Transcript for Episode 545: A Solo Traveler's Experience in Southwest France

Categories: Occitanie, Toulouse Area

Discussed in this Episode

• Cahors
• Lot Department
• Dordogne
• Sarlat
• Toulouse
• Bordeaux
• Saint-Cirq-Lapopie
• Château de Cardaillac
• Grotte de Pech Merle
• Château de Losse
• Montignac
• Lascaux
• Abri de la Madeleine
• Château des Milandes
• Château de Beynac
• Castelnaud-la-Chapelle
• Dordogne River
• Place de la Concorde
• Couvent des Jacobins
• Fondation Bemberg
• Cathédrale Saint-Étienne
• Musée de la Résistance
• Musée André Breton
• Le Manoir de Gisson
• Victor Hugo Market
• Les Carmes Market
• Place des Salins
• Cité du Vin
• Marché des Capucins
• Goya Museum (Castres)

Introduction and Trip Overview

[00:00:15] Annie: This is Join Us in France, episode 545, cinq cent quarante-cinq.

Bonjour, I’m Annie Sargent and Join Us in France is the podcast where we take a conversational journey through the beauty, culture, and flavors of France.

Today on the podcast
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[00:00:31] Annie: Today, I bring you a conversation with Dawn Fairchild about her unforgettable solo adventure in the Southwest of France.

From exploring medieval villages to indulging in local delicacies, Dawn’s insights and experiences will inspire your next trip. Listen in for our travel tips, hidden gems, and a joyous account of French culture and hospitality.

Podcast supporters
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[00:00:55] Annie: This podcast exists thanks to listeners who support my work.

Some book itinerary consults, others buy my GPS self-guided tours on the VoiceMap app. Some become patrons or book a day trip with me in the Southwest of France in my electric car. You’ll find all of that at joinusinfrance.com/boutique.

And if you want the podcast ad-free as soon as it’s ready, join us on Patreon for as little as $3 a month.

The link for that is in the show notes.

The Magazine segment
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[00:01:25] Annie: For the magazine part of the podcast, after my chat with Dawn today, I’ll discuss hidden messages in the obelisk at the Place de la Concorde. Hmm. How mysterious!

You can see all the links to the places we discuss and read the full transcript on the episode page at joinusinfrance.com/episodes.

Annie and Dawn Fairchild about the Southwest
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[00:01:57] Annie Sargent: Bonjour, Dawn Fairchild, and welcome to Join Us in France.

[00:02:00] Dawn Fairchild: Hi, Annie. It’s a pleasure to be here, thank you for having me.

[00:02:03] Annie Sargent: Oh, it’s… you’re going to be right in my alley. We’re going to talk about your trip in the Southwest of France, so I’m going to feel right at home.

When did this trip take place?

 

[00:02:15] Dawn Fairchild: Started at the end of June 2024. And it was a four-week trip but two weeks of it were in the Southwest of France before I headed up to the UK for a couple of weeks.

[00:02:27] Annie Sargent: Wonderful.

First Impressions of Southwest France
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[00:02:28] Annie Sargent: So was this your first time in the Southwest, or had you visited before?

[00:02:32] Dawn Fairchild: I’ve been to France a lot of times but I have never been to the Southwest, and I was, you know, I have to say I’ve been very inspired by the podcast, and especially the boot camp to visit that area, the boot camp that you host annually.

Through listening to the podcast I’ve learned what a incredibly rich region of France that is as far as, you know, history, you’ve got an extraordinary pre-historic relics, you have renaissance history, a vast amount of Medieval history, there’s extraordinary wine regions, it’s breathtakingly gorgeous, you know, everything that I would hear, through trip reports or in you talking with Elyse on the podcast really made me think, “I’ve got to go there and do a deeper dive myself.”

[00:03:16] Annie Sargent: Well, thank you so much. And to add to that, to your wonderful description, now, a… oh, what’s the name of that magazine? Now Lonely Planet has named Toulouse as the best destination to go to in 2025, so woo-hoo.

[00:03:33] Dawn Fairchild: Well, I think I’m going to have to make a return trip in 2025 then.

[00:03:37] Annie Sargent: Yes, yes. So we had done an itinerary consult. We’ve talked many times because you’re also a patron, so thank you for that. You come to the Zooms and all that, so you’ve gotten to ask all your questions. Were you surprised by anything, besides how much you liked it?

[00:03:54] Dawn Fairchild: Was I surprised by anything? You may remember from our itinerary consultation that I was a little trepidatious because I’m terrified of heights, and so everything was just like, “Okay, is this going to scare me?”

And you were fantastic and found photos of things so I could kind of gauge all of that. It’s a lot less scary than I envisioned it would be. I was thinking, just big cliffs and drop-offs and that sort of thing. I mean, it’s hills, absolutely, and some didn’t have a whole lot of space or guardrails between me and the edge.

So I, I found it to be just incredibly accessible, but I think… I don’t… You know, France is so beautiful, but I was absolutely stunned at how beautiful the region was. You don’t drive for 15 or 20 minutes without, you know, “Oh my gosh, there is a chateau on the top of that hillside,” or there are caves built out through that cliff wall, or there is a river or a valley. It is so just very rich and diverse in what it has to offer.

And I think that surprised me, just, you know, it’s almost the embarrassment of riches, in the Southwest.

[00:05:02] Annie Sargent: Yeah. So let’s talk about the places you went to specifically. You rented a car, right, for part of this trip?

[00:05:09] Dawn Fairchild: Yeah, I did. I did. For the entire time that I was in the Lot department and in the Dordogne.

[00:05:16] Annie Sargent: Mm-hmm. So where all did you go? Tell us about the names of the places you went.

[00:05:20] Dawn Fairchild: Okay. Well, I started out my trip with kind of a mini language immersion at a chambre d’hote with an associated language school outside, right outside of Cahors, like 10 minutes outside of Cahors.

And that is called Les Fraises. What I really loved about this place is that… Well, it was gorgeous, first off. You know, it was a beautiful, beautiful chambre d’hote. I had a lovely, lovely, lovely room with a private terrace overlooking the pool and the valley and it was just gorgeous.

But they really let you customize your language learning based on your own personal goals and travel type. Some people might do, you know, like a week or two-week stay where they live, in the house with the teachers and make meals together, and it’s just 24/7 of language learning. You know, I was on vacation and kind of wanted to go a little easier on myself than that.

And so, you know, I would interact with the hosts over the most beautiful breakfast, the hosts and the guests up on the terrace. And they would provide consultation about activities that I was planning on doing that day, and it was really kind of a mini tourism office. They had every possible brochure.

And then, you know, I’d go off on my own and explore, return in the evenings, have a glass of wine. One evening we went to a local food festival that I never would’ve known about. You know, the host said, all we have to do is bring cutlery and show up and you get free local food, wine.

There was some local performers singing Edith Piaf covers with a portable mic, and it was absolutely fantastic and I think- … I mean, really gave me more confidence right away at the beginning of my trip in my language abilities. And so it just, I think, set me up to really dive in, in a way that I haven’t in past trips to France.

And also, I was going to a lot of really smaller villages where people weren’t necessarily going to default to English either.

So that’s where I started.

Immersion Program Experience
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[00:07:19] Annie Sargent: And I’ll put a link to this service, to this school and, I guess, lodgings as well. They do both, right? So is it like a home stay with them?

[00:07:28] Dawn Fairchild: It can be, if that’s what you choose. Through their immersion program, I mean, they do have guest rooms within the house where you cook dinner with the family, you engage all your waking hours. They go on sightseeing trips with you.

You can do that or you can do what I chose to do or somewhere in between, and I chose to be in one of their, they have two guest accommodations that have private entrances, they’re absolutely lovely seating areas, big comfortable bed, the biggest bathroom I’ve ever had in France, a private terrace. And then you have access to a shared kitchen as well.

They have two of those and are building out a guest apartment. So you can really choose, you know, what you want the experience to be.

[00:08:11] Annie Sargent: Yeah.

[00:08:12] Dawn Fairchild: Or if you just want to stay there, enjoy the region, you don’t even have to do the language component. But, you know, for me it was a great way to, to start my trip to really kind of delve into confidently speaking French.

[00:08:25] Annie Sargent: Right, so were there any sit down classes or was it mostly just interacting with these people?

[00:08:30] Dawn Fairchild: It’s really interacting. I think because it’s so small, at most they would have maybe three, four people, and so they’re really able to customize the experience and balance their schedule so that they’re not going to have five people that want the full on immersion, you know.

They were able to really balance, okay, few hours, morning, evening, with me, with other learners throughout the day.

[00:08:54] Annie Sargent: Hmm, very nice.

[00:08:55] Dawn Fairchild: Yeah, and it’s really interesting, they very much customize the conversation and your learning plan based on your own motivations and interests. So I find that to be a really effective way to learn.

[00:09:06] Annie Sargent: Yes, and so this where you started your stay and then you… So you had a car, so then you moved onto…

Exploring the Lot Department and Painted Caves
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[00:09:14] Dawn Fairchild: Well, while I was there, I did a couple of things in the region. The first off was I went to the Grotte de Pech-Merle, beautiful, extraordinary pre-historic painted caves that you can still actually go in with a guide. And that was just… I mean, these things were… The paintings were created as long ago as 29,000 years by Cro-Magnon men and women. I know that on the boot camp you take people to that. And it is just extraordinary. It’s quite humbling.

[00:09:43] Annie Sargent: Yeah, it’s really fascinating to realize that these were people just like us. And I think it’s too easy for us to think, “Oh, people in the past, they weren’t like me, they didn’t have the same feelings. They didn’t have the same needs.”

But actually, they were. They were humans just like us, and it’s extraordinary that at a time when there was no writing, and for a very long time, there was no writing. That’s why we know so little about these people is because they didn’t leave any written anything, but they left some pictures.

[00:10:20] Dawn Fairchild: Absolutely. And one of the things that I found really fascinating were some of the pictures, there was a hand print by them with an outline of paint, and the guide was telling us that they would, you know, kind of like, blow out the paint in their mouth around their hand. And I mean, to me, that was, is this their way of signing the work, of asserting, you know, that I created this and I was there? I thought it, you know, all the very human inclinations just are so apparent in visiting that place. I’d highly, highly recommend it.

[00:10:52] Annie Sargent: Right, right. So there was, there were systems of writing but that’s really basically the reason why we don’t know that much. Until we get to a good standard of writing that we can still understand, it’s hard to know what they were thinking.

But we know for sure they were people just like us and so it’s always… Yeah, I think Pech-Merle is a beautiful visit and not to be missed. You do have to book it in advance. In the summer months, it can fill out.

Their website is not super reliable, so if it says there are no tickets left, give them a call because, it happened to me, where the website said full and it wasn’t full at all. It’s just that… Well, it’s complicated. I’m not going to go into why it was, they made the mistake, but it was a mistake on their part. So don’t give up. Do give them a call, look at the website, but try to book this at least a month in advance, is ideal.

[00:11:46] Dawn Fairchild: Absolutely, very good advice. Well, I was near Cahors as well. I went to Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, which is… I know you’ve done an episode about it with Elyse on the podcast. It’s so beautiful. People go to this place. It’s just magical. There’s theChâteau de Cardillac, am I butchering the pronunciation?

[00:12:06] Annie Sargent: No, no, that’s it. Well, actually there were several châteaus, they went through, the village went through several lords, and they each built their own place. None of the châteaus are really, there’s not much left of them at this point.

But it’s really interesting to see how they lived, the sort of lifestyle they had, the medieval stuff where they had to, you know, everybody came into the walls at night, they would shut down, and you can see the walls. And they’re hard to see because it’s steep.

[00:12:34] Dawn Fairchild: It is so steep, yes. I mean, it was really kind of funny, people were, as I was walking up, because, you know, you can’t, you park at the bottom or you park at the top, you don’t park in the historic center at all.

[00:12:45] Annie Sargent: Yeah, yeah.

[00:12:46] Dawn Fairchild: They actually have railings like you would for a staircase, and I saw people with walking sticks and I was like, “Okay, I hope I’m up for this challenge.” But it’s doable.

You know, just take it slow and it’s totally fine, it is well worth the climb. The views and vistas are gorgeous, there are just charming shops and galleries everywhere.

There’s a museum there called Musée André Breton, which is a museum of surrealism, both in art and in literature. And so, unfortunately, the day I was there, they were doing a changeover of installation so it was closed, but anyway, now I have an excuse to return.

[00:13:27] Annie Sargent: That’s right, yes, André Breton played a big part in the development of the village.

A lot of these medieval villages were kind of abandoned when French people went in search for more modern things, a more modern way of life. And André Breton was a poet and a writer and an author, and he went there once, and he was just gobsmacked by how beautiful it was, and decided that that’s where he wanted to spend his summers.

And because he was there, he attracted a lot of other artists and it attracted a lot of interest in the area. And so, yeah, André Breton played a big part, but it is a very small museum, it’s not open all the time, so sometimes you can see it, sometimes you cannot.

Wine tasting in Cahors
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[00:14:14] Dawn Fairchild: The other things that I did in that region in the Lot department, were really largely centered around Cahors, which is a lovely town. It’s to my understanding, it’s the largest city, town, in the Lot department. And the historic center and the market are gorgeous. There is a fantastic church there, cathedral, with the most enchantingcloisters, a walled-in garden that you really absolutely should visit. There’s the iconic bridge there that a little tip is that there are wine tastings pretty much adjacent to the bridge in a couple of spots, so I took advantage of that.

Also, my host, Anna told me that the tourism office actually does wine tasting as well, so, you know, that elevated the France to the greatest country on the planet. If I had any doubt, that confirmed it.

[00:15:07] Annie Sargent: Right, so it’s funny because yes, you can taste wine, and it’s Malbec, in this area is the major grape. It’s a big flavored red. But there’s still lots of differences in flavor between the different productions. So if you try one and you don’t like it, don’t give up just yet, try another one.

Because I had customers, since I do day trips to this area, I had customers who were not at all impressed by the first one we tried, but I said, “Well, let’s try another one.” And they loved the second one and bought several bottles. It just depends on what your preferences are.

[00:15:40] Dawn Fairchild: Absolutely. Absolutely, yeah. I mean, a person could easily spend a good week or more, I think just in that department. My one regret is, I just didn’t have enough time, I think, to see everything everywhere.

[00:15:52] Annie Sargent: Yeah.

Discovering Sarlat and Surroundings
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[00:15:53] Dawn Fairchild: But after a few days in the Lot department, I moved on to the Dordogne, and my home base was in Sarlat, which is absolutely enchanting. It is such a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful place.

I know that, you know, lots of listeners to the podcast I’ve seen in the Facebook group, you know, have been there, and they, I think share my affection for it. I found the most wonderful Airbnb, I really think it’s the best Airbnb I’ve ever stayed in, right in the historic center.

It’s in a early Renaissance building, and you know, has been just very thoughtfully modernized, while still retaining all of the character. It was only up one flight of stairs, it had air conditioning and, you know, just beautifully decorated, very comfortable, and very, very central, just half a block away from the beginning of all the shops and the markets, but still, I could, you know, easily within a five-minute walk get to a free public parking place.

[00:16:50] Annie Sargent: Ah, that’s what I was going to ask. Where did you park? Yeah, because in Sarlat, the problem is the parking, but you found places to park.

[00:16:58] Dawn Fairchild: Absolutely, absolutely. Yeah, there was a free lot, maybe about a five-minute walk, but then just one block up, there were a meter or, you know, pay station parkings where, you know, when I was loading, unloading my car, bringing my luggage in, I just parked there, and it was fantastic. Yeah, that worked really, my host was so fantastic in giving me very detailed information about all of that, so…

[00:17:21] Annie Sargent: Right. So this B&B is called Le Rousseau?

Yes.

Rousseau like the author?

[00:17:27] Dawn Fairchild: Yes.

[00:17:28] Annie Sargent: And, I will try to link to it. The Airbnb is… I don’t typically link to Airbnbs because it changes all the time, and so they’re going to show it if it’s available, but they won’t show it the next day or whatever. It’s called Le Rousseau, if you want to find it.

[00:17:43] Dawn Fairchild: Yeah, highly, highly recommend it. I definitely want to go back there. That first day in Sarlat, I just kind of wanted to explore the city. It’s so beautiful. There’s so many winding medieval streets loaded with markets and galleries and charming shops and all of that.

So I spent a fair amount of time just, you know, wandering around. I went to the covered market. There’s a really interesting small museum. It’s called Le Manoir de Gisson, and it is early Renaissance mansion, like a bourgeois mansion that has historic furniture, period furniture.

You know, it’s a small museum, it’s something you can see in about an hour, but it’s beautiful, it’s fascinating. It’s not anything I have access to in my life here in Los Angeles, you know, super fun. And they also… One of, I think one of the things that was really remarkable to me is that in the kitchen, the sink and the stove are original Renaissance items. So, you know, in talking about really gaining an understanding of how people lived, I mean, I think kitchens give you that window more than a lot of things.

[00:18:52] Annie Sargent: Well, that’s good to know. We can… I have not been to that museum. When I go to Sarlat, there’s so much to do just walking around, looking around. I never went to the museum. I should really do it. I should do it.

[00:19:03] Dawn Fairchild: It is charming, and I think that there’s so much to see, there are other museums I didn’t get to at all. And there’s, you know, the wonderful 11th, I think it’s 11th-century cathedral right there.

One of my greatest memories of the trip was opening my front windows in my apartment, and all you could hear were the 11th-century cathedral bells chiming and birds singing, and that’s kind of an eternal, timeless soundscape that, again, I don’t really get to take advantage of much here in Los Angeles.

[00:19:31] Annie Sargent: Yeah, very different from what your day-to-day life is. That’s great.

[00:19:36] Dawn Fairchild: Yep, it’s a lovely, lovely city, and it’s also really well-situated to explore other areas within the Dordogne. So after a good night sleep, I, the next day was planning on going to the Abri de la Madeleine that we talked about. But it’s kind of like almost a village carved into troglodyte cliffside caves, with cathedrals and all of that sort of thing.

Losse Chateau and Garden
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[00:20:00] Dawn Fairchild: But I don’t know if I was still a little, like, leg sore from Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, but I kind of, I really wanted a less intensive rugged climbing day. And so, I went to a Renaissance chateau and gardens called Losse, L-O-S-S-E Chateau and Gardens, and it just… It was absolutely lovely.

It was small, I think that when I first arrived, I was maybe one of five people there, and it’s just a lovely Renaissance chateau out in the countryside, on the banks of a river, again, with period furnishings. It has formal gardens but also woodland gardens.

Montignac
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[00:20:37] Dawn Fairchild: There was a lovely cafe. So I went and, you know, spent a couple hours there. It was, just, I think, exactly what the doctor ordered. And after that, I was thinking about going to Lascaux Painted Caves, and I drove over to Montignac, but then when I got there, I saw what a charming village it was, and there was a vide-grenier going on, which seemed to be like a community garage sale or…

[00:21:02] Annie: Yeah.

[00:21:03] Dawn: … thrift market, and it just was vast. And I thought, “Well, I’m not going to pass this by.” I love- … French and so I just, you know, spent a good amount of time wandering around in that. They also had a really interesting artisan market, you know, with jewelry, just things that local craftspeople made that is housed in a converted church as well. And just, you know, lots of interesting shops, I picked up… You know, walnuts are so big there that I picked up some walnut liqueur, and it’s just… it’s absolutely lovely. Did not make it to Lascaux, so that means I have another excuse to return to the region.

[00:21:39] Annie Sargent: Yeah, Montignac is a lovely little town, really. If people don’t find accommodations in Sarlat, I think it’s good to also stay in Montignac. It’s a cute town. It really is. And Lascaux, well, yeah, you’re going to have to go back. You hadn’t bought your tickets in advance?

No. Okay.

[00:21:59] Dawn Fairchild: Yeah. I bought Pech Merle in advance. That was the one that I was, you know, somehow really spoke to me. But yeah, I think I also anticipated Lascaux to be a little bit more crowded, and perhaps more tourists. And so…

[00:22:12] Annie Sargent: It usually is, yes.

[00:22:14] Dawn Fairchild: Yeah. I just, kind of, really was more looking for a little bit more off the beaten track experience in this trip, you know, where I could really practice my French and read the museum signs in French. And not, you know, just have it, have English be such a default as well.

[00:22:29] Annie Sargent: So it’s interesting because the Chateau de Losse, which you just mentioned earlier, I have driven past it many times but I have never stopped. Because the reality is I’m always going somewhere and you see so many things of interest along the way that you, sometimes you don’t stop.

Highlights of the Dordogne
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[00:22:46] Annie Sargent: In the Dordogne you can totally just drive around and see what you happen upon. There are so many chateaus, so many things to visit that you could do that in the Dordogne, if you wanted to.

[00:22:55] Dawn Fairchild: Absolutely. I know, there’s just like, as I said, an embarrassment of riches. It’s so, it’s lovely. Lovely.

Chateau des Milandes and Josephine Baker’s Legacy
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[00:23:02] Dawn Fairchild: Another thing that I loved, this was a real high point for me of the Dordogne and the trip really, was going to Chateau des Milandes. Josephine Baker, you know, she is such a hero. I mean, in addition to her great contributions to the arts, her contributions as a civil rights leader and as a war hero are extraordinary.

And if anybody has not listened to the podcast that you and Elyse did on Josephine Baker, please do. And so the chateau itself is just fascinating, there are exhibitions that cover all of these things. You know, her work during the resistance in World War II, her contributions to the American Civil Rights movement. Her career as an artist. There are also lots of other things to enjoy. The gardens are breathtaking, there are animals everywhere. There are multiple aviaries, including one that houses birds of prey that they use in falconry exhibitions that take place throughout the day. There are aviaries with peacocks and parrots that you can actually enter into. There are sanctuaries with baby goats. I mean, it’s just…

Yes.

If you’re an animal lover, you can spend a fair amount of time there.

[00:24:15] Annie Sargent: Yeah, you will enjoy it. And the bird shows are good. I like them. When I go I try to stay for the bird show because I enjoy it.

[00:24:23] Dawn Fairchild: Yes, I did as well. It was really interesting.

Yeah.

It’s fascinating.

[00:24:28] Annie Sargent: And there’s a little cafe there as well that’s quite pleasant.

[00:24:32] Dawn Fairchild: Very pleasant. I think I had discovered the great, another genius French invention, the Cafe Gourmand, there as well. But I had it with tea. But, you know, for those who don’t know, it’s coffee or tea with a bunch of little desserts. So you get to sample a bunch of stuff, so.

[00:24:48] Annie Sargent: Yeah, beautiful place. I definitely highly recommend that you go to the Chateau des Milandes because it’s open year round I think. And it is just beautiful and very, very interesting. So yeah, a great recommendation.

[00:25:02] Dawn Fairchild: Yes, absolutely.

Chateau de Beynac
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[00:25:05] Dawn Fairchild: (Mid-roll ad spot) also, let’s see, the other really exciting thing that I did when I was in the Dordogne is I went to Beynac. I went to the Chateau de Beynac, which is… it’s impossible to really pick one chateau to go to in that region, you know, if you’re there for a day. And I was kind of debating between that one and, oh gosh, is it Castelnau de la Chapelle?

[00:25:25] Annie Sargent: Yeah, Castelnau de la Chapelle, yep. They’re the two that are like, ah, they’re both great.

[00:25:31] Dawn Fairchild: Exactly. But I decided to go with the French one because isn’t Castelnau de la Chapelle has more of an English history? Or maybe I’m missing…

[00:25:38] Annie Sargent: Oh, maybe it does. I don’t remember that.

[00:25:41] Dawn Fairchild: Yeah. So I went to that. It has so many connections with very important era of French history, with Richard the Lionhearted. The views are extraordinary. I mean, it’s just so, so, so well presented. The village itself is absolutely charming. I think I’ve heard that it was the village where the film Chocolat was filmed.

Oh, perhaps.

It’s just, you know, just crazy picturesque, charming, adorable.

Boat and Hot Air Ballon Tours in Beygnac
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[00:26:07] Dawn Fairchild: And went as, I went on a flat bottom boat tour, one of the gabar tours, down the Dordogne, from Beynac, which was just, you know, wonderful. I mean, you spend an hour looking from one riverside chateau to the next, you know, getting a narrative. You can’t go wrong.

[00:26:25] Annie Sargent: Yeah. Those little boat tours along the Dordogne are really fun. They’re just really pleasant. I don’t know. I’ve never taken one that I thought, “Oh, that was a rip-off.” You know, I like it.

And in Beynac you can also do hot air balloons. There’s a bunch of things. I’ll try and list a few in the show notes. But there’s a bunch of more, like, daredevil, you know… Yeah, I can imagine you would never go on a hot air balloon. Neither would I.

[00:26:55] Dawn Fairchild: No, no, no, no. A sea level floating down the river, that’s… I agree.

Yeah, that’s good. That’s good.

[00:27:02] Annie Sargent: It’s very pleasant. It is so no pressure. It’s just, you know, everything was easy about it. Easy to park, you just, you know, get on the boat. You can choose to have an English translation of the tour. I, by that point in time, didn’t feel like I needed one. But, I mean, it just was a very low pressure, real day, you know? Wonderful. Yeah.

[00:27:21] Dawn Fairchild: I had a wonderful time. Yeah, so that, I think, those are the highlights of my time in the Lot and the Dordogne.

[00:27:28] Annie Sargent: Did you ever make it to any of the Abris or Abri de la Madeleine or, or… No, you didn’t? Okay.

[00:27:34] Dawn Fairchild: Next trip.

[00:27:35] Annie Sargent: So next time, next time.

Exploring the Dordogne: Chateaus, Rivers, and Prehistoric Caves
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[00:27:40] Annie Sargent: Yeah, because in the Dordogne, really, you have chateaus, you have things you can do on the river, either canoe or take a boat ride. You have the abris, which are the shelters. You have the prehistoric caves, and you have several of each, so you have to pick which one you’re going to see.

But the abris are definitely a big deal, because you get to see how early, you know, people a long, long time ago, how they lived. And I know in some ways, we are just trying to recreate, we don’t have a lot of writtenevidence, but the archeologists are pretty good at looking for evidence and finding, you know, little things. It’s much easier than prehistorical paintings. You know, the abris are… we know more about those.

[00:28:24] Dawn Fairchild: Well, another excuse to go back, for sure.

Falling in Love with Toulouse: A City of Charm and Joy
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[00:28:27] Dawn Fairchild: So, from Sarlat then I, you know, spent a lot of time in village, a more rural life in France. So, I moved on to city life in Toulouse, which is rightfully been named the best vacation destination, as you said, by Lonely Planet.

I absolutely fell in love with this city. I don’t… You know, it’s just the… yes, it has extraordinary markets. It has wonderful, wonderful museums. It’s beautiful. The historic center is charming.

I don’t know, there’s just like a lightness and a joy and a happiness to the place that you just, you cannot help but pick up on when you’re there. It absolutely charmed me.

[00:29:08] Annie Sargent: Yeah, and it’s easy life. I mean, life in Toulouse is pretty, it’s not crazy fast, but it… You can tell it’s a city with plenty of work. So, you know, people can make a good living here. They don’t particularly struggle with any of the, you know, terrible weather or hurricanes or whatever it is. And so it’s, you know, it’s- it’s a good life. We have good wine, good food.

The Allure of the Toulouse Accent and Local Life
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[00:29:36] Annie Sargent: We have a lovely accent.

[00:29:40] Dawn Fairchild: There’s another podcast that I listen to on life in France, I think that they just, they reported on some survey where they said that French people view the Toulouse accent as the most alluring of all French accents. So…

[00:29:53] Annie Sargent: I’m not surprised. And it’s really funny because I don’t think of myself as having an accent, but I really do. When I speak French, oh… I have such a strong Toulouse accent. I can’t help it. When I was younger, I worked against it, but now I don’t even care. “Ah, that’s how I talk. That’s it.”

[00:30:11] Dawn Fairchild: Well, I think most people probably would say it’s a bonus for you, then, to have that accent.

[00:30:17] Annie Sargent: Yes.

[00:30:17] Dawn Fairchild: Thank you.

A Delightful Stay in Les Carmes: Le Clos des Salins
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[00:30:18] Dawn Fairchild: It’s such a lovely city, and I stayed in the most wonderful apartment. A couple bought a townhouse you know, an older townhouse, probably not really old by France standards, but certainly by my standards, and converted it into, oh, maybe 10 or so guest apartments, and they just were lovely. You know, all of them had private terraces, super comfortable beds, great air conditioning, beautiful modern kitchens. The hosts were as lovely as possible, you know, leaving snacks and goodies for you. And yeah, it was just a delight. It was in the Les Carmes neighborhood. Am I pronouncing that correctly?

[00:30:54] Annie Sargent: Les Carmes, yeah, yeah.

And it was called Le Clos des Salins. So La Place des Salins is a big plaza, I assume you entered through The Place des Salins.

[00:31:03] Dawn Fairchild: There was a little very narrow little street around the place and, you know, just wind around that for a few minutes and you enter behind big metal, ornamental gates into a beautiful courtyard absolutely loaded with geraniums and… Yeah. And there were all these lovely apartments. One day I will be able tomake my work schedule work to go to the boot camp and I will absolutely stay there.

[00:31:27] Annie Sargent: Well, that’s a good recommendation for people who are coming to the boot camp. Le Clos des Salins, I’ll put the link in the show notes.

[00:31:33] Dawn Fairchild: Oh, good. You know, one thing, I found all of the accommodations in the Southwest wonderful, but also extremely affordable. Very, very well priced. So, it leaves you more money to spend on the local wine and, you know, walnuts and- … yeah, whatever, truffles and all the other specialties.

[00:31:51] Annie Sargent: Whatever tickles your fancy.

[00:31:54] Dawn Fairchild: Exactly.

Toulouse Markets and Culinary Adventures: Take Elyse’s VoiceMap tour of Toulouse!
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[00:31:57] Dawn Fairchild: So the first thing that I did in Toulouse, was Elyse’s walking tour, VoiceMap walking tour, which was… It’s such a wonderful way to give you the lay of the land, to give you, you know, a real rich understanding of the city right away so that then, you know, as you spend the next few days exploring, you already have a pretty strong base of knowledge about the layout, the history, and high points that would be of interest to you.

So, you know, based on that, I spent a fair amount of time in markets. The covered market in Les Carmes, I went to that pretty much every day. I also went to the Victor Hugo market, which was wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.

And then you had given me a recommendation of your favorite cheese shop right around the corner from there, so I went there and had loads of fun talking with the people in the store, the salespersons, or the cheese experts, really.

[00:32:52] Annie Sargent: Xavier. Xavier.

Xavier. Yeah. An excellent cheese shop right by the Victor Hugo Market.

Yes.

[00:33:04] Dawn Fairchild: They did not steer me wrong in selecting my cheese plate and one thing I did learn about the Southwest, not only is chocolatine, chocolatine and not a pain au chocolat, instead of asking if I want a sac at the end, they asked me if I wanted a poche-

Une poche. Vous voulez une poche?

I know, I mean, that was the fun part, I think, of just really, you know, kind of jumping in and using my very intermediate French was, I had to, like, “Okay, what do you mean by that? Is this actually, you know, what you call a sac here?” We had some real good laughs. The guys there were really fun.

[00:33:40] Annie Sargent: Yep. That’s how we say it. Sac, une poche.

[00:33:45] Dawn Fairchild: It was a lot of fun. And what else?

Museums and Historical Sites in Toulouse
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[00:33:49] Dawn Fairchild: There are some really great museums as well in Toulouse. I went to the Musée de la Résistance, which is, you know, very much about the Resistance during World War II in France.

They have a very touching, moving exhibition on that as well, but then they also had a temporary exhibition on the rise of fascism in Spain with Franco, which, you know, was really, really, really well presented. Let me see. I went also to… Oh, this is a good one, the Fondation Bamberg.

[00:34:19] Annie Sargent: Fondation Bamberg. Yeah, they’re… And they are now reopened. They were closed for a while, but they’re reopened. Yeah.

Yeah. It’s a beautiful museum. I’m hoping I’m remembering right, I think it’s in a Renaissance building, like a big Renaissance mansion around a courtyard. It’s absolutely gorgeous. I mean, even if you don’t go in to see the collection, I’d highly recommend just going to look at the building and the architecture itself. It’s gorgeous. Yeah, the courtyard is fabulous. Elyse gives a very, very good in-person Renaissance tour. She’s threatened to do it on VoiceMap a few times. Hasn’t done it yet. I got to shake her down.

[00:34:58] Dawn Fairchild: Please do it. Shake her down and get that produced before I return. Yeah, but it’s got a wonderful collection of, you know, art from the Renaissance through the 18th century, a lot of, you know, the old masters and that sort of thing. It was absolutely delightful. There are also some really great cathedrals. I think it was Cathédrale Saint-Etienne.

[00:35:18] Annie Sargent: Yep. Saint-Etienne.

[00:35:19] Dawn Fairchild: Yep.

Beautiful and stunning. One place also that I don’t really… I’m not sure if it’s really used entirely as a church, but the Couvent des Jacobins.

[00:35:29] Annie Sargent: Yeah.

[00:35:30] Dawn Fairchild: That was really interesting because, yes, it’s this extraordinarily, architecturally beautiful space, but they have installed you know, kind of like a modern art exhibition with light and with soundscapes.

And I think that they installed that to guide people into experiencing the cathedral in, like, a more sensory way.

[00:35:51] Annie Sargent: Yep.

[00:35:52] Dawn Fairchild: And it was really fascinating, especially the sound component.

[00:35:56] Annie Sargent: Yeah, it’s not a church anymore. It hasn’t been a church for a very, very long time. It stands out because it’s a place for performances. The cloister is absolutely beautiful. They often have temporary exhibits that come through and Saint Thomas of Aquinas is buried there. So, his casket is there. Yeah.

[00:36:17] Dawn Fairchild: Yes, as I recall, the Saint Thomas of Aquinas casket is pretty front and center. It’s a very large monument, very accessible if people are interested in visiting that. Absolutely. So I could probably, you know, just wax poetic about Toulouse forever but- … I know that time is limited.

Bordeaux: Historic Center and Cité du Vin Museum
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[00:36:35] Dawn Fairchild: So, after Toulouse I headed up to Bordeaux, and spent a couple of days there as well, which is also a fascinating city, the historic center and, all of the great monumental buildings are stunning.

I think the high point of Bordeaux for me was going to the Cité du Vin museum. You could spend a day there. It is absolutely fascinating. Have you been, Annie?

[00:36:58] Annie Sargent: Yep, I have. It’s lovely. One of my favorite museums. Yep.

[00:37:02] Dawn Fairchild: And it’s such an education. I mean, it really gives you a deep dive into, I think, every varietal of French grape and all of the wines that stem from it, you know, an understanding of how the terroir and the region impacts the development of the wine. It was super fun.

They have certain stations where they even, like, puff aromas at you so that you can, you know, have a better understanding of it. It culminates in a glass of wine at the top of the building in their tasting room. It was just absolutely lovely.

[00:37:33] Annie Sargent: Mm-hmm. Yeah, it’s a beautiful museum. And Bordeaux is a different city from Toulouse. I mean, it has a different feel to it.

[00:37:40] Dawn Fairchild: Very.

[00:37:41] Annie Sargent: It’s also very nice. Some people prefer Bordeaux, some people prefer Toulouse, but they’re both worth visiting, I think.

[00:37:48] Dawn Fairchild: Absolutely. I mean, I loved Bordeaux, absolutely. I mean, full disclosure, I think I’m team Toulouse. But Bordeaux is absolutely, it’s wonderful. And I do wish, I would have had more time to spend there, because when you’re only in a place for two or three days, you only get the top level, you know?

Sure.

And there, there were so many museums I would have loved to have seen, and also, I would have loved to, to go, have gone out into, you know, some of the vineyards outside of the city. Oh, oh, also, there’s a wonderful covered market in Bordeaux, the Marché des Capucins.

[00:38:23] Annie Sargent: Uh-huh.

[00:38:23] Dawn Fairchild: I can’t go to a city without seeking out markets. That’s just…

[00:38:26] Annie Sargent: Yeah, you like the markets. That’s great.

Political Conversations and Market Experiences
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[00:38:29] Dawn Fairchild: And one really interesting thing overall about this trip and the markets was, I was there in the summer during both rounds of voting for the snap elections, and I discovered that the French way of political advertising is very different than the American way, in that, in the markets or by subway stations, there would just be you know, volunteers or campaign workers handing out brochures, trying to engage in conversations, rather than doing big, you know, ad campaigns and that sort of thing like we do here.

And so, because I was really striving to work on my French, I got to engage in a lot of, you know, conversations with people, just about current affairs in France, and they had great interest in what was going on in the United States. And then, you know, a big pivotal election had just happened in England. So, you know, I was really able to engage as best I could with my French, or, you know, lapsing into Franglais. You know, conversations just about global affairs.

[00:39:25] Annie Sargent: Yeah, they must have loved you because most of us French people run away from these people. But you want to actually talk to them. That’s great.

[00:39:31] Dawn Fairchild: I’m that dorky tourist, for sure.

[00:39:34] Annie Sargent: No, that’s great. That’s great. Yeah, I mean, honestly, we should talk to them. They probably have good points to make.

But most people know how they’re going to vote. Like, you know… But whatever. We’re not here to discuss politics. But it is quite different, there aren’t… I don’t think there’s- well, I don’t watch French TV, so what do I know? It’s not that I never watch French TV. I rarely watch French TV. So I don’t- it’s not like I have it on in the background, so do we have political ads on TV? I don’t think we do. I don’t think we do. No.

[00:40:06] Dawn Fairchild: I watched a fair amount of, you know, French television. Or not watched, I had it on in my apartment just because I’m always trying to get my ear trained to hear French. I don’t recall any, and that was during, you know, kind of a- a very political time. So…

[00:40:18] Annie Sargent: Very, very, yeah.

I think you’re right.

Yeah, I think we don’t have any. Yeah.

New Things Learned in the Trip
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[00:40:22] Annie Sargent: So what did you learn about France on this trip? Are there things that were new to you that you hadn’t discovered before?

[00:40:29] Dawn Fairchild: You know, things that were new to me… I mean, I love walnuts, and I learned that walnuts are elevated in the Southwest. I mean, the food everywhere in France is delicious, but when you go to a different region, you get to discover different things.

The chocolate-covered walnuts are great. I came home with kilos of walnuts, vacuum-packed, walnut oils. I hope my sisters won’t be listening to this, because I did bring back walnut oil for both of them that I decided I needed to keep for myself. Walnut liqueur. I mean, it’s just mind-blowingly delicious.

There were also… I love floral flavors, and in Toulouse especially, I think violet is a big thing there. So, I found an extraordinary pastry, theToulouse version of the Paris-Brest, which I think they called it a Toulouse-Brest, which was the same thing as the Paris-Brest, but instead of the hazelnut crème pâtissière, it has violet. Which was mind-blowingly delicious in my opinion. You know, I had violet ice cream. It was… I learned lots of things like that.

I think in traveling, you also kind of learn a lot about your own resilience. I like to travel alone, and so, you know, it’s just me figuring things out.

Travel Challenges and Personal Growth
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[00:41:43] Dawn Fairchild: On the first few days of my trip, there was this global cell phone outage, and so my Google Maps on my phone or my Apple Play didn’t work. That’s just what you use are the maps on your phone. And I hadn’t figured out a plan B, and so I figured out how to navigate through Cahors and the countryside in the Lot without, you know, Apple Maps. Huh.

… In the car, it wasn’t so bad because there was kind of a rudimentary GPS, but once I was in, you know, a village outside of the car, I would even do things like, all right, if I want to get to this restaurant from the car, map it out in the car, and then take a photo of it on my phone to follow that.

So you figure out, you know, parts of yourself. Also, as we brought up earlier, I’m terrified of heights. And so Saint-Cirq-Lapopie is a very steep place. So, this is kind of teaching me about resilience and how much, you know, if you just don’t freak out and figure it out, you’re fine. Don’t let fears get in your way of anything.

So I’m leaving, driving down that very, very steep street, and some guy on a motorcycle is driving up, and he’s yelling at me in French. And he was saying, I think it was recueillait. And I was like, “What is that word? I don’t know what the…”

[00:42:56] Annie Sargent: Reculez. Reculez.

[00:42:58] Dawn Fairchild: And I didn’t know what that word was, so I was trying to, you know, down, window down, trying to explain to him, “I’m learning French.” And, you know, anyway, he just then yelled at me: le bus! Le bus!” And so then I looked up and right behind him was this gigantic bus. And so in spite of the fear of heights, backed up the side of a, you know, pretty sheer drop-off, and I survived it. I did not panic. And I think that I learned things like that about myself that, “You know what? You got this.” You know?

[00:43:28] Annie Sargent: So, this is funny that you had a run-in with this guy, because I’ve had a run-in with this guy as well, both when we went with a tour, because I wanted people to get off where he didn’t want us to get off. So, we discussed, because he’s just a municipal employee, and another time, I think I was trying to pick up somebody on a private tour also on that roundabout, and he did not want me to stop. Not even for a second. But there was nobody else coming, so I just ignored him. But he is very insistent.

He is very … scary.

[00:44:00] Dawn Fairchild: Not really wanting to engage and, “Can you say that in a different way and more in simpler, slower French?”

[00:44:05] Annie Sargent: Yeah, no.

[00:44:06] Dawn Fairchild: It all worked out. And you know what? I love that sort of thing because it really, it’s a great travel story. When I came home and told my sisters, they thought that was hilarious.

Some guy yelling at you, you don’t know what he wants.

Yeah, exactly, and you know what? I figured out how to back up the side of a cliff without freaking out, so…

[00:44:23] Annie Sargent: Yeah. Yeah. And the rule in France is, if there’s a bus coming, it’s the smallest vehicle that needs to back out. So, you know, he was telling you right. You were supposed to back out. That’s how it works. Wow. Okay.

Reflections on the Trip and Future Plans
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[00:44:45] Annie Sargent: Well, we’ve been talking a long time already, but it sounds like you had a wonderful time. It sounds like you made the most of a wonderful two weeks. Was it two weeks? Three weeks?

It was two weeks.

You made the most of it. You were by yourself, but I don’t think you ever cared one way or the other. You were quite happy.

[00:44:57] Dawn Fairchild: I am very happy to be able to be in a fascinating, beautiful place like France, do exactly what I want, when I want, and be entirely in my head when I’m looking at, you know, extraordinary art or just, you know, awe-inspiring historical monuments. That’s my happy place, for sure.

People were so nice and so willing and happy to chat with me and engage in conversations in French. It was fantastic. I think my only regret is, I didn’t, you know, there are so many things to see that I didn’t get to. I think even this summer, I’m kind of contemplating a return to Toulouse and then spread out along the south, maybe toward Nice.

For example, I’ve learned through the podcast there’s a Goya museum in Castres that I really wanted to get to, but I didn’t want to take a day away from my beloved Toulouse in order to do that. So, you know, I think I’ve also learned that it’s never enough time in the Southwest.

[00:45:51] Annie Sargent: Yeah. And the Southwest is lots to do, lots to do, so…

Thank you so much, Dawn. You’ve been a delight to talk to. You’ve shared some great stuff, and it was wonderful, you know, I was right at home in the Southwest. It’s fantastic.

[00:46:05] Dawn Fairchild: Well, thank you so much for the podcast, Annie. You have inspired not only this trip, but, you know, so many other fantastic wanderings in France in the past that I’ve done, that I’m confident I will take in the future. So, you and Elyse are treasures. Thank you for all you do.

[00:46:20] Annie Sargent: And thank you for your support over the years. Very, very appreciated. Merci beaucoup.

Merci, Annie.

Au revoir.

Au revoir.

 

Thank you Patrons!
—

[00:46:36] Annie: Once again, a big thank you to my wonderful patrons. Your support makes this podcast possible week after week.

I am pre-recording a few episodes right now, so no new shout-outs today, but I have not forgotten you. Every single patron helps keep the lights on at Join Us in France.

If you’ve been enjoying the show and want to give back, consider joining us on Patreon. It starts at just $3 a month, and you’ll get access to exclusive rewards and ad-free episodes as soon as they’re ready.

Visit patreon.com/joinus to learn more.

And if you’re already a patron, merci, merci, merci. You’re the reason this show keeps going.

And to support Elyse, go to patreon.com/elysart.

Like I said before, I’m recording ahead this week, so I don’t have any new VoiceMap reviews to share, but if you’re curious about what other listeners think of my VoiceMap tours, head over to joinusinfrance.com/vmr. That stands for VoiceMap Reviews. You’ll find lots of feedback from fellow travelers who’ve walked the streets of Paris with me in their ears. Maybe your review will be the next one I read.

Podcast Listeners Discount
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[00:47:57] Annie: Podcast listeners get a big discount for buying these tours on my website. It’s best for me as well because I get to keep more of what you pay instead of giving it to Apple or Google.

But if you buy from my boutique, it’s a manual process, so don’t expect it to be instant like it would be if you were buying directly from the app. But most of you listening plan their trips at least a few days in advance, some of you it’s a lot longer than that, so you’re probably not in a rush.

To use your code, open VoiceMap, tap Tour Codes at the bottom right, enter the code, and download tour. You own it forever. Even if you change phones, just log into your VoiceMap account to access it again.

The tours work without data because the audio, images, and maps are downloaded to your phone, and GPS works anywhere, even without cell service.

Best of all, you can listen in virtual playback from anywhere in the world, perfect if Paris is not in your immediate plans. Take me in your pocket with VoiceMap.

Itinerary Consultations with Annie
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[00:48:59] Annie: If you’re planning a trip to France and want expert help, you can hire me as your itinerary consultant. It’s a busy season, so book early at joinusinfrance.com/boutique.

Usually I have openings within a month, but right now it’s more like two or three months out, so don’t wait.

Hidden messages in the obelisk at Place de la Concorde.
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[00:49:17] Annie: Let’s talk about the hidden messages in the obelisk at Place de la Concorde. This is something fun and a little bit mysterious. The obelisk at the Place de la Concorde, you’ve seen it. It’s that great, tall granite, pink granite, kind of, monument from Luxor.

It’s covered in hieroglyphics right in the middle of Paris traffic. It’s been there since 1836. But guess what? Turns out it still has a few secrets to share.

A French Egyptologist named Jean-Guillaume Olette-Pelletier, what a great French name, just revealed that he’s cracked seven hidden coded messages carved into the stone.

He spent over four years working on this discovery, and it all started during the COVID lockdowns. He lived nearby and would walk over to the obelisk during his allowed one-hour outings. One day, something in the carvings looked off, so he came back the next day with binoculars and a notebook.

Yes, really. That’s when he noticed what he now calls cryptographic hieroglyphs, symbols carefully disguised inside regular scenes.

Later, during the restoration of the obelisk ahead of the Paris Olympics, he got access to the scaffolding. He was able to get close enough to confirm what he suspected, the carvings included secret messages.

What do these messages say? Eh, it’s all about Ramesses II. According to Olette-Pelletier, they were ancient propaganda meant to show that Ramesses was of divine origin. One coded phrase, for example, combines symbols to say, “Soothe the vital force of the god Amun.”

And that’s a powerful political message when you’re trying to convince your elites that your power comes straight from the gods, and probably that you’re the only one who can save everybody. That’s what they all do, isn’t it?

These messages were carved in a very specific spot on the side of the obelisk that would have faced the Nile, where Egypt’s nobles could see it.

 

[00:51:31] Annie: These weren’t meant for the average person on the street. This was elite messaging designed to reinforce Ramesses’ authority.

And here’s the kicker, not all Egyptologists agree with this interpretation, of course, it wouldn’t be any fun if they all did. The idea of hidden codes in hieroglyphs is still debated in academic circles, but Olette-Pelletier stands by his research and he’ll be publishing the full results in a specialized journal soon.

So next time you walk by the Place de la Concorde, maybe take a closer look at the obelisk. Who knows what else is hiding there? You could try with binoculars, but stay away from Paris traffic. Either that or let the experts do the decoding.

My thanks to podcast editors Anne and Christian Cotovan, who produced the transcripts and the audio.

Next week on the podcast
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[00:52:25] Annie: Join us next week on Join Us in France as we dive into the unforgettable journey of Linda and Scott Rogers in France. From the bustling streets of Paris to the tranquil beauty of Annecy and the excitement of the Paris Olympic Games, Linda and Scott share their adventures, travel tips, and cultural insights.

Hear all about their journey, challenges, and the magic of experiencing France like a local. Don’t miss that one.

Thank you so much for listening, and I hope you join me next time so we can look around France together. Au revoir.

Copyright
—

[00:53:01] Annie: The Join Us in France travel podcast is written, hosted, and produced by Annie Sargent, and Copyright 2025 by AddictedToFrance. It is released under a Creative Commons attribution, non-commercial, no derivatives license.

 

 

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Categories: Occitanie, Toulouse Area