Arrondissement de Sarlat-la-Canéda

Today was a very busy day. I am feeling pretty good, but still not a lot of energy. First order of business was to stop at a patisserie/boulangerie for a French breakfast and a baguette to go for later! Last night we had driven to the “old town” in Sarlat and wandered a little, so we were definitely ready to see more of the old area. Sarlat seems to be so much bigger and busier with more people than all the other places we have visited. Funny, but the population is only about 10,000! It is definitely more alive than the other villages we’ve visited. Suffice it to say, it’s an enchanting and quaint medieval town that’s actually divided into two with one side more aristocratic and the other more “common”. It’s fun to discover little arched passages and lanes that lead to new treasures to see. I must say that “duck” is what it’s all about here…everywhere! Foie gras and duck dishes are on every menu and many stores are devoted to duck products. There are many duck farms in the area, too.

After stopping at La Belle Époque for French onion soup, we decided to drive to nearby villages voted as “Most Beautiful Villages” that border the Dordogne River. In the villages of both Beynac (pop 552). and Castelnaud La Chapelle (pop 471) there is an imposing chateau perched at the top of steep cliffs and rocks that seem to reach to the sky with a tiny village built directly below it. Let me tell you, we were many narrow switchback roads, but I don’t think that I scared Elizabeth too many times…she did jump in her seat a few times! I don’t know why? Do you? Just enjoy the photos even though they can never truly capture the scene. As we drove through the countryside we spotted many smaller chateau high above the Dordogne River.

We returned to Sarlat for a drink before dinner and to work a little on our journals. I was sitting in a café with a glass of wine listening to the young staff laughing and singing to French songs being played loudly on the speaker. And I was in heaven! I was moving ever so slightly with the music and living in a moment of true joy and thinking… I AM IN FRANCE! The young waiter came over and asked if I wanted another wine. I told him in French what I wrote about them singing and laughing and how I was enjoying it so much. He very gently kissed my hand and treated me to a glass of wine! He came over again and asked me to dance…I passed! Hadn’t had enough to drink! It was all truly innocent, and they were at the end of the shift just enjoying their free time. I’ve never had such sweet attention! We closed the place down!Read more