End of Season September

Flowers for the bees

With the advent of September our season comes to a close.  We have a few guests until the first week of October.  The weather is changeable with hot sunny days and some rainy days.  I am still wearing shorts and T shirts.

This is the month all the feathered summer visitors leave for the hotter African climate.  We have had a  few Rollers, that stayed three weeks.  The Honey buzzard's departed along with hundreds of swallows.  We have flycatchers passing through and the odd Red kite.  The woods are turning orange, yellow and russet, its great to watch the season change daily.  However it has been a very green year!

On the way to the Boulangerie 

I have to applaud the French health service as I now have my Carte Vitale.  This allows me to get prescriptions, doctors appointment's and the odd foot operation through the medical service all topped up with our health insurance.

Towards Cuq

The kids are back to school with Tom still at Moulayrès, Evie moving from Puycalvel to Cuq to be with Charlie.  The kids enjoy school speaking both English and French.  They are signed up to do football (Tom), rugby and theatre group (Charlie) and horse riding  (Evie).  Dicosa is a great kids play area activities including BMX track, horse riding and sailing to name a few.

The kids and Janine have ventured into the pool even though its around 20 degrees.  It looks great and we have had a fabulous season with the pool getting lots of use.

Farmhouse updated

Chair in Farmhouse bedroom

Martin Moore kitchen, rustic installation with all mod-cons

We completed the Farmhouse earlier in the season, but as its been busy I have not had much time to take photos, here are a few to whet the appetite.  The dining room and terrace are now easily accessible from the kitchen, the new living room and snug provides the families with kids, young or adolescent with games consoles and Netflix, while the adults are close reading a book, watching TV or enjoying a glass of Gaillac wine.

Farmhouse living room

Down stairs bathroom

We have had Janine's father and his wife here for five weeks, however two of these were a French immersion course in Foix.  It's been great for the kids to see their Grandad.  For Grandad a trip to the best Fromagerie in South West France. Xavier the cheese master in Toulouse was a highlight.

Barn covered with Virginia creeper

I have joined a French film club to help with my French. I also started to watch French telly with subtitles.  I attend two hours of French a week to provide the grammar, hopefully this will allow me to converse in French as Janine and the kids are already fluent.

Puycalvel may be small, but has a chateau, our own Pain et Nature an organic bakery that supplies bread to the markets in Castres and Albi.  In Lautrec, eight minutes away, I can buy an award winning baguette from Marty the local boulangerie. 

Petit chateau of Puycalvel.