Some of the Périgord’s historic sites and monuments are going into winter mode, which can mean anything from limited visiting hours to closing the doors until Easter. Fortunately the castle of Castelnaud remains open for December visitors, and we had the entire place pretty much to ourselves. A castle is a glacial and drafty domicile year-round, and viewed in December it makes a nice cozy one-room earthen-floor cottage look like the better choice.