Périgord paddling

Next we overnighted in Cabrerets. A two-mile uphill walk along a narrow wooded path brought us to Grotte du Pech-Merle, one of the world’s finest prehistoric painted caves. Its entrance hidden for centuries during the Ice Age, the Grotte (cave) now opens to the Chapel of the Mammoths, an extraordinary collection of animal paintings, followed by the Ceiling of Hieroglyphics, which mixes undecipherable symbols with human and animal art. The color and outlines of the paintings here were the best preserved that we saw on the trip. These prehistoric artists were the world’s first to use the airbrush, blowing paint through bone pipes to outline their creations.

Back in our canoes, we reached the junction of the Célé and Lot Rivers by afternoon. We were nearing our goal, St.-Cirq Lapopie. Set spectacularly on a sheer cliff above the river and enclosed in crumbling medieval ramparts, this hamlet of fewer than 200 residents is considered by many to be the most photogenic site in all of France. Narrow streets and lanes twist up and down the ubiquitous hills of the village between gray and tan stone homes and shops dating back to the Middle Ages. A spectacular location, but challenging to reach by foot, it is perched 350 feet above the river.

We pulled ashore at Bouzies, the closest take-out to St. Cirq, then hiked the ancient towpath alongside the Lot River, across two farms, and up a torturous narrow and rocky path. We were puffing heavily when we finally reached the top, only to become even more breathless at the grandeur of the vista, mile upon mile of verdant farmland and forest.

Our next destination was Beynac. At the confluence of the Dordogne and Ceou Rivers, it is the ideal spot to study the Hundred Years War and the hostility between the French and the English as they battled for control of the region. The ferocious dukes of Beynac were based in a huge castle above the town. Standing on the parapet, it is easy to see how well the fort controlled the river, which means around the village below. Rocks were heaved down from huge catapults, still intact, to smash enemy vessels.

We spent the last two days of our trip in the vicinity of Beynac. At our group’s final dinner, we bade farewell to the river flowing majestically below our window seats in the hotel’s outer dining room. It was our last hurrah and our last foie gras. Mellow with wine, we all agreed that our “time machines” had added an unanticipated dimension to the canoeing that many of us had done for years, both in the United States and abroad. It was perhaps the most diverse, educational, and enjoyable journey that any of us had ever taken.

If you go...

Information on Périgord is available at the French Tourist Offices in New York City (212) 838-7800 and Beverly Hills (310) 271-2693. The region can be accessed through flights to Bordeaux or Paris. From Charles de Gaulle Airport, go to the Austerlitz Rail Station for a train to Brive, a four-hour trip. BattenKill Canoe runs guided trips to the Dordogne in May, June, September, and October. They can be reached at www.battenkill.com or (800) 421-5268. E-mail: .

Canoe & Kayak Magazine is the number one paddlesports resource, with a wealth of information about canoeing and kayaking destinations, gear, and techniques.

Charles Jacobs is the former editor-in-chief of Travel World Magazine. He can be reached at .

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