Hot August

What a season; it's been very hot and the pool has been a real refuge to cool down after a hard day of relaxing!  

The play barn has been well used as it provides welcome shade for Table football, Ping pong, Giant Connect 4 as well as made up kids games with all the toys available.  The garden for playing Football, Rugby and Swing Ball.  I even saw the Pétanque set being used.

The producer's markets are a real hit and we have seen many guests enjoying the great food and wine.  Our kid's really look forward to choosing what they want to eat and there's always scrumptious ice cream at the end.  Mum and Dad enjoy the sparkling rose wine from a local producer Guy Fontaine who with his wife Françoise who run "Les Vignes des Garbasses".

Porsche tractor

2CV

Old Citroen

Every year there is the bread festival in Lautrec which occurs on the same day as the Cuq car and tractor fair.  This year Janine took Evie to Lautrec where she had her face painted and I took Charlie to see the cars and tractors.  He had great fun, sitting in a train of cars being pulled by a Porsche tractor and driven by an 11 year old.

The event also had a bicycle exhibition. from the earliest examples to the present day.  Great to see lots of old cars in fabulous condition.  The tractor ploughing was a real eye opener, some looked home-made.

The Bulldog

The bread festival in Lautrec, lots of activities for children, balloon animals, face painting, singing, as well as best croissant in the Tarn competition for the local bakeries. Of course you can buy bread, cakes, tarts and patisseries and sample specialities from the local bakeries.

Flower meadow

Sunflowers are still flowering in the Tarn and look as if they follow the sun, however it is not true, but it's great to see field upon field of gold.  It's also great to see all the areas set aside for wild flowers meadows to encourage wildlife.

We found a new restaurant close by in Damiatte where we spent a happy afternoon sampling the fab set menu and cold rosé wine.  The Auberge de l'Agout is now highly recommended for its great value and fine food and will make our "recommended list".

We have made friends over Apéro with a chef, a two piece band and horse riding instructor, so maybe next year we will offer riding and catering for birthday parties.

Fab seafood

Going to Gruissan beach is always a highlight, we had incredible seafood skewers at La Voile Blanche, a beach restaurant and a fabulous rose wine called  Chateau Negley.  On our first trip, the wind was very strong on the beach and we ended up with  a summer thunderstorm.  The second time it was just blissful and hot and for August, not too busy.

Janine is off to the beach for a few days at the end of August with a friend.  I  start an intensive French course in Toulouse in September, so that I can converse with the now fluent kids.  The dog compound or as Granny likes to call it the "dog enclosure" is now finished complete with kennel.  Lilou spends her time sleeping in the shade on the hot days and running around the cooler kitchen by night looking for any dropped food.

Having spent a day with Janine cleaning our three gites, I now know how much work goes in to get all the bathrooms, kitchens, bedrooms and all the shared areas ready for the next guests.  I normally do the garden work, mowing, watering etc.  One long day starting at 7am and finishing around 4pm with hardly a break.  Then it's time for a welcome glass of beer or wine!