Every Day is a Good Day!

We have played games two evenings over the past week with our neighbors/friends Dominique and Romain. They have lived across the street part time over the past five years, since we arrived in Lectoure. They have a contract to sell their home, so they will spend all their time at home in Paris. We always have a great time with them - the four of us are quite competitive with each other!

I had coffee with Pirrko last Thursday in Bastion Park. Papa and I had lunch with Janine and Steve at O Badiu that same day. There was a new menu and everything was delicious! On Friday morning, I went to Lectoure’s market to buy fresh fruits and vegetables. We drove to Chateau de Barthas in Mauvezin by 10, for a tour with the owner. He was full of history from the Gers, all very interesting for us. We met friends Christine and Maurice for lunch in Mauvezin after our tour. In the evening, we were invited for dinner at the home of friends Monique and Luc, along with friends Jean-Francois and Marianne, and Agnes and Raymond. Dinner was delicious and the conversation was interesting. Monique, Jean-Francois, and Agnes grew up in Lectoure and their families have known each other for generations. They traded stories of siblings and extended family.

On Saturday morning, a new friend from Seattle, Christiane, was visiting their home nearby and came for coffee with her mother, visiting from Germany. After lunch, I went to Agnes garden to pick fresh persimmons. On Sunday morning, I had a nice walk with friend Elizabeth and her dog, through the fields south of Lectoure. Papa and I went to Fleurance to a vide grenier in the town center, and stopped by the brocante shop of friend Claire. As we walked back through the village, we ran into a couple we met last weekend, while visiting their chateau during Patrimoine Weekend. We invited them for apéros later this week.

We went for Sunday dinner at friends Rachel and Sid’s house, with friends Susan and Chip joining us. We talked for hours, catching up on travels and news. More to come this week! Every day is a good day!!! We are having fun!

Sarah’s Visit

Our granddaughter Sarah arrived in Toulouse airport last Thursday just before noon. We gave Sarah a walking tour of the village, to the Cathédrale and down Rue Nationale to the Brocante Village and its old chapel (formerly an hospital), and came home to cut grapes on the terrace. She had a late afternoon rest and we went to O Badiu for dinner that evening. On Friday morning at 9:30, Sarah and I went up the 240 steps of the Cathédrale tower to enjoy the view. Afterward, we went to Lectoure’s weekly market, then went to Bar XIII for lunch, inviting our friend Anling to join us. In the afternoon, Sarah and I went to the thermes to soak. We had supper at home with ham and cheeses, bread and fruits we bought that morning at the market.

We took advantage of the annual weekend of Journées Européennes du Patrimoine. On Saturday morning our first stop was Chateau de Serillac, where the chateau owner approached us and offered to give us a personal tour of the chateau. He purchased it twenty years ago, and has continued working on it since. It is an interesting property with beautiful vistas. We drove to Condom for lunch and visited the Cathedrale with statues of the Three Musketeers and d’Artagnan. Sarah posed along with them. We visited Larresingle, a chateau ruin, and we stopped at Chateau Cassaigne, a beautiful chateau with a deer park. And we visited Chateau Lavardens, whose floors are magnificent, 18 unique 17th century geometric mosaic pavements made with local pink terracotta bricks and limestone. 

Papa and I went to an art vernissage on Saturday evening at Les Orages, the historic Tannerie in Lectoure, seeing several friends, while Sarah rested a bit. We had an apéro dînatoire at our neighbors Alice and Gerard’s house later in the evening, with their family visiting from Australia. Sarah enjoyed talking with the Australian niece’s son and fiance, also in their 20’s.

We visited more Patrimoine weekend chateaux on Sunday morning, with Anling joining us. Our first stop at Chateau Cadreils, the home of the parents of French actress Julie Gayet and her husband, former President of France, Francois Hollande. Julie’s dad gave a tour of the exterior of the 17th century secluded chateau. We enjoyed a very long lunch afterward, at Auberge de Prieure, a Michelin star restaurant. We had 10 courses over 3 hours. It was an unforgettable dining experience for all of us! We took a walk about the Cluny Eglise in Moirax after lunch. Built in the 11th century, it is beautiful!

Neighbors Alice and Gerard and their visiting Australian family came for apéros on our balcony on Sunday evening. We ate and watched the sun set on our favorite spot in our Lectoure house!

On Monday, our friend and chef Amanda texted that she was coming to our house at 10 to prepare lunch for us. I had texted her a few days before to ask if she was cooking at the cafe La Romieu on Monday. She had a change of plans, treated us to a delicious lunch, and even served us! I invited our friend Abby to join us. Days with surprises are the best! Sarah helped us cut grapes on the terrace in the morning, we did another walk about Lectoure in the afternoon, and we sat on the balcony as the sun went down. We were up early on Tuesday morning to take Sarah back to the Toulouse airport. We had a wonderful visit with Sarah!

Grateful for Friends!

Over the past week, we’ve seen lots of friends. We at dinner with Coralie and Andre at Ferme Cazau on Wednesday evening. It was an “all French dinner” as neither of them speak English. On Thursday evening, we had Thierry and Beatriz, from La Romieu, for dinner. I went to the Friday market in Lectoure on Friday morning. We went to Jean-Francois and Marianne’s in the afternoon to dig cyclamen for replanting in our garden. That evening we went to O Badiu restaurant for dinner with Susan Chip. 

Papa went back to Jean-Francois’ on Saturday morning, to try out a drone. We had lunch with neighbors Heather and Gerard and Alice at Le Bastard restaurant. In the evening we hosted apéros at our house for Abby, Deirdre, Elizabeth and Jean-Claude, on our balcony. We went for lunch at Kate and Olivier’s house in the country on Sunday. I took a two hour walk with Solenge on Monday morning. We hosted Anma and Fred for dinner on Monday evening. We had coffee with Astrid on Tuesday afternoon, and dinner with Caroline and Glyn at Cafe des Sports. We are grateful for every one!

Visitors from Tucson

Last week started with a walk with Solenge on Monday morning, this time in the forest near Pauilhac and seeing her favorite tree. I had coffee with Annie after the walk, at Cafe Des Sports, before she returned to Paris. I picked figs from Agnes garden. And I prepared the house for guests. 

On Thursday, we had lunch with friends Pirrko and Nelson at O Badiu. We arrived at home just as visitors from Tucson pulled up in front of our house. Tucson neighbors Beth and Fred arrived Thursday and stayed through the weekend with us. We went on a long walk in the hills around Lectoure and then to the Lectoure Friday market. After a market lunch at home, we visited the Collegiale church and cloisters in La Romieu. We had dinner that evening at L’Atelier Gourmand on Rue Nationale. On Saturday morning, we took another walk, then picked figs and hazelnuts at friend Susan’s house. We went to the Terraube Antiquities Fete in Chateau de Terraube, then had lunch in Saint Puy at Chez Vous. After lunch, we visited Flaran Abbay, Chateau Cassaigne with deer lounging in the field, the fortified village ruins of Larresingle with archers in ancient costumes competing in an archery competition, and to the Condom Cathedral to see the Three Musketeers sculpture. On Sunday, we went to Intermarché and Papa took the groceries home while we hiked through the fields. We had lunch in Saint Mere and drove around the old chateau, stopped at Chateau Flamarens and it’s Eglise ruin, and explored beautifully preserved Chateau Gramont. We had dinner at home in the evening, and watched the moon and stars from the balcony. Beth and Fred left on Monday morning after another long walk around the hills of Lectoure.