The region's history began thousands of year's ago when Cro-Magnon man lived in the caves of the Périgord and left cave paintings in sites such as Lascaux and Les Eyzies. More recent remnants of Aquitaine's history date from the time of Eléonore of Aquitaine, consort of Louis VII, King of France. When she married Henry Plantagenet, who became King of England in 1154, she began several centuries of conflict between the French and English for control of Aquitaine. Today, the fortified villages and castles built during this time, provide interesting stops along the road.

Aquitaine's capital, Bordeaux is a thriving port city on the Garonne River with beautiful 18th-century mansions and architecture, including its Grand Theatre by architect Victor Louis, excellent shopping and numerous cultural events, such as the traditional May Music Festival.

Bordeaux is particularly well known for its surrounding wine-growing region. The vineyards of Bordeaux with their Margaux, Médoc, Sauternes and St. Emilion wines are leaders in their fields in an area where many other excellent wines are produced. YOUR FRENCH CONNEXION has arranged with many chateaux and growers to open their doors to our clients for cellars tours and wine tasting.

The varied Aquitaine region includes not only the prehistoric caves, villages and rolling river valleys of the Dordogne and the Bordeaux vineyards, but also the rocky Pyrénées mountain chain. Here visit the French-Basque country, with its beautiful beaches, excellent surfing and picturesque fishing villages. Bike or hike the flat forest land of the Landes and the medieval castles and villages in Lot-et-Garonne.

Why not combine a southwestern France adventure with a trip into the beaches and Fishing villages of Spain? Visit outstanding white sand beaches and quaint towns all year long.

The most celebrated regional specialty is foie gras, specially prepared livers of geese and ducks, seasoned and stuffed with regional truffles. Confits (preserved goose and duck) are a key ingredient in a number of dishes. Fish and seafood, like carp stuffed with foie gras, mullet in red wine are also common. Oysters are served with Entre-deux-Mers wine, with tiny sausages or crepinettes. Meals are accompanied by the many fine wines of the region such as Médoc red wines, Graves dry whites or Sauterne sweet white wines and concluded with the region's

Henri has arranged with winemakers to take you on personal tours of many of the Châteaux where your host will explain the processes involved in making the wine, and invite you to taste the most recent harvest. Commercial tours generally include visits to the cellars only, not the Châteaux themselves. In the Médoc area we have a chateau with apartments as well as rooms and an apartment in a shaded garden home of a fine Grand Cru winemaker for your accommodations.

Cro-Magnon Painting is Lascaux	Sarlat in Dordogne - Stay here or at one of our 17 recommended B&Bs in the area