Spring & Summer
Spring
Spring is a time of new activity in the Dordogne after the short but intense winter. The tractors start up and the orchards are swept of cut branches; crops are sown and the turned earth forms a down of fresh green. Buds burst open on the trees and the orchards fill with blossom.
The local restaurants, tourist sites and villages come back to life at Easter. With the temperatures being in the mid to high 20s, it is warm enough to explore and do some of the more active leisure pursuits, that would be too arduous in high summer. Hiking or cycling routes are plentiful and well-marked.
Air source heating will take the chill off any cooler nights, but if you want some atmosphere we will leave plenty of logs for you to light the woodburner through spring.
Summer
Summer arrives in July and August and the temperatures are regularly in the mid to high thirties. The locals spill outside to live their summer on their terraces and balconies.
July sees the arrival of the night markets. In most of the local villages trestle tables and chairs are laid out in the village square and stalls are set up in the evenings selling food, desserts, wine and regional delicacies. Lights are draped through the trees and music plays. Everyone eats together on the long tables and friends and families meet to share food and laughter. We've often found ourselves talking to a french farmer and his family on one side and visitors from Belgium or England on the other, a great way to soak up the atmosphere of this welcoming region.
August is a drowsy month of heat and shimmering landscapes. Everyone slows down as the regular temperatures hit the high 30s and hover up to the low 40s. Locals close their shutters to keep the interiors of the old stone houses cool, they laze over long lunches under umbrellas and canopies in the medieval squares. Even the insects seem drowsy...
If you are after the perfect suntan, then the two rattan sunloungers on the decked terrace will be the optimal place to laze through the day, cooling off in the Tub when the sun becomes too much. If the shady option appeals more, then the hammock under the Acacia trees should be just the thing for a long snooze or a good book.
But if things got too hot, the built-in air conditioning will ensure that the cottage stays lovely and cool, and that sleeping at night will be easy in the cool air and crisp cotton sheets.