Le Moulin is Looking Ready for a Christmas in France

For those of you who have visited and stayed with us at Le Moulin for your holiday in France, you will probably recognise those snowy features in the photograph as the garden beyond your sunny patio area.

Certainly looks a little different at this time of year as we approach the festive season.


One thing you can be sure of right now is that we are certainly enjoying the huge log fire in our living area and are very glad to have it. It would definitely be a little bit on the chilly side without it.

But aside from it being a little bit chilly we can't help feeling how lovely everything looks now the snow has arrived, walking out with the dog with the crunch of the snow underfoot is proving to be a very pleasant pass time. Particularly with the many woodland walks we have available which means that we don't even have to contemplate getting into the car.

Collecting wood for the fire has become a bit of a priority all of a sudden but it is very gratifying when a few hours labour turns into a roaring fire and the source of some traditional entertainment. I have always loved to watch a real fire, more than the TV in truth, but a little bit of music going on in the background is quite nice as well, very cosy.

So for those who are reading at this time of year we would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Next year we will have the log burning stove installed in the gite, so if you like the sound of a Christmas in France, we could be persuaded.

If you are looking for some ideas for Christmas dinner then you might like to have a read about what we did last year on  A Nearly White Christmas.

The stuffing was absolutely gorgeous and it has just reminded me that we need to get some goose fat from somewhere for the roasties, eating is believing. .

Nigella Lawson definitely got that one right.

Oh and Carcassonne can be pretty impressive over the festive period as well. This is a little shot of last years light show in Gambetta Square.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE

Art Course in France

From little acorns, mighty oaks do grow.

Our advert for art courses in France has just gone live and I have added an extra page to the website called Art Courses. Well what else would you call it, I couldn't think of anything more appropriate.

Lots of details available including when and how much. So go and check it out if you fancy venturing into the world of art and painting, you will be following in the footsteps of Mattisse, Picasso, Dufy and Dali. All of whom chose the South of France as an idyllic venue to practice their art.
 
Matisse "discovered" the town of Collioure in 1905 and because of the clarity of light from the sun combined with the blue of the sky and sea, he managed to persuade the other aforementioned painters to join him there.

The Knights Templar do Lincolnshire

The Knights Templar do Lincolnshire

On our recent visit back to the UK we visited Lincolnshire and I couldn't help but notice the similarities between this agricultural region of the UK and the Languedoc Roussillon region here in France.

I guess the fact that we stumbled across one of the legacy site of the Knights Templar and experienced the wonderful colour of the skies over Lincolnshire provided the fuel for my comparisons.

Not that I am advocating anyone should substitute a holiday in the South of France for one in rural Lincolnshire, heaven forbid. They didn't have Carcassonne Castle or Rennes le Chateau in their arsenal of tourist attractions, not to mention the Pyrenees or the Mediterranean coastline and climate.

But if you are in the UK and fancy an interesting day out, then Lincoln city is a very nice place to visit and there are a few surprises in the countryside as well.

You can find out a little more about my day out by visiting this hub I have written about Temple Bruer and the history of the Knights Templar in a quiet corner of Lincolnshire. It's amazing what you can stumble across when out looking for somewhere to walk the dog and the scenery there is not too shabby either.

A Woodland Walk in Languedoc Roussillon

One of the benefits of staying at Le Moulin is the access to the many woodland walks that are available straight from the property.

There are a number of routes that can be used which range from a quick 40 minute stroll going up to several hours and more if that is what you prefer.




The whole area is popular with walkers and you can access some wonderful viewpoints to see the Montagne Noire, the Pyrenees or to simply meander alongside the River Argentouire and visit the Cascades coming down from Labecede.



Early Autumn is great for gathering chestnuts or hazelnuts in the woods and, for photographers, there is always a chance to catch a spectacular shot of an evening skyline or one of the lovely landscapes views of the mountains or countryside.

The area retains its beauty throughout the winter and staying at Le Moulin you can utilise the fully equipped kitchen to prepare some hot soup or hearty food to warm you following your woodland walks.

If you want to explore a little further afield you can quickly access the National Park in the Black Mountains or visit one of the many inland lakes in the region.

The Lac de St Ferreol is only 20 minutes by car and has a large arboretum and gentle paths around its periphery.

The autumn and winter periods not only provide a very cost effective and affordable holiday but also have a lot to offer those that just love the outdoors and who want to ramble through wonderful countryside, chilling out and getting back to nature.

There really is a route for all levels and plenty of beautiful scenery to admire.

Reupholstery in Languedoc Roussillon

There has been a little bit of a reupholstery job going on at Le Moulin, over the past few weeks so I thought we should share the before and after with you.

Well actually I should say the after and before to be strictly and factually correct.

It was a tricky little job and certainly had our resident expert scratching her head once or twice, but as you can see the end result was fabulous and the owners were delighted with the outcome.

Unfortunately I can't claim any of the glory, it was all the work of my wife Angela.

But I did help to turn it around a few times so that easier access could be gained to the work face; there is just no end to my talent.

Well that and I provided copious amounts of moral support; although I suspect taking more turns at doing the washing up would have been more appreciated.


The chair is going to reside in the owners new home at St. Paul de Fennouillet in the Pyrenees Orientales; but actually came over from the United States of America. So it probably deserved a new coat after all that traveling.

Oh yes and I promised you a look at the 'before' as well didn't I, so here you go.

Looks even better with the matching foot stool.

I think there is going to be many an evening spent sitting and reading in this comfy chair during the winter months.

Beats one of those fold out recliners any day.



Money well spent I would say, and congratulations to Angela for a job done well.

Autumn Leaves are here in France

Summer is now officially over here in France and the autumn leaves have arrived.

This week has seen the covering of the pool, our first frost of the autumn season and we have had to light a fire to take the chill off in the evenings. That's actually quite nice because we have a big log burning fire and it is very pleasant to have a real fire.

The days are still pretty glorious however and we are waking up to lots of lovely sunshine which has a real warmth to it during the day.

I actually love this time of year, its when I feel inspired to get the camera out and take a few photographs of the autumn skies and the changing landscape with the amazing light and different colours you get from all the trees going into their winter preparations.

The holiday season isn't quite over as we still have people arriving next week for the UK half term break which they have decided to take with us here in the South of France, good decision I think and hopefully the sun will continue to shine for a couple more weeks.

We have actually sat out well into November before now having lunch at a cafe in town when the sun is shining. Obviously not every day is like that and there is a chance the weather can turn to be pretty chilly or wet, but when that sun comes out it really is warming, even at this time of the year.

A little about French life, its funny how the chores change as you go through the year, I am now looking to build the wood pile for those winter evenings, I know I will have to start soon, in fact probably should have already if I am honest. So instead of tending to the pool I am cutting wood, preparing fires and taking care of the maintenance jobs I have been putting off all summer on the basis it was way too hot for that sort of work. Oh well no more excuses now, guess I will just have to get on with it.

We are also looking to install a log burner in the gite, which has now taken on a little more urgency, although in typical French style I have been waiting for about 3 weeks for the local heating engineer to come up with a quote following his initial visit. We did think at one point that it would have been nice to have it in for next week, but 'c'est la vie', I guess the central heating will have to kick in if it is too chilly.

Of course while I am waiting there are plenty of walks to go on armed with my trusty Nikon D40 SLR camera to capture a few seasonal snapshots.

Property for Sale - Languedoc Roussillon

If you are interested in buying a property in or around the Languedoc Roussillon region of Southern France you can find a selection of properties available below. Please contact the owners directly for more information and to verify the accuracy of the details.

Tarn et Garonne (Quercy). 30 mins west of Cahors. 5 mins shops. Beautiful stone farmhouse ( 4 rec, 3 bed , 3 bath ) with separate stone guesthouse ( 1 rec, 2 bed, 1 bath ) 2 garages. Set in 1.6 hectares of wooded parkland. Heated 12m x 6m swimming pool, oil central heating, two open fires, original exposed beams and stonework throughout. €399,000.

Contact Clive Brooks 0673 944127 . Email brookswicker@sfr.fr for more photos.

Superb 5 bedroomed villa on the edge of Villasavary, a small village with all commerces 20km west of Carcassonne. En-suite to master bedroom plus family bathroom and separate wc. Pool 11m x 4.2m , 3/4 acre land, own driveway with ample parking and garage. Open plan lounge/kitchen/diner of 38sqm. Beautiful mature gardens looking out onto rolling hillsides. €370,000

View more photos on www.lecantou.com . Call Rob or Mary on 0033 468 247758 or e-mail rob.hesketh@spectrum-ifa.com

Fully renovated 200 year old village house with enclosed south facing garden with views of Bugarach and Rennes le Chateau with plenty of parking space.The property has three bedrooms all with en-suite facilities and could be run as a Chambres D'Hotes.It is situated in a quiet wine making village 15 minutes from Limoux and Quillan and 5 minutes from Esperaza.The asking price is €270,000 or nearest offer. More photos on www.audemaison.com Contact Gill or Richard on gillabdy@hotmail.com

'Mon Repos' is a waterfront haven located at La Tamarissiere, Herault, with stunning views of the river Herault and Mediterranean. This luxury detached two-storey villa, situated in its own secure grounds, is located on the banks of the river Herault, where it meets the Mediterranean. Entirely renovated to an exceptionally high standard, this beautiful villa is the height of waterfront elegance. Priced at 750,000€ as a private sale.

For detailed information, contact: monrepos@orange.fr

An exceptional 1861 Maison de Mâitre, fully restored for luxury country living. 'Maison La Serre' is an imposing family home in South West France. Located within an hour of Toulouse and Spain, it sits in a dominant hilltop position with panoramic views of the Pyrenees. Priced at 998,000€ for a private sale.

Detailed information can be found at: www.perdigots.com

St Ferréol (Revel 4km)
Immaculate villa, 147sq.m, in tranquil woodland setting 300m from Lac St Ferréol . 4 double bedrooms, large bathroom, separate WC. Shower room, laundry/utility room. Separate kitchen. Living room 36sq.m with feature fireplace. Summer salon 36sq.m with pool/billiard table. Double glazing and reversible air conditioning throughout. Integral garage, 2,600sq.m land. Priced to sell at 270,000€

Contact Jeannette or Alan on 0033 5 62 18 01 39 or jareeves@sfr.fr

To add your property to this page contact brianstephens@gmx.com for details.

I've got a brand new combine harvester, handy for a Sunflower harvest

I can't believe how brilliant the weather has been this summer, we have had blazing June, scorching July, red hot August and now we have had the best Indian summer I can recall for a September, although I have lived most of my life in the UK, so that's hardly surprising.


Oh pity you that decided against a holiday in September and actually October as well because it's still going. But as we have had the pool to ourselves this week, we have been making the most of it and going for a swim most days, still have to work though which is a bit unfortunate but it has been very nice taking an hour out by the pool for a change.

Not entirely sure the farmers have enjoyed the amount of sun we have had, I think they actually like it to rain once in a while, except harvest time of course when they do like things nice and dry. That's when life got a little bit exciting just recently, our local farmer arrived to reap the reward of his toils and to harvest the sunflowers, or tournesols as they are quaintly referred to here in the South of France.

I went out to take a few photographs and when Jacques (the farmer) spotted me the next thing I knew was that I got invited to take a ride in his brand new combine harvester which is a pretty impressive piece of machinery I have to say.

This was actually quite fortunate because quite a few of the guests who have stayed this year have asked me how they collect the crop when it is ready, so now I have a photographic account of exactly how it is done.

I think what was really impressive was the speed at which the machine could traverse the field taking in sunflower heads at one end, separating the seeds from the chaff and then filling the built in hopper with a big pile of them ready for transfer into the skip.

It is all totally automated so before you could blink what was a field full of dried ready for picking sunflowers was now a skip full of sunflower seeds that could be loaded onto a lorry and taken to a processing plant to be turned into Sunflower oil or some other sunflower based product.

So there you have it, that is how you harvest sunflower seeds, pretty neat really.

A new low cost and environmentally friendly way to cross the channel

Ryanair may be in trouble if this new, low cost and environmentally friendly way to cross the channel takes off.

There is still the need to hire a car when you get to France, but there can be no doubting that for members of the green parade this new mode of transport will be a big hit, and for the financially challenged it is difficult to see how a more economic option could be found.

Actually by going via Dunkirk you will find that the first motorway section down to Lille will actually be free, not the case if you go via Calais, so hiring that car at the other side should not be so much of an imposition.

Hope you find this new mode of transportation to your liking. By the way if the video doesn't run blame Google, they don't seem to be able to support their own software adequately, but it is worth persevering.



The source of the video is unknown to me, but I will be happy to give it the proper credit should the owner(s) come forward.

An American Viewpoint of France

I wanted to help out an American friend who has a brilliant blog on the American political system called Dixies Political Blog a very insightful look at American politics and one which I think will help you understand a little more about the American Psyche. Its well worth a visit if for no other reason than to get a sensible view of the politics in the States.

Photograph courtesy of Creative Commons

Of course in my other role as super Internet Marketer extraordinaire, I couldn't just post about a political blog without finding some relevancy to the subject of travel, how I could I put such a black mark over my search engine optimization expertise.

So I looked for an American slant about travel to France to add to my post. This is when I stumbled across Guidelines for American Tourists in France which is one of the funniest posts I have read for an age. Here are a few extracts:

General Overview France is a medium-sized foreign country situated in the continent of Europe. It is an important member of the world community, though not nearly as important as it thinks. It is bounded by Germany, Spain, Switzerland and some smaller nations of no particular consequence and with not very good shopping.

France is a very old country with many treasures, such as the Louvre and EuroDisney. Among its contributions to western civilization are champagne, Camembert cheese and the guillotine.

Although France likes to think of itself as a modern nation, air conditioning is little used and it is next to impossible to get decent Mexican food. One continuing exasperation for American visitors is that the people willfully persist in speaking French, though many will speak English if shouted at. As in any foreign country, watch your change at all times.

Safety

In general, France is a safe destination, though travellers are advised that, from time to time, it is invaded by Germany. By tradition, the French surrender more or less at once and, apart from a temporary shortage of Scotch whiskey and increased difficulty in getting baseball scores and stock market prices, life for the visitor generally goes on much as before.

A tunnel connecting France to Britain beneath the English Channel has been opened in recent years to make it easier for the Government to flee to London.

Cuisine

Let's face it, no matter how much garlic you put on it, a snail is just a slug with a shell on its back. Croissants, on the other hand, are excellent, though it is impossible for most Americans to pronounce this word. In general, travellers are advised to stick to cheeseburgers at leading hotels such as Sheraton and Holiday Inn.

Conclusion

France enjoys a rich history, a picturesque and varied landscape, and a temperate climate. In short, it would be a very nice country if it weren't inhabited by French people. The best thing that can be said for it is that it is not Germany.

Now you might be fooled into thinking he is just picking on French people but there are one or two clues that he might be taking the mickey out of Americans as well e.g. "American travellers are advised to travel in groups and to wear baseball caps and colorful trousers for easier mutual recognition."

There is one small problem with this blog and that is the owner David actually lives in the Wirral near to Liverpool in the UK and I have no idea whether he is in fact an Englishman or even if he wrote this article but I don't think we should let semantics detract from the hilarity of his post and I would urge you to visit the page and read it in full.

In the meantime I will contact him and invite a comment on this post with confirmation of his nationality and whether he was actually the author of said article.

Don't forget to visit Dixies Political Blog either as it was her postings that inspired me to find the American Guide to France.