Category Archives: Places

A Walk Around Caylus

Posted on 19/05/2019 by nessafrance

It’s been an eventful 10 days or so. My latest novel is now out, involving quite a lot of last-minute effort. And the Irish Embassy in Paris phoned on Tuesday to say that my citizenship application had been accepted. My … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Places, Walking in France | Tagged Bonnette Valley, cascade pétrifiante, Caylus, church of Saint-Pierre Livron, léproserie, leper colony, Saint-Pierre Livron, SW France | 17 Comments

Saving Face: Some of the Less Obvious Gems in SW France

Posted on 05/05/2019 by nessafrance

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so I’m following the example of fellow blogger Midi Hideaways, who wrote a recent post about the statuary and carved stone faces on buildings in the towns of the Languedoc. In this post … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Places | Tagged carved stone figures, Caylus, chimera, French Wars of Religion, gargoyle, Maison des Loups Caylus, Najac, Puycelsi, Puylagarde, Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val | 6 Comments

A Special Day for Life on La Lune

Posted on 26/04/2019 by nessafrance

Today is a rather special day for us. More of that below. It’s been a rather eventful couple of weeks, which explains my erratic blogging record just now. Having taken part in a concert in the hilltop village of Puycelsi … Continue reading →

Posted in Places, Walking in France | Tagged Félines, orchids of SW France, Puycelsi, SW France, walking | 15 Comments

Centuries to Build, Hours to Destroy: Notre-Dame de Paris

Posted on 16/04/2019 by nessafrance

One of France’s – no, the world’s – best-loved icons, Notre-Dame de Paris, caught fire shortly before 7 pm last night. The flames quickly took hold and, although the fire brigade was quick to react, it was impossible to save … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Places | Tagged France, Notre-Dame de Paris, Notre-Dame fire, Paris, World Heritage site | 12 Comments

Say it with Flowers: France’s Villages Fleuris

Posted on 24/03/2019 by nessafrance

The garden is burgeoning and it’s that time of year when one’s thoughts turn to planning and planting. While driving around France, you might have noticed village signs declaring “Village – or ville – fleuri(e)” and sporting one to four … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Places | Tagged Cahors, Conseil national des villes et villages fleuris, Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, Marcolès, Secret Gardens of Cahors, SW France, Villages fleuris | 8 Comments

Tilting at Windmills

Posted on 17/03/2019 by nessafrance

One of the things I love about living here is local people’s interest in le petit patrimoine, the vestiges of a rural life that has faded away. Groups of enthusiastic volunteers contribute to their restoration to rescue them from oblivion. … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Places | Tagged Association des Amis du Moulin de Saillagol, Moulin de Saillagol, patrimoine, Saillagol, SW France, windmill | 8 Comments

The Story of the People at La Lune

Posted on 10/03/2019 by nessafrance

I’d love to know who lived in our house long ago. Elderly neighbours have always been hazy about this, perhaps because it doesn’t really interest them. This week, at last, I discovered a story about previous occupants.

Posted in History, Places | Tagged French archives, French census, French country life, infant mortality, la France profonde, paysans, SW France | 22 Comments

The Post-Impressionists Head South to Rustic Provence: Guest Post

Posted on 24/02/2019 by nessafrance

Life on La Lune: I’m very keen on art, so whenever I visit a place, I always seek out the art gallery. The Impressionists and Post-Impressionists particularly appeal to me. They have a few connections with Southwest France: Toulouse Lautrec … Continue reading →

Posted in Personalities, Places | Tagged Aix-en-Provence, Arles, Impressionists, Paul Cézanne, Post-Impressionists, Provence, Vincent van Gogh | 2 Comments

The Bells, the Bells: the Magic of Church Bells in Rural France

Posted on 10/02/2019 by nessafrance

In Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the loud ringing of the cathedral bells has turned Quasimodo, the bell-ringer, deaf. Some of you will no doubt have seen Charles Laughton hamming it up inimitably in the 1939 film. I … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Places | Tagged Aveyron, carillon de Villefranche-de-Rouergue, casque de Saint Grat, church bells, Saint-Grat, SW France, Villefranche de Rouergue | 8 Comments

Millau: Towers, Markets and Bridges – Guest Post by Angela Wren

Posted on 08/11/2018 by nessafrance

I’m thrilled to welcome back to the blog Angela Wren, whom I had the great pleasure of meeting at an authors’ event in Carcassonne in September. Angela is a Francophile, who has visited many more corners of France than … Continue reading →

Posted in Books/writing, Places | Tagged Angela Wren, Emma Calvé, Jacques Forêt mysteries, Millau, Millau Bridge, Millau glove-making, SW France | 4 Comments

Villeneuve d’Aveyron: Ancient Paths and a Historic Gem

Posted on 07/10/2018 by nessafrance

What do you think this building is? A small château or fortified house? A barn? All will be revealed below. Autumn is the best time for walking in this area. The days are warm and sunny, it’s usually dry underfoot … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Places, Walking in France | Tagged Aveyron, Château de Ginals, church wall paintings, Eglise de Toulongergues, SW France, Toulongergues, Villeneuve-d'Aveyron, Walking in France | 6 Comments

A Mystery Tour on the Way to Cantal

Posted on 09/09/2018 by nessafrance

Revisiting old haunts can be tinged with disappointment. I once returned to a place where I had lived 30 years before and was saddened to see how much it had changed. Happily, Cantal has never fallen into that category. This … Continue reading →

Posted in Auvergne, Places | Tagged Auvergne, Cantal, Maison Carrée, Marcolès, Massif Central, Maurs, Monts du Cantal, Thiézac, Vallée de la Cère | 15 Comments

Return to Cahors

Posted on 26/08/2018 by nessafrance

I do like Cahors, an ancient city and capital of the Lot Département. Why is it, then, that we visit so infrequently? It’s more appealing than our own Préfecture, Montauban, and it doesn’t take much longer to get there. The … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Places | Tagged Cahors, Cahors market, Cahors wine, Cathédrale Saint-Etienne, Léon Gambetta, Lot, Mont Saint-Cyr, River Lot, route de Saint-Jacques de Compostelle, Secret Gardens of Cahors | 22 Comments

A Local WWII Resistance Group: Update

Posted on 05/08/2018 by nessafrance

Today, the causse above the riverside village of Cazals is a tranquil place with superb views of the Gorges de l’Aveyron. It’s covered with juniper and scrub oak and the only sounds are birdsong or the occasional whirr of … Continue reading →

Posted in French life, Places, World War I & II | Tagged Allied invasion of Normandy, Armée Sécrète, Cazals, French resistance, Maquis d'Ornano, Resistance in Tarn-et-Garonne, SW France, World War II | 4 Comments

The Story of Notre-Dame des Grâces

Posted on 19/07/2018 by nessafrance

Set at the edge of a grassy plateau overlooking the verdant Bonnette Valley, this little chapel is visible for miles around. It commands a magnificent view of the countryside, with the ancient province of Quercy on one side and the … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Places | Tagged Bonnette Valley, Catherine de Gorsse, Charlotte Grey, Château de Mondésir, Lacapelle-Livron, Notre Dame des Grâces, SW France, Templar commanderie | 9 Comments

Summer in Southwest France

Posted on 03/07/2018 by nessafrance

Summer is here, les grandes vacances have begun and the foreign number plates in the area have multiplied. And to go with them, a little present from the French government: a drop in the speed limit on secondary roads from … Continue reading →

Posted in French life, Places | Tagged Chapelle de Teysserolles, fete, French markets, lavoir de Caylus, summer, summer fêtes, Summer holidays, SW France, Teysseroles fête | 11 Comments

Every Château Tells a Story #16: le Château de Saint-Michel de Vax

Posted on 17/06/2018 by nessafrance

What a boon the internet can be – in small doses. And we’ve had only a small dose of it recently. More about that in a later post. I can find out almost anything, without moving from my computer in … Continue reading →

Posted in Châteaux, History, Places | Tagged Claude Simon, French châteaux, French Revolution, Jean-Pierre Lacombe-Saint-Michel, Les Géorgiques, Saint-Michel-de-Vax, SW France, Tarn | 6 Comments

Whitsun Walk on the Wild Side

Posted on 22/05/2018 by nessafrance

Pentecôte (Whitsun) is the time for our village’s annual fête. It’s become a tradition for Caylus Notre Village (CNV), an association that promotes and protects local monuments, to organise a series of guided walks around the commune as part of … Continue reading →

Posted in Places, Walking in France | Tagged APICQ, Caylus, Caylus Notre Village, Fête de la Pentecôte, lavoir, Moulin de Genebrières, SW France, vintage cars | 14 Comments

Loze: a Tiny Village on the Causse

Posted on 14/05/2018 by nessafrance

Sometimes life takes you over. I’ve brought out two books in the space of a month and sung in two concerts, in Gaillac and a tiny hamlet near Puycelsi, in the past 10 days. I’m notorious for trying to do … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Places | Tagged Bonnette Valley, Lacapelle-Livron, lauzes, Loze, Mas de Monille, Moulin de Vignasse, rural depopulation, SW France | 25 Comments

On the Carpet: the Tapestries of Montpezat-de-Quercy

Posted on 12/03/2018 by nessafrance

I’m pleased to say that I have done one of the five items I listed in my January post of things to do in 2018. It’s now getting a bit late for the truffle market at Lalbenque, but that will … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Places | Tagged Black Death, Cardinal Pierre Dés Prés, Collégiale Saint-Martin, Flemish tapestries, Hundred Years War, Jean IV Dés Prés, Montpezat de Quercy, SW France, Tapestries of Montpezat-de-Quercy | 7 Comments

Five Museums in SW France You Must Visit

Posted on 04/03/2018 by nessafrance

If you read Life on La Lune regularly, you’ll know I’m a history girl. And there’s plenty of it around in our part of France if you just scratch the surface. Also, many museums in France open for free on … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Places | Tagged Albi, Bordeaux, Centre Jean Moulin, Figeac, French museums, Fromagerie Papillon, Musée Champollion, Musée du Beret, Musée Toulouse-Lautrec, Nay, Roquefort, SW France | 17 Comments

5 Things to do in SW France in 2018

Posted on 07/01/2018 by nessafrance

Meilleurs vœux pour l’an 2018 à tous mes lecteurs. I will still be writing 2017 on cheques until the end of February. Have you made New Year’s Resolutions? I find those lofty aspirations are all too easily broken. However, the … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Places | Tagged Lalbenque, Les Arques, Montpezat de Quercy, Musée Fenaille, Musée Soulages, Musée Zadkine, Ossip Zadkine, Puylaroque, Restaurant les Sens, Rodez, SW France, truffles | 13 Comments

S.O.S. French Towns

Posted on 26/11/2017 by nessafrance

A few days ago, I had coffee with two friends in the centre of Villefranche-de-Rouergue. This Aveyron town, some 25 km from us, is one of my favourite towns in the region. It’s an attractive place, steeped in history and … Continue reading →

Posted in French life, Places | Tagged Aveyron, Collégiale de Notre-Dame, Montauban, out-of-town superstores, SW France, town centre decline, Villefrance-de-Rouergue, Villefranche-de-Rouergue market | 25 Comments

A Film Record of an Aveyron Family Post-WWII

Posted on 09/11/2017 by nessafrance

Just after WWII, Aveyron was a different country from much of France. It took a long time to get there from anywhere else, people spoke a different language and the way of life had existed for centuries. Change was happening, … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Personalities, Places | Tagged agriculture, Aveyron, Farrebique, Film, French country life, Georges Rouquier, Occitan, Rouergue, rural life, SW France | 5 Comments

Hidden Treasure in Quercy

Posted on 04/11/2017 by nessafrance

Imagine yourself at the bottom of this 30-metre deep hole, hacking away at the white rock with a pickaxe and piling the spoil into a wooden bucket. It’s damp. Visibility is assisted only by the dim light of lanterns. The … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Places | Tagged Bach, Causse de Limogne, Jean-André Poumarède, phosphate industry, phosphate mines, phosphate mining, phosphatières, Phosphatières du Cloup d'Aural, Quercy, SW France | 7 Comments

Every Château Tells a Story #15: Le Château de Puylagarde

Posted on 28/09/2017 by nessafrance

The village of Puylagarde has several distinctions. First, it’s the highest village in our département of Tarn-et-Garonne at 425 metres. On a clear day, you can see the Pyrénées to the south and the Monts du Cantal to the north … Continue reading →

Posted in Châteaux, History, Places | Tagged Avignon popes, Château de Puylagarde, Duèze family, Gourdon family, Hundred Years War, Pope John XXII, Puylagarde, Ratier de Belfort, routiers, SW France | 4 Comments

Vaour and the Templars

Posted on 17/09/2017 by nessafrance

Situated on the edge of the former royal Forêt de Grésigne, the town of Vaour conveys a strong sense of history. This is not surprising, since traces of Neolithic tombs and later occupation can be found in the forest. … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Places | Tagged Commanderie de Vaour, Crusades, fôret de Grésigne, SW France, Tarn, Templar commanderie, Templars, Vaour | 18 Comments

20 Years of la Vie Française

Posted on 29/08/2017 by nessafrance

Last weekend marked the 20th anniversary of moving into our house in France. We had arrived in France a few days earlier, but we regard the occupation of the house as the true anniversary. This year I had a long … Continue reading →

Posted in French life, Places | Tagged culture clash, France, French culture, French restaurants, la vie française, living in France, moving to France, SW France | 13 Comments

Varen: Haven by the River Aveyron

Posted on 03/08/2017 by nessafrance

I never cease to be amazed by the new things (to me) I discover in this region, where I have lived for 20 years. We haven’t set foot in Varen for ages and even then we didn’t stop to have … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Places | Tagged Château de Varen, French Wars of Religion, Hundred Years War, Le Moulin Varen, Lexos, patrimoine, River Aveyron, SW France, Tarn-et-Garonne, Varen | 16 Comments

Water, Water, Everywhere – But Not a Drop to Drink

Posted on 06/07/2017 by nessafrance

The joys of living in a rural French commune. We currently have to collect our drinking water daily in bottles from the Syndicat des Eaux (local water board), which for us involves a round trip of about 18 kilometres. The … Continue reading →

Posted in French life, Places | Tagged drinking water, rainfall, rural life, Source de Livron, SW France, tap water, water | 15 Comments