Radio Free Daglan (RFD) is about life in and around the small village of Daglan, which lies in the southeast corner of the Dordogne département, in southwest France. The header photograph: An entrée featuring trout, as served at one of the fine dining restaurants near us.
My name is Loren Chudy, and my wife is Jan. We’re both Canadian citizens who lived for many years in Toronto, although I was born in Chicago and Jan was born in Scotland. I’m a professional writer and former journalist.
Jan and I first visited the Dordogne and Lot départements on a bike trip with Canadian friends in September 1998. In 2004, we visited the area again and bought our old stone house in Daglan, with the goal of eventually moving here — which we have.
In Radio Free Daglan, you’ll find observations on life in rural France, on food and drink, and on restaurants and tourist attractions in what I call the Greater Daglan Area, or GDA. I also post a lot of photographs to help readers visualize this beautiful area of France — and what it has to offer.
I try to be helpful, and often amusing, and many readers seem to enjoy this blog. I hope you do too.
Radio Free Daglan 
Sweet!
Dreamy indeed.
sighs and giggles abound.
SKH
Looks very nice!
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Congratulations on your first anniversary – how exciting!
Hi Loren,
My friend Wendy and I have been big fans of your blog since late last year, when we begn researching a house to rent in 2012 for our 60th birthday celebration. We’re inviting our friends and families to come help us celebrate. We have rented a house in Cenac and are putting our own blog together to assist our guests in planning their trips. We would like to link them to your blog, Is that OK with you? Our blog is http://www.2bonamis.wordpress.com.
Thank you,
Chris and Wendy
2bonamis@gmail.com
Hi Chris and Wendy — For sure! Feel free to link to Radio Free Daglan. BTW, one of the features I like about WordPress is the ability to search the blog. So you or your friends can type in something as basic as “restaurant” and you’ll see all my posts that deal with restaurants in our area. Cheers!
L&J … RFD is very quiet. have you been travelling? John.
We’ve just finished entertaining my sister (from Florida) and her husband. So now it’s back into RFD action!
Thanks for the prompt, and we hope all is well with you!
Hi John — No, busy entertaining. RFD will be kicking back into action soon!
Bonjour, just read your description of the home deliveries. We are renting a house in Cenac for five weeks (my friend Christy wrote to you previously). Anyway, do you know if the fish monger stops in Cenac? Also, my husband is interested in the online wine delivery. Any info is much appreciated. We all continue to enjoy your writings. Thank you.
Just came across your blog and love it! Me and my spouse just made an offer on a village house in Domme and spent an afternoon in Daglan. I loved it what more can I say? I like Domme but when we move here in a few years, Daglan will be near the top of our list (our Domme home is primarily holiday and investment). We are already making friends and your blog makes me feel like we almost have two more. Keep it up and thanks for giving me a chance to read about things going on in my future home.
David,
Portland, Oregon
Hi there. Just wanted to let you know we really enjoy reading your blog. We have a holiday house near Daglan so have been coming here for over 15 years mainly during summer season. We are here now and wondered what it would be like to be actually living in the centre of Daglan while the fete was taking place! Very sensible of you to be away at night – even we could hear the music blasting away! Also appreciated the bits about breatharizor- haven’t got them yet, though told easy to purchase back in England. Nick, my husband, loves cycling so he enjoys reading about those, too.
Thanks for your blog and perhaps we will get to meet you some time. In the meantime, enjoy the life in Daglan.
Best wishes,
Kana
Thanks for your comments, Kana! Glad you’re enjoying Radio Free Daglan — as well as life in the GDA (as I’ve named it). Enjoy the rest of the summer!
Love your blog!!!
Not many days go by without me checking in with RFD to see what your latests thoughts are on food, weather, and the general minutiae of life in the GDA. I would enjoy reading your blog if I had never been to France, but when I add into the mix that we have holidayed regularly as a family just up the road in Le Peyruzel, eaten many time in Le Petit Paris, and some of the other places you mention, AND that we are from Scotland, like your wife, AND that I spent some time growing up in Bradenton, Florida (where we first lived on Anna Maria Island), you may begin to understand why I feel a particular affinity with your blog!
Please keep it up. For me it’s like reading a sud ouest Garrison Keillor (that is meant to be a compliment, I hope you take it that way), mixed in with a little Bill Bryson (ditto). A real joy to get me through the long cold Winters here in Scotland.
Wow, Shona, I’m so delighted that you enjoy RFD so much — and the comparisons with Garrison Keillor and (even better, for me) Bill Bryson have me over the moon. I’ll definitely keep writing! As for you, I hope you’ll keep visiting the GDA!
Thank you for your interesting and informative blogs.
As regular visitors to the area, we thought you might be interested in two food related places we have discovered this year.
One – on your doorstep – is the new business recently started in Daglan – Fabrice Le Chef. We have sampled some of their tasty dishes and the food is excellent quality. On the basis of getting restaurant quality food on a take-away basis, this is an ideal combination for those who are in apartments, gites or campsites. And a great way to avoid over crowded restaurants in July and August.
The other – a restaurant which has provided us with the best meal we have had in France this year – Lo Gorassido at Saint Andre Allas. Signposted off the road between Vezac and Sarlat – a few Kms off the main road.
But we still enjoy a meal at Petit Paris…..
Keep up the good work
Chris
Hi Chris, thanks so much — I’m delighted you’re enjoying RFD. As for Chef Fabrice, I know him well, and in fact have been writing about him for almost two years, going back to when we took cooking classes with him. I introduced the opening of his shop in a blog posting of March 29 of this year, so you should have a look. (A tip: Whenever you want to see if I’ve written about something or someone, just enter one or two words in the “Search” box in the upper right of my blog, and you’ll see all the postings that relate). Thanks for the tip on Lo Gorassido; I’ll be checking it out!
I’m not sure if this is the correct place to ask this, but here goes. We have a house is about 15 mins from Daglan and we are trying to find a place to overnight with good food that is around an hour from Eurotunnel in France. Do you have any suggestions for us?
Loved reading about the Daglan fair as we were there on holiday at the time. Thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. This was our second visit to Daglan as we stayed in the Summer of 2010 also. This year parents and sister’s family joined us. They however missed the Daglan fair. We have now booked Summer 2014 holiday and as all family members would like to be in the area for that Summer’s fair, do you happen to know the exact dates of the Daglan fair weekend for next Summer before rest of family finalise their bookings? Thanks a lot.
Thanks for your comments. I’ve replied directly (by email) to your question, just to make sure you got my response. But the short story is that, unfortunately, the dates are not yet set for 2014. (We checked with the Mairie today.) Sorry about that.
Hi. I just chanced across your blog in my lunch hour and very much enjoyed reading a few articles and daydreaming about being somewhere other than the office! I suspect I will be back regularly to get my fix of rural France during subsequent desk-based lunch breaks!! I wonder if you can assist with one query… I am due to visit your area this summer and would like to cycle along Le Ceou from (eg) L’Abbaye to Castelnaud. I did a small section of this last year along a cycle path running South from Castelnaud. I was wondering how far this path continues and whether this would provide a good cycle route? It was one of those special days that I keep re-running in my mind!
Thanks. Looking forward to reading some more…
Chris
Glad you’ve found RFD, and that it can be useful. As I’ve advised other readers in the past, if you use the “Search” function at the top-right of the blog, it can be a big help. For instance, if you enter “Bike Route” in the “Search” box, you’ll find a fair amount of information that I’ve provided on various trips in the Greater Daglan Area. The GDA is a great place to cycle — either on the road, or on the (quite good) bike paths.
Hi Loren
Pleased to hear that your back is “on the mend”. We were introduced to you in January by mutual friend Janice – remember? I’ve started a rudimentary blog [ autresdirectionsoj@blogspot.com ] where I have posted a few pics from our three trips to France. I don’t think Daglan has yet featured – maybe soon.
I concur fully with you regarding the French state medical system – my treatment in Chambery in 2011 after suffering a crise cardiac was excellent and beyond expectation!
Best wishes
Owen and Michele
Thanks so much — great to hear from you!
Loren, you talk about your upcoming “vacation” plans, but I’m still trying to figure out how you can “vacation” from your “vacation”. This gets very circular. Are you going to eat from food trucks as a “break” from the Michelin star restaurants? Can you hear my heavy sigh?
Still slogging it out in Toronto and find your blog one of my few escapes. All the best to you and Jan!
I know, Paul, it’s a tough question to wrap your head around. Our plans (to be revealed in due course) involve travel to an exotic destination in the new year. Glad you’re enjoying Radio Free Daglan, and thanks for the good wishes. All the best to you and yours too!
Hi Loren
Think you might enjoy this http://www.ad-tour.com/.
Antic Disposition is an English theatre company which presents always interesting and entertaining (and well acted) interpretations of Shakespeare’s plays.
We first discovered them a few years back in Montcuq and now make a point of catching their productions when we take our summer hols. in France. They perform in a range of stunning open air locations and it makes for a truly magical evening.
Henry V this year, including Domme which, I think, is not too far from Daglan? Recommended
Best wishes and thanks for the always entertaining blog, which keeps me going during the dull British winter and reminds me of our wonderful holidays in France
Paul.
Hi Loren and Jan
Have enjoyed reading Radio Free Daglan since we had a holiday in the area in 2014. No blogs from you for a little while – trust you are well. Hope the heavy rain has not been as bad as Paris – perhaps you are away somewhere drier. My husband Trevor and I will be in Daglan area from 19th to 28th. We stay in a mobile home at Le Moulin Paulhiac and will be cycling the lanes around Daglan. To show our appreciation of your entertaining blog do you fancy meeting up so we can buy you a coffee, beer or lunch.
Hi there! I realize that RFD has been quiet for a while — only because nothing much is new other than drier, warmer weather. All is well here! Would love to get together, and will email you privately. Cheers!
Hi Loren, I work for http://www.which.co.uk and it would be great to get in touch with you! Please could you email me at grace.kindred@which.co.uk? Thanks!
Is this the Loren Chudy who worked with me in Toronto in the seventies?
Janette Higgins
Why, I believe it is! What a surprise to hear from you. I will write you a personal email, and catch up a bit.
Hi, I have a cousin living in Dordogne, by the name of Blockwell, and she put me onto your most enjoyable site.
I live in a small town in Victoria Australia, Snake Valley,and we come u der the shire of
The Pyrenees.
Thanks once more of an interesting tour.
Alan Moore
Hello Loren. I am also a writer and looking at blogs to determine how to structure mine. I wonder if you’d be willing for me to ask you some questions about doing a writer’s “blog” that is more about writing. It seems to me the the nature of a the WordPress blog is at odds with an emphasis on writing.
I also live in the Dordorgne and our adventure started near you, in Besse, http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10000872396390444772804577623663711290588
Nancy
I would be happy to hear more from you. Please email me t lorenchudy@workingwords.ca
Hi Loren and Jan,
Just wanted to introduce ourselves, my wife Melanie and I are in the process of buying a house in Bouzic and while doing some research I have just stumbled across your blog. It looks great and we are looking forward to reading it and perhaps sharing a glass of wine someday.
All the best,
Ed and Melanie McGaugh
Great to hear from you. When you’re settled, or at least ready to be settled, drop me a note. For sure Jan and I would be pleased to meet you both. I’m at lorenchudy@workingwords.ca
Hi Loren,while being in Holland for Winter,we still enjoy your blog,with always something interesting from Daglan-areato read.
Thanks and greatings from Annèt and Peter van der Starre (Domme)
‘Dogs under the table’ – unfortunately Loren, it’s not as simple as that. Firstly their owners are often in the disgusting habit of feeding said dogs from their plates at the table. And the last time we ate in ‘Cantine’ in Daglan, there were not one but two wet dogs at separate tables barking at one another which made the whole place smell appallingly of wet dog. The noise was intolerable. I’m sorry, but the French love affair with dogs and their lack of consideration for other diners is unacceptable.
Absolutely fair comment. It’s just that Jan and I haven’t observed such behaviour. People letting dogs lick their plates is indeed disgusting. As for dogs barking, I think this is when the restaurant manager should step in and ask the dogs to be put outside, or at least put under control. Thanks for your comment — I appreciate it.
In the last 30 years of dining in French restaurants we haven’t observed such behavior either but I prefer dogs to children. Hands down, any day of the week!
Funny you should say that, Ed, because when we were last having lunch in a restaurant, we were seated next to an English man who had two young sons who mis-behaved (loudly) through lunch. They were stopped, briefly, numerous times as the father got up from his place to separate the boys from fighting. Charming…..
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Hellooo! I maybe (totally did!) nominated you for an award. https://marlaonthemove.com/2020/05/23/that-time-i-was-nominated-for-an-award/
Thank you so much, Marla. That’s very kind of you! Much appreciated.
Have you been following the Tweets from “RS Archer” about Brexit, written by a British ex-pat from near Daglan? Reckon you’d enjoy the story! See: https://twitter.com/archer_rs?lang=en
No, I haven’t. But I’ll take a look. Thanks.
Dear Loren, hoping to talk to you about your Financial Times days with Tim Pritchard. Gathering stories. I am at ggalt@rogers.com if you are willing to connect. He was, for most of us at The Globe, the best boss ever. I spotted your note on the Legacy.com page, which led me to your marvellous blog. Best, Virginia Galt
Happy to connect. Will email you today!
Hello! how do I best ask a question about the Catalan shoulder? cooking tomorrow, so time is tight!
What is it you want? The recipe? It’s in the book “Saveur Cooks Authentic French.”
Loren,
For some reason this was sent to me! I’ve no idea who ‘1971shoulder’ is, but it ain’t me!
Kind regards Max Ingram
>
Oops. I have no idea either. I just wanted my comment posted on my blog.
Hello! I have the magazine, and there it calls for a “7-8lb boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed”, but the photo shows a bone in, and boneless that large is rare. I notice you cook bone in, I was wondering a) if they corrected to ‘bone in’ in the book version, b) the magazine’s 1.75 hrs of a simmer does not see like a lot of time for a large shoulder, and you don’t cook it for very long, so is this rare/med-rare? Thanks!!
I use a much smaller shoulder, and don’t worry too much about exact measurements. I have cooked it both bone-in and boneless, and both seem fine. Whatever you have. With a smaller shoulder, the 1.75 hours (I do it in the oven) is plenty. And it’s quite well done, which I think it ought to be, given that it’s a bit stew-like. One tip: Use just one lemon, not three. With three lemons, I found the dish too sour.
Ok thanks! Just curious, did they change it to the book? or does the book still read boneless, 7-8 lbs?
The book still says 7-8 lbs., boneless. To me, that seems huge!