Episode 5 Getaways

Welcome to Getaways, the travel show where we go where you want us to go.

This week we're camping in the Dordogne in the southwest of France.

On our website we asked you for your recommendations of what to do here, and what to avoid.

We flew from Dublin to Toulouse,

and hired a car for the two-hour drive to our camp site in Sarlat.

So Aoibhinn, what are you expecting of this trip?

Well, I'm used to camping at festivals,

so I want to see what it's like camping for a week on holiday.

I want to see how it compares to the average camping experience in Ireland,

which normally involves chasing a tent in high winds across a field full of cattle,

using leaves for something nature definitely didn't intend...

Well, this area's really rich in culture and history,

-so I'm looking forward to seeing all the sights as well.

-On y va.

'Coming up, we explore family days out close to the camp site...'

Joe, I will kill you!

'..sample some local delicacies, thanks to two clever canines,

'and I take a short break in County Kerry.'

'We're staying in a region known as Le Perigord Noir,

'in a camp site called La Palombiere

'where you can stay in mobile homes or in tents.

'You've been sending us your tips, advising us

'how to get the most out of a camping experience.'

Andrea from Belfast said that it's really important that you get to know your neighbours.

The success of your holiday can depend on the kids meeting

others their own age, and if they're happy campers, then so are you.

Fiona Kingston from Macroom in County Cork suggested that

when choosing a site, try and get one with a pool and a couple of water

slides as it will pass quite a few hours of the day for the kids.

This place has two of them. That should do the trick.

You will need to hire a car to get around, but at this camp site

you can also hire bikes to explore the surrounding area.

Plan your meals well. For my money, barbecuing is the way to go.

There is a shop on site you can get all your supplies,

but only ten minutes down the road is a bigger supermarket

that is that wee bit cheaper.

Sausage, anyone?

To kick-start your holiday, try a day trip to La Roque-Gageac,

which is a 20-minute drive from the camp site.

La Roque-Gageac spreads beneath the caves

that are set into the cliffs above the village.

It's made it onto a list of the most beautiful villages in France,

and Aileen from Sligo, who now lives in France, says that you won't be disappointed

if you visit any of the villages on this list.

The downside to this is that there are bus-loads of tourists

coming to see the place, so it gets really crowded and really noisy.

So I recommend you come early in the morning when it's a little bit quieter.

The views of the Dordogne are just gorgeous here.

The village is a popular spot for picnicking,

especially along the river bank, which is

a perfect vantage point for another stunning view.

La Roque-Gageac has always been an important trading point

along the Dordogne, and goods were transported for centuries in boats called gabares.

Now, replicas of these boats are available for hour-long cruises,

and I'm looking forward to taking in the scenery.

On this stretch of the river goods such as oak, chestnut, cheese and wine would be transported,

and on the return imported goods would be brought back such as salt, wheat salted fish.

There's a towpath that more or less follows the river along,

and a team of up to 20 or 30 people

would be required to haul the boat back upstream.

Now, that's a bit of a work-out.

Along the way, a commentary will fill you in

on some of the stories behind the sights.

This is a lovely, relaxing way to see the area

and hear all about its history.

While Aoibhinn explores the river, I've taken a ten-minute drive to Sarlat,

which is the closest town to the camp site.

Il est bon, eh...?

Karen McCarthy from Dublin told us

you should try and get to the market around 8:30 in the morning.

That's when all the locals go, and that's where you can stock up on some delicious local produce.

Allez, messieurs, dames, si vous voulez gouter mon vin...

Est-ce que je peux gouter...?

Merci.

Magnifique. Merci bien.

As you walk round the market you will be bombarded

with just incredible aroma - flowers, meats,

but undoubtedly the strongest of all, the cheese!

Il faut le boire un peu plus frais normalement...

You know what, you definitely have to come to the market,

you will experience the real France.

Everything you're buying is probably from two or three miles away.

You'll be able to stock up for your barbecue, or get yourself some great presents to take home.

It's worth making a return trip to Sarlat when the market isn't on -

it's got some great gift shops, affordable restaurants,

and the history buffs among you will enjoy wandering its medieval streets.

This is newly opened. It's a glass lift to the top of this building

which apparently affords you the best view of the town.

Let's go check it out.

Blimey. That is one fantastic view.

Oh... That's quite weird.

Because look up... No roof on the lift.

Kind of like a moving balcony up.

While Joe enjoys the views of Sarlat from above,

I'm still exploring the river.

You advise us that we can't go on holiday here without taking a trip on a canoe down the Dordogne -

apparently it's one of the best ways to see the river.

And when you think about all the people and stories

and events that the river's witnessed over thousands of years,

I think I'm really going to enjoy gliding along it for a couple of hours.

This is something really special.

You're passing villages and scenery from a totally different perspective.

You can hire these canoes for 15 euro a day on their own,

or pay extra for a guide.

I really, really enjoyed that,

it's such a chilled-out way to see the river. It's just beautiful,

the birds and the trees...but your arms will be sore at the end of it.

If you'd prefer something with a bit more adrenaline, why not try this?

Hey, all you thrill-seekers.

16-year-old Daniel from County Antrim has holidayed here with his parents three years in a row,

and he highly recommends a bit of a tree-top adventure.

So we're going to go for a walk in the trees,

and I haven't done it before, but it looks pretty easy from here.

-These harnesses are good.

-They're really comfortable.

-You're wobbling this, aren't you?

-I'm not.

-You are!

Just keep looking straight ahead.

I can feel you just staring at me, making it wobble.

JOE SINGS NONCHALANTLY

Good work.

Joe, I will kill you.

What, what am I doing? I'm not doing anything, look.

Well, there's loads of different levels here

so the kids would happily spend an afternoon here.

And even if you're afraid of heights like me,

you still don't to feel like you're too high up, and let's face it,

who doesn't want to spend the afternoon acting like Indiana Jones?

Acting like something else, I think, as well.

This might be a little off the beaten track, but my next trip

is an interesting way to explore one of the region's specialities.

Truffles are a bit of a delicacy here.

If you want a bit of a foodie day out,

you can come along to a place like this and discover how they're found.

This is Edouard la Truffe, or Edward the Truffle -

he is a man notorious in the area for having the greatest truffles.

Edouard - regarder dans la boite?

Oui. Vous allez sentir.

I've never actually seen a truffle in my life.

-Et voila.

-That's a truffle?

Look at the size of that fella there!

Wow.

'Edouard has two faithful friends to help us on our expedition.'

On va prendre les chiens, puis on va aller chercher les truffes.

-Oh. You take the dogs, we go look for the truffles.

-OK?

-All righty. Tito!

-Allez, Tito. On y va.

-Allez. On y va.

'Truffles are a very expensive delicacy that grow underground.

'You can accompany Edouard and his dogs on a truffle-finding trip to see how they are unearthed.'

It's incredible to watch.

Because he trains them with little treats from when they're very small pups,

they get a little container with truffle oil in it.

So when they smell the truffle oil, if they find it,

he'll throw it in the house, they go and get it.

Cherche...

Yeah...

Yeah!

-Look at that. Very nice.

-C'est tres bien, ca.

Bien.

Your money, please.

-How much?

-Money...

-I helped find it, so we split down the middle?

-Couper en deux?

No, no...!

There are many castles to visit in the region,

but you recommended Chateau de Castelneau,

which is around a 30-minute drive from the camp site.

This area is steeped in history and warfare.

The French and English fought over the possession of land in the Hundred Years' War,

and the Catholics and Protestants fought in later religious wars.

Wealthy families would build grand castles on high ground

to strengthen their power and independence,

and these were incredibly important in all of the conflicts.

The castle is really a museum of medieval warfare, and one of

the star attractions that your kids might enjoy

are the demonstrations of ancient weaponry.

Well, this is a trebuchet, it's been in the Middle Ages the best war machine,

and for this demonstration we have a target about 20 metres over there

which is a little castle, and we have to throw a ball on it.

There are very precise steps to respect

because it's a very dangerous machine.

Three, two, one!

OK - maybe it's a bit of an anticlimax after the dramatic build-up,

but there's lots of other things to see.

The castle is vast and it's got some really good exhibitions.

The kids will enjoy the weaponry, and you'll enjoy the view.

But if camping isn't your idea of a great holiday,

you might prefer a short getaway closer to home.

This week I'm at the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry to see what it has to offer.

I'm starting my journey in Tralee,

and first up is a visit to one of the area's newest tourist attractions,

the Tralee Bay Wetlands Centre which opened in 2012.

Tralee Bay is an internationally important wetland,

especially for migratory birds.

The Centre has been built for visitors

to appreciate the area and its ecosystem.

But you're not exactly going to entice the kids by telling them

this is a centre of excellence in learning about the Irish wetlands - no, sirree, Bob.

But there's also a series of fun activities - including this, the safari boat trip.

My guide through the Kerry Everglades is Dr David McCormick.

So David, for anybody unfamiliar, what exactly is a wetland?

Well, I suppose the simple answer to the question is it's a wet land.

It's basically any kind of landscape

where water is the most important factor, I suppose.

But what we've tried to do is create as many different

kinds of wetland habitat in the small space. We've only nine hectares here,

so you get different flora and fauna in each area.

After the educational boat trip there are a lot of other

water-related activities, which could potentially involve a soaking

but definitely involve having a laugh.

On the activity lake there's a host of things to do,

from rowing boats to pedalos, and my personal favourite,

water zorbing.

If you're not too exhausted after all these activities, you can

go up the 20-metre-high viewing tower

that gives panoramic views over Tralee Bay.

My next stop is the Kerry County Museum.

History museums can be a bit of a hard sell when it comes to kids,

but if you tell them they can walk through a medieval village,

that might perk up the wee devils' interest.

The medieval experience allows you to stroll

through the streets of Tralee in 1450.

And back then you did have to watch your step when you were walking around.

Part of the museum is dedicated to one of Kerry's most famous sons,

the celebrated explorer Tom Crean.

Crean survived two hazardous missions to the South Pole

with Scott of the Antarctic, as well as being

part of Sir Ernest Shackleton's ill-fated Endurance expedition team.

And the museum's hands-on approach really helps you to identify

with these intrepid tales of adventure.

Of course, this is the home of the Rose of Tralee Festival,

and they've just unveiled a glass wall in honour of the Rose finalists.

Now, if you come here you can't miss the Rose Garden -

not only is it a beautiful garden,

but it has a great play area for the kids.

But I have my own particular reason for coming here.

There she is, there's our girl there. Aoibhinn Ni Shuilleabhain,

winner 2005. And to think she went on to work with me.

Living the dream!

You don't have to travel far from Tralee to find fantastic beaches

and world-class scenery, and my next stop is the magnificent

Inch Strand, which stretches for five kilometres out into Dingle Bay.

This was the setting for the classic romantic drama Ryan's Daughter.

The beach has Blue Flag status,

so it's popular with swimmers, surfers

and, I'm told, the occasional nudist.

But it's too cold for any of that old lark today,

so I'm heading into town.

The main tourist area is Dingle town centre itself,

it is a hub of activity. Also a very famous watering hole.

There are over 50 pubs, famed for their live music,

their seafood chowder, and of course, the black stuff.

None of these attractions compare

to Dingle's most famous flippered friend, Fungie the dolphin.

Everywhere you go around here,

there's evidence of his celebrity status.

The other thing the tourists flock here for is Murphy's ice cream.

Think of it as the Haagen-Dazs of Dingle.

What is so famous about Murphy's ice cream?

Well, we've built it up over a long period of time I suppose.

One of the things we've done is

we've always used really, really good ingredients.

Very rare I think in these days with ice cream to actually still use cream,

it's very expensive to use, and we're one of the few people

that still use a lot of cream in our ice cream

and I think that's what makes it taste good.

-I want to try the Irish brown bread...

-Excellent.

-..and the Guinness.

-Excellent.

-I've got to try the black stuff.

-OK. Well, we have it here.

Oh, there we go.

Yeah. And the brown bread's not as weird as it sounds.

We caramelised it with dark brown sugar

-so it gives it sort of a nice deep, sweet flavour.

-Mmm!

Oh, man. It's delicious. Thank you ever so much for having us round.

Well, thanks for coming in. Enjoy your time in Dingle.

If you come to the Dingle peninsula, there are lots of accommodation

options, either in the town of Tralee

or the tourist centre of Dingle.

You've a great choice of hotels, B&Bs,

guest houses and hostels all year round.

We're taking a camping getaway in the Dordogne region of France,

and our next stop is to one of the local towns

that has become a must-see destination.

Rocamadour, which is over an hour from the camp site,

will make a great day trip.

This is our guide to spending the perfect day here.

Take a trip on the train, which runs through the town every 15 minutes.

Amble along its narrow streets,

with lots of quirky shops and restaurants.

And be a pilgrim for a day by visiting some of its shrines.

Every year more than a million visitors come here.

Rocamadour is an important pilgrimage destination,

and has been for a thousand years.

It's built on a shrine to the Madonna,

and apparently has healing powers.

And pilgrims used to climb all of these steps on their knees.

Call into La Chapelle Notre-Dame,

with the Black Madonna, just one of the many chapels to see.

However, if you've done enough climbing, drive about five minutes

outside the time to L'Hospitalet, to enjoy the stunning views.

When you come up here you can really see why people pay it a visit.

Now, it does get really busy in high season,

but I think it's definitely one to put on your list.

And close to here you'll find La Foret des Singes,

which might entertain the kids for a few hours.

Here you'll find 130 Barbary apes, roaming around in freedom.

The aim of the park is conservation, and as a result

so far 600 young monkeys have been reintroduced to North Africa.

So what do I need to know when I'm visiting the park?

Well, first it's very important not to touch the monkeys,

-because for them it's a sign of aggression.

-Oh.

Then the popcorn I'm going to give you is the only food allowed in the park.

They're actually kind of cute.

Want a bit more? Last one...

It is a bit mad feeding them,

it's like having a child who just grabs everything.

No - not very comfortable with that.

I think it's great that there's conservation and research

going on here, and the monkeys seem really happy in their habitat.

The kids would absolutely love it.

But I was bit nervous, so I didn't find it very relaxing.

The Murphy family from Dublin suggest that we visit Le Bournat,

a 1900s theme park which is a 45-minute drive from our camp site.

It's basically an open-air museum that lets you experience

typical rural life in the early 1900s.

It might be a wee bit gimmicky, but I'm curious to see what it's like.

As well as seeing displays of vintage machinery,

you can also play some old traditional games.

'Admission to the park costs 40 euro for two adults and two children.

'You'll find craftsmen here that make bread, walnut oil

'and other products using authentic 19th-century tools.'

It's delicious. Very light.

Well played, sir. Well played.

That is the best thing since...

Hang on, what came before sliced bread?

Whatever came before sliced bread - that's the best thing since it.

The staff are in character at all times, and if you're there

at the right time of day you'll spot a gaggle of geese strolling along.

And while wandering around the park, I bumped into someone from home.

This little spot is lovely, and great for my son, toys to play around on,

but it doesn't feel like Disney, it feels sort of the real deal.

-It does, doesn't it?

-Nothing plastic about it, it's great.

They even have an old fairground here -

that merry-go-round back there is from the year 1900.

And listen - kids still love it. KIDS LAUGH AND SHOUT

If you want to get away for an afternoon from the camp site,

this is a great place to come, cos it is literally a different world.

This area is famous for its caves and prehistoric sites,

and I'm going to see the cave drawings of Lascaux too.

The cave, which was given the title "the Sistine Chapel of Prehistory",

was discovered by four teenagers who were looking for their dog in 1940.

It contains some of the most impressive prehistoric paintings,

and became a major tourist attraction.

But unfortunately,

with that volume of visitors, the paintings started to deteriorate.

So an exact copy was created, using the very same materials,

and was opened here in 1983.

I know you might feel cheated because this is a replica,

but if you do get a chance, you should really visit here.

It's actually quite moving to think that people were painting

images like this over 20,000 years ago.

Whilst Aoibhinn is enjoying some prehistoric artwork,

I'm going for the wow factor,

and visiting one of the most spectacular caves in the region.

Gouffre de Proumeyssac has a few tales of its own to tell.

Apparently back in the 18th century it was used to dump rubbish,

bodies of dead animals, and indeed people.

And in winter, like rivers, you get a mist kind of coming up

out of the hole, so it was widely regarded as being...

DEEP SCARY VOICE: ..a gateway to hell.

Look, I know it's not the greatest sales pitch in the world,

but let's go have a wee look at it.

The first explorers of these caves

were actually lowered down in a barrel.

I'm about to take a similar route,

but I'm hoping health and safety will have improved since then.

Would you imagine, 1907 - being winched down here in a barrel,

with just a candle?

These caves were formed millions of years ago,

when water absorbed minerals

and cut through limestone to form great chasms like this.

Stunning, isn't it?

It's almost like you're on a completely different planet.

2,000 people come through here every day, so if you want the more

intimate experience, indeed to use the basket to come down here,

I would suggest booking ahead.

You can see why it's called the Crystal Cathedral, can't you?

Now, normally I'm not one to visit gardens,

but Les Jardins du Manoir d'Eyrignac

are close to the camp site and cost just 12 euro to visit.

This is a very formal, very regimented but very stylish garden

and there's six full-time gardeners here.

And get this - they trim everything with hand shears.

No electric shears because they might damage the leaves.

That is care and attention.

Regardless of where you go in this area you're probably going to have to

drive by these gardens - don't just drive by, call in,

have a look around for an hour or two.

For our getaway in the Dordogne

we've been staying on a camp site, and I've met up with some

holiday-makers to find out if they're happy campers.

It's a small camp site.

There's not too many pitches, it's nice and quiet and peaceful

and calm in amongst the trees.

It's fantastic value for money,

but for the accommodation and also the flight here and car hire

it still works out very good value.

-And is the area good for children as well?

-Oh, fantastic.

I mean, the girls have something to do every single day.

The canoeing, they loved.

We went also to a 1900 theme park. They loved it.

Oh, brilliant. What did you think about the theme park?

It was really cool, cos there's old toys

-that the 1900 children would play.

-Lovely.

And here's our verdict.

The mobile homes are what you would expect,

with all the utensils you'll need, including a barbecue.

If you don't want to bring your own towels and bed linen, you can hire them here.

And I have to admit the weather hasn't been brilliant while we've been here,

but if you do get a bit of the sunshine

you could have a real holiday.

Hey, neighbour.

The mobile homes have an open-plan sitting room, fully equipped kitchen

and two or three bedrooms. They can cater for families of up to eight people.

For a more authentic camping experience you can hire tents,

which also have all the mod cons you need for your stay.

If camping isn't your thing,

then about ten minutes from Sarlat you could rent this converted farmhouse,

also known as a gite, which will give you a taste of rural France.

The gite can sleep up to ten people,

and the swimming pool would definitely keep the kids happy.

We booked our camp site with Canvas Holidays, and flew with Aer Lingus.

There are several airports in the area,

or you could take the ferry to France and drive to the Dordogne.

If you'd like any more information about our holidays,

you can visit our website.

Joe, what did you enjoy about the trip?

Well, the weather wasn't as good as we wanted,

but to get out and see something like the Gouffre de Proumeyssac

was outstanding, I would highly recommend it.

Going round the market sampling the local food and produce, highlight.

Well, the medieval towns I thought were just gorgeous, they're so pretty,

and there's so much history to the area,

but my favourite thing was the canoe down the Dordogne. I recommend everybody do that.

That looked incredible.

If you're willing to go out and explore, this will make the perfect family holiday.

We will see you next time on Getaways.