I recently explored the southwest of France, particularly the Dordogne and Vezere Valley, where hundreds of paleolithic sites have been found. Our upcoming tour, “Cave Art, Castles and Cuisine” in September will be held in this area, and it was wonderful to be back again. Excellent local guides will be joining us as we visit the sites where Cro-Magnon and Neanderthal people lived. We will be visiting medieval towns and castles, as well as sampling the delicious foods and wines  of the Perigord region.

Art and personal expression is my area of study, and I am fascinated by the adornment that people wore, which we know from the finds of beads, pendants, and shells. This display at Abri du Cap Blanc depicts the ways that beads were used to create head adornment. Of course, the artwork in the caves, from sculpture to painting , is remarkable. Some of it looks entirely contemporary, with its leaning toward abstracting, and communicating with a single boldly drawn line. It is particularly interesting to see how the shape of the rock was used to create compositions and dimension. Watch for more posts on Paleolithic art! Connecting to the people of the past is truly a profound experience. The September tour is full, but if you are interested in future trips to France please let us know and you will receive the information as soon as it is announced.