The Pays de Cocagne in Occitania

Europe 1 06:55, August 11, 2022

Vanessa Zha takes us to Occitania, discover the Pays de Cocagne

The Land of Plenty.

You obviously know the expression, which alludes to the imaginary earthly paradise with abundant nature.

This paradise exists in the heart of the Tarn, south of Albi, in a rather blue golden triangle.

Do you know where the term Cocagne comes from? 

From "coque" or "coquaigne", pastel buns.

And it is thanks to this small hull that the territory was enriched between the Middle Ages and the 17th century.

So much so that it is said that the lords were even richer than the kings.

Moreover, you already have a little insight just by taking a look at the mansions of Toulouse.

This ball is the ball of pastel: the cocagne.

The pastel is a plant and the ball is made of roots and leaves.

Green leaves at the start but which will give blue in dyeing.

It takes a ton of leaves for two kilos of blue cheese.

Pastel dyeing has just been listed as a French intangible cultural heritage.

To be even more precise: Pastel know-how.

And so to find out more you have to go to Lautrec.

Because Lautrec isn't just pink garlic, it's also pastel.

Lautrec is also the village of Toulouse Lautrec, the painter.

We stay in color.

It had been his family's birthplace since the 10th century.

This village is classified as the Most Beautiful Villages of France, in particular thanks to its half-timbered houses surrounded by pink bricks, its large square.

But beware, this is not a museum village, it has a soul.

A soul to which an exceptional dyer contributes.

Her name is Francoise Carayol, and we are already listening to what she needs to go from green to indigo blue.

The process of manipulation, of fermentation is complex, subtle.

It's also very intuitive, artistic.

Francoise considers that she has finally mastered the technique after seven years of practice.

This means that today professionals from the world of fashion and decoration come for internships with her at La ferme au village.

And we too could learn?

Learning is a big word, we can also do an internship at the end of which we will know how to dye.

But from there to being a dyer is something else…

Otherwise there are workshop formats.

To discover the history of pastel, the job of dyer with a demonstration.

For eight euros.

Or two more during which you can dye one or four pieces.

It goes from 30 to 100 euros the workshop. 

And with this plant, the pastel, can we do something else?

Pastel oil, it has dermatological, healing and antioxidant properties.

If you're interested, take a tour of the Château des Plantes in Cambounet sur le Sor: Gilles Berthoumieux, he is a specialist in essential oils, and he grows pastel on four hectares and he produces oil and cosmetics.

It is on the Route du Pastel which takes you from castle to castle over 200 km, through around twenty stages.

A tip: Lavaur and its cathedral, the churches of Gaillac and the vineyards too.

Do you have a place to sleep to advise us?

A stone's throw from Lautrec, the Cadalen Bed and Breakfast.

A house of character dating from the 14th century, with a sublime double dovecote. 

Important dovecotes in this land of plenty.

You often see them in the middle of the fields.

Because to cultivate the pastel and well we smoked the land with Columbine, pigeon droppings.

At Sandra and Sylvain's, there is obviously not just one dovecote, there is above all a sublime park, with two peacocks and a swimming pool to enjoy the late season.

www.cadalen81.com