Too Hot to Hike, But Never Too Hot for a Brocante!

 A few kilometres from where we are living is Notre Dame du Cros, famous for its little chapel but also for its magnificent cliffs and walking trails.  Today even though we love the chapel and its fabulous acoustics we plan to do a short 2 hr walk.... but in the end the heat and threat of wild fires defeat us.

Loved seeing the familiar walking sjgns that we've followed over the years (and at times lost sight of) on our self guided walks across Italy and France. It brought back so many great memories of Alpine walks. The butterflies were truly amazing - often camouflaged by the dry grasses and dry-stone capitelles.

Spent some time watching the climbers abseil down the cliffs before we retreated to our car and air conditioning..  On out way back we discovered Brocante!!!! You know how I love second hand shops, well Brocante are something else.  Everything from total rubbish to great intriguing finds.This one was closed but all proceeds go to care for the feral cats. 

Now to find a Vide Grenier (Literally empty attic! but is the equivelant of garage sale) Maybe on Sunday!

Tranquil Waters, Anxious Horizons

It's cooler today only 30 degrees so we choose a gentle cruise down the canal du midi.  Our boat, the Sant Ferreol is old but dignified. We sail gently down the canal. Its 'tranquil' in fact everywhere is quiet here.  We pass a few tourist hire boats but for most of the time it is us and the guide who patiently describes everything in French and then in English. 

Going through the locks reminds us of hiring the narrowboats in Wales.  Mum was in her nineties then and Caleb dropped in to meet up with us on his gap year in Europe.  Great memories.  Mum and I strolling along the tow path while Roger and Caleb negotiated the locks.  These ones though are all controlled electronically and it is a smooth trip through.

We meet up with an English couple 'Double J' as we dub them.  They have loved living here in France for 20 years, but like the expats in Trausse there is an air of unrest. War and climate change are looming and everyone is wondering what they should do. The expats who have boys in their twenties are especially worried about conscription. For expat Aussies, Australia feels like a refuge.

Towards the end of our trip, our attention is drawn to the familiar smell of a bushfire and ahead of us we see grey clouds of smoke.  By the time we dock, great towering flumes of heavy grey smoke tell us that this is a serious one. 

Not sure about our plans to walk tomorrow. Will have to wait and see.

Olives, Accents, and Afternoon Shade: A Day at the Olonzac Market

Our quest today is to visit the Olonzac market which is considered to be one of the best weekly markets in the Minervois region. The narrow local streets are taken over by stalls selling goat cheeses, olives, galette, fresh sun-ripened stone fruits, rotisserie chickens, horse meat, fish, bread, cakes…..oh and so much more and of course everyone wants to chat about how things are made, what herb goes with what meat. It takes an age to shop. I love it. 

We leave with arms full of fruit, veg and galettes but no horse meat!

On the way out we visit a second hand clothing shop… of course we do! The owner is from south London… still got the accent even when he is speaking French.  I always wonder how people get to live where they do. In his case a marriage breakup persuaded him to reluctantly take up a job offer in France. That was 20 years ago. He’s never been tempted to go back although Thailand is calling. Who knows where he will end up!

We had hoped to check out the second part of the market that had woven baskets, textiles, clothing, and local crafts, but the heat got to us and so we abandoned that idea as well as exploring village of Pepieux. Next time!

Back home in the village, we notice that the shutters are open on the house opposite. Strange .  We know the owner is away and we've been watering her plants. A cheerful head pops through the window. Time for another chat I think. It turns out she is a real estate agent and eagerly shows us around. Traditional kitchen and lounge, 3 bedrooms, two bathrooms over 3 levels with your typical precarious spiral staircase.  MMM.  How much we ask. €135,000!  Say that again! Very tempting, well apart from the dratted spiral staircase.  

So we settle in for an afternoon in the shade - chilling is just what we need!

 

Searching for veggies - winding up in a winery

Erin and Milton leave at the crack of dawn to go to Ireland.We hear later that they had a horrendously long journey with Ryan Air but managed to rescue the situation with a visit to the Guinness factory!!!!

We do our morning walk in the coolest part of the day although it still rises quickly to 30 degrees.  We are accompanied most mornings by this little fellow who is anxious for a crumb or two that we don’t have while the barn cat proudly displays his latest triumph."

We are taking it slow and learning the ropes. Even though Milton has already taken us there, finding the supermarket is still an adventure navigating through a maze of tiny streets. We start with Caunes our nearest town.  Like all the towns around it is awash with flowers and of course sculptures made from the local pink marble... think Versailles.

We see a sign for fresh fruit and veggies and find of course that we are in a winery!!! Shopping anywhere in France, whether it is the supermarket, épicerie. or in this case a small winery, involves having a chat!

Today we talk about the piles of vines we've seen by the edge of the road.  The land behind them cleared.  Why?... 'Arrachage' he replies. Now that is stretching my French.  It means pulling up vines and destroying them. 'Why?'  People are drinking less wine and climate change and so farmers are taking the €4,000 per hectare and destroying their vines. Change is afoot even in France.

Home to a lovely afternoon tea with Laurence, a Parisienne, who lived for more than two decades with her Australian husband and two boys in Oz, before moving to the village. She is facing the dilemma many of us migrants have - which home do we go back to? 

Another day full of fabulous food, people and a dose or two of French culture!

Chez Sue and Stuart

 After a day of exploring with Milton as the lead guide, we amassed a basket full of local cheeses, pâtés, terrines, wine and of course baguettes. Back home for a snooze before our next social outing.

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Summer is a time for social events and like every village in France, Trausse Minervois is full of gatherings ]music, food and wine. There's always something happening! Last night was a festival in La Place de la Tour, but we were all in a quieter mood and opted for a walk through the village and out towards the vines. 

Tonight though we are headed for the blue gate in a stone wall. I love that about Europe, there is always that wonder about what lies beyond that walled garden!  Susan and Stuart have just moved into an old house and they have started to renovate. We are to meet up with the gang and see what they have done.

Now renovation in these little villages is interesting.  If you need an extra room and the next door neighbours have one that they don't use and they are agreeable and the Marie agrees, you simply knock through a door into the wall and voilà everyone is happy!  

It makes for some interesting architecture!

So Susan and Stuart wanted to keep chickens, put in a double garage and have a garden.  A big ask in such a small village - pas de problème! A talk with the neighbour and the mayor - you upsize and your neighbours downsize.

Love the photo where Roger and Erin are checking out the neighbours place.

Tonight it's very much an expat group. An interesting bunch of Australians, English, American, and Canadians but even though our experiences are very different our world views are pretty similar.

Eventually after sharing stories and eating far too much delicious food we head home for dinner!!!

Chez Erin and Milton

It was such a joy to arrive in Trausse. At the first sight of the Marie and an avenue of Napoleon Plane trees we felt we were at home in the rural France we love so much.  

I love the fact that the reason we have these magnificent avenues of trees, lining the main roads, is because Napoleon during the Napoleonic Wars, moved his Grande Armée across Europe at a blistering pace, forcing his infantry to march up to 30 kilometres a day in heavy wool uniforms and carrying full packs.

Of course, during the stifling hot summer months, soldiers were dropping from heat exhaustion and dehydration before they even reached the battlefield (a bit like us!). So Napoleon decreed that the main roads of France be lined with tall, leafy trees to create a continuous canopy of shade - and as his passion was London Plane trees two hundred years later we have the joy of these huge trees. 

But back to the blog.  Erin and Milton lead us through the winding streets, past the Tour and to the rampart walls.  There was their beautiful old house complete with flower baskets and geraniums.  Milton's bike parked outside ready for a quick ride to the épicerie for a baguette or wine.

I've always wanted to visit the village as Erin and Milton talk about it so much and here we are.  How did they find this tiny village in Southern France?  Well twenty-five years ago, an Australian expat purchased a historic home in the quiet, sun-drenched village of Trausse. Eager to celebrate his French home, he commissioned artist Erin to paint a portrait of the property.

But as we know, Erin isn't the type of artist to paint from the detached distance of a photograph., hso, to capture the true essence of the stone, the light, and the landscape, she had to see it, breathe it, and sketch it in person.

She was of course captivated by the charm of the village and when she's not travelling to teach, exhibit her work or visit family she's here in Trausse-Minervois.

 

Only a couple of days to catch up on news before they leave for Ireland! So we made the most of it - a fabulous evening, laughter, great food (duck a la Milton) wine (Langeudoc) and fabulous company! 

The Road to Carcassonne is by rail to Trausse-Minervois

 After a warm, restless night, it was finally time to catch the fast train to Carcassonne.

But first, breakfast! We headed to Gare de Lyon, aiming for the famous Le Train Bleu - well, actually, the brasserie directly beneath it. Oeufs brouillés, fresh baguette, jam, and a piccolo, set us up for the journey.

News was that rail lines were buckling under the sun. We half-expected to see "Cancelled" flash across the departure boards, but luck was on our side.

When the platform was announced, the usual chaotic scramble began. Of course, our carriage turned out to be way down at the very front of an impossibly long train. But once we finally climbed aboard and sank into our seats, the stress melted away. Cocooned in air-conditioned comfort, we watched the stunning French countryside blur past at impossible speeds. Oh, why on earth don’t we have these trains back home in Oz?

Our easy relaxation didn't last the whole trip, though. We had a ridiculously tight five-minute window to change platforms at Lyon Part-Dieu station. If there is one thing you know about French high-speed trains, it’s that they wait for no one.

But we needn't have worried, the second the doors opened, a young guy helped us with our luggage, and guided us directly to the correct platform. We were literally walking down the aisle to our new seats when the train jolted and set off. Talk about cutting it close. Merci, Monsieur!

Looking out of the window was so nostalgic passing so many places we’ve loved and stayed in over the years. The highlight was passing Sète, instantly triggering memories of the month we spent there, getting lost along the canals, wandering the vibrant markets, and, of course, cheering at the water jousting.

Carcassonne was hot, hot, hot—but of course it was, we were in the south of France in the middle of the hottest heatwave they've ever had! We picked up the keys, walked out to the lot, and discovered the car was a manual. We tentatively set off into the French traffic, desperately trying to balance two ideas at once: drive on the right, press the clutch, drive on the right, press the clutch Oh and which way do we go!

After a few tense stalls and some careful manoeuvering, we eventually tottered our way into the quiet village of Trausse-Minervois. What a joy to pull up outside the Mairie (town hall), where Erin and Milton were waiting for us.

We'd made it and were ready to enjoy, but that is a story for the next blog.