
Adventures galore!
Hello to you all from the Tarn
I hope you having a good summer wherever you are? A busy fortnight for us, hence the delay in posting. My Mother has had a friend staying, so there were lots of outings, as well as a trip to Plum Village, near Bordeaux, to drop my son off for a retreat and then collect him and take him to his next location, stopping off for supper with some friends on the way back. We did manage to finish a few jobs before the arrival of my Mother’s friend, including some gilding (see the post: Pétanque and Pastries) and the splashback for the cooker.


The weather has been rather unusual for this time of year; at times it has been quite chilly, enough to warrant the reappearance of the duvet for a few nights which is unheard of during August here in SW France. It seems that we are all experiencing odd weather these days; climate change is very real and having a visible impact already. Our garden is beginning to look a little parched from lack of rainfall. We are watering sparingly and yet again watching which plants appear to have the ability to survive in these changing conditions.
There has been so much going on that I haven’t had much chance to swim. Not the case for some uninvited pool guests! A couple of next door’s gîte guests clearly thought that our pool looked interesting so decided to try it out – a curious approach to boundaries and property! The pool is alarmed but accessible from the drive. Needless to say they set the alarms off so they hopped out pretty quickly, but worrying for us. A sort-of apology followed but still quite extraordinary! A whole new experience for us but I suppose perhaps to be expected at some point. Meanwhile the pool has gone from 27°C to 22°C, as the nights have been very cool. I have managed to make the time to swim in the last couple of days, it is definitely bracing when getting in, but great as ever and very refreshing as the air temperatures have started to reach the mid-30Cs once again.
It has been fun getting out and about, showing guests around a little. We have of course tested some more local wines, visited Figeac, enjoyed lunch out next to the cathedral in Albi, and, as I mentioned, taken a road trip (without guests) to drop my son off for a week’s retreat and camping.
The wine tasting foray was a little disappointing as, for the first time, we encountered a vineyard that seemed to lack the usual welcome or interest in us trying their wines. The visit was a little unfortunate as we had a guest with us so you always want things to go well. Gleaning information from a young man, who was perhaps press-ganged into helping out during the holidays, was like trying to get blood from a stone. A shame but with over 200 vineyards we are pretty spoiled for choice in the Gaillac region, and did pop in to our local wine producer to stock up, so a more enjoyable tasting was experienced. The Figeac trip was more successful but quite brief. It is a really pretty town about an hour from us – more on that in Places to visit later this year, once we have had the chance to return and explore it further. Wet weather dampened the visit a tiny bit as we were ill-prepared (no umbrellas)! We also had supper out catching up with some friends who have just moved here and some mutual friends who were passing through. A trip to Albi included a walk round the castle gardens and a lovely lunch rounded off with a Café gourmand – our favourite!




Last Friday saw us setting off with my son for a 3 hour drive to take him to Plum Village, a Buddhist centre, where he was booked to attend a young person’s international retreat, camping for the week. A lovely journey through some beautiful places, many of which have been added to the list of places we would like to visit someday soon. After he was all set up deep in the Dordogne countryside, Max and I headed off to find some supper. We stopped in Eymet which is quite near where he is staying. What a lovely place, the central square beautifully decorated with blue and white paper flowers (some kind of waterproof material that looked like tissue paper), buzzing with bars and restaurants. We enjoyed a fabulous meal at a wonderful crêperie. We started with guacamole and buckwheat tortilla crisps, homemade – utterly delicious. Even Max who does not like avocado was beguiled by this offering. Our crêpes were just as good, mine filled with mozzarella, pesto, rocket and tomato. We possibly didn’t need the little bowls of chips and salad but managed to eat them too! The guys at the table next to us had a gorgeous collie, so well-behaved, who left with them tucked in a backpack on the back of their motorbike. The things you see! We had a little wander around after supper and eventually got home at 1:30am! Another place to return to at some point.





A recent highlight was a visit to Les Jardins des Martels, an absolutely stunning garden about an hour from us. The trip was organised by a group we belong too; a short train journey on the old steam line started the day with an explanation of its origins in the leather trade, followed by a picnic lunch and flip flop flipping competition (don’t ask) as well as being given a beautiful peacock feather that someone had found. All this preceded an afternoon walking around the most beautifully planted and designed garden. ‘Wow’ is all I can say. It is quite English in style with Asian and European influences, punctuated by lotus ponds and a Mediterranean garden as well as turtles sunbathing. The lotus flowers were as tall as me in places. I don’t think I have ever really studied one close up. Extraordinary, beautiful and quite incredible seed heads. The flowers throughout the garden were amazing, so many wonderful nooks and crannies filled with plants. Max and I managed to find our way through the bamboo maze which was fun. The work that must go in to this garden is beyond imagination. We came away with lots of planting ideas, dreaming of such a garden but also recognising that with water as scarce as it is, it is very unrealistic for us. However, as I mentioned, we continue to observe how the garden copes when rainfall is scarce. There are many plants that cope pretty well; the euphorbia, lavender, sedum and passionflower do amazingly so this Autumn we will divide and plant these, leaving space to experiment with other plants next year. Our irises also seem to manage the lack of water, along with the roses, so we are not too short on choice! I think it is something we all have to look at, as water is such a precious resource, but so too are the insects that we need as they pollinate plants and crops.







A glass of rosé at the top of Cordes sur Ciel and a trip to Gaillac, with a rather delicious pit-stop for something to keep us going until supper, rounded off the visit. My mother’s guest returned to the UK, my niece arrives next week to spend a few days here, and yesterday we were back on the road to move my son from one venue to another. A long day’s driving but through some amazing places and countryside, more to add to the return to visit list. Many a long and winding road across south west France, a morning coffee in Monflanquin, lunch at Plum Village, a cold drink in one of the many picturesque villages and a delicious supper with friends near Cahors at the gite they stay in each year. News from home late afternoon that the field by the lake was on fire almost caused a change in plans. It was rather terrifying for my Mother but ably brought under control by 3 fire engines. So we had another late return home, but a night-time mint tea drunk under a starry sky, watching shooting stars capped off what has been a whirlwind of a week, which also included fruit picking. We have fruit in abundance this year ready to collect – the most we have ever had since we arrived here. The plums are delicious and the pears (our first in 3 years) are lovely too. Look out for a Seasonal Food post next week, as I head to the kitchen to start preserving our wonderful harvest.
Last night, as it was dark, the burnt field was not in view. This morning told a different tale. A landscape scarred by fire which had been creeping towards our home – I only hope the wildlife managed to escape unharmed. A job well done as ever by the fire service. On that note I will leave you to enjoy your weekend and the week ahead. Fruit awaits me, a mirror to finish painting amongst other things and then a swim. Well it is the summer and the sun is shining!

A bientôt
Ali xx

