Friday, 21 October 2016

New guided walks in QRGA

The Communité des Communes Quercy Rouergue Gorges d'Aveyron (QRGA) has published a guide to 35 walks in the area.  With IGN maps and photographs pointing out places of interest, the publication is 6 euros from all tourist information offices in QRGA, of 0.50 centimes for one walk.
Various accompanied walks are also proposed, details from the tourist information centres.
comments to taglines82@gmail.com

Nous sommes le vendredi vingt et un octobre

A very slight frost this morning making for " crunchy grass" as I went to see the donkeys. The sky was predominately blue with swirls of pink, but it was 8 am and was probably more dramatic earlier.
Yesterday we had a discussion with the boys about place names, when they read my posts they had not understood our houses were at Mas del Sol. They had understood we get more sun than most places, morning after morning being in the sun whilst villages in the valley are covered in the cold mist or " brouillard"  They liked the occitan explanation for Mas del Sol - house in the sun.
It was also interesting explaining road signs. They wondered why they kept seeing signs with Varen 4 or Varen 12. I explained they were directional signs telling you how many kms it was. Such a simple thing, it never dawned on me they would not know and also that one of them could not yet read French.
What a learning curve.
The agenda today, boules this afternoon.
comments to taglines82@gmail.com

Design a logo

Art students and designers are to be invited to submit proposals for logo for the new region "Occitanie". Certain elements must be included, such as the colours red and gold, which are common to both the Catalan and Occitan communities.
Occitan flag: pic DDM

A prize of 8000€ is available, plus runner up prizes of 5000€ and 3000€.
comments to taglines82@gmail.com

Found along the Baye at Verfeil

A friend saw this whilst walking his dog along the Baye in Verfeil sur Seye, what a wonderful colour. Anyone know the name?

This is so wonderful , you have got to love nature.
Daniël saw this whilst walking along the Baye.

Trouvé  par Daniël Bruijsters pendant un promenade à côte de la Baie, Verfeil sur Seye.
Stropharia aeruginosa'!
comments to taglines82@gmail.com

Thursday, 20 October 2016

New at Laguepie


Bal tradavec le groupe Carabal Trio 
 ou ? 
​La Distillerie des Arts
Route de Varen  
Laguépie
Une balade à travers des paysages aux sonorités tziganes et aux accents slaves, sur des rythmes de danses occitanes et d’Europe centrale, des teintes celtiques à l'horizon ...
Entrée: 7€ plein tarif 5€ tarif réduit 
Buvette et collation sur place
A diffuser et distiller sans modération !
Merci
L'équipe de la distillerie des Arts 
Distillerie des Arts

Celebrating with Misbah

After a week doing lots of very physical gardening work, today was the day we celebrated Misbah getting his 10 year asylum here in France.
Well done Misbah, we hope you will be very happy in the next ten years and in all of your life.
Laura came along at the end of the meal and was able to celebrate with us.
comments to taglines82@gmail.com

Get close to nature at Beaulieu


Saturday and Sunday 22/23 October at the Abbaye de Beaulieu. Workshops to create works of art in autumn motifs using natural materials, as with the original Cistercian inhabitants of this beautiful location.

Les moines cisterciens édifiaient des bâtiments épurés, sobrement agrémentés de motifs inspirés du monde végétal. Venez vous prendre au jeu de composer avec l’aide de la Nature de nouveaux motifs!  Des ateliers de land art pour décorer le cloître, des paysages en papier vitrail, des feuilles en couleur… Jusqu’à l’heure du goûter, les animations se placeront sous le signe de l’automne !
Abbaye de Beaulieu-en-Rouergue
82330 Ginals
Renseignements 05 63 24 50 10/13

Baby without papers, because he was born on Friday

The importance of getting things done according to the law has been underlined in the case of a baby born in the Var on a Friday. Parents have three days to register a birth and these parents went to the mairie the following Tuesday - a day too late. So it was not permissible to register the birth. Consequently the baby has no legal identity - so no entitlement to child benefit or birth gratuity designed to help mothers with a new-born.
Eight months of wrangling to be decided in court, with legal representation before baby Nolan can even be enrolled for a crèche. The law, from 1919, is said to be from a time when infant mortality was high and it was important to give a child a legal identity as soon as possible. Probably also a time when the mairie was always open on Saturday. One would have thought Sunday would not count, but apparently not so. Heaven help a baby born just before a bank holiday (with pont).
comments to taglines82@gmail.com

Police "en colere"

Demo outside hospital where an injured colleague is treated

The last three nights have seen demonstrations in the Champs Elysees in Paris by police. The "manifestations" have also spread to other cities, including Toulouse. The policemen are angry that the government has not provided the conditions or equipment needed to combat a shortage of staff needed to confront an increasingly hostile criminal milieu.
The trouble started when a patrol was petrol bombed by presumed drug dealers in the outskirts of the capital. Four officers had a "Molotov cocktail" thrown at their car and were forced to abandon it with their clothes on fire. Passers-by helped to douse the flames, but one officer is still in hospital with serious burns. Police union spokesmen claim that the officers were merely on surveillance and that such attacks, even shootings and rockets have become almost commonplace - "they are no longer afraid to kill a cop".
Demands include better pay and conditions to attract more recruits, better body armour and flame proof clothing and better sentencing of offenders, who the police claim are mainly recidivists.
comments to taglines82@gmail.com

Nous sommes le jeudi vingt octobre

What wonderful days we are having here in SW France, you have to love autumn.
In between gardening and walking the dogs,  being outside all day long is what we can enjoy here.
The air is fresh and clean, no factories round about, the lichen on the trees and branches a sign of the pure air.
We are also in a pesticide free area with the fields around being cut for the grass for the animals.
After a holiday in Italy where ( apart from the earthquake) our rented house was next to vineyards, where the constant spraying of the vines with old squeaky machinery was a real distraction to the peace, we are grateful here for the silence.
Another sunny morning where nothing is right with the world seemingly full of Donald Trumps but blocking them out, at Mas del Sol we have a  life as near perfection as you could get.
Assuming you are happy with dogs barking, donkeys hee hawing, and the odd chain saw!!
Enjoy your golden autumn days everyone... and be happy.
Comments to taglines82@gmail.com

Wednesday, 19 October 2016

Mission accomplished

no words needed, infact we are all too tired for words... but the job is done.

Elly says
Just wanted to say what a lovely photo of Misbah and Malcolm. Great job done. Bet you'll all sleep well tonight. 
Shaban says
Malc is amazing, he is an old man, 72! with one leg and he has done all that work.
Val says
Pats on the back all round.
Tomorrow a day of rest
Comments to taglines82@gmail.com

Open at Christmas?

Hi Val
Sorry, here comes the dreaded C……… word already!  Can anyone tell me of any restaurants which tend to open over Christmas? Particularly evening of 24th or 25th lunchtime? 
Thank you
L xXx
Taglines82@gmail.com

Remember Ruby

Hi Guys

Just a quick pic of herself after her new hairdo!. I don't think she appreciated it somewhat.

Settling in rather well.

I hope this finds you all well.

Regards
Trevor Gliddon
  
NCTJ  NCE (Senior Photo Journalist) LRPS (Deja Views Photography)
0033 06 30 67 87 67 (Portable)

Nous sommes le mercredi dix neuf octobre

Wonderful skies as we worked away at Mas del Sol yesterday.
A new project around the pool hopefully to make life easier.
Four of us worked away yesterday and collapsed early in to bed, the sleep of the righteous.
Comments to taglines82@gmail.com

Halloween in St. Antonin Noble Val


Tuesday, 18 October 2016

Drop in for cancer support


Reminder!
Cancer Support France drop in coffee morning, Gazpacho, Saint Antonin, every third Wednesday of the month, 10am to 11.30am. Next one, tomorrow morning Wednesday 19th October 2016. For anyone whose life has been touched by cancer, in any way, is welcome to come. There will be a trained volunteer available to offer advice or assistance. www.cancersupportfrance.org

Are you looking at me?

A visitor at Mas del.Sol with the water tower of Lez in the distance

Photos of Bali at St. Antonin

Hi Val
This Friday 21st October at 6.00 p.m. is the vernissage for the exhibition of  Canadian photographer Lyn Avery’s wonderful colourful photos of Bali.
The exhibition will be open for 12 days until 1st November in the Mairie of St Antonin.
Recommended !
Best wishes
John

Pressure to close a peage

The most expensive peage in France
The péage at L'Union on the A68, where one pays 1.50€, is thought to be one of the most expensive in France for the short distance travelled. A collection of local maires is calling for the abolition of the pay station in an effort speed up the access to the Toulouse rocade. All local maires are in favour, including Toulouse city and the Haute Garonne department. But only the government can decide the suppression, so tomorrow (Wednesday 19th October) the maires will mount a "free passage" operation from 8am in order to put pressure on the minister for transport.
comments to taglines82@gmail.com

A little train which disappeared

We know well that the main road from Lexos (Varen) to Montauban via the Gorge de l'Aveyron used to be a railway line. The many disused station and signalling buildings en route - often now private homes - are a simple indication of this former use. It seems France had its own Beeching era in the 60's and one line from Castres to Murat is fondly remembered for its little steam trains which ran from 1905-1962. Indeed so important was it for a hidden corner of the Tarn that it is now surrounded by stories and myths which are the subject of a documentary made by well-known Tarn film maker Jean-Louis Cros.
The train was turned at each end.

It can be seen on France 3 catch-up TV or the website. Cros walked the 70 km line discovering what has happened to the track, the buildings and tunnels (the last sometimes now used to mature cheese).
In the UK such lines have often been re-instated by steam enthusiasts, does anyone know of such initiatives here?.
comments to taglines82@gmail.com