Bordeaux, Day 4: Morning Market in Sarlat, Kayaks and Castles Along the Dordogne River

June 6, 2026

An early start for everyone today, with folks trying to leave the house by around 10AM (a struggle for the younger family members, who are night owls). Given the large group, we did it caravan style with three cars – and a slightly staggered start.

Today was a big outing day, with our first destination being Sarlat (about a 90 minute drive from the chateau). There’s a weekend market today, and we were looking to spend a bit of time walking around.

And after that, a short drive to the Dordogne river, where we would be trekking along the water and admiring the amazing scenery along the way.

Our car (me, Liz, and Audrey) arrived first. And we got really lucky with our parking (it was incredibly hectic, and most folks parked several blocks away and walked in on foot).

Someone pulled out not two blocks from one of the entrances, and we were in the right place at the right time.

While the others were on route, we explored a little bit of the market.

Liz and Audrey, looking over some handmade soaps.

A brief photo of Rue des Consuls, a small, narrow side street that you can easily miss if you walk too quickly by it. It snakes around a good deal, but has a very medieval feel, as the narrow path and high walls are all around you.

Lots of little restaurants and tables, all along the path.

Unfortunately, when we all arrived together… it was a bit of a rush. The market itself is quite large, and we didn’t really have enough time to meet up and have a coordinated lunch.

The Holder family ended up getting some lunch from the vendors in the main market area. Liz and I joined the Ford family, and ended up getting some quick takeout from a cafe window.

By the time we started to disperse, we were already seeing some of the vendors packing up their tables.

Note for others: if you’re wanting to come here, try to get here as early as you can. There was a lot to walk through, and we ultimately didn’t have enough time to have a leisurely stroll. Everything felt a little rushed, as we were working against a clock.

I don’t think we could have managd leaving earlier than we did. But if you come here, come early!

Fast forward a bit to our river excursion. We set up a two-hour tour of the Dordogne river, with most everyone in kayaks (and two canoes).

Our vessels, ready to be boarded and set off.

The river was actually moving at a quick pace. We learned that if you didn’t paddle at all, the journey should take about 2 hours.

When standing on land and watching others go by, the river looked super fast. But on the water itself, it felt incredibly slow.

I’d look down and see all the rocks zipping by… so I knew we were going at a good clip. But the moment I looked up at the cliffs in the distance, it felt like things were moving quite slowly.

Along the way, we were treated to some spectacular views.

Audrey and Paige, heading for a bit of… trouble.

It was a little dicey, trying to keep my camera safe/dry but also taking photos along the way.

Along the way, something happened. There were words and taunts exchanged, between Jackson (in a kayak) and the Ford canoe (Sebastian/Tricia).

There was some racing involved. And some reaching. And also, the canoe ended up tipping over, with Sebastian and Tricia falling in.

Some rowers (who were in a larger vessel) stopped over to help them get to shore. And Jackson/Sebastian ended up needing to tip the canoe over, to get rid of all the excess water.

A bit later: Kirt swapped out, giving Sebastian his kayak, taking over the second spot in the canoe with Tricia.

This was hilarious to see from where I was at (but I only saw the aftermath). A good memory from the outing, though I think for Tricia… it might be a few years, before this becomes a fond memory. If it ever does.