Wednesday, August 13, from Brive at 10 heading to the caves of Lascaux and the Aquarium of the Périgord Noir. Unfortunately, after about an hour and a bit of road through the Dordogne, Montignac and we can ... there are a lot of people. The road through Montignac being only in one direction, there is often plugs. Especially as the ticket of the Lascaux caves are open circles of the city of Montignac, with few places to park and ride, it's really a disaster. It would be better to put the ticket directly at the site of Lascaux (in fact, because the original Lascaux II is reserved only for visits by scientists, because of the breathing and lamps of visitors who deteriorated paint). Seeing that there were hundreds of people queuing for tickets, we decided to postpone the visit to another day. Direction Eyzies-de-Tayac ... except for that, we must re-cross the entire Montignac .... an hour to lose again? Surely not! So I studied the map and we go through the village of Montignac Aubas and management on the other side of the Vézère. Zero plugs, and a beautiful pass by Losse.
We stopped along the Vézère, we have a beautiful view of Losse. The fortress built in the cliff of the river is transformed into pleasure palace in 1576 at the request of Jean de Losse.


Continuing the route, through the Eyzies-de-Tayac to join the Bugue we go on a ledge with a castle in the face:

Arrived at Bugue is afternoon ... it's time to eat! We find a restaurant that not seem wrong: the hotel-restaurant Le Cygne. Noted in Green Guide, The Rough Guide, Lonely Planet and the Logis de France ... I do not think it's bad.
Sitting outside, Amandine takes a salad with smoked salmon, auntie a menu with fish and me, a corner of the menu: duck confit leg with a slice of gratin. For dessert, a creme brulee!

After lunch, our tour executive of the day: The Aquarium of the Périgord Black. Ha, I forgot ... the video!

Built in 1989, this is the beginning, 'the largest private in France freshwater aquarium' that '. In 2009, the Aquarium is expanding by adding the Iguana park dedicated to snakes and lizards. Further expansion in 2014 for the 25th anniversary of the Aquarium: Alligator Park, crocodiles and alligators of join in the fun.

More than 6,000 fish in 6,000,000 liters of water distributed mainly in large basins and five themes: the inhabitants of fresh water - the teeth of the rivers - the world of sturgeon - tropical waters - the garden carp.
We see carp, tench, trout (even albino!), Perch, pike, catfish albino sturgeon of all kinds and amounts of other fish ... (even fish that are not as the axolotl)

The following contains aquarium full of fish about six inches long and completely transparent: the glass catfish (Kryptopterus bicirrhis).

Then an aquarium with fish-vampires, and well-known (and common) basic fish hobbyists: the blue neon tetras (Paracheirodon innesi)

In a separate basin, pike! These voracious predators come in several types (but especially in our two regions): bottom-pike and pike background-between tides. Here a pike between the two waters, recognizable by its very elongated snout like a crocodile:

We soon reach the iconic part of the aquarium ... one last pool before it: the poles (they admit to their bodies streaked with large black bars) accompanied by small fish excavators background.

We're lucky, it's time for the diver feeding sturgeon: in combination bottle back pocket and lunch at the table!

Sturgeons, beautiful fish, are divided into three species: Sturgeons Sturio (European sturgeon), the Danube Sturgeons (Sterlet) and Beluga sturgeon. The former can reach 3m long, 300kg and live as a man 80 years. The second, smaller, 1.20 m long and 16 Kg can live 25 years. The third can reach 7.20m long, weighing nearly 2 tons and live almost 120 years. All are critically endangered species extinctions but the last is the most 'used'. Indeed, the species Beluga is used to make the famous Caviar (best) and can tear more than € 12,000 per kilo!
I personally have never eaten caviar (too expensive), but I think that killing these poor animals only eat their own eggs and discard the rest ... it's a bit silly (and hello waste ... ), especially as they are beautiful. They are also one of the oldest families of bony fish alive and dating from the age of dinosaurs (and even before!).

End of the aquarium section, we arrive at the very last part added to the site: Alligator Park, on land (well, the Bayou) Jo Mc Clack, former crocodile hunter, turned into a fervent protector of the animals he hunted before. The decor is like a house in the Louisiana bayou, with crocs everywhere ... some are fake, others alive and with a look that says a lot about what would happen to us if we we might go to the caress ...

In the category 'voracious', another iconic animal butchering high speed ... Piranha! The species that we know well, who likes to devour everything their carnivorous appetite madmen allows them to eat (it should be noted that they mainly attack when they smell blood (for large animals)) measures only 15 - 35cm (for 3kg for the largest) ... But there are much larger, weighing up to 6Kg! But in this case, they are fruit-eating piranhas. In the picture, I feel that our voracious friend got nibbled the back by one of his fellow ... and can be estimated extremely lucky not to have ended up chopped ...

After the crocs and Alligator Park, this is the Iguana Park, with ... as you might expect with the name: iguanas, lizards and snakes ....! There are (as often) an albino python, and interestingly ... there is a snake that has blue highlights! While lizards take the break (green is beautiful!) Iguanas are napping or mimic lizards.

Leaving in the last part, an open courtyards with turtles florida and semi-aquatic turtles in the region.

Then, a large pool of 80cm deep filled koi and common carp, some are even albino white-yellow and some oranges. Very cuddly, we can caress or leaving your fingers touch the water, have them suck (without any risk, even if it's just awesome!). It's very soft water, they leave and go to even ask for more! You just do not take them to get them out of the water or hurt them.

The report is now complete, a small passage through the shop: postcard, plush koi (one for Amandine and one for me) and a hinged wooden snake for me.
Taking the way back ... the exit is blocked because of all the visitors going on simultaneously. But we're in no hurry, we go quietly on Brive happy with our day, as always with the head full of memories.