With just three full days left at Constant there are a couple of tours that I must complete and today it's all about the River Dordogne (The Royal Valley). This promises to be the highlight of our stay in the Perigord. It's become clear that I have to be selective now with time running out.
We put together another amazing breakfast and prepare to leave. Still, it's 10.00 am. Waking up at Constant is so hard. We head down to Le Buge, a now familiar route, then take the road to Saint Cyprien making this lovely town our first stop. We wander through the main street where there is a local market then up to the church. However, we must continue as there are at least three important attractions not far away.
We're soon in Beynac-et-Cazenac, a picturesque classified village, and park up. The village is dominated by bars, restaurants, gift shops and those selling local wines, foie gras etc. Beynac is a tourist's dream and Beynac Castle with its origins in the 12th Century is worth a climb up to for the views. Sadly, I defer and choose a beer instead.
The next obvious attraction is La Roque Gageac. We use the car park at the west end of this classified village and I make the effort to wander through the town. Apart from the usual cafes and shops, this location is perfect for getting into a canoe down on the river, especially on a day like this, or taking a river boat trip. Alternatively, there are a series of steps leading the old fort from Medieval times. It has recently been restored to allow access.
So far, we've spent several hours at three attractions and there's really only time for one more and it has to Domme. Domme was a fortified town in the Medieval period with strong connection to the Knights Templars. It was perfect for defence, with sheer cliffs overlooking the Dordogne River on one side and strong fortifications on the rest of the perimetre. Today it's a tourist town where you could spend hours in the shops and cafes. We don't have that time and head back choosing a route through Sarlat. Again we stop for some shopping but we've no time to explore the town. It is gone 8.00 pm when we arrive back.
We have a full week here and you would think that enough, but you have to be selective, there is so much to see in the Perigord and to think we haven't paid an entrance fee to any attraction which would have further restricted the time we have here. That could change. I would like to visit just one chateau, one cave and one vineyard before returning north.

Saint Cyprien is situated just north of the River Dordogne, between Lalinde and Sarlat. The main street in St Cyprien is the Rue Gambetta. This is an elegant street with attractive houses, lots of wrought iron balconies and detailed stone work and is packed with bars and restaurants and nice looking boutiques.
Beynac-et-Cazenac is a commune lying on the banks of the river Dordogne, 10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Sarlat-la-Caneda. The Medieval Chateau de Beynac is located in the commune. Historically the first mention of Beynac dates to 1115 when Maynard de Beynac made a gift to the sisters at Fontevrault Abbey. The castle is one of the best-preserved and best known in the region. This Middle Ages construction, with its austere appearance, is perched on top of a limestone cliff, dominating the town and the north bank of the Dordogne. The castle was built in the 12th century by the barons of Beynac (one of the four baronies of Perigord) to close the valley. The sheer cliff face being sufficient to discourage any assault from that side, the defenses were built up on the plateau: double crenelated walls, double moats, one of which was a deepened natural ravine and double barbican.
La Roque Gageac La Roque-Gageac is a commune in the Dordogne department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Perched above the river Dordogne, the village is a member of the association Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (The most beautiful villages of France).
Domme is also in the Dordogne department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It is sometimes called the 'Acropolis of the Perigord'. Domme is 250 metres (820 ft) above sea level on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Dordogne river. With its trapezoid city plan, Domme is a bastide (a fortified medieval town) adapted to the surrounding terrain. Founded as a stronghold in 1281 by Philip the Bold following his campaign along the Dordogne river, Domme obtained the privilege of minting its own currency. In 1307, many Knights Templar were imprisoned in Domme during the trial against them, of which hundreds of Templar graffiti still bear witness.

Source: Visit, Wikipedia