Israeli Couple Finds Fulfillment Running Farm and Tourism Business in France
Rotem Bar and her partner, Uri, left their life in Moshav Avigdor in southern Israel about a decade ago to pursue a long-held dream of living in France. Now in their 60s, they settled on an eight-dunam (approximately two-acre) farm in the fertile Dordogne region of southwestern France, a journey that involved several stages and challenges.
Their connection to the land is evident in their farm-to-table lifestyle, cultivating a bountiful garden and orchard with various fruits and vegetables, and raising chickens for fresh eggs. Rotem, who studied interior architecture, has turned their spacious kitchen into a culinary hub, specializing in local delicacies like foie gras, homemade jams, cakes, and traditional dishes, embracing the Dordogne's reputation as a center for rural French gastronomy.
Their move to France was not solely about agriculture; it was also about creating a welcoming space. They offer a charming 70-square-meter guesthouse for rent and lead immersive culinary tours, sharing the region's secrets, from authentic farmers' markets to boutique cheese makers and ancient nut oil mills. They found their current property serendipitously through a neighbor, after initially struggling with a business importing Dead Sea products, which they later closed after Uri obtained Portuguese citizenship, enabling them to focus on tourism.
Beyond their agricultural and tourism ventures, Rotem and Uri have a deep personal connection to Lior Dayan, the son of the late Israeli filmmaker and actor Assi Dayan. They took Lior in as a baby when he was just under two years old for a planned three-month stay, but he remained with them permanently, becoming a beloved member of their family. He is now an adult with his own children, who consider Rotem and Uri their grandparents. Rotem shared that when Lior's biological mother, Caroline Langford, recently passed away after a battle with cancer, Lior described his adoptive parents as "spare parents," highlighting the enduring strength of their bond.
