Feast Of Chocolate At South of France Writing Retreat

Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, succulent chocolate blended with sweet Banyuls wine from vines cultivated on the terraced slopes of the Catalan Pyrénées, and others flavored with delicious local cherries and apricots. 

It was certainly a veritable feast of chocolate for participants at our recent South of France week-long writing retreat as leading members of the Confrérie des Chocolatiers Catalans proudly presented their sumptuous delicacies at our exclusive event.

And to make absolutely sure a good time was had by all, there was also a poetry reading and lively traditional accordion and drum music, as well as a tempting buffet of meats, cheeses and delicious homemade dishes such as Frigando, Escalivada and Picada to whet appetites, and liqueurs and wines of all kinds.

That was just one evening’s entertainment. On another evening, a troupe of Catalan dancers from Els Dansaires Catalans de Thuir, in an array of colorful costumes, arrived at the enchanting chateau, Villa Lafabregue, where our retreat takes place every year, and performed many traditional dances, with participants joining them to learn a few steps.    

As for the participants themselves, what a delightful group of people they were, and from all parts of the world including Switzerland, India, the island of Sardinia in Italy, Australia, England, Ireland and Canada.

Being such cosmopolitans, you can imagine the intriguing cultural exchanges that took place throughout the week. Not to mention their varied backgrounds including an air-traffic controller, a tourism guide, a teacher, an education administrator and academic researchers adding even more spice to the mix.  

Workshops centered on such topics as character development, mastering dialogue, story arc, flash fiction and sensorial writing, with assignments written by each participant and critiqued in class based on special excursions we enjoyed together in the region. Stories ranged from witches and comical ghosts in a Medieval walled town we visited to a light-hearted play with characters based on the personalities of each person at the retreat. 

Many thanks go to the terrific chocolate-makers including Robert Barajas, president of the Confrérie des Chocolatiers Catalans and pastry chef at Planas in Perpignan who has worked in the field for more than 16 years, Jennifer Benoit, owner of patisserie Cake & Co. in Prades, Sebastien Ponramon, owner of Aux Delices des Aspres since 2008 in the charming town of Thuir and Jean Marie Garrigue from Perpignan, now retired in his ‘70s after working as a chocolatier since he was a boy of 13. The Confrérie des Chocolatiers Catalans was established 22 years ago, its mission being the promotion of artisan chocolatiers throughout the Pyrénées-Orientales region.

Our thanks also go to Line Van Enis for her wonderful musical skills, to Els Dansaires Catalans de Thuir, Fanny Pla and all the talented Catalan dancers and to Norman Longworth, Bolton-born lifelong learning professor and author of many books of poetry and prose.  

And, of course, to our warm and welcoming hosts, Nick and Kate, who make Villa Lafabregue such a charming place to stay.

There are still some places left for our other writing retreats we will host later this year so make sure you check them out below. See you all in Donegal!