Tag Archives: SW France

British, French or Irish? Or all Three?

Posted on 13/08/2018 by

I don’t write about politics on this blog. Of course, I have my views, but I generally keep them to myself. So I haven’t mentioned the ‘B’ word (okay, Brexit) in my posts so far. However, I can’t ignore it … Continue reading →

Posted in French life, Rants | Tagged , , , , , , | 37 Comments

A Local WWII Resistance Group: Update

Posted on 05/08/2018 by

  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 , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Canicule: the Dog Days of Summer

Posted on 30/07/2018 by

It’s either a famine or a feast. We spent the winter and most of the spring grumbling about all the rain; now we’re taking refuge from the heat. Much of the northern hemisphere is experiencing unprecedented levels of heatwave: notably … Continue reading →

Posted in Weather | Tagged , , , , , , | 21 Comments

The Story of Notre-Dame des Grâces

Posted on 19/07/2018 by

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 , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Summer in Southwest France

Posted on 03/07/2018 by

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 , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Saint John’s Day Customs in France

Posted on 25/06/2018 by

Yesterday marked la Fête de la Saint-Jean, which occurs on 24th June each year, although the festivities normally take place the night before. It’s a not uncommon example of a pagan celebration taken over by the Catholic Church to commemorate … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, History | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

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

Posted on 17/06/2018 by

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 , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Buried Treasure at Teysseroles Chapel

Posted on 11/06/2018 by

I’ve written before about the visit of the departmental archaeologists to Teysseroles, where we are helping to restore the 15th-century chapel. This is a requirement when works are planned at a historic monument, to ensure that nothing of significance is … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Teysseroles chapel | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

A French Country Wedding

Posted on 04/06/2018 by

                     Weddings were in the air a fortnight ago, with the latest royal event. As is often the case, my historical research appetite was whetted. So let’s go back a century … Continue reading →

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

Whitsun Walk on the Wild Side

Posted on 22/05/2018 by

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 , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Loze: a Tiny Village on the Causse

Posted on 14/05/2018 by

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 , , , , , , , | 25 Comments

Orchids in SW France

Posted on 26/04/2018 by

If my memory is correct, we first saw our house here in SW France 21 years ago today. The weather was glorious, as it has been recently – very welcome after a gloomy few months. In 1997, we noticed in … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature | Tagged , , , , , | 26 Comments

Cuckoos and Winter Weather 2017-18

Posted on 02/04/2018 by

If you live almost anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere, you don’t need me to tell you that it has been a dismal, gloomy winter. The technical reason, apparently, is a “heatwave” in the Arctic, which has pushed the Arctic Jet … Continue reading →

Posted in Weather | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments

A Little-Known World War II Incident: the Croat Mutiny in Villefranche-de-Rouergue

Posted on 19/03/2018 by

Our local Médiathèque (library) is a hive of literary activity. In addition to the literary festival that takes place every October, there’s a series of author talks throughout the year. On Saturday, we heard Adrian Weale, a former UK army … Continue reading →

Posted in History, World War I & II | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 31 Comments

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

Posted on 12/03/2018 by

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 , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Five Museums in SW France You Must Visit

Posted on 04/03/2018 by

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 , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

All Aboard le “Moscou-Paris”

Posted on 25/02/2018 by

It sounds rather like a jolly luxury express, doesn’t it? A competitor, perhaps, to the Orient Express, with starched white tablecloths, gleaming silverware and sycophantic stewards. If only it were. In fact, le “Moscou-Paris” is the meteorologists’ nickname for a … Continue reading →

Posted in Weather | Tagged , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Eight Years On…

Posted on 11/02/2018 by

  A little celebration is in order. Life on La Lune will be eight years old on Wednesday, which just happens to coincide with Valentine’s Day. Since February 2010, I’ve published some 586 posts, learned an awful lot about France … Continue reading →

Posted in French life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Neither Resisters Nor Collaborators: Returning French STO Workers in 1945

Posted on 04/02/2018 by

Certain aspects of World War II remain taboo subjects in France, even among people who were not around at the time. For those of us whose country has not been occupied for hundreds of years, it’s difficult to imagine how … Continue reading →

Posted in History, World War I & II | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

That Which Should Accompany Old Age

Posted on 21/01/2018 by

Yesterday, we visited our elderly neighbour, whose wife died nearly two years ago. We often feel guilty that we don’t visit more often, but Monsieur F is almost 90 and now rather frail. He is very difficult to understand, even … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Personalities | Tagged , , , , , , | 25 Comments

5 Things to do in SW France in 2018

Posted on 07/01/2018 by

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 , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Life on La Lune French Christmas Quiz 2017: the Answers

Posted on 30/12/2017 by

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and that le Père Noël was generous to you. How did you get on with the quiz? No cheating, I hope. Without further ado, here are the answers. See how well you did.

Posted in Quiz | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Life on La Lune French Christmas Quiz 2017

Posted on 23/12/2017 by

First, let me wish all my readers a very Happy Christmas. Thank you for reading the blog this year. I always enjoy reading your comments and emails. Now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for: the Life on La Lune … Continue reading →

Posted in Quiz | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

S.O.S. French Towns

Posted on 26/11/2017 by

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 , , , , , , , | 25 Comments

French Flavours: Poule Farcie, a Classic French Dish

Posted on 19/11/2017 by

The ubiquitous roadside posters advertising French fêtes and other social events very often have “poule farcie” emblazoned across the centre. This dish has a number of advantages for large gatherings. It can feed a lot of people and much of it … Continue reading →

Posted in Food/drink/recipes, History | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

A Film Record of an Aveyron Family Post-WWII

Posted on 09/11/2017 by

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 , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Hidden Treasure in Quercy

Posted on 04/11/2017 by

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 , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Mushroom Feast

Posted on 26/10/2017 by

I am very partial to mushrooms, but I’m hopeless at finding them – at least the edible variety. This year is a mushroom year. Something about the climatic conditions – a damp September? – has had them popping out of … Continue reading →

Posted in Food/drink/recipes | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Well, Well, Well: Finding Water in Bygone Days

Posted on 15/10/2017 by

Sorry, I couldn’t help the pun. Water has been on our minds rather a lot this year, what with the contamination of our local water supply a couple of months ago. That now seems to be resolved, fortunately. However, our … Continue reading →

Posted in History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

The End of Summer

Posted on 09/10/2017 by

Autumn is now truly upon us. We have had some lovely, warm days recently, but as soon as the sun dips under the horizon the air cools quickly. Some mornings, the temperature has been close to 0 degrees C already. … Continue reading →

Posted in Weather | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments