Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 7
Poil de Vache
Shipping wine to end customers was important but direct sales at the property were also a
key part of our plan. We had to get the grounds looking more presentable for the tourist sea-
son. The region of Aquitaine and the department of the Dordogne are much-loved tourist
destinations for French and foreign alike. They are renowned for history, beauty and fine
food and wine. Just over an hour's drive from us could be found delights like the prehistor-
ic cave art of Lascaux, called the 'Sistine Chapel of Prehistoric Art', and Richard the Lion-
heart's castle of Beynac where he lived for much of the last fifteen years of his life. With-
in five minutes' drive of us were ancient castles including the oldest dungeon in the Dor-
dogne at Gageac Castle, gourmet restaurants, picturesque vineyards and even an internation-
al competition-level twenty-seven-hole golf course.
Sean bought a large brush cutter from a local DIY shop so he could tackle the places
he couldn't reach with the field mower. The brush cutter worked for 50 centimetres then
stopped. After dropping Sean and the girls at the E. Leclerc supermarket to do the weekly
shopping I made a dash for the DIY shop on the other side of Bergerac. I waited at the
counter for twenty minutes before a shop assistant appeared. He took me and the machine to
the back of the shop where he verified that it was not working.
'You have to go to service après vente .'
'Where is it?' I asked, expecting him to point to a convenient after sales service kiosk.
'Poil de Vache.'
'Comment?' I said.
'Poil de Vache,' he said, a little louder.
'It's not in this shop?' I said, somewhat taken aback and beginning to wonder if he was
swearing at me for being a foreigner rather than telling me where to go. I had a vague recol-
lection that vache meant cow but could also be used in a less savoury context.
'No, it's on the road to Sarlat about ten minutes from here,' he said even louder.
'Quoi?' I said, certain I had misheard despite the amplification.
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