Sarlat and the Dordogne River
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| La Villa des Consuls entry |
Driving from Normandy to the Dordogne region took around seven hours. We arrived in Sarlat at 5 p.m.--rush hour on a weekday. We had reservations at La Villa des Consuls for two nights. I found this place on tripadvisor.com and was extremely pleased staying in this well-preserved medieval village. Although the hotel offered no parking nearby, the city has large parking areas on the edge of town. You must be able to carry your luggage (or roll it over lots of cobblestone) as the villa is located on a narrow street in the city center. I believe Sarlat is pedestrian friendly and they don't allow cars in many areas--but check this out with the hotel. The only signage is one on the main road (very small) and so it took several mis-turns before we found our way there. The GPS kept saying we were at our destination, but we couldn't turn or access the street. A bit confusing, but to me it was worth the trouble.
http://www.villaconsuls.fr/accueil-sarlat-villaconsuls-en.html
Our group of seven needed two apartments--each one had two bedrooms, a main living area, small kitchen, and balcony.
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| Our living area |
Our balcony overlooked the city. We could watch all the lazy nighttime activities and the frenzied market morning ones from ours. My photo of the moon was also taken there. The other apartment had a balcony that overlooked a garden. It was much larger and accommodated our entire group during an evening of appetizers. The hotel was tastefully decorated and the beds were more than comfortable. John and I wished we could have stayed in this town--and this hotel--much longer. We loved the village of Sarlat, and the Dordogne region had so much to offer.
Although we passed many chocolate shops, I never tried a piece. I can't believe it since that is one of the confections France is known for. I made up for this faux pas in chocolate pastry consumption!
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French chocolates--believe it or not, I never tried one.
Guess I have to go back! |
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| Outdoor dining near our hotel |
Every corner in Sarlat seemed magical: the outdoor dining, the art (and the children playing on the art), the archetecture, the clocks, the awnings, the greenery, the grounds...the entire town captivated us. John and I tried to get lost on the side streets, but always found our way back to the city center. And we had some of our best meals here.
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A little girl riding one of
the geese sculptures |
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One of the many awesome buildings
in Sarlat |
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| Getting lost in Sarlat |
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| cobblestone and tunnels |
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| night from our balcony |
With only two nights, we had to pick and choose carefully on how we wanted to spend our time. I wanted to find and explore the hieroglyphics in the area, so John and I set out with my Rick Steves' book. Supposedly some of the oldest ones (in the world?) were found in a cave in France. But before we landed at the site recommended in the book, we came across Grotto du Grand Roc.
http://www.sarlat-tourisme.com/en/fiche/Idees-circuits/Grotte-du-Grand-Roc/PCUAQU024FS0005E/ I wish we would have searched further. The Grotto would have been more interesting had I not visited the staglamites at Carlsbad Caverns. In my opinion, the ones in France looked exactly the same as the ones in New Mexico. What I did find interesting was how these cliffs supported cave dwellers thousands of years ago. Check out their website. If you've never seen staglamites or spent time in such a cave, go and enjoy. If you have, keep driving and see the hieroglyphics.
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| At the Grotto du Grand Roc |
In the afternoon, I (John stayed in Sarlat) rented kayaks and canoes with two other members in our group and drifted down the Dordogne River. Well, drifted is the wrong verb. I paddled so hard my palms blistered.
http://www.northofthedordogne.com/canoe.php
Depending on the time of year, the Dordogne runs at different paces. We were there in September and it moved slowly--if at all. Normally when I kayak, I paddle, rest, enjoy the scenery, and paddle some more. But here I paddled constantly. The Dordogne offers castles and little towns and a trip down this river is certainly a must do in my book. The scenery is quite different from the U.S. We spent half a day on the river. If I had it to do over I'd spend a whole day and stop at more villages. The kayaks/canoes had to be back by a certain time so we only visited one town--a huge disappointment for me. Please check with your hotel or bed and breakfast. They had discount coupons for various rental sites--and give yourself plenty of time--an entire day if possible.
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| One of the many castles on the Dordogne River |
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| One of the many restaurant signs |
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| We kayaked down the Dordogne--this was our view |
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| market day |
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| the best umbrellas I've ever seen |
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| flowers on market day |
On our final morning in Sarlat, we woke to one of the largest Market Days in the region. Anything you can imagine was for sale (and things you can't imagine too). Mashed olives, sausages, chicken, umbrellas, flowers, brassieres (yes, brassieres and other women's lingerie), fruits, cheese, wallets, purses, scarves and more scarves, pastries, sandals, shoes, wines, olive oils--I could go on and on. I wish there was enough room to put all the pictures of this France market on the blog. If you are near one when you visit this country, make sure you allow time to browse and buy. I'd never seen umbrellas that were as sturdy and beautiful as these. With the Euro exchange, they would have been close to $100--and then I would have had to get it home. If this would have been the last leg of our journey, I probably would have parted with the money--because they were awesome! But we did pick up a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, and condiments for the rest of our trip. It was one of the highlights of our trip to France.
http://www.sarlat-tourisme.com/en/rubrique/Sarlat-Market/fe0803ed9bbe4685149aaeef4f60e1a7/
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