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Tag Archives: patrimoine
Tilting at Windmills
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
9 Comments
Varen: Haven by the River Aveyron
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
All Fired Up: Bread Ovens
You may have seen these small, domed buildings, often tacked onto the back of a house, in French villages. They’re part of le petit patrimoine, not significant enough to merit historic monument status but important vestiges of past times, nonetheless. … Continue reading
Posted in History, Places
Tagged baking bread, bread, communal bread oven, Flouquet, four à pain, four banal, French bread, patrimoine, rural life, SW France
15 Comments
Preparations for the Fête at Teysseroles
I haven’t written much recently about the church at Teysseroles, which we are helping to restore. This is mainly because not a great deal has happened. I have to admit I find the sporadic activity on the restoration frustrating, but … Continue reading
Restoration of the Lavoir in Caylus
Lavoirs, or wash-houses, are features of the landscape around here. In times past, this is where the women (naturally…) did their laundry. They were normally constructed by a spring or a stream, so if the women were lucky, there was … Continue reading
Posted in History, Places
Tagged Caylus, Caylus Notre Village, lavoir, lavoir de Caylus, patrimoine, rural life, SW France, wash-houses
12 Comments
Every Château Tells a Story #14: Le Château des Bordes, Lot
When I started this series about the châteaux in our area, I had no idea that so many of them exist. There are the obvious ones – Najac, Saint-Projet, Belcastel – but also less obvious ones. Some are just … Continue reading
Posted in Châteaux, History, Places
Tagged Château des Bordes, Châteaux, French châteaux, Gourdon family, journées du patrimoine, Lot, patrimoine, Promilhanes, SW France
11 Comments
5 Hidden Gems in Southwest France
This region contains so much to see and do that it’s easy to visit only the obvious places, those that get the most publicity: the plus beaux villages, the Viaduc de Millau, the better-known markets, the famous festivals. Dig a … Continue reading
Caylus Car Rally Revived
Our village formerly held an annual car rally. This wasn’t a race with souped-up vehicles – fortunately – but a “rallye touristique”, i.e. following a circuit between checkpoints around the commune. The event faded, as these things do, but … Continue reading
Posted in French life, Places
Tagged Caylus, Caylus Notre Village, lavoir, lavoir de Caylus, patrimoine, rallye touristique, SW France
13 Comments
Every Château Tells a Story #13: Le Château de Cénevières, Lot
The Château de Cénevières towers over its village and the River Lot, which meanders far beneath. The castle commanded a formerly important strategic position and the river, which was once well-plied trade route. My local writing group went on an outing … Continue reading
Posted in Châteaux, History, Places
Tagged Antoine de Gourdon, Cénevières, Château de Cénevières, de Braquilanges family, Lot, Parisot Writing Group, patrimoine, River Lot, SW France
12 Comments
Inside le Château de Najac
At least a dozen years have elapsed since I visited the interior of the ruined château de Najac in Aveyron. This imposing 13th-century fortress is a landmark for miles around, best seen from the opposite slope on a misty autumn … Continue reading
Posted in Châteaux, History, Places
Tagged Aveyron, Chateau de Najac, French châteaux, medieval life, Najac, patrimoine, Plus beaux villages, SW France, Templars
18 Comments
Our Village Fête: Yesterday and Today
We went to our village’s Fête de Pentecôte (Whitsun fete) last Monday. It’s still an important local event, but in times past it was among the bigger fêtes in the region. We have a lovely book of photographs showing our … Continue reading
Posted in History, Places
Tagged Caylus, cazelles, Fête de la Pentecôte, Fêtes in France, gariottes, lavoirs, patrimoine, Pentecôte, pigeonniers, SW France, Tarn-et-Garonne
18 Comments
Every Château Tells a Story #12: le Château de l’Astorguié, Parisot
Last week marked the 19th anniversary of the first time we saw our house (no, it’s not the one above). Looking back at estate agents’ details of other properties reminded me that a small château close by was also for sale … Continue reading
Bach, an Ancient Village on the Causse de Limogne
This was a week of excursions. Yesterday, we rehearsed and sang in the biannual scratch choir concert in Puycelsi, a hilltop fortified village in the Tarn. As always, it was an inspiring event. The concerts are held in aid of the … Continue reading
Every Château Tells a Story: #10 Le Château de Belcastel
Although I have written about Belcastel, in Aveyron, I haven’t devoted much space to the château. Its story is that of a phoenix raised from the ashes. The fortress could so easily have crumbled into a pile of stone, had … Continue reading
Every Château Tells a Story: #9 Le Château de Mayragues
Time for another château. This time it’s one that has been brought back from oblivion by its current owners and in my view is an absolute gem. Le Château de Mayragues is not in our immediate neighbourhood; in fact, it’s … Continue reading
The Wheels Turn at Teysseroles
As we know, the wheels of French bureaucracy grind exceedingly slowly. Try restoring an historic monument, as we are doing at the nearby chapel of Teysseroles, and they go at a snail’s pace. But now things appear to be moving, or … Continue reading
Every Château Tells a Story # 8: Le Château de Labro
Yesterday was one of those luminous, mellow days that you get only in early autumn. The trees were turning and it was warm, but not hot. So we decided to take advantage of it to go for a walk and … Continue reading
End of an Era at the Hamlet of Flouquet
It was the end of an era in two senses, to which I’ll return below. Every year, as part of the summer walks laid on by the commune of Espinas, we visit a pretty hamlet called Flouquet. The houses are … Continue reading
Posted in History, Personalities, Places
Tagged baking bread, bread, Espinas, Flouquet, four à pain, lavoir, patrimoine, rural life, subsistence agriculture, SW France, threshing
10 Comments
Every Château Tells a Story #7: the Château de Féneyrols
Our region is crammed with small châteaux that played an important role in its history at one time. Almost every village of any size had one. Now, they are seen as quaint relics of bygone days. I set out to … Continue reading
Dig This! What the Archaeologists Found at Teysseroles
I missed a big event at Teysseroles a couple of weeks ago because I was slaving over a hot computer. The mandatory archaeological test digs took place over nearly three days around the 15th-century chapel. This is a requirement before … Continue reading
Posted in History, Teysseroles chapel
Tagged archaeological dig, burial practices, cemetery, chapelle de Teysseroles, INRAP, patrimoine, skeleton, SW France, Teysseroles
16 Comments
Celebrating the Past at our Village Fête
Unlike many local villages, which hold their fête in the summer, ours has it in May to coincide with la Pentecôte (Whitsun). It involves the usual stuff: concours de pétanque (boules tournament), go-kart racing, a bal/disco and other events. This … Continue reading
Thunder and Lightning at Puycelsi
We have adopted Puycelsi in the Tarn, since we go there to sing at least once a year in a temporary choir that comes together for a weekend or less. This delightful – and apparently impregnable – hilltop village … Continue reading
Work Continues to Restore La Chapelle de Teysseroles
I haven’t written much recently about the 15th-century chapel that we are helping to restore. This is partly because the work goes into hiatus over the winter; and partly because the bureaucracy involved grinds exceedingly slowly. However, there was … Continue reading
Sunday Promenade Around Félines
It was more like a forced march, actually. The SF did military service in the Swedish army and can still do a 20 km yomp bearing a 14 kilo pack with the best of them. Last Sunday morning, the … Continue reading
Posted in Places, Walking in France
Tagged Cassini Map, Caylus, Félines, patrimoine, Ruisseau de Laval, rural life, SW France, Tarn-et-Garonne, walking
6 Comments
A Typical Quercy Farmhouse (and an Anniversary)
In a couple of months it will be 18 years since we first saw our house. A lot of wine has flowed under the bridge in that time. The photo above shows it in the early 1970s just before … Continue reading
Posted in French life, History
Tagged architectural features, bolet, cantou, French country life, patrimoine, pigeonnier, Quercy farmhouse, rural life, SW France
22 Comments
Every Château Tells a Story #2: Le Château de Najac
On autumn mornings, it rises out of the mist, perched on top of its pinnacle; while on summer evenings, it seems to float in the sky, lit from below. The fortress is a landmark for miles around, standing sentinel … Continue reading
Posted in Aveyron, Châteaux, History, Places
Tagged Aveyron, Chateau de Najac, Croquants, French Wars of Religion, Hundred Years War, Najac, patrimoine, SW France, Templars
15 Comments
Things I Didn’t Know When I Moved to France: Part 1, the Positives
Now, you’re all thinking I’m going to complain about everything I’ve encountered in France since moving here 17 years ago. Not so. What follows in this post is complimentary; Part 2 (to be posted later) is less so. I’ve restricted … Continue reading
Posted in Customs, French life, History
Tagged etiquette, France, French health system, French local government, living in France, patrimoine, social customs, SW France
35 Comments
Trip Along the River Aveyron
I went to the hilltop village of Puycelsi in the Tarn département on Friday to interview some victims for one of my magazine articles. It’s about 50 minutes’ drive from here but the route is one of the most spectacular … Continue reading
Posted in History, Places, World War I & II
Tagged Bruniquel, Gorges de l'Aveyron, patrimoine, Penne-du-Tarn, Plus beaux villages de France, Puycelsi, River Aveyron, rural life, SW France, Tarn
15 Comments
