The garden at Marqueyssac was beautifully restored a few years ago. Hundreds of meticulously sheared boxwood. Perched on the knife edge of a ridge jutting into the river, the 270 degree views up and down the Dordogne were stunning. Other chateaux across the river, the castle at Beynac perched on the cliff, the tourist boats on the river. A trio of biplanes zoomed up the valley, at eye level for us.

A short drive took us to the wonderfully restored ancient town of Sarlat. We had a full lunch at a little bistro away from the hubbub of the main square. The little woman owner took our order, cooked the food and served it! Too much food for lunch but luckily our afternoon ride was on a "rails to trails" dedicated bike path, all downhill for the first 10k.