Village Ceremony

I went to Lectoure’s Friday market this morning, and ran into our neighbor, Gerard.  He asked if I was going to the ceremony for Marachel Lannes, and I had forgotten about it.  He invited me to walk to the Marachel Lannes monument in Bastion Park with him, and we waited for the ceremony to begin.  Today marked the 150th anniversary of Marachel Lannes death on 31 May, 1809.  

“Jean Lannes, 1st Duke of Montebello, was a French military commander and a Marshal of the Empire who served during both the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.  He was one of Napoleon’s most daring and talented generals, and is regarded by many as one of history’s greatest military commanders.  He was born in Lectoure in 1769, and he became a personal friend of Napoleon.” 

The ceremony this morning was led by a Gers historian, with flowers laid at the foot of the monument by the mayor, and retired military.  A group of teenagers from the local high school, named for Marachel Lannes, prepared a performance after the ceremony.  

Dinner in Blaziert

Last evening, we were invited to have dinner with our friend Laurence, in Blaziert.  We arrived a few minutes early, so we had time to walk down the street of Blaziert, to the eglise.  Its hand painted walls and stained glass windows are brightly colored.  The views in every direction from Blaziert are beautiful.  Laurence also invited our friend Judy for dinner, and her sister, Susan, visiting from the UK, joined us too.  Dinner was delicious and we enjoyed talking for hours.

Lunch with Friends

On Sunday morning, Papa and I went to three vide greniers.  We bought a handmade pitcher at one of them.  All were in very sweet small villages.  At the third vide, we ran into friends.  We chatted a bit, and discovered we were invited to mutual friends house for lunch.  Lunch was delicious and we ate over three hours.  Our social calendar in the Gers is quite busy, and we enjoy every moment!

Saturday Morning Hike

Papa and I went on a 5+ mile hike this morning, east and south of Lectoure, on farm roads and through fields.  It was a beautiful morning and a beautiful hike, with Lectoure visible most of the way.

After our hike, I prepared a picnic lunch and we met our friends Johani and Pieter, and their three children at Marrioniers Park at 12:30.  Nicolai had fun running around the park, and Isabel found a four leaf clover.  We enjoyed talking under the chestnut trees with the amazing view of the landscape south of Lectoure.

Snow Capped Pyrenees at Sunrise

We have seen the Pyrenees more in the past month than in the past three years.  Atmospheric conditions have been different than usual this time of year, with colder temperatures.  Waking up to snow covered Pyrenees is exciting at our house in Lectoure!

And a few minutes later, hot air balloons lifted off from the rugby stadium.  Beautiful!

Papa’s Birthday

Today was Papa’s 78th birthday.  Papa chose to go for lunch at Les Caprices de LaGraulet.  It is 45 minutes from Lectoure, with beautiful scenery along the way.  We’ve been before and always had a great meal, made by the most joyful chef we’ve ever known.  Once again, we had a très excellente lunch!

Just three days ago, I planned a small surprise birthday party for Papa, inviting neighbors and friends in Lectoure that could easily walk to our house.  After lunch, Papa went to the gym, and I put together drinks and food.  When he got home from the gym, I told him one of our friends was going to come by at 6:30 to go with us for a glass of champagne.  At 6:30, the doorbell rang.  Papa went to the door to find friends singing to him, with arms full of food and flowers.  We celebrated on our garden terrace with champagne, plenty of food, and chatting for hours.  We had a wonderful evening!  

Picking Cherries

After staying at home all day yesterday, waiting for a new refrigerator delivery, we were happy to go visit our friend Judy today.  We drove to her farm near Blaziert to pick cherries.  We picked at least two gallons of cherries.  Her tree was loaded!  

We had coffee with Judy and got home about 1:30.  We ate lunch, I ran some errands and picked up dinner at the boucherie, ran into friends along the way.  It was a good afternoon… a good day!  It was topped off by a beautiful sunset and a rainbow.

Camon Rose Fête

We had breakfast on the terrace of Chateau Abbaye Camon this morning, under partly cloudy, but mostly blue skies.  Just after breakfast, we walked around the village annual Rose Fête.  For a village of 143 people, with all plants grown locally, it was quite a fête, with a few thousand people attending.  

We left Camon by 10:30 and drove just 15km to the village of Mirepoix.  There was a brocante sale, so we walked about and I bought a framed painting of the Notre Dame in Paris for 10Euros.  The cathedral in Mirepoix is beautiful, but there was a service so we didn’t go inside.  We’ve seen it before and love the painted ceiling.  Mirepoix is known for it’s colorful arcaded square. 

We ate lunch in the village of Arvigna, at Le Clos Saint Martin - La Métairie Restaurant.  It is on the Michelin recommended list, and it was excellent!  A beautiful restaurant in a very tiny village, way off the beaten path…it has been found!  The restaurant was full.