Driving through the Countryside

We went to three vide greniers this morning, driving about 45 minutes southwest of Lectoure, then 25-30 minutes north of Lectoure.  We bought a couple of picture frames, but mostly we enjoyed the scenery of the countryside, with rolling hills of fields planted in corn, sunflowers, wheat, hay, and beans, long corridors of plane trees lining the road, and we found a castle ruin.  The roadways are tended, with no trash, and country homes are mostly made of stone, as are their barns and other farm buildings.  Most country homes have gardens and all have flowers.  Villages are very tidy.

Meeting People

Since arriving in early April, we have met people in various situations, at the hotel we stayed in the first month of our stay, neighbors on our street and around the corners, shop owners that have sold us art and furniture and building supplies, via WhatsApp when introduced by new friends, at vide greniers, at concerts and fêtes, at farm dinners, and more.  We’ve met a mix of people from all over the world, and all of them chose to come to the Gers or chose to stay in the Gers.  It is a special place.

We enjoy having people visit us in our home or meet us for a glass of wine with cheese on Rue Nationale. On Tuesday afternoon, we had a visit from a couple we met a few weeks ago, when we visited the village they live in, about 20 km from Lectoure.  We met Andy while we walked through the village and he was working in his garden.  We went back to their village the next day for a vide grenier and ran into the two of them, exchanging contact information.  Andy and Lesley immigrated from the UK.  They went through the complete process and are now French citizens.  They bought a total redo, replacing the roof and rebuilding their house from the outside to the inside.  They stayed at our house a couple of hours, and we enjoyed every moment.  We made plans to get together again next week.  

And Thursday night, we went to an organ concert at the Cathedral at 18:30, before we went for dinner at Chez Vous, a restaurant in Saint-Puy, a nearby village, with our friends, Dominique and Romain.  They are Parisiens enjoying their pied-à-terre across the street from us several months/year.  Dinner was delicious with live Brazilian guitar music, that we all enjoyed.

Friday morning, another new friend, Judy, came to Lectoure for the Friday market.  We shopped for fresh fruits and vegetables, cheese, and bread.  Papa had lunch with us at Le Cochon Bleu.  We had a wonderful conversation, shared books, and are getting together on Wednesday to go to the spa.  Papa and I are having a wonderful summer in Lectoure!

Ripening Grapes

I worked in our garden yesterday, trimming clematis vines and retying them to the arbor covering our terrace.  Very old grape vines cover most of the arbor.  As I was working, ripening grapes were “in the way,” so I cut several clusters of grapes.  They are delicious.  We will have many more in the coming weeks!

Horse Competition

Our neighbors, Romain and Dominique were invited to a horse competition at Haras d’Olympe, just 6 km south of Lectoure, this morning.  They in turn invited us to go.  Haras d’Olympe was started in 1902 by Count Bernard de Larry de L’atour, great-grandfather of the current owner.  He created a breed of English Thoroughbreds that quickly acquired an international reputation.  When the father of the current owner took over the estate, he reduced production of English Thoroughbreds in favor of Anglo-Arabs for show jumping, dressage, and racing.  The goal of Haras d’Olympe is to control the production of the horse from breeding to completion.  Many winners have come from their stables.  The current owner, Pierre, hosted the competition today, with one horse chosen for French national training.

We enjoyed watching the horses go through various jumps and runs, then everyone moved to a large arena to watch the chosen horse.  The owner’s wife gave Romain and Dominique, Papa and me, a walking tour of the estate and the various stables.  We loved seeing the baby colts.  

Monday

Monday is usually a busy day at our house.  Thanh came at 10 this morning, for our weekly French lesson.  She left at 11:30, and soon after, Rebecca arrived.  We met Rebecca last fall when looking at property to buy.  Her chateau, built in the 13th century, was very interesting and historic.  Within a few moments of meeting we discovered both of us have Kentucky roots.  Her father lives in Paris, Kentucky, and Rebecca attended high school there, then went on to college in the northeast, before returning to France to live. We stayed in touch since fall, and after buying our house in Lectoure, Rebecca promised to come visit when she came to L’Ete Photographique de Lectoure.  I gave her a quick tour of our house, then she and I went for lunch, and to the Photographique Fete.  We had a good visit.   

Papa and I framed and hung some art late afternoon.  I had a WhatsApp message from our friends Rachel and Sid, letting us know they wanted to meet at Lundi Nuits in Lectoure at 7:45.  We met at Chez Yann’s Wine Bar, amidst the hundreds of people on Rue Nationale.  Lundi Nuits in Lectoure are full of  food vendors lining the streets, plus jewelry vendors, toy vendors, wine tents, and live music, with blocked streets.  We had a cheese platter with wine while sitting at a table in the street, and chatted a couple of hours until a local band stopped in front of us, to play several songs.  It was fun, festive, and a happy place to be.  

We are having a great time in Lectoure!  We love walking out our door to so many activities!  

Busy Sunday

We left at 8 this morning, to drive to Agen.  We stopped at a vide grenier at Gravier Parc, then walked to the Agen Aqueduct.  The aqueduct carries the canal de Garonne across the Garonne River.  The aqueduct is 539 meters long, built of stone blocks from 1839 to 1849.  We walked across then back to the park, across a piéton only bridge.  

We made a stop at Leroy Merlin for picture frames, then we stopped at Eglise Saint-Martin in Layrac.  Built in the late 11th and early 12th century, of Romanesque design, it was consecrated by Pope Urban II in 1096.  The eglise was beautiful, with frescoes on the walls and mosaics on the floor.  

 

We walked around the village Layrac, with its arcaded village center.  We pass by Layrac often on our way to Agen, so stopping in the village and visiting Eglise Saint-Martin was really nice for us today.  There is much more to Layrac than we realized!

Our Belgian friends, Hilde and Filiep came by at 4, by bicycle.  They had not yet seen our house, so we gave them a tour and had a nice visit.  After they left, we quickly showered and walked to the Cathedral, for a concert by the Orchestre National de Toulouse.  The orchestra played to a packed cathedral, with two standing ovations, and two encores.  We had a wonderful day!

Edi

Tour de France, Stage 19

We live within a few kilometers of the route of Stage 19, in the 2022 Tour de France.  Papa and I drove along country roads, to a spot we thought would be good to watch.  Alas, we weren’t the only ones!  We arrived about an hour before the riders passed, so we got comfortable, along the road and next to a field of sunflowers.  The road was closed to through traffic, but there were plenty of cars, trucks, and motorcycles carrying press and rider crews, ahead of the riders, honking their horns and waving to people along the road.  There was a van with a loudspeaker, “5 minutes, 5 minutes.”  We got up from our chairs, and I got ready to take photos.  A lead car with flashing lights came along, then a motorcycle with a camera, and the first four riders were right behind him.  Then one more, and all the rest, but one (he was several seconds back).  A helicopter hovered over the road a few hundred meters from us.  In less than a minute, they all passed by us!  An then came the rest of the crews, carrying extra bikes, medical vans, and more.  It was an exhilarating few minutes!

Organ Concert

Tonight was the first of weekly organ concerts at Eglise Saint Esprit and Cathédrale Saint Gervais.  Tonight’s was at Saint Esprit, with a soprano singing various French versions of Ava Maria, written between 1850 and 1950.  The music was beautifully played by the organist and sang by the soloist.  We enjoyed it!  We are also enjoying village life and walking two blocks two to Saint Esprit, one block to Saint Gervais, two blocks to the boulangerie…  Everything is close.