Apart from when its simply too hot, this is the most wonderful time of year. I can’t remember the last time we ate indoors, we swim every day and watch as the garden blooms around us. I am particularly proud of my dahlias, which I grew from seed! I, the world’s worst gardener! I am also really proud of my cinnamon basil, also grown from seed.

We’ve been through a phase when the grass was growing like crazy, brambles were pushing out extensions every second, but thankfully, with the heat, everything is slowing down a bit. The maize next to us is full grown now and is even starting to dry out. Our uninterrupted view of the mountains is but a distant memory. The sunflowers are beautiful though and here I am recreating my Calendar Girls moment:

One thing that is different this year is that we have kept feeding the birds, with the result that they are still very happily coexisting with us. There are a pair of doves that regularly descend on the bird table, clouds of sparrowy things and big plump blue tits that swing like mad on the fat balls; its all very buccolic!

I feel like I have been very busy. I now regularly teach English to a delightful French lady from the village and I think we both enjoy the experience. I would like to take on more local students after the summer break. After a slow start the gite is booked up and right now we have a couple from Paris who are here for ten nights. Luckily the house and garden can very easily accomodate a ton of people so no one is treading on each other’s toes. And its been so hot that its actually a relief to have to stay in the house while the guests are in the pool.

I swim regularly with my fellow mermaids in the lakes at Sainte Blancard and Castelnau Magnoac. Both are very professional outfits now, with inflatables, paddle boards, life guards, cocktail bars. When I think back to how they were when we arrived, its amazing to see and marvel at. Having a glass of wine at Lac’Usine, the snazzy bar beside the lac after my Wednesday swim is a great pleasure.

I just sang with my choir at a hostel that is used by pilgrims walking the Camino way. Here we all are, just minutes before we went in:

The garden at the centre of the hostel was so cool and calming, which I needed, tbh. Its a long drive to Condom and I was feeling particularly frazzled because… I had literally just come back from camping at Marciac! There are so many reasons why it is wonderful living here and I will bump proximity to Marciac as being way near the top of the list. But before I tell you about this, I want to record my thanks to our friends who gave us their tickets to see MC Solaar, a French rapper from the Nineties. It meant we were able to join the throng bustling into the Chapiteau, which is the huge tented venue that I’ve peered at enviously for years. Seeing people drinking at the posh bars, hearing pulsing music deep into the night and, finally, there we were:

Solaar was clearly a popular musicican back in the day and people were getting to their feet, arms reaching out to him, thousands of voices rapping along with him. We went along with it all, enraptured by the electric atmosphere. And later, the second musician came on in the manner of a Rock God, flowered robe billowing open, impenetrable pebble glasses confering gravitas, shaven head and gold chunky jewellery glinting in the spotlights and then he sat down and played… Chopin! Albeit accompanied by a drummer and electric guitars, but it was Chopin, all the same!

We deliberately kept the Marciac village for a treat for our second visit and we totally embraced it, every hot second! We stayed at the campsite near the Lake (our fourth visit, I believe) and really, its a great place. They do breakfast, wine when you need it, ice creams and fish and chips and there is a swimming pool, which we used to cool down after our day time excursions. Each time we go to Marciac, we find something new. Our friend told us about an achingly cool outside cocktail bar, tucked at the back of J’Go’s and we found it! Chandeliers hung from branches, the bar was made of pallets, the restaurant roof was a canopy of trees and the jazz singer waved as we left; we’d listened to her earlier in the day as she rehearsed.

I have never professed to be a jazz fan but it was fun, really fun actually, to be sitting on a sofa, following the musical patterns till 2 in the morning!

I’ve described before how magical Marciac is. You turn a corner and the corner turns into a courtyard or a garden, festooned with lights. Everyone is smiling, gesticulating, smoking, holding wine, eating from platters. We knew exactly where to go for a riot of vegetables, tapenades and fresh tomatoes doused in basil sauce. Le Petit Sardine is a tiny tapas bar, with a proprietor who looks fittingly like Captain Haddock and it is open all year, not just for the festival, which is good to know. We are heading back for another weekend next weekend and will hire bikes because we did a huge amount of walking and my feet hurt! Apart from that, we will do everything the same, except this time I won’t choose a Bloody Mary ice cream! OMG, it was horrible! Even the staff looked shocked I had ordered it and I understood enough French to know that I was the first person to try it. 🤮

I went on another Birthday Lunch with my friends and this time we went to Zoe’s Country Kitchen, just near Bassouses. Its a private venue that holds maybe twenty people and is quite delightful. Here we all are:

Its always the attention to details that makes something a good or amazing experience; Zoe’s homemade bread was sensational and I loved the canapes and the homemade chutney. Speaking of which, we have jars and jars of chutneys and jams put away. No big disasters this year. Following recipes is a very good idea!

My friend has just got back from seeing Barbie. I saw it last week and, like my friend, really enjoyed it. Its a clever satirical take on capitalism and patriarchy and appeals to adults and children alike. I was a bit shocked to see that Mattel did actually bring out a Sugar Daddy Ken:

and a pooping dog!

Hhhmmm. I was more a Sacha doll kinda gal, myself. A bit more tasteful.

Anyhoo, I have water melons to water, so shall bid you farewell, until next blog! Where ever you are, take care and let me know how you are doing.

Bises,

Madame Boucliers 💋