Ornella and Donato’s Visit to Lectoure

Ornella and Donato arrived in Toulouse on Monday evening.  We picked them up and drove home, had a quick dinner, and walked up to Rue Nationale for Lundi Nuit.  We enjoyed wine at Chez Yann while Los Pagayos bandas played.  It was a festive start to their visit!

On Tuesday morning, Ornella and I walked on the Chemin de Saint Jacques near Lectoure.  We shopped a bit in Lectoure and visited the Brocante Village.  We had lunch at Chez Vous in Saint-Puy, and we visited Abbaye de Flaran.  We had a simple dinner of charcuterie, cheeses, fruits, and fresh bread for dinner.  We sat on our 4th floor balcony after dinner and talked into the dark.  A nice day!

Ornella and I walked again on Wednesday morning, on the moulin road north of Lectoure.  We visited two chateaux before lunch, Chateau de Flamarens where we took a tour with the owner.  The Chateau de  Flamarens was built in the late 1200’s.  It suffered a terrible fire in 1943 and was abandoned.  It was purchased by a French family about 30 years ago.  They have been working on it ever since, putting on a new turret this year.  Papa and I go to Chateau de Flamarens several times each summer for concerts.  

Chateau de Gramont was built in the early 1200’s by a noble family and it stayed in private hands and was well cared for until 1979, when it was donated to Caisse Nationale des Monuments Historiques.  It has an amazing collection of tapestries and a beautiful garden.

We had lunch at L’Auberge de Tournecoupe, then returned to Lectoure for the afternoon.  Ornella and I climbed the Cathédrale tower and enjoyed the 360 view of Lectoure.  We stopped at a friends house to pick fresh figs, pears, and apples, then went to the thermes to soak before dinner.  We enjoyed our fruits with dinner.  

We were up early on Thursday morning, for the drive back to Toulouse airport.  We loved every minute of Ornella and Donato’s short visit!

Our Gers Weekend

On Thursday evening, we went to a concert at L’Ecole de Immaculate Conception, with David Levi playing piano and Sharman Plesner playing violin.  They performed outside under the trees, just beyond the Cloisters of Immaculate Conception.  Both musicians are accomplished and their performance was superb!  Both performers were born in America and have lived in France for 10+ years.  We sat under the trees, surrounded by friends and lingered after the concert.

On Friday morning, I went to Lectoure’s marche - always fun and where I fill baskets with fresh fruits and vegetables plus artisan bread.  In the evening, we met friends, Caroline and Glyn for dinner in La Romieu, and then went to a Gospel choir concert.  It was a very hot evening and the acoustics aren’t great in La Romieu’s Collegiale, but the concert was excellent!  The choir performed songs in English, all familiar to the world, with their French audience singing along.  We enjoyed every moment!

I worked in the Bechetoille’s garden on Saturday morning for a couple of hours.  We met our friend Susan at 3:00 in Bastion Park, to watch the Carriolades, part of the Fete du Melon.  There were a dozen plus homemade cars that operate without engines, just people power - someone to steer and someone to push.  It is always great fun to watch!  It was over 100F, so we stopped for ice cream on the way home, with friends Rachel and Sid.

Papa and I picked blackberries and figs in Susan’s yard this morning.  We came home and cut more grapes to give away to friends.  We went for lunch at L’Atelier d’Auria’s.  It was delicious and it is always special!  A good weekend!

 

Early Morning Sun

Much of Europe is enduring a heat wave that has lasted several days, the Gers included.  Mornings are relatively cool, and the air heats up after noon.  I continue to go on my early morning walks, and this is a view over Lectoure’s cemetery, taken at 7:12, as the sun came over the horizon.  The sun appeared as a ball of fire. 

Weekend in the Gers

If it is Friday in Lectoure, I go to the market on Rue Nationale!  Always fun and it’s where I buy most of my fruits and vegetables.  We have friends with fruit growing in their gardens too, so I picked blackberries and figs in Susan’s garden and plums and pears in Agnes’ garden.  

We have ripe grapes in our garden too!  We have more than we can possibly eat, so we share with neighbors and friends.  

We met friends, Kay and Jay for lunch on Friday, at L’Auberge de Tournecoupe, a new favorite restaurant!  We stopped by Chateau Saint-Leonard after, to take a close up look at the crumbling chateau.

On Friday evening, Kelly and Jean-Pierre came for dinner and we went to the Blues Festival in Marrioniers Park.  Jean-Pierre brought several suit jackets for Papa to try on and borrow for an event we’re going to in early September.  Papa doesn’t have “dress up clothes” in Lectoure!

On Saturday morning, I went on one of my walking routes, partially on the Chemin de Saint-Jacques.  It winds down narrow paths and country lanes, through fields of sunflowers and alfalfa.  

We had a late lunch in the small village of Lannepax on Sunday at La Falene Bleue, on the Michelin recommended list.  Our lunch was delicious!  After lunch, we drove a bit further south to Lupiac, birthplace of d’Artagnan, a fictional character who dreams of joining the King’s Musketeers in the book, The Three Musketeers.  Lupiac was hosting a weekend fete, but it was quite hot, and not so many people on a Sunday afternoon, except for young fencers, and a beautifully painted carriage taking people for rides.  It is a pretty village.