Dordogne River Valley

We left St. Emilion for the Dordogne River Valley, enjoying the beautiful countryside and vineyards. It took longer than usual (partially due to an autoroute exit I missed) so we decided to call ahead to reserve a place for a canoe ride. The last trip out was to be at 3:00 pm. At around 2:50 we called and said we’d be there just after 3:00. We ended up stopping in a parking lot outside of La Roque-Gageac and running to the road to meet the van, on the way to the drop off point. We didn’t take time to change clothes or pack anything; we just ran. There was one other American couple in the van. We jumped in, and after a few minutes they turned around and said “Parlez-vous anglais?” (We had spoken to the bus driver in French and then were just quiet, catching our breath). They were a nice retired couple, in Europe for the first time.

The ride started innocently enough, with the usual donning of lifejackets and unloading the canoes. The water was calm and we only saw trees and countryside for a while, along the banks. About 20 minutes down river, it began to sprinkle. Then it started to pour. And the wind blew. And the goose bumps rose. Eventually we reached the area where we saw the beautiful chateaux and villages along the banks of the river. By that time, our teeth were chattering and we just wanted to get out and get warm and dry. We were totally unprepared, since we had just jumped out of the car and into the van! Despite the weather, it was still absolutely beautiful and we have somewhat fond memories of canoeing the Dordogne.

We docked our canoes at La Roque-Gageac, about two hours down from where we started and the American couple drove us back to the car. We went straight to our hotel to dry off and thaw out, and when we went back outside we got to appreciate why this village is officially classified one of the most beautiful villages in France (“Les Plus Beaux Villages de France”). It is a little medieval village situated on the Dordogne river, built right out of the cliffs. We watched as the sunset changed the pallet of the cottages, cliffs, and reflections in the water. Then we went inside for a delicious gourmet meal at the well-reputed restaurant in our little place, the Hotel Belle Etoile.