Perigord, a Wonderful Region Trivia Quiz

Answer: Southwest, not bordering any country

France is roughly shaped like a hexagon, hence its nickname. Perigord is located about 130 km (80 mi) east of Bordeaux, about 150 km (93 mi) north of Toulouse, and about 100 km (62 mi) south west of Limoges. It is part of the Aquitaine region. Spain is the closest country south of Perigord, but still quite a way away, about 250 km (155 mi).

Answer: Dordogne

The Dordogne River has given its name to the Department of Dordogne which constitutes Perigord. Perigord is, in fact, the name of a former province. The Dordogne River has shaped stunning landscapes; it is also a slow-flowing river that offers tourists small beaches and water activities such as kayaking, swimming and short cruises.

Answer: It is a medieval town whose center has been well preserved, and is very representative of 14th c France.

Sarlat (full name: Sarlat La Cadena) was originally built around a Benedictine abbey of Carolingian origin. The town center has been successfully restored and takes you back in time as you stroll along the main and back streets. You will, of course, see boutiques and shops, but they are well integrated and are not shocking in sight. Cars are not allowed downtown, so you will not be bothered by traffic while admiring houses, buildings, the old theater and the cathedral. You may even be lucky and enjoy classical music played on the organ in the cathedral, as I did. Sarlat is an international attraction visited each summer by many tourists from England, Germany, the Netherlands and other countries.

As for the other answers: No, cock fighting is outlawed in France, and it is not a French custom anyway. There is no oceanographic museum either. And reconstitution of medieval fighting is the specialty of an amusement complex called Puy du Fou in Vendée up north on the Atlantic Coast.

Answer: Purple

The sub-divisions are:

Black Perigord (Perigord Noir) in the eastern and south-eastern part. White Perigord (Perigord Blanc) is in the center. Green Perigord (Perigord Vert) is in the north. And Purple Perigord (Perigord Pourpre) is in the south-west. Each one has a different type of landscape, but the most worth seeing is probably the Black Perigord due to its concentration of beautiful scenery along the Dordogne River and its numerous historical sites.

Answer: Grilled eels, foie gras and tournedos rossini

Eels are a treat, and common in Perigord. They are not fat and taste very nice.
Foie gras (goose or duck liver) could almost be called the "staple food" of Perigord. It is mainly served sautéed as an entrée, but is also combined with tender beef steak as in tournedos rossini. It is a beef fillet (filet mignon), pan fried, topped with a slice of fresh foie gras, and served with truffles and a Madeira demi-glaze sauce. Some chefs use port wine. It was invented either by Escoffier or Marie-Antoine Carême. The origin is uncertain.

Tournedos rossini is often served with pommes sarladaises (potatoes sautéed with truffles). Believe me, it's delicious! As for the wine? A Bergerac will do fine.

Antipasto, lasagna and tortellini are Italian. Fish soup is what you mainly get on French coasts, not inland. Sausages are not to be counted as the gastronomy of Perigord either. The combination sausages with cabbage (sauerkraut) is typical of Alsace.

Answer: Aven d'Orgnac

The Lascaux cave is full of beautiful paintings dating back to Paleolithic times. It has been nicknamed the Sixteen Chapel of mural art. The cave is closed to the public for different reasons. It was vandalized in 1957, and then the influx of too many tourists began to cause the paintings to fade off.
A replica of the cave (facsimile), named Lascaux 2, was opened in 1983, 200m (218 yd) from the original site; the paintings were reproduced using natural pigments. The team who worked on the replica was directed by Monique Peytral.
Les Eyzies is a small town, but it is the center of prehistoric studies. That area and the valley of the Vézère have an unusually rich array of prehistoric sites dating back some 40,000 years. The Vézère is a small river, a tributary to the Dordogne River, that formed a valley inhabited by man early in prehistoric times; the valley contains 147 prehistoric sites dating from the Palaeolithic era and 25 decorated caves.

There are many troglodyte habitations and sites to visit, and a reconstructed Neolithic village near Beynac.

Aven d'Orgnac is in Ardeche, not Perigord.

Answer: Josephine Baker

The château is located in the small commune of Castelnaud-la-Chapelle, near Sarlat. That is the place where Josephine raised her 12 adopted children, all of different ethnicities.

Josephine was an African-American woman born in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Her real name was Freda Josephine McDonald. She took up French citizenship in 1937. She was a singer, dancer and actress who became very famous in her time. She was an active member of the resistance during WWII, and got several high decorations including the highly praised Legion of Honor.

Answer: Gabarre

The cruise will allow you to discover some of the most prestigious castles in Perigord which you can visit later. These are the Château of Beynac, majestic and looking over the river, and the Châteaux of Castelnaud.

In addition you will have views on some of the most beautiful villages in France, the most picturesque of them being Roque Gageac right on the northern bank of Dordogne.

The Gabarre is a traditional boat which was used to carry merchandise along the river all the way to Bordeaux.

Guided cruises will tell you everything about the history of those who sailed on the Dordogne as well as fascinating information on the castles and life in Perigord all throughout the centuries.

Schooners and brigantines are high sea vessels, not river boats. As for kayaks, they are a bit small to transport merchandise, don't you think?

Answer: It is a museum of medieval warfare

The Chateau is listed as an Historic Site by the French Ministry of Culture. There are no horrors to be seen, no more than there is such things as "a medieval garden or medieval extinct animals".

However it is famous and well worth a day's visit because:
1) It has been fully restored
2) It displays a collection of full-size reconstructed siege engines, mangonneaux, trebuchets, onagers and other weapons used in medieval times, thus giving us a full understanding of the medieval art of warfare
3) It has another unique and private collection of arms and armor.

In addition, these are reinforced by models and videos, explaining a medieval château's different methods of attack and defense.

Answer: Michael Crichton

"Timeline" was published in 1999. It tells the story of a group of history students who travel back to 14th century France to rescue their professor. Michael Crichton was a physician who died in 2008. He was also an American best-selling author and screenwriter. One of his most memorable novels is perhaps "Jurassic Park" which was made into a movie. Claude Chabrol filmed his thriller "Le Boucher" in Sarlat and Bergerac. "The Matchmaker of Périgord" was written by Julia Stuart, an English novelist. And Martin Walker, a famous reporter, is the author of the "Bruno" detective series set in Périgord.