WW1 photo exposition of Desiré Sic 1915 to 1917, on till 30th of April, and very easy disabled access

Désiré Sic, the photographer, minus his beard so he could get his gas mask on

Two soldiers at the Somme

Destruction and desolation in the trenches at the Somme

We enjoyed our outing to the easily found archives just off the road into Albi. A very well set up expo with nice touches like the sandbags scattered about. The photos are superb but terrible, all except the one of the Generals going for a champagne lunch, just off this picture below, was another picture showing  a table set up for them with bottle after bottle of champagne[a sign of the times that it was not Prosecco!]
Defintely worth a visit.
Archives departmental du Tarn.
1 Av de la Verrerie
81013  Albi   tel 0563362100
There is a car park
http://archives.tarn.fr

Generals visit to the battlefield, but here they are making their way to a champagne lunch.

Le Saut du Tarn Museum

The Museum is located in the heart of the former  industrial site of " Le Saut  du Tarn"in the building where the first hydro electric power plant was used . The Tarn river winds down into a rocky gorge over a distance of 500m offering a turbulent sight which has no equivalent in the region. These natural falls 18metres or about 59 feet high provided favorable conditions for the setting up of an ironworks site in the 19th century, a historic and prosperous factory. Founded in 1824 near the town of Albi. The plant employed several generations of workers, skills being passed from Fathers to sons. The conditions were gruelling, noise, heat, dust and accidents but the Factory forged not only metal but a brotherhood between the employees.
If you are interested  in Industrial history this must be worth a visit.
Musée du Saut du Tarn, 2 impasse des Acieries, 81160 Saint-Juéry
Tel  0563459101
www.musee-saut-du-tarn.com

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A good one for TOF's

LA CORNICHE : Brousse-les-Antibels,  St Antonin.

The modest entrance of this delightful country restaurant leads into a small dining room and further to a terrace overlooking the Aveyron valley. The building is very simple and the interior cosy rather than super smart which suits us fine and the view from the terrace is spectacular. 

Michel, the proprietor/chef welcomed us (a group of 14) with aperitifs on the terrasse, took our orders and then proceeded to prepare and serve a meal of exceptional quality in the dining room.  We chose a menu at €29 which offered a selection 6-7 traditional main dishes of which a couple were specific to the day.  I choose a monkfish starter and a pavé of veal - perfectly cooked with a selection of market vegetables. Little extra touches, like an amuse-bouche of cracked wheat and pigs trotters presented in an egg shell on sea salt and a simply served fish soup, underlined the quality of the cuisine.

We've been to La Corniche quite a few times but never more than once a year and each time we ask ourselves why we don't go more often - probably because it's a bit of a drive for us. It's a bit special and doesn't aim to cater the quick €12.50 lunch. La Corniche definitely deserves a 4.5 rating.

The restaurant is open every day apart from Mondays and Sunday evenings.  Best booked in advance (0563 682 695) to ensure space since the arrival of large group such as ours could slow down service.  The restaurant is signposted on the road from St Antonin to Montauban which leads you through dramatic gorge scenery to Brousse.

Hugh Williams

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Not all my tips are winners.

I reckon if it was a " donkey derby" I would have good tips, but a friend who went to see the Linda McCartney photo exhibition at Montpellier was very disappointed. Apart from a few iconic pictures, it was felt the family snaps, were just that,  family snaps that most of us could have taken.
(I suppose there might be more interest in the McCartney family than the Johnstone family!)
We are going this afternoon, Malc, Tudor and I to look at the recently found  First World War photos displayed in the archives at Albi.
We will let you know if this was a winner ... and worth a visit.
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Sun, sun, sun and we love it

Lightening the mood from the last two posts, we just love the blue skies and sun, and we have it in abundance this week.
Not only does it affect the way we feel but the pets are in " sunny mood mode"too.
 Rosie actually let the others share her bale of straw this morning, smiling sweetly at her chums, where normally her ears are back to defend what is hers.
 Fillou the big gentle chap, twitched his ears and with a bemused expression accepted mouthfuls of Rosies straw with gratitude, then went to lay down and bask in the sun.
The dogs, cats  and hens are already asleep in the courtyard all lined up against a sunny wall.
That  sunny wall last year had a lovely display of daffodils but all those afor mentioned pets dig holes in the soil to lay down in and the daffodil bulbs were scattered, never to be seen again.
I am as laid back as the pets, and accept loss of bulbs, craters in the garden from the moles, dusty surfaces in the house, I am enjoying being outside and it will all be sorted...mañana.
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Sun also brings air pollution in Cities and along the Med.

Residents and visitors to the French capital are basking in an unseasonal streak of sunshine. But as the T-shirts and sunglasses appear, so have the dire warnings of air pollution.

Weather forecasters on Monday said Paris would enjoy sunny skies and an average temperature of 19°C (66°F), but pollution watchdog group Airparif simultaneously announced that the city would experience a potentially dangerous level of air pollution.

Airparif, which takes readings of Paris’ air quality from a hot-air balloon that rises up to 300 metres above the city, raised the pollution level to “high” at the start of the working week.    Comments to taglines2@gmail.com

The sun shines and what are we all attracted to ?

To water, lakes and swimming pools. Sun, paddling and swimming seem to go together, but what happens straight away: accidents and deaths of children.
Here we are the 11th of March and we have the first accident of a three year old child playing in the Lake at Monteils, ending up being helicoptered to hospital at Toulouse.
SMALL children and WATER add up to DANGER.
TAG last year was full of sad stories of one death after another when a child only out of sight for a few minutes drowned.
Here at Mas del Sol, we have a swimming pool covered with an electric roll out cover which when closed could support the weight of a child,but how often is it left open when the renters go for lunch, or a walk?
We have an out of ground pool with steps up which is in our part of the grounds  and is for me, but it is a child magnet. What child would not want to climb the steps and peer in and there are no regulations for out of ground pools.
A couple of fields up along a quiet track is a very deep sided pond, which belongs to a distant farmer, it is not fenced and yet for animals or small children could be a death trap.
Fencing, alarms and pool covers are only part of the solution, VIGILANCE has got to be the top priority.
A small child goes straight to the bottom of a pool and does not come back up: worth thinking about.
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Another reminder for the Opera Wednesday 12th

Bizet's Carmen 6.30pm at Mas del Sol Wednesday
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Wedding hair & make-up around Saint Antonin

Hello,
My parents have a place near Saint Antonin Noble Val and read your blog regularly.
I'm writing because I'm getting married in the area in July this year and am in search of a good local make-up artist/hairdresser for the big day.
I'd be grateful if you or any of your readers could recommend someone.
Many thanks,
Rebecca Wallen
rebeccawallen@gmail.com
Val says  - How exciting Rebecca, a wonderful place to get married here in SW France. I am sure there will be a response from TAG readers
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Which do you prefer Tower Hamlets or the Somme?

Hi Val

Can I borrow your dogs for a couple of days! I am having a run in with the

moles. Monty Don says they only alter the architecture of the land but I rake the 
molehills down about twice a day. It is a mole version of Tower Hamlets!
Sarah

Val says   yes have the dogs with pleasure, but your garden will then look like the Somme.

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Plenty of people read it everyday.

Hi Val
Thanks so much for putting it on TAG.  I was chatting to Rod (my partner)
and told him that you were very kindly doing that - he said "oh yes TAG,
read it every day, it's very well done.."  Well I didn't know he read it!
Irena
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A save the elephants appeal from Laos

Helo Val

of course I was interested by your post about the elephants, living half 

time in Laos,

 called "le pays au Million d Elephants". Unfortunately there are only 1500 left, and

half of them are domesticated and poorly mistreated. Many are used to unroot primary forrest trees, illegally of course ,and exported to Vietnam and Thailand, where 
the logs are worked to make these lovely garden furniture that we can buy in Europe
 sans complexes..
I can recommend you to log in at 

http://www.elefantasia.org  

that I know well, and who have opened an elephant conservation center aimed at 
treating hurt elephants , saving them from bad use, optimizing good reproduction 
conditions. They try to convert them to trekking with t ourists in the forrest, which the 
elephants seem to enjoy much more than carrying tons of wood, and be beaten for salary.

of course they try to levy funds from sympatizers,they are sponsored andseriously controlled 
by le Centre N ational de la Recherche Scientifique.

have a good read and tell me about it.

Betrand.

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Festival de Carcassone 19th of June to 1st of August

www.festivaldecarcassonne.fr

Some big names there including Elton John, The Jacksons, Vanessa Paradis etc.
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Ladies of the night in the Bezier area.

Today someone, (thank you Dominic) gave me a couple of free hand out mags he picked up when in the Herault area. Reading the readers letters was a bit of an eye opener as follows, there were 3 in the same vein.

I was driving on the Pézenas to Bezier,  the old road recently and spotted a number of ladies of the night along the roadside. Not a new phenomenon, but what was new was one of these ladies lifting her skirts as cars passed, showing her wares.
Val says when I read this first letter I thought perhaps it was a windy night but then I read the next two letters.
Another two letters spoke of the ladies wearing nothing and asking was this legal.
Not sure about the legality but it must be pretty chilly at night time and these letters were written in February.
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Great, my readers do care about the planet, other people, and a small thing though it seems, the woods.

Dear Val,

Just got this petition through. Every time I drive down from the Channel to Les Combes I can see the living proof of this (or should I say 'dead' proof?) for years now the woods around Najac, little clumps of woodland in valleys and along the road are cut down and not replanted. These woods help us to breathe and stop erosion. Please would you post this, in case people would like to sign the petition? http://www.change.org/fr/pétitions/sosforêt-30-jours-pour-sauver-la-forêt-française

Thank you very much. Kind regards and hope you have a lovely sunny week,

Elly xxx

P.S. Very nice photograph of Malcolm!

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Becky Brown and her take, as a relative newcomer on village life.

Last year we moved our young family from the bright lights of London to Parisot, a small village in the Tarn-et-Garonne region of France. Although we knew the village well (I had been coming here on holiday since I was 6) we were worried that village life wouldn’t suit us as we feared it would be too quiet after the hustle and bustle of a capital. But having lived here now for 7 months we are more than suited to our new lives, and Parisot has surprised us as for such a small village there is always something going on.

The village has all you could need, with its own two bakeries, shop, café, restaurant, hairdresser, post office, médiathèque, football pitch, swanky still new looking medical centre and school. In the mornings you can choose which bakery to get your bread and croissants from before dropping the kids off (or not) at school. On Friday mornings you can buy your local groceries from the village market, fresh fruit and veg, cheese, fish, meat and obligatory wine! Most other things you can pick up from the local shop and if it’s the weekend why not treat yourself to a patisserie from the bakery which does very good cakes! Drop off your letters to friends and family in the post office before stopping off in the médiathèque to return your french cookery book and pick up the latest English title (yes many village libraries have an English section.) On walking around the village you can practise your French greeting your neighbours, discussing the latest mayoral candidates (a hot topic at the moment) and the gorgeous weather that is set to stay for at least the coming week.

For lunch, you can head up to the Belvedere and eat while taking in this view. Granted not all villages have this view but most have pleasant picnic spots that out of holiday season are often underused. After lunch you could head back to the médiathèque for French lessons or a life drawing workshop. Or you could take a walk down the back route to the village lake where you can take in the beautiful French countryside, feed the ducks, walk the dog, pick wild flowers…….(fill in the blank!)

Early evening an apéritif in the café is a must before heading to the restaurant for dinner. A reasonably priced three course meal of a traditional French menu prepared by the chef. If it’s the first Friday of the month you can then head back to the café for the monthly jam session with instrument in hand or ears to listen. If exercise is more your thing you can head to the salle des fêtes on a Tuesday evening for Zumba or if you enjoy singing you can join the village choir which rehearses every Thursday and is having a concert very soon! If you enjoy really getting involved you could help out at one of the annual village festivals, be it the art or village festival in August, or the literary festival in October.

Granted village life is not for everyone but for us as a family it’s been great. There are still times when we feel like we’re the only ones around, especially during Winter, but it’s been lovely to have neighbours to get advice from and share a meal with. Choose your village carefully as each is very different and not all as active as Parisot. But if you are planning to move to France we would thoroughly recommend it as an option and there are often very nice places just outside villages (within walking distance) as within!

Becky
Val says  Becky has her own blog    http://www.lafamillebrown.com/
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Nev, knows his way around

Hello both,
Hope you are enjoying the weather.  I am catching up on all of the outside jobs so very busy in the garden.  I think the photo is of the Serres de la Rivière which is on the PR23 walk, just downstream from St Antonin.  Was it taken from La Corniche?
I have enclosed a picture from the back of the hameau as we passed through it last year.
Nev
Hello Nev, well spotted it was taken from the Corniche.
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The majestic beauty of an animal living free, sums it all up.

Hi Val

 “absolutely agree with you.  I grew up in South Africa and the pure majestic beauty of a wild animal living in freedom will stay with me forever. I also saw many of the animal snares (including ones for elephants) – they are often extremely crude and cruel and it takes weeks for the animal to die.”

 Irena-Marie Makowska

contact@focus-hypnotherapy.com

www.focus-hypnotherapy.com

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Sun all the way

Can you remember when I got on a slide on the wet, muddy, manure covered ground around the second stable?  Well I am relieved to report that the ground is drying up, hurrah!
The sport is now trying not to break an ankle in the deep crusty crevices caused by 16 donkeys hooves, which are developing as the clay hardens.
The donkeys keep looking longingly over at what we class as the croquet lawn, green lush grass at the moment. Sorry chums but soft as I am with you, this land is NOT for you.
The sun was shining and warm when I went out early for morning feeding, and the day once again promises to be " a cracker"
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It is a mad world where we are going to make elephants extinct.

A French auction of legal ivory broke records on Saturday, with prices reaching up to €1,000 a kilogramme ($630 a pound), according to Alexander Debussy, associate director of auction house Cannes Encheres.

Many of the lots were sold by people who have spent their lives in Africa but who, after retiring to the French Riviera, need to supplement their pension, said Debussy.

Val says Ivory being sold for a fortune at auction and other ivory being crushed at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, blinking madness. I am with Prince William on this " get rid of all the ivory old and new and let us try saving the few elephants left.

"SAVE the elephants"

Last month France crushed three tonnes of illegal ivory worth an estimated one million euros in a ceremony at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, the first major crushing ceremony in Europe since the global ban.

Elephants are being massacred to produce ivory that is in high demand in the rapidly-growing economies of Asia, particularly China and Thailand.    Comments to taglines82@gmail.com

The price over quality in my humble opinion

According to the OVSE, the Italian wine observatory, prosecco outsold  champagne in 2013 to replace the famous French beverage as the world’s most popular sparkling wine
Malc says  when did you have a humble opinion Val?
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Taken to task for not being a lady who likes to lunch

I am not a lady who likes to lunch, I am sorry no apologies for that.
When we first came to France we did go to all the local repas and occasionally went out in large groups with our ex pat friends, but you get to an age when you can do what you want and it is definitely not for me.
Part of the problem is the noise  large groups make, and it is impossible to hear conversations, so everyone ends up shouting. Another problem is with large groups, the service and food suffers.
Sitting for hours with slow service, often poor food, too much noise with the sun shining outside is just not my cup of tea. Sorry to any who felt offended by that, if you enjoy it feel free.
Give me an intimate meal with four to six people and I am happy.
I also will not waste time reading a rubbish book, watching dumb down TV, only doing housework when absolutely necessary and bain of my life being asked to quiz events. If I have free time after all the "animal shenanigans",  gardening, writing and editing TAG  helping to raise money for our four charities, (that is what tops my list,) and boy do I have fun doing it all.
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Montauban, art exhibtion with 94 works on show

For the sixth consecutive year the Salon des arts and letters have 94 exhibiters painters, sculpters, writers with the theme " the heart of art" The exhibition is at L'Ancien College of Montauban until 15 Mars 10 till 18h.30, closed Sunday

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Great photo of my man, Malcolm taken by Stuart Cryer

When you spend a lifetime looking after someone, giving them every possible care, making sure life is a breeze and that you have lots of fun, that person can end up looking like this at 70.

Malcolm

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Two photos taken by Stuart when we were at Albi

What a great interesting photo of a couple at the Theatre at Albi
Never tell me photographs are not art.

One of the Ushers at Albi, destined to be a star.

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Anyone know where this is?

Staying in our gite is a Canadian Prof. of Media studies/arts/photography, cinema, not really sure of his title but ''Sir Stuart'' takes a cracking photo. I bet someone knows where this photo was taken from.
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Meditation, an eight week course

Hi Everyone,   

 I have had a number of people ask me if I do meditation, or will help them with meditation techniques, so I have decided to run an eight week meditation group, here at La Blanque.

Hypnosis and meditation share many similar techniques such as breathing and visualisation exercises, and both are in the 'alpha' brain wave state.  Meditation is commonly described as the absence of all thought - a completely free, calm and still mind. The difference with hypnosis is that it is aimed at a specific therapeutic outcome.  Once the chattering conscious mind is still, the therapist is then able to give the subconscious part of the mind pre agreed therapeutic suggestions - creating change at core level.

Now imagine that, in only 20 minutes, you can get the equivalent of several hours of deep sleep simply by sitting or lying with your eyes closed. And you can do this at home, in your office, on a plane, or anywhere else where you can have a few minutes undisturbed. This is exactly what happens when you practice regular meditation.

The fee is €10 per session over the eight weeks.  Each session will be approximately one hour long.  It is important that everyone arrives ten minutes prior, so we can settle down.  If anyone is unable to attend a session, for whatever reason, I will make an audio recording of that meditation, so you won’t miss part of the programme.

 Classes commence Monday 17^th March at 10.30am.     Places will be limited due to space.

 Many thanks and looking forward to hearing from you.

 Irena (Roo) x

 Irena-Marie Makowska

Clinical Hypnotherapist, Dip Hyp, GHR GHSC

+33 (0) 563 41 76 73

contact@focus-hypnotherapy.com

www.focus-hypnotherapy.com

Facts about France, some interesting, some not!

It’s illegal to name a pig Napoleon in France.
The word “salut” means both “hello” and “goodbye”
 The guillotin was last used in 1977.
The Eiffel Tower is painted every 7 years.
It’s against the law to take pictures of police officers and police vehicles.
 Napoleon was 5’6.
Jim Morrisson and Oscar Wilde were buried in the Paris cemetery called Pere Lachaise.
 France is the most visited country in the world with 75 million tourists yearly.
Carla Bruni has been known to have a string of relationships with famous men including Eric Clapton, Mick Jagger and Donald Trump ( but not of late)
 There is a Victor Hugo street in every town in France.
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Spring is in the air at St. Antonin Market

St. Antonin market shot by Tudor

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Jamie gets a good article in the Depeche

Seule une pointe d'accent anglais trahit les origines de Jamie, paysan bio rouergat loin de la City./Photo DDM.

Villefranche-de-Rouergue. L'entrepreneur anglais devenu paysan aveyronnais

Il s’appelle Jamie, c’est un Londonien de la City pur jus qui a tout plaqué pour s’installer paysan bio en Aveyron. Et il est candidat aux municipales à Najac.

De la City londonienne, antichambre dégoulinante de la finance mondiale, à la campagne rouergate, le grand écart semble si grand que l’on se demande bien comment Jamie Stickler a réussi à trouver la passerelle entre ses deux vies. Retour sur un heureux virage à 180°.

Difficile de remonter le temps pour imaginer celui qui, par choix, s’est mué en un paysan posé et pétri d’humanité dans le brouhaha du temple de la finance où gestionnaire de relations clients pour une grande entreprise britannique, il jonglait avec chiffres et ordres. Comme s’il fallait toujours aller plus loin, il se retrouvera en Australie manager d’équipe chargée de la gestion des relations avec les clients d’Océanie et du sud-est asiatique. Avant un retour à la case départ du Royaume-Uni où, consultant, il accompagnait ses clients dans le développement d’alliances stratégiques. Une vie professionnelle qu’il aurait pu respirer jusqu’au bout. Sauf que lucide, il finit par se persuader qu’avoir de l’argent, c’est une chose, mais ne plus avoir de vie, cela ne mène pas à grand-chose. Dès lors, manière de se retrouver en phase avec l’échelle des valeurs qui étaient les leurs, avec Alison son épouse et leurs deux enfants, ils sentirent souffler très fort le vent du large. Ce qui se caractérise par l’appel d’une forme d’enracinement dans l’authenticité de la terre. Bien plus fort que la corne d’abondance. Après quelques tâtonnements, le hasard les conduira dans une ferme vouée à la vente ou à l’abandon au lieu dit «La Singlarie», en surplomb - avec une incroyable vue de carte postale - de Najac.

Candidat heureux

Heureux comme un poussin de grain, Jamie baigne dans un univers que ce quasi Londonien n’imaginait pas. «Notre idée c’était surtout de trouver une maison où nous pourrions aménager des gîtes…». Là c’est un vrai corps de ferme avec dépendances qui lui a tendu les bras. «Au départ, je ne pensais pas agriculture, j’ai d’ailleurs continué quelque temps à travailler à Londres pendant la semaine, pendant que mon épouse et les enfants restaient ici». Mais les Rodez-Londres et retours hebdomadaires, via l’inconfort de Ryanair, jumelés à cette autre vie qui le taraudait, eurent raison du costume trois-pièces et de l’attaché-case… Les journées de Jamie prennent désormais le pouls de la terre. Entre bovins et porcs élevés en plein air - tous croisés (lire ci-contre) - le tout conjoint à des gîtes où sa famille reçoit des citoyens du monde, il vit.

À des années-lumière de la démesure de la City, les 30 ha de la petite exploitation suffisent à son bonheur. «Ici, je veux vivre à la française, au départ les gens étaient hésitants avec nous, car ils croyaient que nous achetions une résidence secondaire ; lorsqu’ils ont su que nous allions vivre ici tout le temps, cela a changé». Intégré, il l’est. Pour preuve, on lui a même demandé de figurer sur une liste pour les municipales. Et il ne s’est pas fait prier pour accepter…

En une demi-douzaine d’années, les productions de Jamie - qu’il ne commercialise qu’en vente directe ou presque - se sont forgé une sacrée réputation. Une vingtaine de vaches, pour lesquelles il a travaillé sur un croisement salers et limousine avec du charolais. «Cela donne un produit qui convient à ma clientèle», commente-il. Même démarche, et toujours bio, avec les porcs noirs de Gascogne et croisés avec quelques races américaines, élevés en plein air. «Le porc gascon seul est trop gras, avec ce croisement j’obtiens de la viande qui retrouve le goût de ce gras, mais avec plus de viande…». Ces colis, ils partent en différents points de l’Hexagone et en Grande-Bretagne. Ses meilleurs ambassadeurs étant les hôtes qu’il reçoit dans les deux gîtes (à la vue imprenable - voir photo ci-dessous). D’ailleurs, Lamie ne cache pas que pour arriver à vivre, productions et revenus des gîtes s’avèrent indissociables. Mais il mesure aussi que le seul tourisme ne suffira pas à l’avenir de son nouveau terroir. «Il faut donner du travail aux jeunes, et pour cela nous devons mettre en avant les productions d’ici ; cela peut passer par la remise en avant du jambon de Najac, de la châtaigne avec une petite unité de transformation». L’esprit d’entrepreneur revient très vite chez lui. Mais en gardant toujours les pieds sur terre.

A man passionate about " montgolfières" hot air balloons

 Malc thought this an odd post. Basically I am saying if you want local information about hot air balloons, this man might be worth talking to.
Gérard Landes, Sébazac, tél. 05 65 74 92 14 ou 06 88 90 16 55.

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Even the Depeche is talking about spending a day in your garden.

This report, a bit like Debbies from Les Jardin des Espiemonts but in French.

Either way both are telling us to get on with tidying the garden and planting seeds, cutting back trees... and I am advocating finding a sheltered spot with a book!

19 million people in France have a garden or terrace, for many French it is the fifth room of the house.

C’est un dimanche de grand beau qui nous attend aujourd’hui. Ceux qui possèdent un jardin ou une terrasse vont en profiter pour faire les premiers travaux de coupes, de nettoyage ainsi que les derniers traitements hivernaux. D’autres vont courir les jardineries pour s’approvisionner en végétaux, terreau, graines...

Le thermomètre va flirter avec les 20°C, ce dimanche, dans le Grand Sud, ce qui va susciter des envies de jardiner sur les terrasses, dans les parcs et les potagers. Dépailler les sols, désherber les contre-allées, tailler les rosiers en massif, nettoyer les pieds de lavandes, planter les forsythias, traiter les arbres contre les insectes hivernants et éventuellement tondre le gazon… ce ne sont pas les travaux qui manquent.

Les Français raffolent du jardinage : trois sur quatre le pratiqueraient régulièrement et pas moins de 19 millions de foyers français posséderaient un jardin ou une terrasse. Pour beaucoup même, le jardin constitue la cinquième pièce de la maison.
Hi Val

You're underselling it! The 19m relates to households.

The number of French who do gardening regularly is 40m.

That's two thirds of the population of 60m. 

x C 

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A 44 year old lady skier killed in the Pyrenees

A brilliant sport skiing,  but also a very dangerous one. The French papers are full of stories of deaths and accidents around these months of the year, including Schumacher of course.

Une skieuse de randonnée qui évoluait dans le secteur du pic de Barassé, commune de Campan, a fait une chute mortelle, hier vers midi. La randonneuse a dévissé sur une neige dure et a effectué une chute d’environ 150 m, heurtant des blocs avant de tomber dans le lit du ruisseau du Garet. Il s’agit d’une femme de 44 ans originaire du Gers

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Windy overnight but sun again today

Very windy overnight with the odd shutter banging and the niggling worry about the lines of donkey fences blowing free.
 Relief this morning to find a few branches down from trees, chairs in the garden blown over but 4 donkeys where they should be, in the stable.
The meteo is forecasting wind most of the day, but the sun is out and 20 degrees forecast.
Find a sheltered spot in the garden, pick up a good book and enjoy the day.
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Tragedies on the slopes

Thursday was a tragic day on ski slopes in the French Alps, with three people killed within hours of each other in separate incidents, including a seven-year-old boy struck at high speed by a teenage skier, who was taken in for questioning by police.

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What did the English do with mistletoe?

In 1925 at Najac the villagers wondered why mistletoe was sent to England at Christmastime.
 For many years they were satisfied with the solution that the English made mistletoe into jam.
Then this idea was squashed as absurd and it was thought it had something to do with a Druidical rite, but when it was found to be  imported at such expense for the frivolous excuse of a sly kiss,
 the queer foolishness of the English was discussed as " nonsense and  incredible."

In ancient times the Druids believed that mistletoe would bring good luck and health. Although it has been used to treat some ailments, the berries are poisonous and should not be touched by children.
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Paleo diet seems popular

Hi Val

 In response to Ali's e-mail about the Paleo diet (I do it as well), should anyone else wish to follow it, I get my coconut flour from Bio & Vous http://www.bioetvous.com/FARINE-de-Noix-de-Coco-Bio-p-1,999,7360929.html and my organic coconut oil (2000ml for 19,85€ - a gigantic pot and much cheaper than any of the Bio shops) from Amazon Francehttp://www.amazon.fr/gp/product/B00D1VJJ9S/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 

 

If anyone is looking for almond flour, Intermarche sell it in large bags (500g) as part of their Top Budget range for 5€ or you can make your own by grinding flaked or whole almonds - much cheaper than buying the tiny little bags of ground almond powder that you see everywhere.

 

Intermarche in Caussade also sell coconut sugar, which is in a lot of the recipes on the site Ali has recommended http://www.elanaspantry.com/

 Hannah

Director/Wedding Planner

+33 (0)6 23 28 55 02

www.noblenuptials.com

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Just too many communes

St. Martin  Laguepie ,Laguepie, Le Riols, Varen, Arnac, even Verfeil sur Seye why not create one big commune, have one Mairie, one set of officials. it seems plain daft to me to have and pay Maires at all these villages and support the costs of the town hall in each one.
Francois Hollande is looking at changing departments why not look even closer at amalgamating communes.
Malc says but some villages you have mentioned are in different departments!
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Banish any blues, the sun is here to stay.

Another sunny day in prospect, and not even a chill up here at Mas del Sol this morning.
I have been out in my pyjamas to feed and see to the donkeys, to warm for the onesie by the way. Brother in law Tudor after breakfasting is now wandering around the grounds in his underpants and shirt. What a wonderful life we lead and who cares up here what one wears.
... and he has just popped in to say there is a kestrel on the power lines and he is in his nightwear not underwear!
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A lady driven by desperation at Carcassone

Thursday evening and staying till yesterday morning Christiane Dubosts climbed to the summit of L'église Saint- Vincent by the bell. She wants the world to know of the injustice which has pushed her and her family into poverty.

The family had saved  and borrowed to have a house built and sadly it was so badly built it needed pulling down. The builder admitted to be a crook in court and was condemned but he was declared insovent with all his goods and money having been transferred to his daughter. 

The courts also condemned the bank for lack of care and negligence. 

There are other twists and turns in this story which has gone on for ten years, imagine the suffering of that family.

Now the Prefect has promised to look further in to the matter.

Val says  If you remember we had a more than dodgy joiner who we refused to pay and he took us to court. Even though we had 3 experts saying his work was rubbish we were ordered to pay him and he would put the work right. He always admitted the work was rubbish, we paid him and he disappeared.

The lawyers advised we took him to higher courts were they were sure we would win but it would have taken another two or three years with it hanging over us. 

We decided there was no point, the joiner had no money and never had the skills to put things right, so we think we did the best thing. 

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A sad and hard time for the Schumacher family

Doctors treating Michael Schumacher and other medical experts have told his family that "only a miracle" can save him, sources have claimed.

The seven-time Formula One world champion suffered serious brain injuries after hitting a rock during a skiing accident in the French Alpine ski resort of Meribel in late December.

He is being treated in hospital in Grenoble where he has been in an artificially induced coma for a total of 69 days.

The family is said to be concerned that the French doctors treatingSchumacher have little hope that he will recover and now assume that he will remain in a vegetative state for the rest of his life.

Val says such  a sad time for the family,  I am sure we have all been wishing him well and hoping for better news.

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Sarkozy, still fighting off rumours

Judges ordered the former French president Nicolas Sarkozy's phones to be bugged last April as part of an investigation into allegations that his 2007 election campaign was bankrolled by Libya's then leader, Muammar Gaddafi, it was claimed on Friday.

The phone tapping, believed to be the first of its kind against a French leader, was described by Sarkozy's lawyer as a "monstrous" violation of his legal rights. But transcripts of the taped conversations have reportedly embroiled him in further damaging corruption allegations.

Le Monde said the new accusations against Sarkozy "have all the ingredients of a state scandal", adding that when judges opened an investigation into claims that his successful 2007 presidential election campaign had financial backing from Gaddafi, they took an unprecedented step.
from Le Monde and the Guardian, but headlining all the newspapers today.
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In truth a lot of nationalities are now overweight.

THE FRENCH consider themselves to be a healthy nation, but almost half of them are overweight, according to a survey. The study found that 46% of people are overweight or obese, despite a “good diet” and regular physical activity. 
The French have a high opinion of the food they put on their plates, with 86% rating it “very good” or “fairly good”, and 76% saying it is varied and balanced. 
But consumption of fruit and vegetables is below the recommended five portions a day. According to the survey, French people eat just 3.4 portions. 

Val says  I did ask where all the vegetables go, and a plate full of  lightly boiled or steamed vegetables is good for you.

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Is President Hollande saying phew!

Statistics released Thursday showed that France’s jobless rate fell for the first time in two years in the fourth quarter of 2013, dropping to 10.2 % under a new calculation method and providing a much-needed boost for troubled President Hollande.

The unemployment rate, measured according to the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) criteria, was calculated under a new method that substantially modified the statistics. The third-quarter figure was revised downward to 10.3 percent from 10.9 percent  previously.

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Moles, English or French, they are everywhere.

Doreen says

before we left the UK we were plagued by moles, so I looked for a mole scarer. Someone suggested  Argus, so I went online and typed 'mole scarer' into their search engine - and got a page of Barbie  doll bed accessories! Eventually we found a mole scarer elsewhere and it was effective. One day  there was a knock on the door and it was the little boy from a couple of houses away. He was  clutching a mole. "I think this is yours" he said, handing it to Gavin? He'd rescued it from one  of our cats. Gavin released it in the depths of Epping Forest. Val says - Very telling language there Doreen  " plagued by moles" and here am I trying to convince  people of their virtues. Good for Gavin giving Mr Mole a new life perhaps by a river bank. The Wind in the Willows is a classic of children's literature by Kenneth Grahame, first published in  1908.  It focuses on four anthropomorphised animal characters in a pastoral version of England.  The novel is notable for its mixture of mysticism, adventure, morality, and camaraderie and  celebrated for its evocation of the nature of the Thames valley. ( and the poor little beggars, the  moles  have probably had their homes flooded there.) And we all like Mr Mole in this story, lets hear it for the Moles / taupes  of this world!  Comments to taglines82@gmail.com

Village Life and jamming tonight

Hi Val, hope everyone is enjoying the sunshine! We'd be more than happy to write about village life, especially as Parisot is such a lively village. We wrote something on our blog not too long ago about Parisot as part of a 'show me your neighbourhood' project http://www.lafamillebrown.com/2013/11/our-neighbourhood-in-france.html but would be happy to expand and do maybe a week in the village as various things happen on different days.

If anyone is interested the village monthly musical jam session is on again tonight in the Parisot cafe from 7pm. Bring your instruments, or just come to watch and maybe join in with a bit of singing!

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Bill and Maggie, news from Novia Scotia

Hi Val and Mal:

 It's been a while since I sent you an update. In the meantime I have suffered a total hard drive meltdown and gotten a new computer. I am not sure if I like Windows 8.1, but it is what it is. Since we last talked it has become a brutally cold winter here in the Canadian tropics. The upside of that is we have had more sunny days than I can remember during winter which has helped a lot as we have 2 "Cansolaire" heat exchangers on our house. Early morning temperatures in the -25c range have been common and a new record (for me) Sunday past of <lo> on our indoor/outdoor thermometer.

 Just an hour before I had seen it register -29.8c so I presumed that meant it didn't register -30 and below. Other than that Sunday was a beautiful day as the pictures will show. I went to the beach at Inverness which, in the summer anyway, has the warmest water north of Virginia. I was hoping to see some seals, but it is hunting season the next few weeks so they were probably hiding out on the off shore islands. They would be pretty safe there since the ice is pretty solid this winter and as you can see in the pictures nearly impossible to walk, sled, or snowmobile on. We did have a surprise visitor to our bird feeders on February 9th (-25.7c), a ROBIN. This guy must have been lost or blown in by a storm because, although common from April to October, I have never seen one here in winter before. It is more unusual in that they always travel and gather in flocks so a single bird is not normal at all. I remember many years ago seeing a bird here in winter that lives in the Greater Antilles in the Caribbean exclusively. It was obviously blown in by a recent storm.
Maggie and I will be in Promilhanes April 14th until the end of May. We are looking forward to seeing all our friends and having some fun in the sun! I hope we get better weather than last year, but if not, there is always bridge. Take care and we will see you soon!

Bill McCarthy           North Lake Ainslie, NovaScotia

Trout fishing at Arnac

Our 4 little nephews love fishing when they come on holiday and by going to Arnac, catching a trout is "a cert" The arguments are usually over who caught the biggest. If you have boys on holiday think of taking them to Arnac for  a spot of trout fishing.

(1) 0 563 646 132

(2) En mars ouverture du mercredi au dimanche de 15 à 19 heures.

À Arnac commune de Varen, sur les bords de la Seye aux confins du Tarn, de l’Aveyron et du Tarn-et-Garonne, Richard Bressanges a repris en 2006 «La truite en balade» (1), une pisciculture implantée là depuis 1968. 

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The Cinema at Caussade has a new website

A new website forwarded by Karen

http://cinemacaussade.com/

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We need a villagers prospective

Malc and I live a rural country life, immersed in our animals and fields and gardens. Our friends mostly live in French country villages. I think for people who are planning to move here we need an account of a village life...  so who is going to write "a day in the life of a village" for TAG?
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Bio farmers, my sort of people

The sort of people we think you have to admire, bio farmers in our midst. At Cambou Mimi and  Kevin, (I think that should really be Kevin and Mimi ) producing  bio cereals for local bio  farmers (like the Sticklers) to give their cattle and pigs. Sunflower seeds for animal and bird feed, so popular they are planting 10 hectares this year with sunflowers. Grown without the use of pesticides and of course the animals raised on these products are all bio and live their lives outside as country animals should.
Our donkeys certainly have no complaints and their spirits lifted this morning when they saw us arrive with bales of hay on the trailer.
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