Last June, I took a few days off to visit the Périgord Noir, in the center of France. This area is known for its culinary tradition and gourmet food as Foie gras, truffle (mushrom) as well as its Middle Ages castles and small towns or villages. It was quite impressive, thinking that people live in this kind of very old house, if there was no cars to remind us that we are still in 21st century, sometimes the scenery let us think we're back to the crusades and wars of religions times.
Here's the link to a Google Earth klm file to know exactly where in France are the Périgord and the small towns visited, unfortunately there's no high resolution for this area:
http://www.neufgiga.com/index.php?m=...74793611d71af3
and here a website with English language available which describe a little more this French region:
http://www.arachnis.asso.fr/Dordogne/guide1.htm
I hope you will enjoy my photos and even if I do not want to live there, these places really worth to be seen and visited.
1) Biron (141 inhabitants) and its castle
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9)Belves (1520 inhabitants)
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12) "Market Plaza"
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15) Beynac (510 inhabitants) and its castle
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22) Sarlat (10400 inhabitants big city for the area)
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30) View on Beynac Castle
31) La Roque-Gageac (460 inhabitants)
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33) The Dordogne river and La Roque-Gageac in the background (the small boat is for tourist cruise : viewing the castles around from the river)
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35) Castelnaud (430 inhabitants) and its castle
36) View from the castle
37) Catapults (to defend the castle from the assault of tourists!! 
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38) The castle of Fayrac: a Texan who seems to enjoy the place bought and live in this castle
39) View from the castle on Roque-Gageac
40) Milandes Castle the last home of Josephine Baker (http://www.milandes.com)
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In Middle Ages time, torture is very often used whatever the case and usually to make people admit what the inquisitors want to heard, so in most of this castle, there was torture rooms, here is a soft (don't worry) and short video of one of them:
• Video Link
I hope you enjoy this thread
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