The Timeless Heart of France - The Lot & Dordogne by Howard Somerville

The Timeless Heart of France – May 2026, by Howard Somerville

While geographically not quite in the heart of France, the Dordogne is as timeless as anywhere in Europe, and certainly one of its most beautiful and greenest parts, particularly in May.  The hillsides are covered by native woodland and embellished with dramatic rocky outcrops, and in the quietness of the countryside the birdsong is loud and ever-present.

The leaders, Charlie and Astrid, are professional photographers who know the most picturesque locations in an area, and they design tour itineraries around them, and at every location we were allowed ample time to do justice to it.

Expert advice was always on offer.  In Charlie’s introductory talk, for the benefit of those aiming for professional-standard pictures, the finer points of landscape photography were expounded, along with the underlying philosophy and the correct terminology, namely that we make (not take) pictures, and never “shots”.

There were serious photographers in the group with medium-format cameras and prime lenses who used a tripod for every picture.  On ordinary group tours I’m invariably the best photographer, but not on Light & Land ones!  I’ll never get beyond my modest level of expertise, but on every Light & Land tour one learns useful things from the leaders and other group members.

Our first four nights were spent in Saint-Jean-Lespinasse, which, on the first day, thanks to the early flight from London, we reached by mid-afternoon.  No time was wasted; soon we were off on a walk round the village and to visit the 16thCentury Château.  Within a couple of hours of arrival we already had some good pictures.

On subsequent days we explored the wider area, with stops by the river, in churches, in villages and towns (more of which I’d have liked to have visited and spent time in), and on roadsides to take (sorry, make) pictures of castles, landscapes, poppies and the odd ruined barn, and on four different occasions to photograph tree plantations where straight lines of trees made geometric patterns, a subject on which the leaders were particularly keen.

The weather was sunshine with the odd passing shower, but any clouds overhead soon lifted to provide photographers’ dream lighting and beautiful skies.  With only six in the group plus leaders, we were able to travel around in comfort in two family-sized cars.

On the fifth day we relocated to Souillac where we stayed in a good but alarmingly sagging heritage hotel in the oldest part of town.  Throughout the tour, excursions encompassed historic towns including Rocamadour, Sarlat, Argentat, La Roque-Gageac and Carennac.  Some of my best pictures were taken while exploring alone, when I discovered byways and alleyways more picturesque than the towns’ well-known, much-photographed centres.

I was in every way satisfied with the trip and can recommend it.  My only disappointment was that despite Light & Land’s best efforts, as always, to encourage group members to keep in touch via WhatsApp and share their pictures with the others, I alone did.

I look forward to my third Light & Land tour in 2026, to Alsace in October.

Howard Somerville