Places I Remember with Lea Lane

Peaceful Périgord, France: Chateaux, Caves, Cuisine

• Stephanie Williamson and Emily Conyngham share their love of this special French region. • Season 1 • Episode 125

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We head to Périgord—the historic heart of France's fertile Dordogne region—to map a four-color journey through Noir, Blanc, Pourpre, and Vert: cliffside castles, prehistoric cave art, limestone towns, vineyard hills, and green valleys stitched with old paper mills. 

Our guests, Stephanie Williamson and Emily Conyngham, know the area from the inside, with details and choices that shape a smarter, quieter trip.

We start in Périgord Noir, using Sarlat’s 14th-century streets and market days as our base, then climb to the hedged terraces of Marqueyssac for that golden-hour view as hot air balloons drift above the river. From there, we decode the caves—how to experience Lascaux’s faithful replica without harming fragile art, and why early mornings and shoulder seasons pay off. 

In Périgord Blanc, limestone brightens the landscape around Perigueux, subterranean churches carve sanctuaries from rock, and truffle culture comes alive with local hunters and their Lagotto dogs. It’s not just about the black diamonds; it’s about stories passed down, guarded groves, and the rhythm of the forest.

Périgord Pourpre brings the glass to your hand: Bergerac reds, Montbazillac’s famed sweet whites, and wine trails that weave past châteaux like Lanquais, the “Unfinished Louvre.” We connect history to taste, from old trade routes to today’s small estates where conversation is part of the pour. 

Finally, Périgord Vert opens the lungs: forest walks, rivers, mills, and quiet paths that invite you to slow down and notice. Along the way, we talk duck and foie gras, chestnuts, mushrooms, strawberries, and why summer reservations matter even in small towns. 

For would-be expats and for tourists, we end with memories covering language, cost of living, healthcare realities, and the charming community fabric that makes this quieter side of France so very special.

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Our guests are Stephanie Williamson, CEO and founder of Raison d'être travel that plans customized itineraries worldwide; and Emily Conyngham, who moved to the region in 2014 from the United States and owns a shop in Monpazier called Atelier Charmont.

Podcast host Lea Lane has traveled to over 100 countries, and has written nine books, including the award-winning Places I Remember  (Kirkus Reviews star rating, and  'one of the top 100 Indie books of  the year'). She has contributed to dozens of guidebooks and has written thousands of travel articles. Contact her at placesirememberlealane.com
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Our award-winning travel podcast, Places I Remember with Lea Lane, has produced over 125 travel episodes! New episodes drop on the first Tuesday of the month, on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts.
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Lea Lane:

Travelers love France, and we've covered parts of it, including Paris in episode 1, Normandy in episode 18, and Provence in episode 94. In this episode, we're discussing a French region many travelers are less familiar with, the Dordogne region, also known as Père de Gord, tucked between the Loire Valley and the Pyrenees Mountains, about five and a half hours' drive southwest of Paris. This is the heart of the French countryside. Medieval castles, crowned limestone cliffs, prehistoric caves show ancient art secrets, meals celebrate traditional farm to table. This is authentic France, and you'll find a deep, calm, soulful experience here. Our guests know the area well. Stephanie Williamson is CEO and founder of Raisin d'être travel that plans customized itineraries worldwide. Emily Conyngham moved to the region in 2014 from the United States and owns a shop in Monpazier. It's a charming shop with all kinds of treasures from the area. Welcome Stephanie and Emily to Places I Remember. Well, first tell us why the Dordogne region is also referred to as Perigord.

Stephanie Williamson:

The easiest way to look at the region is to split it up and it's four distinct regions, and they're all marked by color. So there's the Perigord vert, which is the green; the blanc, which is white; pourpre, which is the purple, that's where all the wine is; noir, which is the black. And I think when coming to the region, that's the easiest way to give yourself a map and see where you want to go based on your interest and based on your time.

Lea Lane:

Is Perigord an older term than the Dordogne D? Is it an ancient term, Emily?

Emily Conygham:

Yes, it is, and it comes from the old Roman and Gallic words for the stone people, and that remains today because it relates to those people who are living in caves and the four tribes of dPerigor who uh battled with the Romans.

Lea Lane:

Okay, interesting. And why did you change his Dordogne?

Stephanie Williamson:

I always assumed it had to do with the river, the prominent river flowing through the area. There are several.

Emily Conygham:

That is why a number of French departments have their names named after rivers. And this happened under Napoleon, who wanted a more logical and centralized way of describing places that wasn't so invested in local culture.

Lea Lane:

Interesting. Okay. So now we know why, but we'll we'll refer to Perigord, and that way uh it's simpler throughout this discussion. Now you can get there in several ways. It's not the easiest place to get to, and that's what part of the charm is just so traditional. It's tucked away in the southwest area of France. You can go to the airport in Bergerac, I think is the closest one. Uh, you can take a bus from Bordeaux, you can take a high-speed train from Bordeaux, Paris, Lyon, and Toulouse. I know that. But I do think you need a car to get around the region. Do you agree with me? Absolutely.

Stephanie Williamson:

Yeah, you'll find some train stations peppered throughout, but much of the magic of the area is all tucked away in the countryside and inaccessible without a car.

Lea Lane:

Yeah, I think the word magical when I I've been researching, I remember 50 years ago, I went through the area not long enough, and it's absolutely charming, a tradition there that you can feel. And I think walking around the area or biking around the area would be absolutely delightful. We'll start with Perigord noir. It's called that because of, I guess, the colors of the trees. Is that correct?

Emily Conygham:

Yes, because the shade under the chestnut trees and the oaks is quite profound. It's well known for black truffles, truffles of Perigord and get shipped around the world.

Lea Lane:

Tell us about Sarlat.

Stephanie Williamson:

It is a great base in terms of the area. It is probably one of the more touristy regions and truffle shops and things like that.

Lea Lane:

Places to stay, right? I mean, this is why it's a good base.

Stephanie Williamson:

Yes, that and its proximity. It's a good just central spot, and everything in the area is beautiful, obviously. It's France, but the village and town itself has already been featured in a lot of movies.

Lea Lane:

Emily, tell us some of your favorite places in the center, the historic center. It's really representative of 14th century France, I think.

Emily Conygham:

Yes, it really is. I like Sarlot on Wednesday and Saturday, especially. Wednesday is the farmers market, and Saturday is the big giant market. So that includes crafts and as well as vegetables and things. So that is a big thing that I like. Also, there is a tower that has no door, and that is very interesting, and lots of guesses of what that was for. And there's just one window way up high, and the rest of the town was brought back to life by Andre Malraux in the 60s. He was the cultural minister, and my favorite part is the huge indoor market that has some magnificent three-story high iron doors.

Lea Lane:

Wow. I know it has cobble streets, it's fortified, it has a wall, and it has gardens. What about those gardens?

Emily Conygham:

Marquisac. You go on, Stephanie, you probably take your people there all the time.

Stephanie Williamson:

Go right ahead, especially if you're right in that area. I love hearing somebody who's there every day in the thick of it. That is a much different perspective and honestly very helpful.

Emily Conygham:

I love Marquisac, but I'm also a garden lover. It is uh not far from Sarlot, up on a plateau, and right in the middle of all the other sites. And it's somewhere to go if you want to see topiary and also go for a walk and get away from everything else has to do with chateaus and buildings. And so this is an outdoor space that's fantastic, and it has views over the whole river valley. And the best time to go, in my opinion, is at the end of the day when all the hot air balloons come rising up all around this plateau. And I mean, it's really magical.

Lea Lane:

Oh wow, that's a great tip. Love it. Uh tell me about Dom. Is that a city that you would recommend visiting?

Stephanie Williamson:

Yeah, all of the cities and villages. They all have their own personality, their own touch.

Lea Lane:

Well, there's something called the Golden Triangle and also the seven beautiful villages. That's in the noir. Is that correct? Where you can take a tour if you wanted to visit some of the more beautiful towns or villages. If you want to take time from five or six or seven of them, you can find them in that region, correct?

Emily Conygham:

And they're all very close together. You could see oh, three or four comfortably, and most importantly, have a nice lunch. Three or four in one day.

Lea Lane:

So if your time is limited, nice walk or bike ride, perfect in a nice day. The caves are famous in the area, and of course, we know Lascaux, famous prehistoric site with cave paintings dating back to prehistoric times, but there are other caves as well. Tell us a little bit about the caves of that area.

Stephanie Williamson:

Where people have been living for 50,000 years, and it's insane to see. You get these types of formations in Italy, it has the Etruscan caves. Every spot will have its own. Come to this part and see these dwellings and within the rocks, it's crazy. And as you mentioned, Lascaux is there, which for anyone who's interested in history. I mean, I'm I like history a normal amount, even I'm like starstruck at the fact that Lascaux is there.

Lea Lane:

I think you can go to the museum and have a reproduction and walk as if you're in the cave, correct?

Stephanie Williamson:

Yes. All of this history and all of this incredible pre-history is at anyone's fingertips right there, alongside beautiful, charming villages, wine, nature. They do get very busy. The environment is delicate.

Lea Lane:

Better to go in the early morning, late.

Stephanie Williamson:

Yeah, yeah. Just earlier is always better. And then maybe not in the thick of summer. Maybe try the fall or the spring. Right.

Lea Lane:

Shoulder season. We always say if you can go in the shoulder season, that's best. I agree. It's a wonderful addition to an area to have these prehistoric caves that are so famous. Okay, so that was the noir. How about Perigord Blanc? It's known for its limestone cliffs, and I guess that's why it's the white color of uh the some of the towns. Is that correct?

Stephanie Williamson:

That's my understanding for the the naming of that, too. It's because of the limestone.

Lea Lane:

And what would we visit? I know there's a great cathedral in Perigreaux. Tell us about some of the sites of that town.

Stephanie Williamson:

So Perigreaux is the capital of the region. There's a really nice chateau in New Vic. There's just so much to see and do.

Lea Lane:

There is. Because for a tiny area of the world, it's filled with uh museum, chateaus, caves, forests. It's just gorgeous. So I have read about the truffle museum. It's very interesting to me because the truffle industry is very big and I know that they're called black diamonds because they're very expensive. How do you go on a truffle tour? Yes.

Stephanie Williamson:

There are plenty of small group tours. What I usually do with my clients is I like to pair them with local truffle hunters. That way you go with the truffle hunter, you go with their dog, and you head off into their spot. The truffle hunters are very territorial about their spots. So everyone has the spots that they know where the truffles are year after year. And so it's a great way to discover another piece of the forest, hear some stories, hear how it's been passed down from his grandfather, his father to him, how this is the third dog that they've been working with that's done this. It's a good way to add a little bit of culture and a little bit of humanity to your dog.

Lea Lane:

Great walk, too. I would think. Do you find truffles very often, all the time, or like Easter egg hunt? I've heard of pigs hunting for truffles. You're saying dogs. Is it French to have the dog and Italian to have the pig? Is that it?

Emily Conygham:

Dogs are more common because pigs are very expensive to keep and less trainable. The pig is more likely to grab it and eat it before you get there.

Lea Lane:

I've heard they're smart.

unknown:

I've heard this.

Lea Lane:

What kind of dog is a hunter?(A Lagotto Romagnolo, like poodles.) Oh, interesting. Okay, that sounds like a wonderful thing to do. That's on my bucket list.

Emily Conygham:

I want to add one more thing for the white Perigord, one of the largest subterranean churches in France, in Auberre. And next to the one in Saint-Émilion, it's the biggest one. And it relates to this cave business, underground cathedrals that are just magnificent. Fabulous.

Stephanie Williamson:

All of the regions have so much black and purple, get a lot of the because wine and history in white too. I mean, one of the best markets. The Isle River is right there along that. There's a town that still has the timber and renaissance type construction. There's just a lot of authentic, cool spots to see, a lot to experience without being elbow to elbow with others who are trying to get that perfect picture. It's a good place to just go and be.

Lea Lane:

I agree. Well, you mentioned purple, and that's of course the vines and the wine produced there. And so people do go there for that. And the wines that are famous, Bergerac, and there's a museum there about wine. And there's also a museum of tobacco. You've got all these wonderful vices in the purple area. What else? We have chateaus. Is there anything special that one should not miss? I have heard of the Chateau Langoisse called the Unfinished Louvre of Paragord. I heard of it. It's a blend of medieval and renaissance architecture and very beautiful. 15th and 16th century. Vineyards, of course, are all over. Uh lovely estates and places you can sample the wine. I'm sure there are many wine tours. Is that correct, Stephanie?

Stephanie Williamson:

Yes. The main ones are going to be Bergerac and Montbaziac. Wine trails throughout. It's a great way to go. Beautiful scenery, and you get some incredible wine as well.

Lea Lane:

What kind of wine?

Emily Conygham:

Is it a sweet wine or a Montbazillac is a sweet white wine? And Bergerac is more known as red. And interesting about Bergerac and how it relates to Bordeaux. In the beginning, Bordeaux was where all the wine leaves France, towards England. And all wine that came through the port was known as Bordeaux. And so the people in Bergerac area say, oh, our wine is as good as Bordeaux. They got the marketing right from the beginning. So that's what they say around here.

Lea Lane:

Interesting. Very nice. So last is the green area, Perigord Vert, for its great forests and beautiful greenery, walking area, nature.

Emily Conygham:

The fact that we have green to me is very important and is a reason I live here because it is a greener area of France. The Dordogne is green and lovely.

Lea Lane:

Yes, I know there's a beautiful natural regional park protected for hiking and enchanting settings, the castles and the manors and the abbeys, the landscape and valleys. There was an industry of spinning mills because of the water, old buildings that you can walk and find. And I love that when you walk and find an old industrial building and trees all around it, and you can imagine what it was like back then. That was an area for uh fabrics and so forth.

Emily Conygham:

And also paper and the town of Coos, C-O-U-Z-E, was a medieval paper mill town. And one of the reasons is because the water is pH neutral. At that time, paper was made from rags. And so it relates to this spinning because all the shoots are taken to the paper mill and turned into paper, and they still exist today.

Lea Lane:

I did read that there's gold in the Dordo(gne River. You can pan for gold. Have you found any either of you? I wouldn't be here.

Stephanie Williamson:

And I know what I'm doing the next time I visit my mom's.

Lea Lane:

I have a feeling it's a nice thing to do on an afternoon. We have to talk about the cuisine. It's so rich. We've talked about the truffles. There's also wonderful mushrooms and chestnuts and strawberries and foie gras. Tell us a little bit about what you would eat if you were going there, the cuisine.

Stephanie Williamson:

Everything is delicious. The foie gras and duck is a really big staple. One of the regions where I can pretty confidently say that you don't need to have this whole list of restaurant recommendations in order to go. Pop into the little spots that are unmarked and you wander in and it looks like it's a locals only place, and you're going to have the best meal of your life. Honestly, you could probably grab something from like a top of a trash can and it'd still be the best thing you've ever had. But it is a delightful place to eat and drink. It's a great way to reservations.

Lea Lane:

I mean, it's the locals I know love to go out and have a lovely lunch and so forth. Would it be a problem getting into these places or just walk in and take your chance?

Stephanie Williamson:

I always say if there is a spot that you absolutely want to try, make a reservation. A lot of the places, uh, part of their charm is that they're smaller. And so it's not so much that so busy because a ton of people, it's just that they don't have that many tables, everything is home cooked, everything takes a little bit longer, it's a little bit slower. It's just a different way to approach the meals, which is part of the charm. Get lost and find yourself eating with strangers somewhere, and it'll be delicious.

Emily Conygham:

With the proviso in summertime, I think you really have to have reservations, no matter where. I

Lea Lane:

Interesting. Now, both of you are expats, is that correct? (Yes. ) So tell us a lot of people are talking about living outside of the United States and are curious. Uh, why did you choose this area? And what do you advise people about uh coming as an expat? Emily, why did you choose this area?

Emily Conygham:

I came and spent nine months in southwest France and just fell deeply and immediately in love for many of the reasons you've already talked about. It's very traditional, perhaps less of a show than Provence. But it's just a little more out of the way. So you get more chance for things to be real and natural. The people here are very nice. And for me, the cost of living is less, uh considerably less than Provence. And I live on very modest income. I can go down to either San Sebastian in Spain or down to the Mediterranean coast, which I do say for a long weekend. I'm halfway between Toulouse and Bordeaux, both very nice cities. As Stephanie said, you have to have a car here. I am seeing a wave of Americans come here now and buying houses. It's a great place. I do recommend learning to becoming comfortable with French.

Lea Lane:

Yes, I know there are many English-speaking people in the area. English people have been coming for a long while. There is a local dialect. Is it Occitan?

Emily Conygham:

Yes, you're right. And this is important culturally as well as linguistically. It's more like Spanish and Italian, but think about where we are. But also culturally, the South always pushed against the north of France, and and it wasn't called France, and they didn't call themselves French. They called the people up there French. It's no longer spoken, really. You'll hear the accent a little bit.

Lea Lane:

Yes, but I think anywhere you move, obviously try to learn at least some of the language. And today there's technical help. You can learn at least have a little bit of conversation. And it comes along as you stay. I know that if you stay over three months, you get some health care benefits. There are all kinds of things like that that are very nice to look into. But it sounds like it's a good place. Yes, Emily?

Emily Conygham:

Yes. The French government has just decided don't get too excited about free health care. Non-EU residents who live here on a long-term basis will pay around $1,800 a year for the benefit of this health card.

Lea Lane:

Okay, that's interesting to hear. Thanks for that.

Stephanie Williamson:

Well, it sounds delightful. It's very much a part of my heart, my soul, my family, my identity. It's beautiful to expose yourself to all of these different ways of life. You have one lifetime, soak in as much as possible, all of the languages, all of the people. And to Emily's point, you have to learn the language. It's not something to be added to the to-do list just to communicate. It's it's really to immerse yourself and experience and be able to connect with people. Get out there, go and see, see what you can do.

Lea Lane:

We say here, do it, go do it. Well, the name of the podcast is Places I Remember. So Emily and Stephanie, can you each share with us a special memory of this beautiful area of France? Stephanie, you want to go first?

Stephanie Williamson:

My mother lives just about 40 minutes outside of Bergerac in a town called Saint Barthes, Saint-Bertinemy, the area that her family is from. They had a farm there. And so now her heading back there from having lived in the more northern part has just been so incredible. And The very last time I went to visit this past summer, I brought my daughter with me and my m baby for the first time. And then to see her outside the vegetable patches, playing with the chickens. It's just a place where you just stop. You stop, you breathe, a true reset and rest. I don't know that there are many places in the world that are like that. It's just by default, you have no option but to just breathe. And so I'm so grateful.

Emily Conygham:

I agree, Stephanie. The slowing down. And as one French neighbor said, it's a human scale here. And my story is about a human encounter in the Jardin de Marquisac. I went one winter day and there was a man way up high in the roof beams. And he is placing lows in. Lows are these stone roofs that have to be at a certain pitch and that are common to the area, pretty much impossible to do unless you have giant money, which you know, Marquisac does. I said, Wow, that's incredible and what you're doing. And I'm down there and he's up there. He says, Come on up. This was not America. He didn't tell me to sign a waiver or put a hat on or anything. So I went up in the roof beams and learned about his metier, which is each stone is fit in my hand. There is nothing even or mechanical, it's just know-how and has to be at a certain pitch. And each square meter weighs a ton. And this man is one of the last people to know how to put in a Lowe's roof. Well, now you do too. I could get a job. So it has to do with that human scale and slowing down.

Stephanie Williamson:

But Emily, you went up. Yes, of course. You're a complete stranger. I want to talk to you. I want to hear from you. Let me see. And I love that. It's that's awesome.

Emily Conygham:

A lack of age barriers as well. Um I have many friends who are little children and up to old people, and they come in my shop and we say hello, and we talk. Actually, people come to me. It's just what Stephanie's saying. There's just uh more personal. We'd like to come to your shop. What's the name? Atelier Charmont. And that means my lovely studio. And it's because that's where I work on making my lovely life. In Monpazier. Yes, and that's the right way to say it.

Lea Lane:

Yes.

Emily Conygham:

Okay.

Lea Lane:

Yes. I would love to come and visit you. I think some of the listeners will probably try to. Well, thank you so much. It's a gorgeous area, a little bit off the overcrowded tourist path most of the year, of course. It remains a destination to savor with all your senses. It seems to offer peaceful pleasure, history, beauty, fine food, wine, what's not to like. So Stephanie Williamson of Raison d'Etre Travel, Emily Cunningham, who lives in the beautiful town of Monpazier, thank you so much for sharing your corner of France with us.

Stephanie Williamson:

Merci à vous, Madame. Merci.

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Lea Lane

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