Kodiak Haakansons: Limeuil and Jardins du Manoir D'Eyrignac

Limeuil

Friday we got a slow start to the day after seeing the intense fog and feeling the cold coming in the windows. We tried to go to an open-air folk museum but we were feeling wimpy and cold, so instead we just went out for pizza. After lunch we looked at the map and chose a river village to drive to, figuring that all have to be at least somewhat pretty. We thought Limeuil sounded nice, being on the convergence of two rivers, the Dordogne and the Vezere. Sure enough, it was, but because we got there in the eerily quiet time before 2 pm and after 12 pm we walked around in what seemed to be a ghost town (except for stray cats) for about 30 minutes without seeing a soul. The village, though was really lovely and the walk felt wonderful. And the sun came out, so we decided to head to some gardens just 3 kilometers down the road from our house, not expecting anything too exciting.

Jardins du Manoir D'Eyrignac

Finally! A picture with all 5 of us. And for some reason we all still felt the need to smile!

Driving through dense forested roads on the way to the gardens we have seen signposted around our rental for the week, none of us expected greatness. As we drove up to the summit of a low hill, though, the land seemed to open up and draw us into an area of sunshine and well-manicured grounds. The map that we received at the ticket desk proclaimed "most beautiful garden of the region" and "3 Michelin stars" and the key pointed towards 'The Enchanted Terrace', 'The Pavilion of Rest' and 'Hornbeam Alley'. We were intrigued, and armed with some kiddie scavenger hunt booklets (in French) and Bubbe's audio guide, we headed in. Sven and I struggled greatly with the kiddie guides, but somehow figured out most of the questions through a series of complicated maneuvers. Eilidh was very patient with us and we were horrified by our lack of French skills once again. Regardless, we had a wonderful, relaxing time... fabulous end to a day, a week in the Dordogne, and a wild, fun two weeks with Bubbe.

The Japanese 'white garden' (above and below)

Scattered throughout the formal gardens were expressive, primitivist works by Dietrich Klinge. The sculptures looked wood, but upon closer study were actually cast bronze (from wooden molds) which added a wonderful dimension to them, especially in the context of a garden.