France News: Everybody loves Dordogne

British-born David Ellis who has a property in Lot-et-Garonne stepped off the plane to great applause. ‘I have been working as assistant coach of the French rugby team for eight years as well as with club teams in Paris, Bordeaux and Gloucester so that means a lot of flying. I have been flying from Bergerac airport to Paris or the UK for almost ten years and sometimes go through the airport twice a week. I have seen the airport change greatly over this time and I hope the evolution continues.’

And continue it will as Jean-Pierre Belvès of the Dordogne Chamber of Commerce explains:
‘A major redevelopment on the airport is due for completion in June 2008. Both the arrival and departure halls will double in size and we have already increased parking capacity by 200 per cent.We are the bestserved airport in the region when it comes to links with the UK and between them, Ryanair and Flybe offer ten different routes compared to nearby Bordeaux’s seven. In August, this increases to some 40 flights a week.

‘We have a regular and loyal clientele as many British have second homes in the area. They are frequent flyers as are their families and friends and there are even people in the area who
commute to the UK for work. Bergerac is a small rural town and the airport has changed things dramatically here.’

So why Dordogne? ‘The department is perfectly placed as it is equidistant from the North Pole and the equator and  so provides a climate that is neither too hot nor too cold,’ explains the departmental tourist office. ‘There is plenty to see and do with stunning scenery the length of the Dorgogne valley and the area has an enormous sense of history. The prehistoric caves  at Lascaux date from some 15,000 years ago; given Dordogne’s temperate climate and beautiful countryside, it is no real surprise that prehistoric man chose to settle here and that the appeal endures today.’