Reflections of The South

We have returned from our jaunt to France's Mediterranean coast and I am already missing it. They say people are; town people, country people, mountain people or coastal people, I am a bit of all of those, however whenever I am on or near the Mediterranean coast, I feel a sense of well being and contentment that I cannot explain, it runs deeper than just a holiday thing, my hairdresser, describes my hair as Mediterranean!  Perhaps my early ancestors hailed from some place on the shores of the Mediterranean.

Now back in the foothills of the Pyrenees, the weather is growing colder and there is the distinct smell of Autumn in the air, the first dusting of snow appeared on the mountains the other morning.  The Mediterranean won't really experience colder weather till around November.

  I know some people who have moved from the Mediterranean coast to other parts of France because they miss the seasons, although there are seasons in that part of the world, they are less defined.  There is a point in Southern France and I can tell you exactly where it is, it is just after Carcasonne, the landscape starts to change, green fields and deciduous trees decrease in numbers and are replaced by pines, cypresses and vineyards as you reach Narbonne you get your first glimpse of the sparkling blue Mediterranean and the further east you go, the landscape becomes increasingly Mediterranean, driving through towns you see Bougainvillea, Oleander and olive trees in abundance, the architecture changes, the colours change, tiles on roofs change, the style of the shutters on the buildings change and most significantly, the light changes...

I could not resist snapping this 2CV, they are getting rarer in France, you don't see this icon of France on the roads as often as you used to.  Judging by the flowers, attached by a ribbon, I suspect this one has just been used for a wedding, possibly carrying the bride and groom. My friend Veronique over at French Girl in Seattle has just written a superb post about the 2CV, pop over and visit her, she has one of the most informative and interesting blogs regarding France and French life.

Most of these photos were taken in Antibes, we spent an afternoon there with Belle Mere, she had not been for quite a while, she reminisced about a restaurant, near an English bookshop, she used to frequent around 20 years ago, imagine her delight when she discovered the restaurant and bookshop still there.  The restaurant was different to how she remembered it, much more modern and swanky now and the bookshop is larger, needless to say we had a delightful lunch and afterwards wandered round the bookshop.

The Basque Region

Some things you will discover in the Basque region in deepest South West France...

Espelette

Pintxos

Typical Basque House

Villa Arnaga

Arnaga Gardens

The elegant game of  Pelote

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend

XXX

French House for Sale

Front of house and garden

Don't worry I have not turned this blog into an estate agency I am simply helping my Father out, at the tender age of 82 my Father has decided to sell his holiday home in France as he wishes to spend more time in Britain and the US.  I am helping him with the marketing of the property.

The estate agents round here charge exorbitant amounts of commission and in reality do very little work, so we have decided to self market, I am launching it on this blog first before I let it lose on the property websites.

Dad's house is only around 30 years old but it is well built and solid and it is built in traditional Bigourdan style. (Bigorre is the old name for the region that lies to the north of the Pyrenees and in the upper valleys of the Ardour River, now situated in the 65, Hautes Pyrenees department of France, which remains one of the most unspoiled and majestic of regions)

I won't say too much more about it as I really don't want to sound like an estate agent, instead I will show you round...

Front and side of house

The house is set on an acre of land, Dad has not landscaped it too much as he loves simplicity and it is his holiday home, so he wanted to keep it low maintenance, the only job that needs doing is cutting the grass, however for the adventurous the land is really fertile and the soil is rich, it is a gardeners dream, there are endless possibilities and with an acre the world is your oyster, vegetable garden, small holding, or luxurious swimming pool and terrace, it is all possible...

Back garden and view of house

Back garden view from the house

Trees that lead to...

The River Neste, a tributary of the Garonne at the bottom of the garden

A large decked sun terrace, and view from the front of the house, on a clear day you can see the mountains.

 The kitchen

The house looks deceptively small on the outside but it is actually very spacious, at present it comprises 120 sq meters of living space (1291 sq ft) this comprises three double bedrooms and two bathrooms, one with a shower and one with a bath, a sitting room, kitchen diner and hallway, every bedroom has built in wardrobes with more built in wardrobes and storage in the hallway.  There is a huge sous sol with cave (garage,basement and wine cellar) that runs underneath the the entire length and breadth of the house and a large attic space which also runs the entire length and breadth of the house made with beautiful chestnut wood floor boards and an exposed ceiling, ripe for turning into a sumptuous master suite (Dad has always said if he had been younger he would have done this!)

Sitting room

Sitting room

Bedroom one

Bedroom two

Bedroom three

Outside the drive looking right

Outside the drive looking left

What more can I say, the house is ready to move into but also has a huge amount of potential (I am really worried now that I sound like an estate agent but it is true!) all the windows and doors are double glazed (tastefully) complete with wooden shutters, he wants to sell it 'as is' with all furniture, fixtures and fittings, gardening tools and sit upon lawn mower included, he even wanted to throw in his car and motor bike, yes my Dad even in his eighties still tears around on the country roads on a motor bike, I think he will sell  those separately, the asking price is 230,000 Euros, (legal and notary fees not included), what do you think?
Interested?  You can find my e mail on my profile page.

The French Countryside

Even when the sun is not shining the French countryside is beautiful at this time of year, whilst running an errand the other day, I took a wrong turn and got lost, after living here for nearly nine years, I still get lost and constantly discover new and beautiful things. Down here in deepest France the countryside is a labyrinth of windy country lanes and narrow tracks which often lead to small villages and hamlets.

This is my favourite time of year, the cycle has begun again and everything is coming back to life it is like witnessing the greening of the earth.  Whilst getting lost I discovered a whole new landscape, although only a few miles away from where we live this landscape is totally different, as you have seen from previous posts our landscape is breathtaking and dramatic, this landscape is a lot softer, gentle rolling hills, hedgerows and green, green fields.

If you are coming to France this year, get off the auto routes and take the D roads and if you get lost, enjoy it!

Whilst I was lost I found this very unusual and romantic, abandoned farmhouse in a tiny hamlet, I am intrigued by it, you don't often see farmhouses with turrets!  I wonder what the story is, I am going to have to find out more about it.

Back to our garden we have lots of gorgeous white blooms in flower at the moment.

Spirea

Clematis Montana

Pyracantha (Firethorn, it has masses of bright red berries in the autumn)

Wishing you all a wonderful and happy Easter.
XXX

Hot Enough For June

It's hot here, 27 degrees Celsius at the present time, more like mid June than April and according to the i phone this weather is set to continue until next Wednesday.  Although very welcome this sudden burst of summer weather has caught me unaware, I still have not got round to having a good old waxing session and my winter Wellington clad feet are crying out for a pedicure.  I desperately need to buy some sensible summer shoes for loafing around the garden in, my previous summer shoes all look a bit gone on and I can't really totter round the garden in high heels or towering wedges.  Must pick up a few pairs of espadrilles on my next trip into town, I really was not expecting to buy them so soon!

This balmy weather has sent the growth rate of the flora into overdrive, as I type, I can hear the hums and whirrs or mowers and strimmers in the distance, our lawn desperately needs another cut.  The Crocus are now a distant memory and the Daffodils are on their way out, Wisteria and Lilac are now blooming and Tulips and Irises are raising their heads.

I always think of the Iris as the true national flower of France, The Fleur de Lis was not a lilly but a yellow Iris which grew along the banks of the River Lis, it was during the Middle Ages that the Fleur de Lis started to become linked to the French Monarchy.   I once read somewhere the French traditionally plant Irises along either side of the entrance or main doorways of their property to ward of evil and invite good luck and it is certainly true in this part of France where you often see stunning Irises growing on each side of entrance gates.

The Iris symbolises good news and luck. It is also said its three upright petals symbolize faith, valour, and wisdom.

The iris got its name from the Greek goddess of the rainbow, Iris. She was the messenger of the gods, and would ride on the rainbow to and from Earth in her beautiful, multicoloured robes. She acted as the link between heaven and earth. It is told that irises were planted at the graves of women. People believed that this would summon the goddess to guide the souls in their journey to heaven.

Here in the Pyrenees there are a few native varieties that grow naturally in the wild, conditions are perfect for them.  According to one of our neighbours these one's pictured from our garden are a local variety.  They are ethereal and beautiful and I could not resist cutting a few for the house, indoors and outdoors they make me smile whenever I walk past.