Another week.....

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Busy times this week again. Because the weather’s been intermittently awful (locally, floods closed roads and houses were inundated) we’ve kept busy at home, rushing out in a deluge one lunchtime to the bar up the hill which recently opened a restaurant. We had low expectations, but had a tasty and hugely filling meal in the congenial atmosphere we’ve come to expect.

This weekend there’s been a festival a bit like the Heritage Weekends in September back in the UK. Here at Laroque, they’ve had an exhibition about all the shops that have vanished from the town, so our house featured, since it used to be a butcher’s, together with the memories of one local, who remembered whole dead animals hanging outside the shop in all weathers, together with the accompanying stench.

Yesterday, with poor old Malcolm confined to barracks with really bad hayfever, I went off for an afternoon exploring an organic vineyard about 10 miles away. I listened carefully for tips on pruning and so on for my own little patch, and simply listening to what the owner, Philippe had to say, with his lifetime of knowledge and enjoyment of telling a good tale. Set amongst t the rolling hills of the Douctouyre valley, we had a pleasant walk through his domaine, gorging on wild cherries every time thirst struck. We finished the afternoon tasting 3 of his most popular wines - such hard work!

Today we’ve been out too, to Camon, to discover the ancient stone huts which were the summer shelters of the villagers as they scraped a living on the harsh soils round and about in the middle ages and beyond. Vines, fruit trees, cereals, cattle - all were expected to flourish in the tiny parcels of land available to the villagers, who also built stone burrows to encourage the local rabbits to make their homes there so they would be handy for the cooking pot.

And now, we’re waiting for a call from Ellie, Phil and the twins who are coming to spend 4 days wit us. It’s just started raining again……

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Photos

Cherries en route....
...just asking to be eaten

Baby grapes
Ours look like this too just now