Ronde du Malepère

Every year the Malepère region celebrates the harvest of the wine with a 2 day fête. Each year the location changes and this time it was held in the neighbouring village of Alairac. The forecast for the day hadn’t been good but we woke up to blue skies and a gentle wind, it was beautiful.

Once we got to Alairac we paid €5 for our glass which entitled us to taste wines from all the producers that had come to the festival. We had bought some of the wines at the local caves or Supermarkets but this tasting session means that we can sample some of the more unusual wines of the region (and very nice they were too!) Our cave from the village has produced a very good Primeur this harvest. We tasted (and bought) a very good red wine that is produced by our doctor and his wife.

After speeches and the giving of prizes, they announced that the apéros were available. As usual, there was a rush for the bottles and charcuterie which had been spread on the table. There was no need to hurry as the wine and food kept coming. Whilst we were eating and drinking, we were entertained by bandas. Some people even danced to the music.

As well as les caveaux, there were stalls selling a variety of local fare. There was also a vide grenier all around the streets, vintage cars, bandas were playing around the town and the whole place was bustling. It was great.

A Quick Trip to England

It had been a while since we had seen our children and friends in the UK, so on Tuesday we flew from Carcassonne to Stansted. It is so handy living only 10 minutes from the airport in France though it isn’t quite so convenient at the other end.

After a quick look round the Milton Keynes shopping precinct, (I think it is the only thing that we miss here in France) we drove to Nick and Julia’s who were putting us up for a couple of nights. As usual they were excellent hosts and wined and dined us well.

On Wednesday we were off to London via Tring, where we met Kate our youngest daughter. Following a pleasant lunch of tapas at La Viña, we left Kate sort out all her livestock at home whilst we carried on to London to see Sally our eldest daughter. As we had some time to spare, we decided to drive along our old road. Nothing much had changed. We decided to drop in on our old neighbour, Gaynor. (I mean old, in the sense of time, not age!) We keep in touch by e-mail but it was great to see her again and catch up with the more recent gossip.

When we arrived at the flat in London, Duncan, Sally’s boyfriend, was there. It was good to see him home, safe and sound again after his military assignment in Afghanistan. Sally had booked a table at Princess Victoria. Fortunately, her best friend Cassie was able to join us. We had a lovely dinner there and afterwards ate Sally’s birthday cake back at her and Duncan’s flat.

Another reason to come back to the UK was to see TeamGB parade through London on Thursday. Duncan’s father was able to pop over from Hereford and after a very interesting coffee with Sally, we walked to Trafalgar Square to get ourselves a prime spot to see the floats. We had watched most of the games in the summer and it was amazing to see all the athletes being cheered and applauded as they drove along.

After it was all over, we drove back to Nick and Julia’s again. Boy, I had forgotten how bad London traffic can be!

We had yet another evening of eating, this time at a very good Indian restaurant, The Grange.

On Friday we headed back to Stansted for our flight. We had had a super few days in the UK, but it is always good to get back home.

Something else the cat brought in.

Whist having dinner the other evening, we realised that the cat wanted to come in after her meander around the garden. Not only did she come in, but also the little lérot in her mouth. Once inside, she duly let it go and it shot up the wall and then behind the curtains. We opened the doors hoping that it would make a quick get away, unfortunately, it didn’t take the hint. After a little light persuasion with a brush, it did disappear. We didn’t actually see it go out but there is no evidence of it in the house. We keep expecting to see its little face peep out over the top of the curtains. It was a sweet little creature with a very pretty face.

A Busy Week

We have had a hectic couple of weeks. When we moved to France, we had a long list of things that needed doing so that we conformed to French system. Over the last two and a half years we have been gradually working through it. Two things that needed sorting out were our French wills and tax situation. Because of this, we have had to make a couple of trip to Toulouse to take the paper work to the appropriate offices. We usually have lunch out, making the day much more enjoyable. Last Monday we were sitting outside in the sunshine, the temperature 25°, eating a very pleasant meal – not bad for October.

The weather continued to be lovely for my weekly walk with the Randonneurs. We had a superb route over the Malepère hills. The colours of the vines and hedgerows are amazing.

I have just started helping a young French boy with English. Planning the lessons and getting work sheets for his homework has been bringing back memories. I forgot how much time it took!

In England, Richard was playing golf 2 or 3 times a week. He has finally found a group who play at Carcassonne Golf Club. It is amazing playing golf and being able to see the snow capped Pyrenees.

From one extreme to another, we have also joined Les Fléchettes de la Malepère, our village darts club. Apparently it is the only darts club in Aude. We meet every Friday evening in the bowels of the Foyer. It is very well organised. When you arrive you pay €2 each for the evening and at about 9pm those playing are divided into groups or 4 or 5. We play on an electronic board, so my metal tipped darts that I brought from the UK are useless for club night, as plastic tipped darts are used. The first to 301 wins and fortunately you don’t have to finish with a double. The first week I felt quite chuffed coming 3rd by winning two of the four games. Last week Richard came 1st as he won three of the matches.

Yesterday we watched the semi-marathon that took place in Carcassonne. It started at the gates of the Cité with the fantastic backdrop of the walls behind.

I hope next week is not so busy.

Lunch in the Sun

The sun was shining and the holiday traffic had decreased, so we decided to head to the Med for lunch. The restaurants in Bouzigues, near Sète had been highly recommended on one of the forums we read, so we headed there. Peter was right. There were plenty of good places to eat. We sat down to eat at Chez Julie just after 12:00 and by 12:30 they were turning people away.

There was a good selection on the menu, I am just sorry that I don’t fancy the idea of oysters as they look so dramatic. After a lovely lunch sitting in the warm autumn sunshine, we wandered on to Mèze and walked along the étang.

Snake

This snake appeared in our kitchen this evening! Is this an adder/viper? Is it dangerous? Richard picked it up (with gloves) and threw it over the hedge. Could it have brothers and sisters in the garden?

C'est La Rentrée

As in the UK, most of the shops in France have been selling things ready for return to school this week. In France they don’t concentrate too much on clothing, as most children here do not to wear school uniforms. The shelves are mainly stacked with stationary, pencils cases and a range of satchels. At the end of the term in July, all students were provided with a list if things that they must buy for the next school year. These include varieties of file paper, stationary, mathematical equipment, calculators and even textbooks. During the holiday the aisles have been full of adults and children, lists in hand, buying essentials for the coming term.

Not only is it La Rentrée for the students but for French life generally. The papers are full of adverts to encourage memberships at gyms in order to begin a keep-fit regime or reminding people that it is time to get things serviced such as boilers and central heating ready for the winter. We even had a phone call from our chimney sweep organizing a time to visit.

Another sign (or sound) that the summer is coming to a close is being woken up in the early hours by tractors and wine harvesting machinery going along the road. I believe that the Chardonnay grapes are collected before the sun gets on them so that the quality isn’t spoilt. They are also picking other varieties as I can hear the apparatus which checks each tractor load of grapes for its strength. It won’t be long before the smell of the crushed grapes permeates the village. I am looking forward to sampling this year’s wine next month!