Life in the Malepère

The Hand of Henry

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Trim) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:43:00 +0000

You may find this amusing and addictive.

One Hundred and Eighty!

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Trim) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 07:22:00 +0000

Friday night is Flechettes night!

Since la Rentrée, we have gathered in the bowels of the foyer at 8:30 ready for a 9 o’clock start. The evening consists of 4 games of 501. The winner gets 4 points, 2nd place gets 3 points, 3rd gets 2 points and 1 point for 4th place. (Fortunately we don’t have to finish with a double otherwise we would be there all night!) This season there have been prizes donated by members of the group. There have been a variety so far ranging from home-made sanglier pate, a pizza from the van that comes to the village on a Friday night and last night the prizes were a bottle of sparkling wine for the person who came second and a bag of escargots as first prize. The amusing thing was that we had seen the man who had given the snails, collecting them in the lanes earlier in the week. I enjoy the snails that I buy from the shops, though I am not so sure I would be quite so confident cooking and eating ones gathered from the hedgerows. Anyhow, we didn't win but I must look out for a recipe just in case.

St Bruno's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Trim) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:46:00 +0000

Today is St Bruno’s day and this gives me an very good excuse to show off our new kittens Bruno and Mimi.

Unfortunately we had to have our 12 year old cat put to sleep last month as she was suffering from a liver infection. Since then, the house had not been the same, so when the Carcassonne S.P.A. had an open day on Sunday, we decided to go and see if they had any kittens. We fell in love with them as soon as we saw them.

I had really forgoten how time-consuming (and adorable) kittens can be.

Wine Tasting

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Trim) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 15:37:00 +0000

We have just returned from a very pleasant afternoon sampling wines at Château de Cointes - one of our local vineyards

As we tasted a wide range of wines under the large pine trees, we were entertained by Jeff’H, who played a variety of Rock, Blues and Country music. It was a lovely setting with views over the vineyards and the Malepère Hills. Needless to say, the wine we liked the best was the most expensive!

Fête Locale

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Trim) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:40:00 +0000

The lorries and trailers that were here for the Fête Locale this week have finally left Arzens. The stage has been dismantled and everyone is getting ready for the Rentrée and vendange.

The fête ran its usual course. On Saturday we went to the repas at the Arzenais, which was Paëlla. It was lovely to meet 2 Irish families who were staying in the village and were taking part in the village activities.

Over the four evenings there were a variety of groups which followed meals or tapas at the Arzenais and apéros in front of the foyer. If you didn’t feel inspired to dance, you could go on the dodgems or any of the other attractions that were on the road.

On Sunday, members of the Comité des Fête came round the houses giving out plants. We were entertained by a piano-accordionist who played a melody of tunes. As soon as he realized we were English, he played ‘God save Our Gracious Queen’!

***************

The other evening, as we were getting ready for bed, we noticed that a scorpion had walked into the dining-room. We managed to put the offending beastie in a glass and took it down the road. Our reference books told us that scorpions here are not dangerous to humans, but we weren’t going to take any chances.

Summer Storms

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Trim) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 15:02:00 +0000

Yesterday the weather was amazingly hot, 34 degrees! It was lovely sitting by the pool doing crosswords, Sudokus and reading my book then dipping into the water to cool off. We ate dinner outside and just before bed had a lovely refreshing swim. As we swam the most amazing full moon appeared. According to the forecast, we were to have a clear night and the same weather today – no, (we should know the France météo forecasts by now). At 3 o’clock we could hear the distant rumble of thunder over the mountains. Gradually the thunder and lightening grew closer until it was right overhead. The noise was incredible. Once the storm had blown over, the rain arrived. Fortunately it didn’t last long and we were able to get back to sleep.

Summer in the South of France

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Trim) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 08:38:00 +0000

This is a photograph of the field opposite our house. To me, sunflowers are synonymous with Summer in the south of France.

The Tour 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Trim) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:23:00 +0000

Thézan des Corbières was our closest place to watch Stage 5 of the Tour de France. We took out friends Von (who had never seen it before) and Mark. The day ran true to form (see my blog this time last year). The caravan came through throwing the usual goodies and then an hour later came the riders. Six cyclists were ahead of the peloton who all rushed past in a large group. I was amazed how close they were to us.

Mark Cavendish in the green jersey and Fabian Cancellara in yellow

The only thing that was different this year was the troop of soldiers who had turned up. About 60 militaires with guns, stood at the side of the road watching the race. (We weren’t sure if they were there to protect Lance or take him out.) I am glad they weren’t there when the caravan came through as we wouldn’t have got anything!

Happy Birthday to the Cave La Malepère

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Trim) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 14:40:00 +0000

It has been very interesting living in a village where most of the inhabitants are employed in the wine industry either the growing, making or selling of wine. Years ago wine was made by individual wine growers or small domains around the village but 60 years ago this all changed and the Co-operative, La Cave la Malepère was formed.

To celebrate this anniversary, the Cave had had an open day. All during the day, amongst many other attractions, there were donkey rides for the children, cart rides around the village, wine tasting (bien sûr), a vide grenier, old and new machinery and tours around the cave and the chai or wine storage. The latter was most interesting. One of the vignerons explained the stages of the making of the wine from the arrival of the grapes all the way though to the finished product.

Waiting for customers

Having a rest before finishing the ploughing between the vines

Casks full of the Révolution Cabardès Wine produced in Arzens

Like all good French events, it wasn't complete without food. There was a lunch for those who wanted at 12 o’clock. We decided to go to the evening repas, which as all meals we have been to in Arzens, was excellent. There were aperitifs before the meal then when the tables were ready everyone sat down to eat. It was lovely being out in the evening sunshine though the wind was quite chilling. The President gave a short speech about how the Co-operative was started, then the food was served. We had six courses washed down with some superb wines. Whilst we ate, we listened to a variety of singers including Geoffrey Not.

Our Own Springwatch

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Trim) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 14:52:00 +0000

The hedges and trees around our garden provide homes for a variety of birds. We have found discarded egg shells on the ground which we think have been goldfinch and red-starts. For the last couple of days, as we have eaten in our dining-room, we have had the lovely spectacle of a couple of adult blue-tits feeding their five little babies. The parents bring the family to our palm trees and the fledglings sit dotted about on the tree. Mum and Dad collect the food from the fat balls or seed holders that are hanging on the tree then fly to the little ones.

The babies look so small and vulnerable.

An Exhausting Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Trim) — Mon, 25 May 2009 12:17:00 +0000

Sunday was quite a day for sport lovers!

England beat the West Indies the one day cricket match. Paul Casey won the PGA at Wentworth by one stroke. Andy Murray defeated Juan Chela at Roland Garros in Paris. The football Premier League finished its season with many happy and sad football fans around the country and Jensen Button won the Monaco Grand Prix. Our television remote control was getting quite hot with all the channel hopping.

One thing that we did do live was watch the end of the final stage of the Tour de l’Aude in Limoux. The speed that they all crossed the line was amazing. The German Claudia Hausler won the overall Tour and Nicole Cooke finished fifth. All the results can be found on the Tour de LAude site.

Les Estivales de la Malepère

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Trim) — Sat, 23 May 2009 15:53:00 +0000

For a small French village, Arzens is very active.

For the last 20 years, the village has held Les Estivales de la Malepère. This year it runs from 2nd until 12^th June and consists of a variety of deep, thought provoking lectures and discussions. On Sunday 7^th June there is a musical programme by the Chorale de la Malepère and a mixture of musical pieces by Henry and Marina.

Each lecture is free and begins at 21:00, except for Sunday 7^th June which starts at 16:00.

The full programme can be seen on Les Estivales web site.

Tour de L'Aude

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Trim) — Sat, 23 May 2009 12:59:00 +0000

For the last 10 days Aude has been hosting “La Tour de l’Aude Cycliste Féminin”. The 114 women started last Friday in Guissan and they have been progressing through the Département. Friday’s stage started in Saint-Hilaire and after 60 kilometers came through our village, Arzens, before cycling back into the Malepère hills. According to the timetable they were due to arrive at 15:43 but they were cycling so fast they came through 15 minutes ahead of schedule. Before they arrived, numerous gendarmes on motor bikes with sirens wailing and blue lights flashing, followed by press and support vehicles drove through the village. The speed they were travelling at was amazing. There had been an intermediate sprint in Arzens and the girls were cycling as fast as they could to score bonus time points in this section. As they crossed the sprint line, the British Olympic Champion Nicole Cooke was 3^rd.

After cycling another 40 kilometers, they finished in Montréal. The winner was the Dutch girl, Marianne Vos, who was riding for the DSB team.

Nicole Cooke was 6^th. Once everyone had crossed the line, shirts of a variety of colours and bunches of flowers, were given to the winning riders.

At the moment, the German, Claudia Hausler, riding for Cervelo Test Team is just over 2 minutes ahead of next rider.

Come on Nicole!

Three Little Maids From School

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Trim) — Tue, 05 May 2009 12:24:00 +0000

We have just had a lovely weekend entertaining our daughter Sally and two of her best friends, Cassie and Louisa from Aylesbury High School. It has been fun wining and dining them and tasting some of the potential local varieties that might be going to the UK for Sally and Duncan’s wedding next year. The weather on Saturday and Sunday were gorgeous and they all managed a very brief swim, even though the pool had only just reached 21 degrees.

A Change in the Weather

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Trim) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 20:41:00 +0000

Five weeks ago I was lying on the lounger in the warm spring sunshine, looking at the dull winter cover on the pool. The next day, we rang M. Herbert and asked him to open the pool ready for the summer. The day he arrived it started raining and since then there haven’t been many days it hasn’t rained since!

Yesterday was Lundi de Pâques and the Randonneurs celebrated it with the usual repas. This year it was held in the Village foyer. It began with the customary apéros. Everyone brought entrées which were shared around. Following that, a variety of omelettes were distributed which had been made by the ‘older ladies’ of the club. It was a very lively occasion. By the time we left at 5 o’clock the sun was beginning to shine.

Because I am a rather “fair weather” walker, today was the first walk I had been on for four weeks. The sun was shinning and there was very little wind. It was a lovely afternoon. The ballade began in Montolieu and walked past the Chapelle de St Roch and then for a further 8 kilometres around the town. As we set off I heard my first cuckoo of the season. The walk was lovely. We saw lots of spring flowers, sanglier tracks, a small herd of goats eating the garrigue. There were even black kites (merlin noir) and hen harriers (Busard Saint-Martin) soaring in the sky.

It was a lovely walk and I hope that the weather we have had today is the start of more sunny days to come but looking at the météo for the next week, I am not quite so sure.

Picnics

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Trim) — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 14:29:00 +0000

As we are getting a bit older and having picnics sitting on the ground are not as comfortable as they used to be, so we decided to buy a collapsible picnic table. We have had nearly two weeks of beautiful blue skies with some daytime temperatures reaching 20 degrees, (which isn’t bad for the end of March) we thought we would make the most of the weather and take a picnic up to the Minervois.

We found a most fantastic spot. We sat looking at the snow-capped Pyrenees with only the sound of birds and insects and not a car engine to be heard. It was beautiful. After our lunch, we had a lovely walk around the area. There were some pretty miniature daffodils and orchids growing amongst the stones and rocks.

One thing that did amaze us was the amount of “tent caterpillars” or Les chenilles processionaires we saw in the pine trees. These web-like cocoons swinging from the tree tops are in fact caterpillar nests, constructed by the ‘chenille processionnaire’ larva which live in large "tents" and march out at night in single file (hence the name) to feed on the pine needles, leaving behind them a pheromone trail (a kind of chemical message), which enables them to find their way back to the nest after feeding.

When we first moved into our house, we had a couple of nests in our pine trees and were quite intrigued by the lines of caterpillars we saw walking across our garden. We now realize the risks that that carry. Quite apart from the damage caused to the trees, the caterpillars have fine hairs on their back containing a poison which causes severe irritation and dermatitis, and in some cases an allergic reaction (anaphylactic shock) to both humans and animals. Even after the caterpillar is dead, the hairs remain toxic. Take care when walking your dog in areas where the caterpillars may be, or have been. Initial symptoms to watch out for in your pet may include vomiting and tongue swelling.

As we were heading home, we saw a signpost for Curiosité de Lauriole. As we were curious we decided to follow the directions. We drove the road looking out for a geological site or religious monument – nothing! We even passed a car driving in the opposite direction obviously looking as well. When we got home we searched on the internet and found the answer. Apparently the road is an optical illusion - balls, bottles and cars will seem to travel UPHILL!. Even water, poured onto the road surface flows the wrong way! This has got us intrigued and the next time we are in the Minervois we will have a closer look.

Spring

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Trim) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 12:52:00 +0000

It is a big world out there my son!

Timber.........

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Trim) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 10:09:00 +0000

We had 3 lovely pine trees in our garden which are typical of the French countryside but over the years we have been here have grown rather tall. With the wet winter and the tempêt 2 weeks ago, they have become unsafe so reluctantly we decided that they must be cut before they fall down and cause damage to the pool or its surrounds.

Many thanks to Jean-Yves Macron from Alairac for his professional work.

The garden is looking a little bare at the moment but once we have got the ground prepared, I think we will plant some cherry trees that will give us hopefully, blossom in the spring and fruit to eat later.

Work Completed

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Trim) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 13:52:00 +0000

We have finally repaired all the damage after the tempêt that hit us on 24^th January. Maurice Bes, a local builder arrived with his team last Friday afternoon to repair the roof, which was the most important work. The boys arrived bang on 2:00 pm and worked hard all afternoon. Fortunately, apart from a load of broken tiles, only a small strut of wood had been broken in the attic. It could have been an awful lot worse.

As they didn’t have time to finish the chimney, they said they would be back Monday morning at 8:00am. Although we are not used to early starts like this, it was worth the effort to get the job completed. Unfortunately, it was wet and windy and so the builders didn’t turn up (I don’t blame them). As the weather cleared up in the afternoon Fabrice arrived at 2:00pm to repair the chimney.

As the job wasn’t completed we put the alarm on for another early rise on Tuesday morning. The morning was still a bit grey and drizzly and certainly not good weather for repairing chimneys, so no sign of Maurice or Fabrice. Fortunately, we had a phone call from Dave who was going to put up our satellite dish for us. I had really missed the TV, especially last week during the Australian Open Tennis when I had to listen to Australian Radio for the commentary of the Men’s Semis and Final. (It is amazing how cheaply you can buy prawns to throw on a BBQ.) By lunch time we had TV and radio. Two o’clock, on the dot, Fabrice arrived to finish the chimney and fix the aerial for French TV.

Thanks to everyone who have helped us. It is amazing how communities pull together during time of crisis.

They Walk Among Us!

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Trim) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 08:59:00 +0000

These made me smile. Thanks you Viv for sending them.

*Caution... They Walk Among Us!*

*One day I was walking down the beach with some friends when someone
shouted....'Look at that dead bird!' Someone looked up at the sky and
said...'where???'*

**They Walk among us!!*

***
While looking at a house, my brother asked the estate agent which direction
was north because, he explained, he didn't want the sun waking him up every
morning. She asked, 'Does the sun rise in the north?' When my brother
explained that the sun rises in the east, and has for sometime, she shook
her head and said, 'Oh, I don't keep up with that stuff.' *

**They Walk Among Us!!*

****
My colleague and I were eating our lunch in our cafeteria, when we overheard
one of the administrative assistants talking about the sunburn she got on
her weekend drive to the beach. She drove down in a convertible, but 'didn't
think she'd get sunburned because the car was moving'.*

**They Walk Among Us!!!!*

***
I told the girl at the steakhouse register that I wanted the half pound sirloin.
She informed me they only had an 8 oz sirloin. Not wanting to
make a scene, I told her I would take the 8 oz steak instead of the
half pound.*

**They walk among us! *

****
My sister has a lifesaving tool in her car it's designed to cut through a
seat belt if she gets trapped She keeps it in the trunk...*

**They Walk Among Us!!!!!*

***
My friends and I were on a Beer run and noticed that the cases were
discounted 10%. Since it was a big party, we bought 2 cases. The cashier
multiplied 2 times 10% and gave us a 20% discount.... *

**They Walk Among Us!!!!!!*

***
I was hanging out with a friend when we saw a woman with a nose ring
attached to an earring by a chain. My friend said, 'Wouldn't the chain rip
out every time she turned her head?' I had to explain that a person's nose
and ear remain the same distance apart no matter which way the head is
turned...*

**They Walk Among Us!!!!!!! *

***
I couldn't find my luggage at the airport baggage area. So I went to the
lost luggage office and told the woman there that my bags never showed up.
She smiled and told me not to worry because she was a trained professional
and I was in good hands. 'Now,' she asked me, 'Has your plane arrived
yet?'...*

**They Walk Among Us!!!!!!!!*

***
While working at a pizza parlor I observed a man ordering a small pizza to
go. He appeared to be alone and the cook asked him if he would like it cut
into 4 pieces or 6. He thought about it for some time before responding.
'Just cut it into 4 pieces; I don't think I'm hungry enough to eat 6
pieces.*

**Yep, They Walk Among Us, too.!!!!!!!!*

*Sadly, not only do they walk among us, they also reproduce ! ! ! ! *

And Then There Was Light!

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Trim) — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 16:25:00 +0000

Gosh, what a weekend! We woke up on Saturday morning to strong winds, but that isn't surprising around here. Gradually as the morning went on, the wind got stronger causing the occasional trip in the electricity which took out the computer (very annoying). By 12 noon we had no power and the winds were very strong. Whilst we were having lunch there was an almighty crash on the roof and yes, the chimney had fallen down, smashing roof tiles. From the loft hatch we could see daylight! We called the insurance help line who asked us if we needed a hotel room.Fortunately that wasn't necessary so they gave us the phone number of a company who could provide a tarpaulin to cover the hole. As no one was there we left a message and went on to Plan B.

We decided to visit Jean-Jacques, a councillor who lives on our road and can speak English for some advice. He wasn't at home but at the Mairie with all the other councillors helping the villagers who had problems, cutting up fallen trees, clearing roads, organising builders to help with repairs. They even gave Richard a bâche, a cover, to go over the hole in the roof until someone could fix it. The team work in the village was amazing! Before Richard had even arrived home, word had got to a local builder who turned up to assess the situation. he went away and returned with the necessary equipment. Within 2 hours of the chimney collapsing, the hole had been covered securely. I was very impressed.

As the power was still off on Sunday morning, Jean-Jacques turned up and asked if we needed a generator to get the fridge and freezer cold again. We could borrow it for 2 hours before passing it on to the next person who needed it. This too was provided by the Mairie.

Power was finally restored on our road after 3 days! The rest of the village were back to normal after 1 day but unfortunately we have some very large trees that had taken down the power cables. Apparently at one point, 90% of the Aude department was without power.

Things are slowly getting back to normal but until we get our satellite dish up we will have to rely on the computer for the news and radio.

Getting Up Early

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Trim) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 19:31:00 +0000

Would you believe that I have been asked to change my "tooth hurty" dental appointment to 9:30 tomorrow!

The Beginning of a New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Trim) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 14:39:00 +0000

All the Christmas and New Year festivities have finished and everything is back to normal. The sales have started here but without the frenzy that seems to happen in the UK. The dates of the sales are organised by the Minister of the Economy and not the individual shops. On 7th December it was declared that the sales would start on the first Wednesday of January. Each prefect of the departments would decide whether they would last 4, 5, or 6 weeks.

The weather over the last month has been terrible. We have had snow on several days, rain, freezing fog and days when the temperature hasn’t got above -3 degrees. It was a good job we managed to get our wood supply in time!

Although Epiphany is 6th January, the French seem to celebrate with gateaux throughout the month of January. Last Friday at Fléchettes, galettes des rois and bottles of Cider and Blanquette were provided and much appreciated too.

After the Randonneurs walk on Tuesday 3 galettes des rois and bottles of cider were produced. It was very pleasant eating and drinking in the late evening sunshine.

The tradition actually dates back to the 14th century. It is an ancient festival which celebrates the 3 kings who brought gifts to Jesus, soon after he was born.

A ’fève’ (*originally a bean but now tends to be a plastic trinket) is baked inside the cake and the cake is shared around the table. Whoever receives the fève is then crowned king or queen for the day.

The Queens on this occasion were France, Jo and myself!

Happy New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Trim) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 09:21:00 +0000

I would like to wish everyone who has looked at my blog over the last 12 months a
Happy New Year

Seasons Greetings from Carcassonne

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Trim) — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 20:18:00 +0000

Carcassonne has really come up trumps with their decorations and activities in the town this year. From the beginning of December there have been a wide range of activities for all ages.

There are bouncy castles and La Grande Roue in the Place Genéral de Gaulle. The Halle aux Grains has held an exhibition of magnificent crèches, or Nativity scenes, which are traditional in France (crèche meaning manger in French). Some of the little characters were even made out of Champagne corks.

There is an ice skating area in Place Carnot which the younger children enjoyed during the day then when it was dark, came alive with youths.

The revamped Gambetta Square has an amazing array of decorations plus lighting on the surrounding buildings which constantly change colour giving a wonderful effect.

Most of the attractions close on 31^st December.