The Dordogne where we have worked for Canvas for the past three years is an extremely beautiful region of France, although the French themselves tend to refer to it as the Perigord Noir. Both the Dordogne and Vézère rivers have carved their way through the region's landscape creating some breathtaking scenery that can be viewed from many of the beautiful, ancient towns which cling to the limestone cliffs overlooking them. Places like Beynac and Domme and are wonderful for wandering around, having an ice cream or lunch and enjoying the historical buildings and winding streets. Sarlat is one of the most complete Medieval-Renaissance towns in France and is a magnet for our customers who love the twice-weekly markets, the maze of winding alleys and stairways, wide variety of individual shops and the vast number of cafes and restaurants. In the summer months there are always street artists and a fantastic week long music festival. Castelnaud with its castle, medieval jousting and armament displays is a must for many, both children and adults.

There are many amazing caves in this area, Padirac being one of the best where you take a boat trip underground. If you enjoy gardens there are several in the area, Marquessac is amazing not so much for its plants but for its 'belvedere walkways' which enable you to see for miles across the Dordogne valley.

For those who want something more adventurous there are two 'parcs en arbre' nearby where you can swing through the treetops to your heart's content – our younger couriers loved these places and have the photographs to prove it. Canoeing is also a must, even when some of our customers fell in they still said they had a fantastic time. Generally the weather in the summer is good – temperatures around 28-30 degrees and not too much rainfall. All in all we love this region, it gets busy and yet not crowded and it's not very commercialised, just very French!