We choose to stay at Le Chevrefeuille, a remarkable B&B/Gite located near St. Cyprien (and about 15km from Sarlat) in the Dordogne. The Gite is owned by Ian and Sarah, a great British couple who left the fast-paced UK for the subdued French country-side (despite this slower-paced environment, their hours definitely haven't decreased). They cooked great dinners served on the gorgeous terrace. The fresh local ingredients made for great meals. I don't usually eat blue cheese but this was such good cheese I found myself picking the mold off the cheese!
The first day was to explore Lot, the sky was a dark blue and we got great use of our convertible rental. We used a great article from National Geographic traveler (In Search of the Perfect French Village - Nov 2007) as our guide to the villages. All the villages date back further than any other area in France, with villages from the middle ages and traces of civilization dating back 15,000 to 20,000 years as evidence by the numerous cave paintings around the region.
The first village was Martel, an old market village scattered with old stone towers and centered by a wooden market. In all the villages, we just aimlessly wandered and popped into churches, parks, and little shops. 
After Martel, we hooked up with the Lot river, which meandered down a narrow road through a couple tiny villages and ultimately to the village of Carennac, an amazing villages with narrow lanes, great rooftops and an old stone church all along the river. This was my favorite village, the photo doesn't do the beauty of the village justice.
We grabbed lunch and ended used the afternoon to go to Loubressac, Autoire, St. Cere, and finally to Rocamadour. All the villages were remarkable and are truly the most beautiful villages in France and have rightfully earned that designation given by the French government. 
Rocamadour is an old pilgrimage village that worshipers have been travelling to since the 1100's, often climbing on their knees up some 300 stairs on their knees to kiss the black virgin mary. The pic below makes you understand just how much devotion these pilgrim's have. This was also a spot many people stopped at on the trail to Santiago de Compostela, where we visited in May. 
About halfway up the trek to the top of the cliff, there is a great church somehow built into the side of the limestone. VERY VERY cool.
The following day we set out early and spend the day in St. Emilion, a UNESCO heritage site that boasts beautiful streets, gourmet restaurants, and countless wine shops selling the famous St. Emilion Grand Cru (and Grand Cru Classe if your wallet can manage). The best site was one we hadn't known about before arriving, the hermitage of St. Emilion himself, an old cave where the monk settled for several years in the 800's. It was amazing to see the location he choose to pray in solitude, complete with plumbing (a natural spring) and AC (cold stones). Aside of the cave was an old chapel from the 1000's and Europe's largest monolithic church, attached to an ancient crypt. 
The church was awe-inspiring; a huge nave carved out of the rock by hand during the 1100's inspired by the crusades to the middle east. All the site were an impressive surprise and really complimented the beautiful wine village.
The church was awe-inspiring; a huge nave carved out of the rock by hand during the 1100's inspired by the crusades to the middle east. All the site were an impressive surprise and really complimented the beautiful wine village. 
After touring the town and tasting a few amazing wines, we headed for a tour at Chateau Pressac, home to a beautiful manor and some decent wines. The chateau is situated on a plateau at the edge of the St. Emilion wine area and the tour of the vineyards and cellar were impressive. The wine wasn't great, but the wine we had in the village itself was hard to compete with.
We made it back safely and had a nice meal from Ian and Sarah again that night and slept soundly that night after all the wine!
The next day, market day at Sarlat, was perhaps the best of the trip. We arrived early to Sarlat and spend 3 hours wandering the beautiful streets, tasting, smelling and seeing great stands selling anything from copper pots, to crepes, to spices, handbags, sausages, cheese and veggies. All the locals had cute wicker baskets that they filled with the day's produce.
We picked up some Orangina, a baguette, fresh raspberries, expensive cheese, and some cured meat for a great lunch in the park overlooking the town. It was a great morning. EVERYONE should visit the Sarlat market, the setting is unforgettable. 
Following Sarlat, we went to Domme and La Roque-Gageac. Both are also designated as la plus beax villages de France and rightfully deserve the designation. La Roque-Gageac was great as the village maximizes the little space between the Dordogne and the cliff side behind it, often utilizing the cliff as the inside wall of some of the buildings.
We took advantage of our personal patio and BBQ that night, making some delicious steaks and drinking too much local wine from Bergerac and Cahors.
The final morning on our way back to the airport, we visited Font de Game caves. The caves are home to dozens of cave paintings dating back 15,000 years. It was very different from the caves I visited with my study abroad group in 2001 (boy I'm old) as you don't have to walk in an hour with a light on your head (this one was a little bit more commercial), but both were amazing to see evidence of civilization way back then.
It was an amazing trip and helped Erin and I decide we haven't had enough of Europe yet. We have agreed to move to London for two more years before coming home. Ideally we would've gone back to MN this summer, but the job market was so slow that EY weren't keen to take a transfer. No big deal though, we will gladly explore a new, more vibrant city in London!!!
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