Blogs from Ariege, Midi-Pyrénées, France, Europe - page 2

Over the course of just 4 days, our glorious Indian Summer has been replaced by the onset of winter. The afternoon temperature in our courtyard has dropped by an astonishing 30 degrees Celsius. Last week’s strappy tops and shorts have been banished in favour of fleeces, trousers and especially socks. The haricot beans, peppers and tomatoes of late summer are losing place on the market stalls to celeriac, knobbly carrots, cabbages and chestnuts. Summer lettuce is giving way to rocket, black radish and the tiny soft leaves of lamb’s lettuce. The pleasure of the fierce afternoon sun has been replaced by the glowing comfort of the wood burning stove in the evening. The weather remains glorious however, and the autumn colours are out in force. It’s wonderful weather for walking, and appreciating this refreshing change in ... read more

We went to see our friends the donkeys today to collect some of their well-rotted manure. But it's hard to concentrate in the job in hand when........... read more

Laroque and its Primary School, Elisée Maury, have hit the headlines. And not just here. Just look at today’s Guardian. Not a week into the new term, and a newly appointed teacher has been ordered to quit her post here. Not sacked, but transferred to a school nearly 2 hours drive away. Why? 50 children were expected to return to school at the beginning of term. In the event, 47 turned up. The parents of the others had apparently found jobs elsewhere and moved away during the summer. Without those three extra children, the school’s not entitled to three teachers. Teachers here are civil servants, appointed centrally. Neither the local council nor the school itself has any influence on appointments, or on how the school uses its teaching budget. But Caroline Sanchez, the teacher in question, ... read more

We’ve just had 2 weeks of Guests. One of the main pleasures of Guests (especially if one of them is an old friend not seen in ages, and the other Daughter Number 2), is the opportunity it gives to see the region we’ve chosen as home anew, through fresh eyes. Though funnily enough, Guests also unleash the possibility of unbridled greed. Because of them, we spend longer at markets, discussing whether to buy our usual favourite piquant olives, or those dressed in lemon and basil, or those big ones over there, rich in garlic. (Answer: buy the lot). We hover round cheese stalls, discussing and tasting the merits of cheeses made with cows’ or sheep’s or goats’ milk, or mixtures of different types of milk. We look for the ripest peaches and nectarines, and buy bags ... read more

We have an apricot tree in the garden. It’s only a little one. It’s certainly not a prize-winning specimen, having mottled skin that can only be described as ‘moche’ (manky). But that doesn’t affect the flavour. This apricot tree has governed our week (well, fortnight actually). Gathering windfalls. Gathering not-windfalls. Washing. Sorting. Cooking. Ah yes, cooking. This is what we now have in our store cupboard, our freezer, our fridge, our tummies, our friends’ tummies. Apricot jam-apricot and ginger jam-apricot curd-apricot frangipane-apricot crumble-apricot ice cream-apricot curd ice cream-apricot sorbet-poached apricots-apricot and hazelnut meringue-apricot purée-apricot liqueur. We don’t much care for chutney, so that’s not on the list. I no longer look forward to scrumping as I collect the fruit. But apricots ARE coming to an end. Now the next crop is near... read more