July and the Tour de France

We are well into our season with German and Dutch visitors.  We even had a Dutch camping car which visited for two days.  The pool is getting plenty of use due to the heatwave it's been up to 32° too hot for me, but the kids love it.  Next weekend we have sixteen people and two dogs arriving.  The season is busy with a few English (first for three years) Dutch, Belgian, French and German.  I will need a holiday after mid September when we start to calm down.

Steak and chips French style

Café gourmand

There have been wild fires in France, Spain and recently the UK.  It has been up to 41degrees in the afternoon, little too hot even for me. Today is better, it started at 24° and is now 36 °. Lunch with friends was as good as ever.  Great local garlic soup with vermicelli and a twist of bacon and a toasted crouton.  Pan fried fish, great wine and local beer. IPA is becoming a standard in bars either on tap or in bottles.

I pity the riders in the Tour de France, which completed a leg through Lautrec in 40° heat as they rode from Rodez to Carcassonne, just over 202 km.

Image from official Tour website letour.fr.

It was exciting to see the caravan, the unique Cochoneu Citroen 2CV cars who have sponsored the Tour for 22 years and loads of Skoda cars.  The riders sped past, the two at the front 1.47 secs ahead of the main pack, see video below, there were a few stragglers and it was all over in less than a minute!  We watched in Lautrec, other friends from a farmers field, complete with BBQ and chilled Rosé.

Video of Tour de France Lautrec

Sunflowers everywhere

Sunflowers are everywhere and crops are early this year, linseed, corn and lentils well on the way.  My potager is doing well, as long as I remember to water.  Courgettes are plenty. I have aubergines ripening and tomatoes.  over ten cucumbers so far and more to come. The chard is doing well, sweet potatoes are flowering and the sweetcorn plants each have about five corns (they also seem to have a nasty black disease "black smut" on the cob).  The trees have plenty of apples, pears and plums. There is a single nectarine.

Old Le Mans

Vinyl records

It's been a busy July, Charlie was playing in a theatre in Le Mans, so I went up for a few days and checked out the theatre and Le Mans. The children's Grandad and his wife came over for the event so we all went out for a super lunch, after which Evie and I walked for a few hours and investigated the area.  Below are some images of Le Mans

Mural

Bar

Fish in gazpacho

Walk in the town

Charlie has been on colony a week cycling camping and swimming, Evie will go for a week in August horse riding and staying on a farm.  Both Tom and Evie had birthdays this month, so lots of chocolate cake, a new budgerigar, lots of presents and trips to the UK to stay with friends and relatives in August.  Charlie and I will spend some time together which will be fun.

Marche de Producers has started and we have been to Mazamet with friends from the UK and France.  It's an outdoor affair with wine (Les Vignes Des Garbasses) beer and whatever food you fancy, from one of the many stalls.  There are long trestle tables to sit at and enjoy the atmosphere.  I had trout, rosé wine and beer. Yum!

End of the month is the Puycalvel fête, a three day event 29th - 31st July, starting with Belote, then an evening of drinks and live bands, followed on Sunday by Mass and the ceremony at the monument to war deaths.  Then at 11:30 an apéro, lunch and outdoor skittles, always good fun.  We will miss the bands as we are going to a curry supper at a friends chateau.

The ducks are moulting and not laying eggs, the chicken's have joined them. So I have been forced to buy eggs for the first time this year.  The duckling has been called bob by Evie and at four weeks old will be too big for the brooder (made from a guinea pig cage) 

Well,  thats about it, a busy July and an even busier August to come.

Apéro at Les Vignes Des Garbasses