Brits are now used to the facilities at Bergerac: the fact that luggage emerges on a roller in a windy tent is accepted philosophically in the light of the convenience of cheap flights from the UK. Property prices within a 30 minute drive of Roumanières have shown healthy increases. Doubtless the same will happen if UK flights operate to Brive-Souillac. But investment in infrastructure is long term, and history shows that local authorities may pay more attention to local voters than to the owners of holiday homes

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