WooFing in the Dordogne
Last week I went with the family for a week in the Dordogne as volunteers for WOOF. WOOF stands for Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms. We'd dabbled with this already in the UK but this was 'all in'. The web site gives an overview of what the farm does and some reviews, but aside from that, we really did not know what to expect.
We knew we were going somewhere with no Wi-Fi so for me it was a great opportunity to disconnect from screens, 'To Do' lists, the news and all the overwhelm of modern life. In fact it was like going back a century and living a simpler life with a fireplace in place of a TV screen.
The farm in question is run by Henri, a 77 year old, separated from his wife, and, aside from a bad back is fit and strong. His farmhouse was home to no less than nine children from the same partner and he has 30 grandchildren. One of his daughters was there for most of our stay and another visited over Easter with her six kids. His four dogs were ever present.
Aside from milking the cows, feeding the horses and donkeys first thing, Henri lives a life of little routine or structure. Days involved collecting wood, pouring oil into one of his many machines which he enjoys riding around the farm on, making bread and having a siesta in front of the large hearth in the main room.
There three fireplaces to manage every day - the mornings involved setting the fire under the stove and maybe relighting the fire in the main hearth alongside the fire which heated the water. (There was another fire for bread making). We were responsible for our own cooking and soon realised that Henri would live on bread and cheese if left to his own devices. Our Anglo-Ecuadorian dishes were welcomed, especially llapingachos an Ecuadorian dish made of potato patties with cheese and fried eggs. Perfect given the abundance of potatoes, cheese and eggs. We made this three times with potatoes cooked on a cast iron pot over the fire, cheese made from Henri's cows and eggs from his hens.
Here's a day by day account of our trip:
Day 1 - In the morning we tidied the wood store and erected a polytunnel for growing tomatoes. A cold day with light drizzle in the afternoon put an end to further travails and we spent the afternoon reading by the fireplace.
Day 2 - The warm weather arrived with temperatures reaching mid 20s which was the pattern for the rest of the week. We collected wood in the morning, loading it on to the trailer on the back of Henri's tractor. We enjoyed an al fresco lunch with another family who were visiting for a couple of days. In the afternoon we were up on Henri's digger pouring can after can of oil into it, in the hot sun. One of Henri's many toys. In the many barns and outbuildings you can find old horse drawn carts and all the old family cars, dating back to a mark 2 VW Golf. I also helped Henri with his beehives adding another drawer to each one, in full bee keeper gear and only got stung once on the nose through the protection! In the evening we met some friends from Bordeaux for a meal in the regions capital Perigeuex which is well worth a visit.
Day 3 - Easter Sunday. Henri went to a church service and family reunion while we gave the house a thorough spring clean including a heavy accumulation of dust on the kitchen shelves and cob webs on the ceiling. After that we walked down to the little river under the viaduct and over the railway line. Then Henri's daughter turned up with her six children and we enjoyed an evening meal together with not a mobile phone in site.
Day 4 - In the morning we collected wood from the pen the donkey shares with the pig. We got the axe out and broke out into a sweat chopping logs - these ones to be sold. We then enjoyed a lovely meal outside in the sun with the family. Tired limbs enhanced the enjoyment of a good meal in the sun with the colorful panorama of flowers, blossoms and trees breaking into leaf with the sound of birds and bees. In the evening we unloaded the wood we collected in the morning and then I took my daughter for a ride on the donkey through the sun dappled woods. Bliss.
Day 5 - A day off. We visited some stunning caves nearby in the town of Elyzies with stunning stalactite and stalactite structures; in the afternoon we had a private tour of the 'Grotte du Benifal' another cave adorned with ancient paintings. After a typically good French lunch we visited the stunning village of Saint Leon Sur Vezere for a crepe and a cold beer by the river. We then went home for bread baking - 25 loaves in the large clay oven, many of which would be sold. Anything not eaten was fed to the animals.
Day 6 - A fairly quiet last day. A bit more wood collecting, some relaxing in the sun and packing up to leave early in the morning ready for the long drive to Le Havre to visit some friends who live there.
What we learned from our time is you need to be resourceful, fairly fit, strong and adaptable and comfortable going with the flow. It was a great experience for my kids aged 14 and 10 and, given Henri spoke no word of English was great for their French language skills.
Aside from the digital detox, it was also refreshing to surrender agency. Not knowing how a day was going to pan out was quite refreshing. To walk into the kitchen and see a donkey at the window, a pig and some chickens running around in the background was a break from the norm. All the animals ran free so you had to watch your step but at least it kept the grass short.
The experience could not have been more refreshing and I am determined to make a habit of doing something like this at least once a year - disconnecting from the online world, reconnecting with nature and existing in a more natural state where our bodies are active and our minds are still. We find ourselves too often in the opposite state.
