Last weekend, I made my annual pilgrimage to the Périgord Noir to pick up a canoe at Groléjac and paddle down the river to Beynac.

This is absolutely one of my favourite things to do in the Dordogne. For five hours, life is stripped back to just a canoe and a paddle, crystal-clear water, peace and quiet, and the most beautiful scenery.

I always stop a few times to swim or simply stand in the river, watching the fish darting around my feet and the blue dragonflies hovering over the algae as it sways in the current just beneath the surface.

It’s a bit of a trek to drive there and back from Eymet (1¾ hours each way), but at this time of year, the countryside is stunning. Lush maize grows next to vast fields of bright yellow sunflowers, and bales of hay sit in golden fields ready to be collected. So the drive is absolutely worth it.

Canoeing on the Dordogne and Vézère rivers also features in my book, My Dordogne Life.