Tag Archives: farming

Cattle Country

Posted on 19/03/2017 by

Considering we are surrounded by them, I’m surprised I haven’t written more about these mainstays of local agriculture. Perhaps it’s because I have a love-hate relationship with them, especially when marauding herds have trampled down our garden. What am I … Continue reading →

Posted in Food/drink/recipes | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 27 Comments

Forgotten Love Letter Saved for Posterity

Posted on 14/02/2017 by

Sometimes fate works in mysterious ways. In this case, it saved for posterity a wonderful letter that would otherwise have been consigned to the flames with a heap of junk.

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Posted in History, Places, World War I & II | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Noises Off on a Country Evening

Posted on 30/06/2015 by

The poor old blog has been sorely neglected of late. The trouble is that there’s this pesky thing called work, a necessary evil that keeps me away from what I really want to do. And it’s nearly always at its … Continue reading →

Posted in French life, Nature | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

A French Country Upbringing

Posted on 28/11/2013 by

‘Of course, Occitan was my first language,’ our friend Georgette said. I was sitting next to her at an association lunch today. She has never talked much about her childhood but, once I had started questioning her (no one is … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, History, Personalities, World War I & II | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Original Exhibition at the Abbaye de Beaulieu

Posted on 30/04/2013 by

I have to admit that contemporary art isn’t always my tasse de thé. However, they do put on some good exhibitions at the Abbaye de Beaulieu, a Cistercian gem a few kilometres away. As well as being an historic monument, … Continue reading →

Posted in Personalities, Places | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Bouquet of Barbed Wire

Posted on 31/01/2013 by

During our weekly walk with our walking group this Wednesday, we were horrified to come upon a cat entangled in a bundle of barbed wire. Fortunately, several walkers’ dogs barking alerted us, otherwise we might have passed by without noticing, … Continue reading →

Posted in French life, Rants | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments

Ticked Off

Posted on 12/04/2012 by

Before we moved to southwest France I had never seen a tick. They are very unpleasant blood-sucking creatures that make my flesh creep when I think about them. Unfortunately, they are endemic in our neck of the woods and have … Continue reading →

Posted in French life, Nature | Tagged , , , , | 14 Comments

All fêted out

Posted on 24/08/2011 by

So much has been going on in this area during the past few weeks that I scarcely know where to begin. This is typical summer in rural France. For a couple of months there is a plethora of cultural events, … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, French life, History, Places | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

French cultural heritage on our doorstep

Posted on 25/02/2011 by

This is my 100th post. I didn’t quite make the ton for my blog’s first birthday at the beginning of last week. However, I thought I would celebrate the occasion by telling you a bit about our barn, illustrated with … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, French life, History | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Deserted French Village

Posted on 12/02/2011 by

A dilapidated church and some crumbling ruins in the process of restoration are all that is left of the village of Saint-Amans, set in the woods between Caylus and Saint-Antonin. A few mounds of stone hint at the former dwellings … Continue reading →

Posted in French life, History, Places | Tagged , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Forgotten love letter rediscovered

Posted on 27/08/2010 by

Sometimes fate works in mysterious ways. In this case, it saved for posterity a wonderful letter that would otherwise have been consigned to the flames with a heap of junk.

Posted in French life, History, Personalities, Places, World War I & II | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Goats, grain and gremlins

Posted on 27/06/2010 by

  The gremlins were the weather goblins, who made last weekend a complete washout. Sunday 20th June was a journée du patrimoine, when monuments and places of historic interest open their doors to the public. Despite the weather, or maybe because of … Continue reading →

Posted in Food/drink/recipes, French life, Nature, Personalities, Places | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

A moo-ving experience: la fête de la transhumance

Posted on 20/05/2010 by

The small town of Aubrac in the eastern Aveyron is subject to an invasion every year during the penultimate weekend in May. Hundreds of cows and thousands of people descend (or, perhaps more accurately, ascend) on this granite-built bourg set in … Continue reading →

Posted in Aveyron, Customs, Food/drink/recipes, French life, History, Places | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

A small village with a big heart in southwest France

Posted on 12/05/2010 by

  There’s a tiny village in this corner of southwest France called Espinas. Perched on a hilltop amid glorious rolling countryside, it appears to be the typical sleepy French hamlet as you drive through. The dog lying in the road … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, French life, Personalities, Places, Walking in France | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Weather in southwest France: March 2010 update

Posted on 03/04/2010 by

This is the first in a series of updates which I will post every month, based on the weather statistics we have kept since 1998. To see the other posts please click on ‘Weather’ under the Topics tab in the right-hand sidebar. … Continue reading →

Posted in French life, Weather | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

For sale, one careful owner…

Posted on 05/03/2010 by

A local farmer has hit on a bright idea for getting rid of his unwanted agricultural machinery.  Instead of dumping it at the edge of a field to rust away (the normal means of decommissioning dead vehicles and implements)  he … Continue reading →

Posted in French life | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Maybe la chasse isn’t such a bad thing…

Posted on 28/02/2010 by

Went outside this morning to check on any damage after the 120km/hour tempest last night. Fortunately, nothing to report except a few sticks down. What I did find, though, was that the deer had, yet again, made a meal out … Continue reading →

Posted in French life, Rants | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment