30 Degrees and a Stroll Through Time

It’s hard to imagine that we were last here in 2013! It is such a shock to be back in tourist France after the last two weeks in a rural village. It is so beautiful and only 30 degrees! We were able to walk along the canal under the shade of the trees... tempted to do another canal trip.

Our last canal trip was in Wales. We took Mum, who was in her nineties and very spritely. Caleb dropped in on his European gap year and helped us with heavy locks. The locks here are automated, but the boats are big and the locks are deep—very deep. Caleb, what are you doing next year?

Crazy to think the Canal du Midi was dug out by hand back in the 1600s! An amazing project although it pushed its creator to bankruptcy and took 14 years, it was built by the incredible hands of 12,000 men and women.

What makes the Canal du Midi uniquely progressive for its time is that a substantial number of these workers were women. Riquet specifically hired women from the Pyrenees who possessed ancient Roman engineering knowledge of hydraulics and water management.

Even better, Riquet was a remarkably progressive employer. He paid his workers, both men and women (unheard of) flat monthly wages that were still paid out even if they were sick or if the weather was too poor to dig.

Lots of very burnt people loudly enjoying their hire boats on the canal.

Once we’d had our fill of the canal, cafes, and markets, we escaped the crowds for a quiet stroll through the old town. There, we met the artist Kathleen Burlumi. Originally from England, she settled in Trèbes with her husband and young son back in 1989. She took us around to show us the fascinating historical photographs displayed on the ancient stone walls.

I just love how beautifully the French preserve their history, though Kathleen shared that it isn't always easy. She told us about the struggles the local association faced trying to protect some of the old, abandoned houses that were destined to be bulldozed for a car park. In the end, it was only by appealing to the patrimoine (heritage authorities) that they were successfully saved.

It is wonderful to study the old photos—to see how people dressed and the proud, formal poses they struck for the camera. (Check out the wedding photo!)

With fresh baguettes and pains aux raisins in hand, we headed home, winding along the sunflower-lined roads back to Trausse.

Boulangeries, Britten, and Book Art

Every village is different. Sure, there will be old houses, a church, an épicerie if you are lucky, and definitely a boulangerie for a baguette or pain au chocolat. BUT there is always something quirky.

In Rieux, it was a couple of things. The church, for one. 

It is a Roman church dating back to the 12th century, beautifully set in the round beneath a grand cupola. The caretaker let us in with a huge, old key and simply said, 'Switch the light off when you leave!'

I did a quick try out of the acoustics.  They were amazing - though not quite as spectacular as when I sang at Notre Dame de Cros! Oh and yes I could have done with a tuning fork! Have a listen below.

Copy of Rieux July by Julie Howard 

It is ironic that my music arrived today. I really must start learning it. I have never sung Benjamin Britten before!

 

The second surprising thing we stumbled across was a collection of book art... such fun!

Mussels, Nuns and Medieval Walls: A Visit to Azille

A favourite spot of ours is Azille. It's only ten kilometres away. We love the Monastère Mater Dei. It was founded in 1361 by the Clarisses (Poor Clares) who were totally isolated from the community. In 2008 though, a different order, the Chanoinesses Régulières de la Mère de Dieu moved in. They are known locally for their liturgical music and for producing artisanal honey, syrups, and regional rosé wine. They even run an online business for their products.

When we arrived, Mass was in progress and the nuns were seated behind the altar, mostly out of our view. I was hoping to hear them sing... but not this time! I couldn't take a photo, but found this on the net.

People have lived in the town for thousands of years, evolving from a prehistoric settlement into a highly fortified medieval stronghold. I love how people have integrated the walls of the ramparts and the fort into their houses... a back wall here... a side wall there!

The town has tiny streets that wind through the fortifications, with the centre protected by the original walls and an outer wall added later. It has a café with a tiny épicerie and a terrific boulangerie. We've been lucky that each time we visit, there has been a camion ambulant.

The first time, there was the refrigerated camion du boucher/charcutier. Incredible! 

Milton had told us what fantastic butchers Icher & Fils were and that we should buy all our meat from them. Ha! We saw the signs and we wove through the tiny streets of Caunes-Minervois, but we just couldn't find the shop. One day we finally got there, but of course, in the true French tradition, it was closed. But now, here it was right in front of us - the side of the van opened up to display their fabulous meat and deli items!

On other days, there was a camion du crémier / fromager packed with delicious cheeses. A local speciality is la bougnette—a softball-sized ball made of minced pork belly mixed heavily with eggs and rassis (stale) breadcrumbs. The whole thing is wrapped in caul fat and then fried or baked until it has a caramel-coloured outer crust. It is incredibly hearty and a beloved staple of local village charcuteries. It tastes so much better than it sounds!

Pâtés en croûte are another local delicacy. One slice with salad for lunch keeps us both satisfied!

The last time we were in Azille, there was a man enthusiastically selling shellfish - mussels, oysters, lobster and prawns. When I asked if he had fish... he looked horrified. He declared, "Je suis écailler, pas poissonnier!" Mmmm, so a seller of shellfish is rated more highly than someone selling fish. Got it!

Then I asked locals which trucks came on which days, a Gallic shrug was the response! Ah well, it makes for interesting lunches and dinners.

Why? Where? What or Pourquoi? Où? Quoi ?

Hey, I love that you are enjoying the blog and that you have questions. I especially love "Where are you?" It's a question we have asked ourselves a few times this holiday! That and why on earth are we driving a manual car with a dodgy sat-nav!!!!! Always happy to answer more questions, hear your comments and find out about what you are doing.

Where are you?

This little map shows some of the places we have visited. Trausse is very close to Carcassonne, sitting roughly 25 kilometre directly northeast of the famous medieval walled city. It's tucked into the southern foothills of the Montagne Noire. Toulouse is the major regional hub, situated much further to the west-northwest. Trausse is about 115 kilometres east-southeast of Toulouse.

Why do we do home exchange?

We love home exchange because it is so much more than a holiday. You actually become part of the community. I love the fact that our exchangees are having so much fun and our place is not empty.

Our neighbour Lynn kindly welcomed Jill from the UK and settled her into our apartment (Bravo, Lynn!). Jill has really embraced Sydney life, making full use of the ferries, buses, and metro to explore music, theatre, markets and to celebrate Christmas in July.

Jill has been invited to join our friends for dinner, so she will get to know even more about life in Oz. We will meet up with her in Yorkshire in August and hear all about her adventures!

Our friends Erin and Milton are off sketching in Ireland while we housesit for them here in Trausse. They made sure we had great contacts in the village so we can join in with lots of social events while we are here. We will meet up with them when they visit Sydney later this year.

Is it true that you can order a coffee at the bar and bring your cake from the pâtisserie? 

Absolument ! Quite often cafés/bars will serve hot and cold drinks, but they will send you across the road to buy something special from the pâtisserie to have with your drink!

 

Tchin-tchin!

Finally caught up with Patrick and Louise before they left the chateau to returnto Kent.  So fantastic to cool off in the pool, eat delicious apéritif and of course sample the local wine, catch up with the English news and talk all things French!

Bon Voyage.... maybe see you again in Oz sometime soon!

What a lovely surprise - a delivery of local wines from you both. Tchin-tchin!

Quirky France

Like all countries France has so many unstated rules. When we moved to Australia, I wish someone had told us (among many other things) that when they said bring a plate, we should have put something on it!

So here are a few quirky rules for rural France.

Politeness is SO important.

You MUST say bonjour to everyone. The guy who is fixing the road,  the person serving you in the shop, the passerby on the street. BUT it’s not that simple. Just saying a bare "Bonjour" or "Au revoir" can feel blunt or clipped to a local. For politeness you have to attach a title. You must say "Bonjour, Madame" or "Bonjour, Monsieur." 

If you walk into a bakery, a post office, or the local café and there are a handful of locals standing around, you don't have to greet them individually. You address the room with a cheerful, rolling "Bonjour, messieurs-dames!" (Hello, ladies and gentlemen). It instantly shows respect. 

The "Re-Bonjour" 

This is a quirky trap that trips me up every time. In France, Bonjour literally means "Good Day," and it can only be said once per person, per day.

If you see the village pharmacist at 9:00 AM and say Bonjour, and then run into them again at 2:00 PM at the market, saying Bonjour a second time implies you forgot meeting them earlier, which is considered a mild social slight.

On the second encounter, you must smile and say "Re-bonjour!" (Hello again) or simply nod and pivot straight to "Ça va?".

In Australia once a transaction is finished, a quick "Thanks, bye!" as you walk out the door is standard. In a rural French shop, the exit is a three-part ceremonial dance. You never just leave, you must wish them well, based on the clock.

Before 6:00 PM: "Merci, au revoir, bonne journée!" (Thank you, goodbye, have a good day!)

After 6:00 PM: The vocabulary shifts instantly. Bonjour becomes Bonsoir, and your exit line becomes "Merci, au revoir, bonne soirée!" (Have a good evening!) 

Politeness Encore. Even the sat Nav is polite when giving you directions. It says s'il te plaît, prends à droite. Please turn to the right.  Really !!!

Opening Hours are a "Personal Suggestion” Ha! Don’t we know it!

Look working out when the shops are open is an absolute conundrum.  Milton told us that Icher and Fils were absolutely the best boucherie and we should buy our meat there… we eventually found it but every time it was closed. We eventually found them at Le Camion-Boucherie in Azille!

So this is how it works

The Sacred Midday Shut-Down: Between 12:00 PM and 3:00 PM, everything except for restaurants vanishes. The pharmacy, the bakery, and local businesses shut tight. If you forgot to buy your lunch ingredients by 11:55 AM, you are simply going hungry until mid-afternoon.

The whim of the merchant: It is totally normal to walk up to a local shop on a Tuesday afternoon to find a handwritten piece of cardboard taped to the glass reading: "Exceptionnellement fermé cet après-midi—parti aux vignes" (Closed this afternoon—gone to the vineyards) or "Fermé pour cause de canicule" (Closed due to the heatwave). The community completely respects this, after all life comes before commerce.

Traditionally, French restaurants have incredibly strict, rigid kitchen hours. The kitchen opens for lunch from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM and then it completely shuts down. If you walk into a standard French restaurant at 2:15 PM looking for a meal, they will politely but firmly turn you away and tell you to come back at 7:30 PM or 8:00 PM when the kitchen reopens for dinner. Between 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM, a traditional restaurant is a food desert. 

When a restaurant or brasserie proudly displays a sign that says "Service Non-Stop" or "Service Continu," it means the kitchen never closes: They serve hot, full meals straight through the dead zone of the afternoon (from noon all the way until 10:00 PM or midnight). 

In rural areas like the Minervois, finding a place that does Service Non-Stop is quite rare, it’s mostly a feature of larger brasseries in towns like Narbonne or Carcassonne, or busy tourist hubs along the Canal du Midi. In the small villages, the traditional 12:00–2:00 rule still rules supreme.

Always Ask Permission to Speak English

Walking up to someone in rural France and starting a sentence in English, even with a polite "Excuse me, do you know where the abbey is?" is often perceived as aggressive, as it forces the local into your linguistic territory without warning.

You must start with: "Bonjour, Madame. Excusez-moi... parlez vous anglais ?"  Even if your French accent is completely terrible, the mere act of asking permission to switch languages is considered the height of good breeding. Once you ask, they will usually do absolutely everything they can to help you. 

Oh gosh I love it.  It's frustrating but I think they absolutely have their priorities right,

Vivre la France!

 

I'm in book heaven!

We love Carcassonne and Narbonne especially Carcassone with its impressive double ring of ramparts and 52 massive stone towers, but this year we have decided to embrace the local  villages of the Minervois. Today we visit Montolieu, the Village du Livre (Book Village).

Only  800 people, live here but it boasts around fifteen independent bookshops specializing in second-hand, antiquarian, and rare books.

Two of the most beloved and iconic shopfronts are La Rose des Vents and Librairie Abélard. All over town there are murals and statues celebrating books and authors everywhere, even a museum of printing...  

OMG that made me feel old.  I remember taking my Special Ed class to the Sydney Morning Herald in the seventies and visiting the composing room.  Men (and they were all men) worked at massive steel benches arranging columns of lead type into heavy iron page frames. 

I remember a fine aerosol of black ink in the air, coating everything - even us!  A really friendly Linotype operator typed out the students' names and they watched fascinated as the machine dropped a fresh, hot-metal line of their names into a cooling tray. 

They phased that out of course, but I kind of wish I had asked for one too.  I wonder if any of the students (now in their late fifties! still have theirs)

So back to Montolieu...Around every corner is something interesting.  Old houses, art galleries and in France in summer of course there is music.  

We especially liked L'Atelier Chris & Francis.  We met Chris and she explained how she creates a photograph using traditional silver halide (argentique) photography. Her husband, Francis then created  a vibrant, textured painting  directly over or inspired by her compositions.

They worked together to create incredible sculptures.

We had never heard of the La Manufacture Royale.  We stumbled upon it while we were exploring the town.  Holey moley is an impressive place. Accommodation, swimming pool, restaurant and JAZZ! Unfortunately we couldn't book in this time but it is certainly on the list for our next visit

The history is incredible... but more of that next time!