Dordogne

Eymet, another of the bastide towns near Villereal, has a great little market. The Maison du vin in Bergerac is very pleasant: the woman who works there speaks fluent English, as many people in Bergerac do. The area around Monbazillac and its chateau is very pleasant to hike around/through the vineyards. Keep your eyes open for the pigeonniers - there are lots in that corner of the Dordogne and the Lot.

I've always thought Domme was the best of the bastides, but it's in the other direction and further. With limited time, there's no sense in trying to see them all.

I've just been working my way through a series of murder mystery books set in that part of France. They are written by a re-located Brit journalist and star a local police chief called Bruno. They're fun and can really give you a good idea of the food, wine and rural life of the area. The website for the books also has dining and wining suggestions for the area. http://www.brunochiefofpolice.com/ I've not been to Dordogne, but now I want to go. Have fun!

In 2010 I canoed the stretch of the Dordogne River that is written up in RS's France 2009 book (don't know if the description is still in the 2012 version), and highly recommend the run. Very scenic and peaceful, with enough current to keep you moving if you just want to drift. The trip starts near Vitrac and ends near Beynac, and takes about 2 hours. I used the Canoes Lolsirs outfitters.

Further to Bob's suggestion about the canoeing, we took the advice of our B&B host and did the four hour paddle which passes Chateau Montfort. It is beautiful and not particularly strenuous as it is down stream. Take a hat though, we did it in late September and the sun was beating down on our heads. The other thing to think about was that the canoe company was arranged to pick us up in Beynac at the four hour point, which left us no time to look around. When I do it again (and I will!) I will make sure I have them build more exploring time into the arrangement. We did have time to stop for a picnic on the banks of the Dordogne and a quick ice cream in La Roque Gageac. And another totally vague thing to look out for was a house somewhere in the area that we drove past many times on the way to caves and Chateaux and villages that was selling pottery out of their garage. Unfortunately it was the end of the trip and my spending money was depleted, as well as my ability to carry an ounce more, so I skipped it. If you notice it check it out. I am sorry I cannot recall the exact locationm, but we passed it four or five times so surely it must have been on a well traveled route for sightseeing.