Lovely Le Roque Gageac, Dordogne, France - July 2014

Le Roque Gageac, Dordogne
We discovered this charming little french city when we had previously visited the Loire region of France.  On our 25th anniversary, we had kayaked on the Dordogne River and Le Roque Gageac was one of the amazing little french cities we talked about returning to stay one day.  There is not much to do in this little town but it offers a respite from the frantic pace of some of France's larger cities.  We thought two nights here was perfect!

Where to Stay:

Hotel Belle Etoile
http://www.hotel-belle-etoile-dordogne.fr/gb/lieux.htm

The easiest way to get to this beautiful hotel is by car.  We drove our rental car from Bordeaux, enjoying the many beautiful sights along the way.  Initially it was difficult to find as our GPS took us up a hill to an incorrect location.  Once we found it, we realized that with the hotel being street front in this small little town along the beautiful Dordogne River, it should've been easy to find!  The reception we received was so warm and friendly.  This is a small family owned-operated boutique hotel.  We stayed in room 20 which was quite large.  Not only did it have a large bedroom with a really comfortable bed but a huge bathroom (with separate toilet and two sinks) and a good size sitting area, as well.  The view out of the front of our room was of a beautiful part of the river and so very quiet at night!  

The only challenges with this room was the flight of stairs up with our luggage, the weak Wi-Fi 
reception in the room and there was no stand up shower.  There is a handheld shower as part of a tub and we found this to be a unique way of bathing!  Somewhat messy when one is not used to it! Perhaps the best part of our stay was the warmth of the
staff.  We were made to feel so important and attended to.  Drinks before dinner were suggested and best enjoyed out on the terrace. I can’t begin to say enough about the food served in the hotel restaurant. At the time of check in, we were told a table had been saved for us, if we were interested.  We are so 

happy we dined here both nights! The smell from the kitchen during our stay was amazing, topped only by the actual food itself.  We can highly recommend the foie gras, the beef, the lamb and by far the best duck fillet we’ve ever had!  (It was my first time tasting duck and Gar warned me that this duck is actually better than any duck he’s ever had and that I should not expect the same great taste if I ordered it again!) The second night we were seated at a beautiful table next to a large window. Perfect for enjoying the river.  This hotel was a true highlight of our two weeks visiting the southern part of France.  I only hope we can return again one day!

What to Do:

Canoe Roguegeoffre
http://canoe-roquegeoffre.com/en

We loved this canoeing company!  Having been to the canoes Rick Steve's recommended in his book and being treated rather poorly, this was a nice change.  They speak little English but we were able to communicate well enough.  We love the idea of parking our car here, hopping on a shuttle to the launch area and a taking a leisurely float at our own pace back to our car.  On arrival, be sure to walk to the water's edge and take a look at the return surroundings.  It's easy to think you may have missed it as the return location is beyond most other companies. 

The wooden canoes are easy to navigate and we enjoyed them more than the previous plastic kayaks.  A great bargain for a great afternoon. If you want to go all day, there is only one launch at 10 AM.  Otherwise, shorter floats (2-3 hours) are available most of the day. We packed a picnic lunch and pulled over to eat about halfway through our excursion.  There are bathrooms at the beginning and end and none along the way, although well-secluded corn fields can be used in an emergency, just be prepared!