Dordogne and Provence

In Provence; The tiny village of Crestet on the Luberon circle. Rick mentions it briefly in his book, but I hardly saw another tourist there because it is so small. But it has a magical feel especially in the evening. You would swear it was 500 years ago. If you are energetic there is also a woodsy park road that connects Crestet with Suzette, which is larger and full of tourists but also cute. You could walk it - about 5 miles. In Dordogne; All of the villages we saw were similarly well traveled, but one hidden gem was the gadens of Marqueyssac on a ridge over the river near Baynac. The setting - with great views over the river and it's villages and castles, was wonderful, especially in the evening.

Steven: For the Dorddogne - first - read Martin Walker's book Bruno, Chief of Police. It gives you a great sense of the region. There are so many great towns and villages in the the Dordogne - Beynac and Sarlat are two of our favorites. For food be sure to try the following: Confit de canard, pommes sarladaise, tourain (the classic regional peasant soup) and, of course, foie gras. Have fun.

I can only help you out on the Dordogne region, as I've never been to Provence. My wife and I stayed in Sarlat for a week last May. It's a wonderful location, as well as a great town in and of itself. If you're into cycling, there's lots of great routes to take. You can dismiss any of the naysayers who claim that it's too hilly - there is a moderate hill of only about a mile to get out of town ( on most biking routes ), and then you can ride on relatively flat roads. Beynac was great, but La Rocque Gazac ( sp. ) was kind of a letdown. We took a one day train ride to Bergerac, which was a really nice town for a day trip. Definitely rent a canoe and take a trip down the river - it's well worth it, and very easy rowing. As far as food goes, the market in Sarlat is great. You can get a ton of great food there, depending on the season. In May they'll have awesome strawberries - be sure to get the kind that are shaped like torpedoes, as they're the tastiest. Lots of good bakeries to choose bread from, too. The wines that you find there ( more or less locally ) are pretty tasty. Lots of good Cahors, if you like French malbec ( more rustic and earthy than Argentinian malbec ). Try some wine from east of Bourdeaux for a taste of wines that aren't readily available in the US - we had a very good Pecharment ( but it's best if it's had time in the bottle - ours was from 2005 ). It's hard to go wrong with food or wine anywhere in France, though. If you can, I highly recommend taking a trip to the Lot river, which both my wife and I absolutely loved. I feel that it's even more beautiful than the Dordogne. Regardless, have a wonderful trip. I love France...

food: Most towns and villages have at least weekly markets, always worth a look. wine- although I know and appreciate good wine, when in France i always go for the wine of the region- may not be world class, but always worth drinking- and usually goes well with the regional food. just be careful not to get stuck with one of the few sweet wines.
- Albi, Toulouse, Sarlat (as mentioned) Rocomador, najac, cordes, Brantome. you almost cant go wrong

Re Brantome, mentioned above: Many years ago on a road trip through that part of France we came across a hotel called La Roserie, not far from Brantome. It was absolutely charming as was the owner, a handsome woman from Paris. I see on the website it has been much enlarged, with separate "villas" and a swimming pool, etc., and may not have the same owners, but it does look very beautiful still. Incidentally, on the small road up to the hotel from the main highway, we came upon a monument and our hostess informed us it was a memorial to 9 (I think it was 9) local men who had been shot by the Gestapo during WWII for underground activities.

While not hidden, Sarlat is a wonderful little town. Gas lamps light it up at night (last town in France with this ambience), and it's pleasantly laid out. We rented bikes in town and did a 30mi tour of the castles and tiny villages. A few hills, but nothing horrid. The dordogne was running high, so we couldn't rent canoes, but that would be a must if you're able.

Steven, Sablet in the Haut Vaucluse region of Provence is a great little "off the beaten path" little village - near most of the larger centers, and right in the heart of the Cote du Rhone, but no tour buses to have to deal with. Lots of great restaurants etc., in the area also.