It's nearly the end of our season. It has been a different year with lots of wedding guests attending the Brametourte chateau and a lot more guests from other parts of Europe, with a lot less from the U.K. Yes, we are feeling the Brexit effect.
We have read the news for the past three years and we still do not have a clue, on how it will affect our lives, much like the rest of the UK. Even when we get a deal or no deal, the effect will be felt for many years.
However, we are positive, our kids are fluent in French, attending local schools and we feel part of the community. Our business has evolved and we must be doing something right with returning guests and even more bookings year on year.
We will add the under barn as our fourth gite with two double bedrooms, two bathrooms, an open plan kitchen, dining room and large living space. With under-floor heating and a great south facing view over the valley, it will be comfortable year round. It's being painted this month then the kitchen will be installed.
Having been here for over five years, I thought the blog would focus on our nearest town - Lautrec.
Lautrec is a medieval hill town originally surrounded by a wall for defence and a number of access gates, it has immense charm and is a favourite place to wander. I feel lucky that it is our local town.
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| Bread Festival |
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| Marty our favourite bakery |
There is the award winning bakery Marty that provides the bread and croissant for our gite breakfast.
Some great restaurants. Recommended are the Clos d'Adele, Le Jardin du Clocher, Café Plum and La Ferme au Village.
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| Café Plum |
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| Bakery in the street |
Each year the town hosts a bread festival in August, Bastille fireworks, and Café Plum has the annual French wide, Fete du Musique.
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| Typical French music |
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| Bronze |
There is also the World famous, Lautrec pink garlic!
Lautrec's Ail Rose benefits from the award of a French Red Label and a European label (PGI)
The production area includes about 160 producers in 88 municipalities, around the canton of Lautrec. Between 500 and 700 tons are marketed according to the year.
The shelf life of this garlic allows it to be marketed until the end of the winter.
For more information, visit www.ailrosedelautrec.com
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| Top of the hill |
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| Even old bikes have a use |
There are a number of shops, a bank, a garage (who have been brilliant on a number of occasions - especially when a guests car failed to start) post office, book shop, hair dressers (lots) and art and craft workshops.
There is a weekly Friday market selling fresh fish, local vegetables, lovely cheeses and traditional French food. I am very happy to make the eight minute car journey.....next year, the bike. No not the one pictured!
Now the history taken from the Lautrec Tourism site and translated!
Visit:
https://www.lautrec.fr/fr/tourisme/lautrec/un-peu-d-histoire
ORIGINS ...
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| One of our posters |
The site of Lautrec was occupied by a Celtic tribe "Cambolectri Atlantici", then by the Romans who would have raised a temple to Ceres Eleusis (Goddess of fertility and harvest). This temple seemed to still exist in the middle of the 7th century. Later, according to legend, Charlemagne would have stopped at Lautrec and laid the foundations of the church Saint Remi which was located near the fountain bearing the same name. Located outside the enclosure, the primitive church was gradually abandoned by the prior of the Abbey of Saint Pons de Thomières from the 14th century to the benefit of the church of the Bourg (Our Lady of peace) which later took the name of "Collegiate St Remy"
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| View from the south |
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| Walk to the church |
THE VICOMTÉ OF LAUTREC Lautrec owes its notoriety to the medieval period and especially to the great families of viscounts who have raised the city to the rank of chief town of notable viscount and remarkable stronghold of the Albigensian. With fortifications and a castle, Lautrec was during the medieval period the main place of resistance and refuge of the whole region (P. Zalmen).
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| View of the Medieval town |
Founded around 940, the Vicomte de Lautrec occupied between the Dadou and Agout, the central part of the Albigeois country. Bringing together 23 village communities or "forces", this territory covered more than 28,000 hectares (J. Boutary). The Viscount depended on the Counts of Toulouse. In the 10th century, when the threat from Normandy (raids and looting) was strong, the Counts of Toulouse granted the Viscounts of Albi and the viscounts of Lautrec a growing autonomy (P.Zalmen). Sicard I was the first viscount of LAUTREC. A new dynasty was born. For four centuries, it ruled over a very rich territory (agricultural). In 1196, the family of Vicomte de Lautrec allied with that of the Count of Toulouse, an alliance sealed by the marriage of the daughter of Sicard V, Alix, and Baudoin, son of the Count of Toulouse (Raymond V). born into the prestigious family of Toulouse-Lautrec.
In 1670, François de Gélas, son-in-law and heir to the Marquis d'Ambres, bought from Alexandre, Count of Toulouse Lautrec, his rights over the Vicomté. On the eve of the revolution, Philippe de Noailles, "Marquis d'Ambres, Viscount of Noailles, Viscount of Lautrec and Lieutenant for the King in his armies in the province of Guyenne" claimed alone the rights over the Vicomte de Lautrec.
This disappeared at the end of the meeting of the States General (Estates General) of August 4, 1789.
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| Windmill from the steps |
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| Working Windmill |
THE PAINTER "HENRI DE TOULOUSE LAUTREC"
The medieval city of Lautrec is commonly associated with the family of the painter Henri de Toulouse - Lautrec. Descended from a very old family of the nobility of Languedoc, the famous painter was born in Albi in 1864 and died at the castle of Malromé (Gironde) in 1901. His family also owned the castle of Montfa, now in ruins, where the painter's father was born (6 km from Lautrec). In the Middle Ages, the community of Montfa was located on the territory of the Vicomte de Lautrec. The dynasty of Toulouse - Lautrec was born in the twelfth century when Alix, the daughter of Sicard Vicomte de Lautrec married Baudoin, the son of Raymond V, illustrious Count of Toulouse. According to tradition, this marriage celebrated in 1196 gave birth to the prestigious lineage of Toulouse - Lautrec. The Viscounts of Lautrec were powerful lords, vassals of the Counts of Toulouse. They dominated the Viscount for nearly three centuries (twelfth - fourteenth) enjoying a growing autonomy, raising Lautrec to the rank of chief town of Vicomté with powerful fortifications. From the reign of Philip IV Bel, "the Iron King", they gave up part of their possessions in favor of several families including the King of France. In 1789, when the revolution broke out, the Marquis of Ambrès also Vicomte de Noailles and Duc de Mouchy claimed the title of "Viscount of Lautrec" alone. As for Pierre - Joseph of Toulouse - Lautrec, Camp Marshal, resident at the castle of Montfa, he was elected in March 1789 deputy to the States General to represent the nobility of the Seneschal of Castres. He emigrated in 1790.
Next time, I will add some information on how Indigo blue pushed Pastel blue out of favour.
This month I went back to Malaga for a celebration of life after a friend lost his battle against cancer. It was a happy and sad time. Happy seeing friends, sad losing one.
We also decided to focus on La Bastide, so the ski house in the Alps has been sold. Thirteen years of fun, full of happy memories as all the kids learnt to ski on the Three valleys slopes. I went on the 20th to finish clearing the house and see friends who live next door.
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| Tomato harvest |
Well it's been an amazing fruit year, with apricots, apples, cherries, figs, pears, blackberries, grapes and cherry plums. Our tomatoes and chillies a big success our citrus fruit a disaster! Eggs from the small flock of chickens and presents from the cats including a mole and a bat! Luckily they hardly catch a bird and eat most rodents.
Well that's about it. If you want to visit we are already getting bookings for 2020, so check out our website for availability.
Tarn Gites
With all the gites upgraded, I am starting to plan more exterior projects! so I'm sure our out of season will be busy. It's the last day of September, the temperature is 29 degrees in the shade and the sky is azure blue, now that's a good enough reason to live here!
Thanks to all the guests who stayed with us in 2019
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| Xmas Lautrec style |
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