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Eating oysters on the banks of the Gironde in Bordeaux, enjoying a seafood barbecue in the country garden of an Armagnac producer, picnicking on magret de canard and foie gras cruising down the Baise river and, in an orchard of plum trees, biting into prunes soaked in eau de vie and covered with chocolate. I’m in Aquitaine, which takes up the south east corner of France and for 300 years was part of England.

Bordeaux is the main city, less than two hours from Dublin, recently spruced up so the blackened medieval buildings have regained their honey tone and the 18th century mansions stand smartly to attention along the expansive waterfront. Alternate Junes see the Fete le Fleuve and the Fete le Vin, where trestle tables line the quays and local produce is downed to the sound of street music.

Lot-et-Garonne is the fertile centre of Aquitaine, known as ‘le verger de la France’, France’s orchard. It incorporates Gascony, where the hospitality is hearty and the humour deadpan. The rest of France don’t trust the Gascons, taking their leg-pulling as mendacity. The expression ‘a Gascon promise’ is only ever used ironically. There’s a village in Gascony which gives a trophy every year for the teller of the tallest story.

Dumas’s three musketeers are archetypal Gascons. Henry de Batz de Trenquelleon, whose forebear was the model for d’Artagnan, greets us at the wrought iron railings in front of his 18th century chateau. He is not expecting visitors, yet in the 34C heatwave, is dressed immaculately in a white suit, collar and tie. His presence reduces our group to silence. ‘Have you a spokesperson?’ he asks mischievously. His son shows us round the estate, where 30,000 bottles of Chateaux de Salles are produced each year using time honoured methods.

There are many such ‘vignerons independants’ in the area around Buzet. Gascons like to do things their way, and the same family will refine their product over generations. Near Lannes, a little further south, is the Domaine de Cazeaux, stately home of Eric Kauffer, who produces Armagnac, vin de pays de l’Agenais and Floc de Gascogne, his own invention, an aperitif made from Armagnac and wine. The recipe, which he trustingly didn’t patent, has been widely imitated.

Eric sizzles prawns and salmon on a barbecue, which we eat with fresh salad as we sample the estate wines and a 12-year-old Grand Armagnac Tenareze. The round tables are covered with white tablecloths under dappled sunlight. A pastoral idyll stretches before us. His wife serves us a wonderful icecream cake made from an old family recipe, which she promptly recites to us when we show our interest. I am sitting next to the mayor of St Jean de Thurac, who tells me of his duties – mostly settling disputes between neighbours. Ask Michel, he says, speaking of the Kauffers’ son, who it turns out is mayor of Lannes. Both communes have around 500 inhabitants.

Marie-France Costes grows plums near the village of Penne d’Agenais and closely guards the recipes for flavoured prunes passed on by her father. She makes them by hand herself, packages and markets them, a one-woman enterprise with extra help at harvest time. She likes to keep things on a small scale, selling to local outlets, so that she can remain in control. She indicates the large silver trophy awarded for her ‘pruneaux d’Agen’.

The Garrouste family own the Carlane chambre d’hotes in Penne d’Agenais. They welcome us on their terrace, facing out over miles of peaceful open countryside. We try an aperitif made of prunes, a recipe from someone’s grandmother, now kept secret.

Lot-et-Garonne is a region full of gourmets, connoisseurs and local food specialists, who will wax eloquent about the rich culinary traditions of their ‘pays’. Touring its villages, especially along its river and canal routes (the broad Lot, the smaller Baise, the Canal de Garonne), creates a genuine sense of discovery. Off major tourist itineraries, it’s an area full of surprises, boasting exquisite ‘bastide’ towns, fortresses built during the 100 years war under French or English protectorates. The pace is slow, with time to appreciate the landscape, reminiscent of Tuscany, and the cuisine, where every commune has its speciality.

Yet this is not a closed, conservative region. It has seen much immigration – Italian, Portuguese, pieds noirs, have all settled here as a result of the world wars and the war in Algeria. The tiny market town of Vianne is home to 25 nationalities. A wise mayor inaugurated an annual international food festival where each nationality could show off its dishes. Friday night is the time to visit this bastide town, when stalls sell fresh produce and restaurants serve everyone together on long tables in the street.

While the Lot-et-Garonne area is sparsely inhabited, there is no exodus. Local people are turning to tourism and city dwellers are buying second homes. Francis and Josette Combes typically illustrate the enthusiasm local people are bringing to new initiatives. They have renovated the railway stations at Nerac and Mezin and reinstated the train route between them, which first ran in 1890 and had been out of service since 1969. The first place we are shown are the station toilets, which gleam. ‘Like in our house,’ says Francis as Josette smiles at the praise. Francis’s exuberant commentary, which accompanies a ride on Le Train Touristique de l’Albret, tells of the history, the characters, the flora and fauna of his ‘patrimonie’. His wife gets off the train periodically to wave a red flag in front of oncoming traffic.

Cycling is an ideal way to experience the region and can be combined with boat hire. Tie up at Lavardac and make for Barbaste, with its 12th century bridge and mill. Maps showing ‘randonnees’ of varying lengths are posted on the streets. In many ways, however, such recommendations are superfluous. The whole area is one big scenic route.

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