Chasing Fairy Tales In The Dordogne
words + pictures by Kimberley Lovato
Dreams are often born from the most unsuspecting places. Incredibly, mine happened to be delivered by an editor. The assignment that landed in my lap was to head to the Dordogne region of France and follow a chef and her new culinary tour company guests around for a week. No convincing needed, I immediately got in my car in Brussels and drove 10 hours south. En route I stopped to fuel up and a postcard caught my eye. A picturesque village was enveloped in fog and huddled against a cliff at the edge of the Dordogne River, with a dilapidated rowboat tied to its shore. On the back of the card, in small black and white print, were the words, La-Roque-Gageac, Dordogne. If fairy tales were depicted on postcards, they would look like this. I bought the card and tucked it behind the visor of my car.
;)
I arrived in Biron, a village of 140 people, at an old priory that sits in the shadows of a 500-year -old castle. I recall knocking on the weathered wooden doors of the Priory, and hearing the metal against metal slide of the bolt behind it, then a slow creek as the door opened. Half expecting Frankenstein, I was greeted, instead, by the face of my host, Florida based Chef Laura Schmalhorst. Since then, Laura and I have met up in the Dordogne every year, bonded by our love of a good adventure, good food and wine, and seduced by the convivial people, their passion for the food and their willingness to share it and their stories with us.
While I prefer to travel by bus or local rickshaw, in the Dordogne, a car is essential. The 2-lane roads are well marked but signs can be miniscule, especially the hand-painted ones directing you to local farms. Be warned: some signs, like those of a walnut farm I was seeking, lead you like Hansel and Gretel’s breadcrumbs only to completely disappear. I have learned not to get worked up over this loss of time. We as Americans are programmed for efficiency and if we don’t get where we are going in a reasonable time, our springs pop out and the brain shuts down, reducing us to cursing, yelling idiots. In the Dordogne, time itself is on vacation. When you live in a fairytale there is no reason to rush, someone once told me. Sometimes it’s good to get off the time track, or be knocked off.
For those used to schedules, I offer these helpful translations when visiting the Dordogne :
Dordogne speak Translation
It’s only 20 minutes away = It’s 40 minutes away
Get to the market early = Before 7:30 a.m. if you hope
to park within 1 mile and
actually get to see food
“I’ll arrive at 10 a.m.” =I’ll arrive sometime after 10
(insert any time here)
We’d like lunch quickly, = Does not translate
we’re in a hurry
;)
Although time is not of the essence in the Dordogne, learning not to take it personally is. A delay in taking an order, a long line, or not honoring an appointment to the minute is not a slam against you. It’s simply the way it is. I also learned never to plan a meeting on a Sunday. Sundays in France are sacred and reserved for the market, family, church, or a mid-day meal. It also didn’t take ME long to figure out that a ‘quick bite’ does not exist, and no matter when I arrived at A restaurant, I left two hours later just like everyone else. Let’s face it, France is a slow food nation and meals are carefully prepared and savored, not served in a cardboard box from a clown’s mouth to be eaten on the road. Once Laura and I became aware of this, we tossed our watches, became sign literate and, with serendipity as our guide, we really started to enjoy ourselves.
Along our aimless path we discovered a land of unspoiled beauty that spoiled us rotten. Nothing can replicate the awe of seeing for the first time a 500-year-old castle carved into a cliff overlooking the Dordogne River, or be more inspiring than five generations of family working side by side IN their ancestral winery. Every nook and cranny of the Dordogne, every person whose paths we crossed, deepened our appreciation of the diverse landscapes and regional history. My camera was put into overdrive but the pictures could never quite capture the essence of what I saw. How do you photograph the footsteps of prehistoric man? The grottos and the cliff-side caves where traces of history date back 500,000 years? Can a picture of a war memorial do justice to the memories of men who left their tiny Dordogne village and never returned home?
;)
We were easily seduced by the fairy tale scenery, but realized it was merely foreplay to encountering the personalities behind the ancient doors. After years of frequenting the same hotels, restaurants, farms, shops and daily markets, chef Laura and I slowly got to know the families, and we were invited into their homes and kitchens. From those with deeply seeded roots in the Périgord to those building a new life in the region, there is a common thread amongst them: passion. Sitting down at the table with these bon vivants revealed more in one dinner than all the wrinkled maps and glossy guidebooks ever told me. A young Dordogne chef, after serving us a simple meal of duck confit, said “All the major events of my life happened around this kitchen.” It was a revelation for us.
Food is culturally significant in France. Days are planned around meals, shops are closed from noon to 2 p.m. for lunch, Sundays are reserved for a big meal with friends and family, and colloquial expressions related to food are pervasive. I documented about 100. One of my favorites, écraser le champignon, literally means crush the mushroom (sounds kind of kinky when I say it out loud) but means “Step on it! Put the pedal to the metal”. I find this amusing since no one ever hurries in the Dordogne. And perhaps the expression that resonated the most was Vous avez du pain sur la planche, literally translates you have some bread on your plank, but meaning, “You have your work cut out for you”. Language is also important in the Dordogne, as it is wherever you travel. I find it critical to be able to say four key words: Hello, Goodbye, Please, and Thank You. A smile accompanied by a genuine bonjour (hello) and merci (thank you) goes a long way and encourages the recipient to respond in kind. Nothing surprised me more than meeting a truffle farmer, from the middle of what could have been 200 miles east of Timbuktu, who spoke to us, willingly, in perfect English. Even today, the Dordogne and its people continue to charm me. That’s why I keep returning.
By the way, I found the image on the card that tempted me all those years ago. Laura and I were driving along the river when suddenly there it was, La-Roque-Gageac. There was even a worn rowboat slapping against the shore. The postcard had become creased with age, but the image before me was fresh, detailed and magical, the way a fair tale should be.
Kimberley Lovato is a freelance travel writer and the author of Walnut Wine & Truffle Groves, a culinary travel book about her adventures in the Dordogne. See her website for more details and order information. www.kimberleylovato.com
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Reader Comments (30)
Your words and photos transported me right back to the magic of this beautiful region of France. My sister and I enjoyed a magical walking vacation there together last fall and loved, loved, loved it.
Many thanks for sharing your experiences with YourLifeIsATrip.com!
Ellen
I can see, I can smell it I can feel it - what a fabulous escape from the reality of today. I wish I could tell my work I'd be back "some time after 10".
I have travelled through many parts of France, but never the Dordogne, and I am newly inspired! I am looking forward to the book - if the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach, these recipes will help to inspire my husband as well!
Cool story...Never been to the region but can sure see the attraction. The translations were a nice touch...got a kcik out of those. Would love to visit in the future.
Makes me want to pack a bag and set off to the Dordogne right now! Lovely piece. Cannot wait to try some of the recipes from the book.
I'd never heard of the Dordogne, and now I've not just heard of it, but can practically taste it. Incredible! I love the author's intimacy with her audience. I feel like she's a friend who's giving me the real inside scoop; moreover, an expert epicurean who will lead me into fragrant passageways to earthen kitchens I could never have imagined finding on my own.
Your words make me feel like I'm in the Dordogne - and even though I've never been, I can't wait to go. Thank you for sharing this wonderful story. Can't wait to read the story in your full book when it is out in the spring - I already have it pre-ordered on Amazon!
Loved being transported vicariously! I will live my fairy tale through you...and I will continue to plan my days around meals!
Will this book be translated in French ? (so I'll welcome you for a dedicace ...)
Your essay took me back to a wonderful adventure we had 12 years ago. We rented a stone house on a hillside overlooking the Dordogne river, near Bezenac and Beynac (think "Happy Ever After" film). We fell in love with the land, the walnuts, the truffles, the market in Sarlat, the confit, the storybook castles (tiny because that's all God had left, according to a local wag). A Master Croissant and Chocolate maker (his official title, not just hyperbole) sold his goods in a small shop at the bottom of the hill, next to the white asparagus fields. I remember the valley filled in fog in the early mornings--and the wild strawberries we plucked on our frequent hikes. Thanks for reminding me!
So nice to hear the story of your book....and I can't wait to read it!
Sounds like such a lovely place. . I can't wait to read the book!
The read is enchanting and I think it's going to be added to my list of places to experience.
I'm ready to live in a fairy tale where I'll be back sometime after 10 and long leisurely meals are a way of life. Can't wait for the book to come out!
Wow - sounds like my kind of place. As an Italian, I too am accustomed to savoring a meal, but after reading this I am inspired to do it French style. The Dordogne sounds delightful and I hope to be able to experience her magic myself some day. Beautiful piece - I will definitely buy the book.
A beautiful piece of travel writing, Kimberley. I can't wait to see your book - will you sign it for me? :-)
xxx
Terrific article! What a wonderful trip and experience, Kimberley. The Dordogne Region comes alive in such a short piece, and now I have to go. The postcard and seeing it come alive before your eyes, was misty to read. Thanks for the peek and looking forward to your book.
So nice to read and remember the leisurely pace of food, especially since we're now back in the US where "we'd just like to sit a little while longer" certainly does not translate.
Oh, the spoils of the wonderful life. I cannot wait to taste them again during the summer. Reading your article vividly brought back to my memory the trip we took as a family one Easter to Sarlat. We went to the market, sent the kids in the morning on their scooters to get fresh warm croissants, canoed down the Dordogne, visited amazing castles, (Elena tried to escape from one of them), watched the hot air balloons and best of all when Diego went to the local grocery he was taught how to make the best duck ever. I get hungry thinking of it all and cannot wait to have your book in hand to be inspired to bring a touch of the wonderful life home to California.
Ah, I so dearly need to travel. Thanks for sharing great perspective. Looking forward to the book.
I know the Dordogne well as I live relatively-nearby in Burgundy, and Kimberley does it justice. Just a delicious article.
Athlyn
Love your writing style, very friendly, open, informative, tasty and fun! I'm ready to travel to France. Thanks!
Enchanting....the only other places I've been where time is treated in the same way are Barbados and Maui.
Kimberly can write!!
Enchanting....the only other places I've been where time is treated in the same way are Barbados and Maui.
Kimberly can write!!
Thank you for "taking me there" Kimberley. I am inspired to learn more of the Dordogne Region and look forward to the release of your book. Merci!
I can't wait for the book. The author's writing style allows the imagination to leave the computer and settle in a region this reader has never even visited; Yet I now feel intimately connected to Dordogne. I plan to put this area on my "bucket list." Thank you!
WOW... i want your job - "head to the Dordogne and follow a chef around for a week?" What a blessing that assignment was! Having been there - chasing fairy tales describes it perfectly. Loved 'seeing' the pictures you painted with your words and reliving that amazing experience. Thanks for sharing this great article!
Thanks for sharing. Loved your description of the area and the culture. Now I have to go there. Can't wait to read your book and try some of those recipes....pam
What a beautiful piece, Kimberley. I'd never heard of Dordogne, but now I desperately want to visit there. Your genuine affection for the region's people and food really conveys. Good luck with your book, I'm very excited for you. Cheers!
For two blissful weeks my husband and I stayed in the small village of Rignac, I participated in a watercolor workshop: French Sketchbook given by artist Catherine Stock. We rented her 300 year-old fairy tale cottage, which included her cat, Peaches. Each morning we arose to roosters crowing and sheep bleating and the sound of farmers going to work. The nearby town of Gramat had all the necessities we needed: charcuterie, farmers market,melt in your mouth chocolate croissants at a pâtisserie and a grocery that sold wonderful Rose in liter boxes. Catherine taught in the morning and then at 1 pm we had a sumptuous lunch on her veranda of local cheeses, breads, fruits, meats and an entree that she made specially for us and desserts that were sinfully good.. She also was our tour guide to all the wonderful places surrounding her hamlet. She drove us around in her vintage car, to see cave drawings, paint along the Dordogne river, hill towns and framers markets. The highlight of the 2 weeks came in the middle when Rignac celebrated their homecoming with a fete which included a carnival, native dancers and musicians and a meal where we dined on tables that were strung from one end of the town square to the other. We were totally immersed in the experience of living in a french town if only for short time.