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June 6: Castelnaud La Chapelle

Yes, yes the hot air balloons were lovely last night. But I wasn’t so enthralled with them when the engines started to inflate them right outside my room at 6.30 am.

Today we drove to the little village of Belves (Rob, I am not driving but am a very happy passenger in the car which Jim is driving) to check out the local market. Some of the market was under a big wooden structure which dated back to the 15th century.

It wasn’t a very big market but lots of colourful fruit and veg.And while I am not a mandarin lover, I tasted a sample and had to buy some!

A stop for coffee and then a stroll through town

Then we went to La Roque-Gageac on the banks of the Dordogne River. It is said to be one of the most spectacular villages in France—famous for its dramatic setting where a single line of golden stone houses are squeezed between a steep limestone cliff which is more than 100 metres high and the Dordogne river.

We selected a short loop walk from Lesley’s compendium of walks ( thank you, Lesley) which took us through the back streets of the town.

Then it was time to get on our gabarre for a sail on the Dordogne. A gabarre is one of the Dordogne’s most iconic sights — a flat‑bottomed wooden river boat traditionally used to transport wine, timber, tobacco, and goods along the Dordogne and its tributaries.It was the workhorse of the Dordogne from the Middle Ages to the 19th century.They travelled downstream loaded, and were often dismantled and sold for timber at Bordeaux because rowing them back upstream was too difficult.

One is even named after Sammy’s dog !

Dinner at another lovely village, Daglan. Despite only having a population of 500, it had a Michelin restaurant called Le Petit Paris which served an awesome Grand Marnier soufflé….

We sat outside…no breeze, lovely temperature, no flies, no mosquitos!