![]() I stock up on wine, while the kids taste violet-flavoured mustard. But the highlight is Le Musee Du Vin, a cave packed with unusual regional produce, featuring an informative wine tasting. We arrive on market day to find fresh berries, zucchini and saffron for barely a handful of euros. This seventhcentury village is a gaggle of shops and restaurants, hidden down cobblestone laneways. St-Cirq Lapopie is routinely voted the prettiest village in France, and the view from the top – after a 20-minute walk up a scrabbly rock path – is nothing short of majestic: medieval castles on steep cliffs overlooking a patchwork of farmland. The boat is air-conditioned but we leave the windows open instead, to feel the breeze.Īfter a languid lunch at La Truite Doree, a family-run restaurant for five generations serving homemade terrine in an enormous pottery bowl, we take turns at the steering wheel on the upper deck to reach a town that sounds like a lolly. That night, the gentle lapping of the water has a soporific effect, and we sleep deeply. ![]() You can also rent bikes to ride through the vineyards and villages, or fishing rods to catch perch, pike or black bass. The kids play hide-and-seek on the lush riverbank, while I glide along its surface on a blow-up paddleboard, hired from the good folks at Le Boat. Unfortunately a large party boat has taken up much of the mooring space, but they turn out to be friendly, helping to guide us alongside. Our destination today is Vers, a picture-book town with a bubbling brook and 11th-century chapel. The black wine is chilled on hot summer days.Ī boat passing under Pont Valentre. Ditto the wine: only the local varietals are served in the restaurants. It's best to shop locally and seasonally in rural France, to save money and ensure the produce is fresh. ![]() The following day, I walk into town to stock up on fresh baguettes from the boulangerie, fillet steak from the boucherie, and cabecou, a local goat's cheese, from the Petit Casino. We play eucha on deck, snacking on saucisson sec de chevreil – air-dried salami of venison – and stonefruit bought from the store in Douelle. We're the only ones anchoring up here tonight. On our first attempt at reversing, which is one of the more difficult manoeuvres, we're assisted by a lovely local fella. This late in the day many of the moorings are already occupied, so we head to Luzech – the last Gallic town to hold out against Caesar. The riverbank is decorated with chateaux and vineyards, some housing Michelin-starred restaurants. We head west past Chateau de Cayx, the summer home of the Danish Royals, Prince Frederick and Princess Mary. You can reserve on the web site.A boat enters the lock under the historic Pont Valentre fortified bridge. Actually, I would never want to do a gabarre trip at that time on a Sunday (because of the crowds). I would certainly reserve a trip in advance for your mid-June trip in the afternoon after the Sunday market and lunch. In the afternoon, one of the villages or maybe an important castle was in the shade and not as "photographic". Because of the sun exposure, one of the 2 possible trips was best in the morning. I suspect many people had to wait in line a long time to catch a trip. When we returned, there were long lines waiting for the next trip. We took a trip early in the morning (first trip of the day), in mid-Sept. There is plenty of info in there about Gabarres trips, and which specific ones we took (we did both of them). You must not have read any of the into in the 2 itineraries I sent you. If you have to continue the trip to some farther spot, he'll have to drive (can he?) to meet you farther down the river. Your husband can just hang out in one of the riverside cafés and wait for you. I just checked and though there's no beach in Beynac there is a landing for canoës, but I don't know if it's just a stopping point or somewhere you can end a trip If it is, it will be easy. Check to see if they have a trip that ends in Beynac or lets you get off there. Look at the list and click on the websites (or "plus savoir") for any outfit that is based in Vitrac, Cénac, La Roque-Gageac, or Castelnaud. Your canoe trip will no doubt be two or three times that long, even if you choose the shortest route. It's been slightly different every time I've gone, but I've always enjoyed it. The commentary is very good, all about the river trade from Bordeaux and plenty of Hundred Years War information, plus information on the local ecosystem and growth of the towns along the river. The only one of those that is a fortified castle is Beynac. From the gabarre you will see Beynac of course, a private castle owned by Americans from Texas (at least it has an interesting history), and a glimpse of Les Milandes, Josephine Baker's castle. Yes, you can choose a gabarre ride that has commentary in English (it will also be in French).
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