Day 9 - Day tour, "The Perched Villages of the Dordogne"

September 27^th, 2002

"Plus Beaux Villages" extravaganza

We left Sarlat without our panniers today to tour the perched villages of the Dordogne. We were cycling in the fog for the first few kilometers and it was damn cold, so we sought refuge in a café in Vitrac. While sipping our café crème we browsed through a pile of pamphlets. We were disappointed to see that amongst the prehistoric cave art, wine cellars and chateaux, we found a pamphlet for paintball…somehow it just didn’t seem right.

After the fog lifted we got back on our bikes and started the climb up to Domme, “Un des plus beaux villages de France”.  We entered this beautiful bastide (fortified city) through Les Portes de Tours. Domme is incredibly beautiful, with stunning panoramas of the Dordogne and the valley below, a definite must-see. When we entered the town square,  we spotted  a dog, a boxer, looking through the second floor window of a house. He sat with an aristocratic air about him, nestled on his pillows, surrounded by flowers, as if he were king looking down on his kingdom below. Seemingly unimpressed by the crowd of peasants gathered below him, pointing and snapping pictures, he eventually tired of us and left.

We got back on our bikes, and cycled to the medieval town of Castelnaud. Though the last km or two before the town is quite steep, its well worth the trip to see the 12th century medieval fortres, towering over the valley. The views are spectacular.

After Castelnaud, we cycled to La Roque Gageac. It is yet another “Plus Beaux Villages de France”, and perhaps our favorite from our trip to the Southwest region. Imagine the peacefully beautiful Dordogne River on one side, and stunning stone houses with bright colored flowers perched along a cliff on the other side. It is extraordinarily picturesque. Grab a “fougasse avec fromage chèvre” from the local boulangerie, a fine bottle of wine, some fruit and go have a picnic by the banks of the Dordogne. You can thank us later.

Fatigued, not from the bike ride, but from the day’s excitement, we slowly made our way back to Sarlat. For dinner we opted for crepes at a small restaurant called La Crêpe Rie. The food was excellent and the service very friendly. When Spiros ordered a second crêpe au chocolat, the cook very proudly laughed and offered to make us a baker’s dozen. We politely declined…but only because we knew she was kidding.