Sarlat has a small market day on Wednesday's so we visited it and did some small shopping,mostly for tonight's dinner. Saturday is the big market. Then we tried to leave town and it took almost 30 minutes, so we can't imagine what it was like last night trying to leave after the music festival, or even trying to come or go on Saturday when practically the entire town will be covered with stalls on every street. Edie, just FYI, we bought one of those scissors you recommended in today's market, so cutting herbs should be easier now.
First stop was La Roque Gageac, another one of TMBVF's (The Most Beautiful Villages In France, as they are called). It too has a troglodyte development from the 12C as well as beautiful homes and a shopping street right on the Dordogne. We spent about an hour there and even found another canoe rental place a bit closer.
Then off to Domme. As we left it started to drizzle (it was cloudy and cool today, even though at 7am the sun was out). But when we got to Domme it stopped and the sky brightened. We were fairly high up and chilly enough for a light jacket. We arrived in time for lunch right on a belvedere overlooking the valley. This town is another one of TMBVF's but larger than most we've seen with about 1,000 residents and more shops (which you know who liked).
After an hour's sightseeing we left and drove to Chateau Des Milandes. This is like a 'Sleeping Beauty' castle built in 1489 and later purchased in 1948 by Josephine Baker, an African American who started dancing and singing at a young age, and moved to France to dance in the Folies Bergere (as a nude dancer, for which she became a sensation for that as well as her race). We toured the inside of the castle, which displayed all of her pictures, belongings and room designs as an homage to her. She was also very active in the French resistance as a way of giving back to France the opportunities it gave her.
There was also a great bird show on the grounds of the castle of all kinds of raptors.
Later we walked the trails on the grounds through the gardens and wooded areas as well as an aviary area where they raise raptors.
We returned home for a lazy dinner and the first night we didn't need to take a second shower nor wash clothes.
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