Le bonheur est dans le pré, happiness is in the field! The Gers department, pronounced jerce, borders Haute Garonne to the west/north west and is home to many delightful things particular to SW France. We decided to take my parents to Condom on their visit last autumn. I hadn’t seen much of the Gers before…Read more »
Category: travel
Avez vous entendu le loup
Il y a une expression en Occitan, ou plutôt un dicton « aver entenut a petar lo loup » Connaitre le monde, en avoir vu toutes les couleurs. L’envie de voyager et voir le monde est en nous, certains plus que d’autres, et ça ne va pas changer. Depuis toute petite, j’ai eu un désir inexplicable de…Read more »
The Pech Merle Cave
Prehistoric cave paintings. Abbé Breuil, renowned French prehistorian called it “the Sistine Chapel of the Causses of the Lot district, one of the most beautiful monuments in Paleolithic pictoral art”. Honestly, since I have been living in the south of France I have seen a cave or two but I have never seen anything like…Read more »
Aigues Mortes
Posted by in occitanie, travel, Uncategorized In the heart of the Camargue Gardoise is the medieval city called Aigues-Mortes. In an unusual and lovely area of Occitanie is the impressive walled city, rich in heritage and culture. For information about the Camargue click here If you are travelling around the seemingly endless Languedoc coast and need a break from the beach this…Read more »
Christmas Market Toulouse
For just over a month at the end of each year there is a Xmas Market in Toulouse, with artisanal gifts to buy and delicious seasonal treats to try. There are even a few friendly Quebecois kicking around selling poutine and queue de castor as well as maple syrup and ‘tartinade d’erable’, or maple spread…Read more »
Faux pas
Posted by in culture, Toulouse, travel, Uncategorized Have you ever found yourself in a foreign place, shame faced and wondering what the **** is going on? Have you ever been totally sober, entered a bar in Thailand and had a smiling Thai woman (actually maybe it was a dude?!) throw water all over you and run away? You iron your hair,…Read more »
Mountain Therapy: Bagnères de Luchon
Posted by in Haute Garonne, occitanie, travel A cure for the winter blahs! Do you feel tired and worn out this time of year? Are you wondering how you will get everything done before the holidays? Do you eagerly anticipate Christmas or does it lurk in the distance like a dark cloud of impending doom. With the approach of a long cold…Read more »
Flower Power
Out of the black and into the blue… Toulouse saw a period of great prosperity after the black years of the plague. In the 15th century Toulouse began to enjoy a ‘golden age’. The ‘blue gold’ of the pastel plant created great wealth in the city. La Fleurée de Pastel Isatis tinctoria: woad in English and…Read more »
The Camargue
click to play Soy Gypsy La Camargue is the wildest place I have been in France which is probably the reason why I love it so much. Some of the Camargue is in the Gard department, in Occitanie, and some of it is in Bouche-du-Rhône in PACA, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, our friendly neighbours to the…Read more »
Nîmes
Nîmes The first time I ever saw the Nîmes arena was on my T.V. watching a Metallica concert. I vowed to visit the city that just happens to have a ‘venue’ like that where they can stage concerts. I wouldn’t have known anything about Metallica if it were not for a Christmas present a few…Read more »
