Dordogne

The Dordogne is the most lovely and interesting region of France we've visited so far. Topographically, the area is stunning, with small picturesque towns set against yellow, beige cliffs dotted along the Dordogne River. Even though we were in Southern Europe, the amount of trees and jungle had a rain forest-like effect.

Our hotel, the La Bard, was in medieval Montfort. The couple who ran the place were solicitous to the point of overbearing, but it was charming in a Jewish mother sort of way, deserving of no less than 5 stars on Trip Advisor. 

Since we had so little time in the region, we hit the big sites -- touring the Cro-Magnon caves of Lascaux II, taking a scenic kayak tour along the Dordogne, which included visits to Castlenaud and Beynak, and sampling unlimited and excessively unions amounts of Foie Gras (apparently the Dordogne I the force feeding capital of the world). Were it not for European Socialism, I would be more than content to retire to a small rural town around Sarlat, tending to my own garden and experiencing nature at its finest.