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 , , , , , , , | 5 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 , , , , , , | 8 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 , , , , , , , , , | 5 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 , , , , , , , | 9 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

An adapted version of this post was published in Tiens! Magazine, a webzine about southwest France, in March 2011 along with some of my photos and sound clips. The small town of Aubrac in the eastern Aveyron is subject to an … 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