FrenchDuck’s databank
16 Charente

Locally produced Beef and Veal, capons (la poule noire de Barbezieux), snails, beans, chestnuts, goats cheese and truffles are just a few of the specialities available in the Charente departement.

The following list of market days in the Charente departement (16, Poitou-Charentes) is accurate to the best of our knowledge, but please check with the local tourist office before making a journey. Some markets may not operate every week and others will only run in the summer months.

Aigre - Thursday, Saturday, Sunday
Angouleme - every day
Aubeterre-sur-Dronne - Sunday
Barbezieux-St-Hilaire - Tuesday, Friday
Blanzac-Porcheresse - Saturday
Brossac - Saturday
Chabanais - Thursday
Chalais - Monday
Chasseneuil-sur-Bonnieure - Wednesday, Saturday
Chateauneuf-sur-Charente - Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
Cognac - every day
Confolens - Wednesday, Saturday
Hiersac - Sunday
Jarnac - Tuesday - Sunday
La Couronne - Tuesday pm, Saturday
La Rochefoucauld - Wednesday, Saturday
Mansle - Tuesday, Friday
Montbron - Tuesday, Friday, Saturday
Montemboeuf - Thursday
Montignac-Charente - Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday
Montmoreau - Wednesday, Saturday
Rouillac - Wednesday, Saturday
Ruelle - Thursday, Sunday
Ruffec - Wednesday, Friday, Saturday
Segonzac - Sunday
St-Claud - Friday
Villebois-Lavalette - Saturday

For more info see http://www.visitcharente.com

From Cahors (46 Lot, Midi-Pyrenees) across the Dordogne (24 Dordogne, Aquitaine) and on to Angouleme (15 Charente, Poitou-Charentes) through the heart of South West and into Cognac country.

Cahors is probably one of my favourite towns, greatly improved now that the A20 autoroute bypasses the town. In a loop of the rather meandering Lot river with its iconic fortified medieval bridge (Pont Valentré, celebrating its 700 anniversary this year) the town is an ideal size to retain its character - and of course it is at the heart of one of my favourite wine areas. The red Cahors wine is made predominantly from Malbec (or Cot or Auxerrois as it is known locally) - and is a robust rich red ideal to accompany the rich duck and goose recipes of the region.Good wines from Clos Triguedina, Chateau de Cedre, Chateau Eugenie, Chateau les Hauts d’Aglan and others.

If you are really interested in the wines of Cahors and the culture of wine-making in rural South West France, then I can recommend Michael Sanders’ book Families of the Vinewhich tells the story of 3 major wine making families in the region at Clos Triguedena, Clos de Gamot and Clos la Coutale.

For more info on the Tour de France 2007 see www.letour.fr or UK Eurosport where there are some good interactive maps of the route.

The annual Cahors Blues Festival takes place 17–21 July 2007 in and around the town of Cahors (46 Lot, Midi-Pyrenees).

Whilst the streets of the town will echo to the music of the Blues, linked concerts are also held in surrounding towns such as Castelnau-Montratier, St Cirq la Popie etc

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Cahors is also hosting the start of a stage of the Tour de France on 29 July 2007 (Cahors to Angouleme)