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Gascony Diary
The official first day of Spring really did
herald a glorious change in the weather here in
the Gers. Suddenly there was hot sunshine after
a fairly long winter and the garden changed
overnight it seemed into a riot of yellow
daffodils and hyacinths and forsythia. With not
a minute to lose, up went the bamboo over the
summer terrace to provide much needed shade and
water was splashed on the pots of herbs that
have wintered out on the south side of the
house.
The perfect
timing of the Spring weather was particularly
welcome this weekend for the Saint Mont Fete. A
three day festival to celebrate the Saint Mont
wine, some friends and I took our horses to the
randonnee yesterday that was organised as part
of the festivities. A fantastic two and a half
hour ride through vineyards, woods and rural
tracks, with the sun burning our faces and
shoulders as the morning progressed and jumpers
being stripped off leaving us all in T shirts,
we stopped at three wine chateaux on the way,
tying up the horses in the grounds and drinking
the offerings of that particular chateau on the
manicured lawns in front of the stunning
honey-coloured houses, before continuing on our
way and ending up back at the 'Cave' in Aignan
for a steak and duck lunch under the marquee.
It's wonderful
days like those that make me sad for the loss of
open space and quiet roads in England. Those
areas that are still able to offer superb
riding, walking, scenery and a peaceful
environment etc are prohibitively expensive to
buy into, particularly if you want a little land
for horses, goats, ducks or just for the dogs to
run. It's no wonder that so many of us are
grabbing the opportunity to make our homes in
rural France, particularly in the South West
where we are guaranteed real summer sunshine but
a countryside that we feel comfortable and
familiar with, retaining as it does a full four
seasons. Long may the relaxed lifestyle here
continue.
The country
people in the Gers are the longest lived in
France, the air, some of the cleanest in Europe,
the lack of motorways and industry in our
department provides a balm to the soul and the
welcome from neighbours and friends seems to me
to be the most genuine and heartfelt that I have
known. The smiling faces as they make eye
contact seem to be a little conspiratorial, as
if to say 'So you found us then'.
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