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| Autumn arrives |
While the UK has been in Christmas season for some time, it is just starting in France with Amazon Black Friday, and the shops and markets starting to take orders for turkey, guinea fowl or chicken. The main differences are Xmas cards are not sent and oysters are eaten by the dozen! We will get a Xmas tree from the local rugby club that Charlie plays for, as they are raising funds for next season. I have found all the ornaments and lights in the loft packed when we first came to France in April 2014!
This year we will have Christmas at La Bastide as I have had a hernia operation and thought taking the family skiing not the best idea! Granny will join us for a week, which will be her first Christmas with us. We will visit the Xmas market in Castres, which the kids love for Santa, skating and hot chocolate. It is being constructed now and will be open early December.
Janine will take Tom and Evie to see their Grandparents and friends for New Year. Charlie and I will hold down the fort, feeding animals and having fun together. We will all be back together after New Year.
Today has been 20 degrees and sunny, and as I walk slowly about the place, I realise more then ever why we came here. The pace of life is slow, the food and wine remarkable and the people are friendly. Living in the countryside is great..............OK I do miss the pub.
Next year we have Brexit to contend with, we do not know (like most expats) what will happen. We have arranged a Carte de Séjour meeting at the Prefecture early February. By April 2019 we will have been in France five years, so we will celebrate then, whatever happens.
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| La Part Des Anges |
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| Castres "Little Venice" |
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| Typical local hotel |
I spent an afternoon with a friend before he flew back to the UK in Castres. In the past, the river was the vital centre of the city of Castres. ... These houses, also called “the little Venice” have kept their corbelled structures and balconies. Most have river access by boat
We had lunch at La Part Des Anges which does fabulous food and wine. It vies for the number one spot each year on Tripadvisor with O Victoria normally near the top. I like both and lots of others such as Le Pescadou!
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| Castres Church |
The crisp mornings make way for cool nights and magnificent night skies. A quick shopping trip to Castres and a visit to another restaurant La Crêperie du coin, for crisp Breton style galettes filled with chorizo, sun-dried tomatoes and goats cheese washed down with a well rounded dry cider.
We also visited Café Plum for an Apéro-concert prior to a great meal at La Clos D'Adele in Lautrec while Granny looked after the kids, it was the first evening out for a long time
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