tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83957902681150912982024-02-20T06:22:49.487+01:00Life in the French PyrénéesThis is my account of our day-to-day life in the French Pyrénées, initially in the unspoilt Ariège department and then further west along the chain, where wild boar and deer are prevalent, where birds of prey call as they circle overhead catching the thermals, where wild produce is available in abundance and where both the summer and the winter outdoor sports enthusiast is spoilt for choice!andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03551552886007334440noreply@blogger.comBlogger777125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8395790268115091298.post-41231032059836375242013-05-26T21:57:00.001+02:002013-05-26T21:57:12.181+02:00I'm still here!Time between my blog posts seems to be getting longer and longer, doesn't it. But that's because life continues to be so darned busy down here! This, however, is a good thing. A brief summary of the past 4 weeks for you.
My brother came to visit us at the start of the month for a few short days of mental 'switch off' which was desperately needed. Fortunately, the weather Gods played ball and he Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8395790268115091298.post-28009377948047215992013-04-29T20:01:00.002+02:002013-04-29T20:04:12.470+02:00More hours in the day pleaseWe seem to be hectically busy at the moment, with demands on our time and energy coming from all different directions. Work on the house, work on the potager area and 'business' work are taking up most of our time, although we have made time for a couple of good rides on the roadies since the beginning of the month when weather has allowed.
Talking of weather, April has been a bonkers month Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8395790268115091298.post-82700103274954530902013-04-14T20:36:00.000+02:002013-04-14T20:36:05.621+02:00NeglectedOh dear, I appear to have been neglecting my blogging duties. I don't suppose anybody will have noticed, though? Anyway, here's a quick update on what life has been all about over the last month. It has been busy busy busy!
The highlight? A wonderful relaxing trip back to the UK to see my gorgeous new grandson, 3 week old Rufus James. He is absolutely adorable and both my son Jamie and his Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8395790268115091298.post-47779230073946485092013-03-15T20:25:00.003+01:002013-03-15T20:25:56.525+01:00New lifeOK, so the start of Spring may be experiencing a bit of a stutter with a sharp drop in temperature and 2 days of light snow down at our level, but still, there are signs of new life. I am not just talking about the seeds that I sowed indoors at the start of the month, although they are doing very well thank you (all 5 varieties of tomatoes have emerged, as have the aubergine, 3 varieties ofUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8395790268115091298.post-22831290321580635242013-03-04T21:16:00.001+01:002013-03-04T21:16:35.385+01:00Spring!Yup, goodbye snow, hello sun! OK, realistically, we'll probably have a few more cold, damp days before Spring really gets into gear, but for the moment, just allow me to bask in the notion that the corner has been turned? With 19 deg C being reached today, I don't think it is unjustified!
With Spring my thoughts turn to sowings and plantings and how to get the most out of my potager this year. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8395790268115091298.post-21735352955248226072013-02-28T09:29:00.001+01:002013-02-28T09:29:58.705+01:00WinterWe returned from our holiday in the Var to a few days of lovely, warm weather which enabled us to chainsaw to length and stack two more stères of wood ready for the cold spell that was forecast. It also enabled me to dig over a patch of the potager in anticipation of some frosty mornings which I hoped would help to break up the heavy soil a bit. I have now got my sowing/planting plan sorted and Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8395790268115091298.post-51233665399855218592013-02-18T20:42:00.001+01:002013-02-18T20:42:04.216+01:00Exploring a corner of the VarIt's a long while since we last had a 'holiday' ... in fact I think it was this time last year, when we headed down to Spain for a week. So we were long overdue a break away, particularly seeing as the weather at home has been rubbish since what seems like forever. We headed along the Med coast, through the Languedoc region to Provence and, more particularly, the Var department which is an area Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8395790268115091298.post-69299792096797457982013-02-06T20:55:00.001+01:002013-02-06T20:55:32.701+01:00Just a word about the weatherSince mid January, the Pyrénées have seen unprecedented meteorological conditions. At the time of writing, just a bit further West along the chain, the resort of Cauterets currently has a depth of snow of 5.50m which is more than any other ski resort not just in France, not just in Europe but in the world! More snow is falling as I write and a depth of more than 6 metres is pretty much guaranteedUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8395790268115091298.post-37354137516608450702013-02-01T19:46:00.002+01:002013-02-01T19:50:29.134+01:00All change again!Well, this week, as promised, has been positively spring-like with temperatures reaching the high teens... positively balmy! Wonderful!
On Tuesday, we headed up to the Col du Portet d'Aspet and rather than heading up to the Pic de Paloumère ridge again, we explored a new route up the other side of the Col which took us to the Sommet du Puech at 1669m. We had now idea how much snow would be up Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8395790268115091298.post-36505978484768100042013-01-26T20:39:00.002+01:002013-01-26T20:43:11.931+01:00The end is in sight - hurrah!Apart from yesterday (Friday), it has continued to be wet wet wet down here but without the light relief of Marty Pellow. Snow has continued to fall thick and fast up in the ski resorts where the avalanche risk is extremely high. Despite the sun making a welcome reappearance yesterday, we opted to stay out of the mountains until the situation stabilises and instead headed out for a run up onto Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8395790268115091298.post-1503301871097844132013-01-17T19:47:00.000+01:002013-01-17T20:05:11.208+01:00All changeAs predicted, the weather has closed in over the past week and a massive quantity of snow has fallen up in the mountains which has resulted in a cat 5 avalanche risk. Our local ski station has been closed for the past 3 days and most of the bigger resorts have also been closed. Today, we have heard several 'booms' emanating from up at the Col de Menté where helicopters have been dropping charges Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8395790268115091298.post-79144816869874681082013-01-11T20:42:00.002+01:002013-01-11T20:45:57.929+01:00SpoiledTwice this week we have made it 'up high', determined to make the most of the glorious weather while it lasts. On both occasions, the snowshoes were left in the car, such are the conditions at the moment.... the south-facing slopes in particular are bare of snow right up to 1700m. On Monday, we headed up to Luchon and walked up to the Lac d'Espingo (1967m) via the Lac d'Oô. I regretted not Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8395790268115091298.post-51213739398925386292013-01-06T20:43:00.004+01:002013-01-06T20:43:45.798+01:00Cloud inversion and climateLooking out of the window when I got up this morning, I noticed a cloud inversion in the little valleys and dips that surround us. Fortunately we are on a nice little high point here, so cold air rarely descends to us and we are largely spared the cold, dank envelope that plagues the lower lands. But for our little morning mooch with the pooch we chose to venture into the clag and very Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8395790268115091298.post-88165496108471976252013-01-05T20:13:00.000+01:002013-01-05T20:13:06.253+01:00Spring already? Surely not!It's all a bit worrying. We're only just into the first week of January and yet the first patches of snowdrops are through and today at 1300m we spotted some Liverwort (Hepatica Nobilis) in the beech woodland above the Col du Portet d'Aspet
OK, so we are currently enjoying the most glorious, warm, sunny weather thanks to a fantastically stable high pressure area, but I think the plants and Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8395790268115091298.post-9840005854283533022012-12-30T19:26:00.001+01:002012-12-30T19:49:09.241+01:00Where did that go?!Crikey, Christmas has been and gone already. Mum spent Christmas week with us and we had a really lovely, relaxing time. The weather, unlike in the UK, was dry apart from a couple of overnight spells of rain and temperatures even reached the low 20s on the Sunday before Christmas. I don't think mum was expecting to be relaxing in a sun lounger, reading a book in the sun on the 23rd December!
MumUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8395790268115091298.post-46348956373404022572012-12-18T20:42:00.002+01:002012-12-18T20:42:28.499+01:00Bathroom stuffOpération salle d'eau - it has been a difficult project for many reasons. But it is finally nearing its conclusion. And what a conclusion it is. Judge for yourselves.
The room as we viewed it for the first time before the purchase of the house.... it seemed like a tiny, pokey little room and it was hard to visualise it as a bathroom;
Once cleared of furniture, stripped of wallpaper and with Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8395790268115091298.post-11462264790561539272012-12-09T21:22:00.001+01:002012-12-09T21:22:40.091+01:00More snowy stuffThe weather during this past week has been dismal ..... cold and wet and with strong gusty winds, but not quite cold enough here at 600m to snow. However, from 800m it was a different story. Today dawned cold, crisp and clear - not a day to waste indoors after being effectively cooped up all week. No, we had to get up into the mountains for some fresh air, sun and snow and a reccy for some Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8395790268115091298.post-16069648682067183122012-12-02T15:28:00.000+01:002012-12-02T15:29:46.410+01:00Still smiling!Well, the leg has healed wonderfully well and I am now able to pick up the exercise again which, after 4 weeks of doing so very little, is a great relief! I was, however concerned about my fitness levels but it was only by getting out and doing stuff that I would find out where I stood.
Winter proper arrived on Wednesday and Thursday last week, with snow settling down to 800m. We are at 600m so Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8395790268115091298.post-574542018535408962012-11-21T20:39:00.002+01:002012-11-21T20:39:21.814+01:00A smile on my faceWe have just had another spell of glorious weather so, with the leg making great progress and having been effectively cooped up for nearly 3 weeks, I was determined to get out for something resembling a decent walk. So yesterday, we drove the 35 minutes up to the Col de Menté and then took the steady track rather than the steep path up to the Cabane d'Escalette
...which has amazing views Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8395790268115091298.post-83136905778365270672012-11-16T21:02:00.001+01:002012-11-16T21:03:11.848+01:00On a brighter note ....Two weeks after the dog attack, the infection really looks like it is dissipating and the wounds starting to heal. I am in less discomfort and am able to do a bit more every day which is such a relief, although I still have to be very careful not to do anything that may reopen the wounds. The weather has been absolutely brilliant for the past few days with clear blue skies, warm sun and ambient Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8395790268115091298.post-83163639744029804692012-11-13T11:59:00.002+01:002012-11-13T11:59:53.958+01:00Taking it furtherWell, it has been 10 days since I was attacked by the farm dog. 10 days of heavy dose antibiotics and the side-effects that accompany them. 10 days of having to rest and keep my leg up to avoid the spread of infection. 10 days of worrying whether the infection will take hold and whether complications will set in. 10 days of frustration and worry. The wounds are healing.... slowly.... so Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8395790268115091298.post-33552336233673384012012-11-03T09:51:00.001+01:002012-11-03T09:51:06.024+01:00Occupational hazard?I love mountain biking, even more so since we moved to this area. But it is not without its dangers. I am not talking about the physical challenges and risk of falling off and hurting yourself, which is a given. No, I am talking about risks and dangers that are outside of your control. I am talking about dogs that are not secured. We have frequently encountered loose farm dogs on our rides, not Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8395790268115091298.post-14918400186977180302012-10-28T20:50:00.001+01:002012-10-28T21:07:48.535+01:00A change of windLast week, we had glorious weather with temperatures peaking on Wednesday at 26 degrees, all thanks to a mass of warm air coming up from North Africa. It was shorts and T shirt time again - fantastic! But I was watching the weather forecast with a sense of foreboding. A big cold front was marching down from the North which would push away any hint of warmth from our precious North African high. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8395790268115091298.post-27372621855348415122012-10-16T19:59:00.003+02:002012-10-16T19:59:57.723+02:00Potager potterings and other meanderingsI am so enjoying having a potager again! I just love seeing those tiny, insignificant seeds that I sowed eventually emerge from the heavy soil and go on to become the tastiest, freshest veg that I have ever grown! I am currently able to make a mixed leaf salad with baby spinach, lollo rosso lettuce and winter lettuce leaves. Yum! A quick tally, for my own records as much as anything else, of whatUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8395790268115091298.post-66558853158808476772012-10-03T09:31:00.001+02:002012-10-03T09:31:34.610+02:00Progress reportOn Monday, the installation of our new sanitation system was signed off. A 4000L fosse toutes eaux and a 30m2 sand filter bed satisfies the authorities and means that our household waste is no longer fertilising our field! This may or may not be a good thing, as Andy found a cracking tomato plant with ripening fruit in the midst of the lush vegetation down here. Hey ho!
We took a much needed Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0