La Vieille Source Blog

Another hot week for La Vieille Source. It’s been sunny and warm all week but by Thursday night it seemed to be warming up by the hour. At the school choral concert it was very humid with the children getting restless and the parents fanning themselves with their concert programmes.

We’ve been using the air conditioning at night, which makes it difficult to sleep until you nod off to the quiet drone of the whirring fan. Today we’ve seen some welcome showers, and the temperature has cooled, so no air con required tonight just a good night’s sleep.

Our most recent gite guests have visited all the way from Seattle and are celebrating 53 years of marriage. We wish them our hearty congratulations. 

Today the ten day forecast is predicting a whopping 33 degrees coming up next weekend, which is high for the beginning of June. The swimming pool was a bath like 29 degrees towards the end of the week so no need to ease yourself in cautiously.
The annual “Salon de Livre” book fair takes place on sunday in Lectoure and throughout France families will be celebrating fête des Mères – Mother’s day.

Jean Lannes, Duke of Montebello, was born in humble surroundings in the town of Lectoure. He died in 1809, 200 years ago. As a “Maréchal d’Empire de Napoléon” the marie wanted to celebrate his life and mark the bicentenary of his death with several public events. Between 30th May and 1st June there’s been an official opening ceremony, a commemerative concert, a weekend of historical reconstructions held at the Bastion park in Lectoure, and also a play “La vie d’un héros : Jean Lannes ” at the local theatre. There will be more activities taking place during July, including a display of stamps and historical letters and documents from his era.
Our gite “La Vieille Source” is set above the old stables of the Vaucluse estate, once owned by the Lannes family.
If you’d like to see a photograph of an old postcard showing how the estate house, towers and grounds looked 200 years ago and a portrait of Jean Lannes you’ll find it at http://www.gitefrancais.com/photo-holiday-homes-france.php

What’s new this week at La Vieille Source. Well we’ve been very busy since my last post, with the children off school for the numerous May bank holidays and the gite busy with new guests arriving and leaving.This past week the rose covered terrace has burst into life with it’s multiple white blooms and curling vines. The weather is fabulous and the town is humming with backpacking pilgrims, locals and tourists all enjoying this glorious weather. Our last gite guests made full use of the heated swimming pool and also the pool terrace, which they were delighted to discover is a real sun trap. They all left looking very chilled with an excellent healthy tanned glow.
We have a new addition to our family. He’s a very small and extremely cute and fluffy white kitten called “Chalky”, just 6 weeks old. He was a little shy on his first day but now he’s brimming with bravado and keen to explore every nook and cranny in his new home. Our older cat Guinness seems a little surprised with his new housemate but so far so good. They’re getting along well and today I watched them enjoying an energectic pouncing game and a few rounds of hide and seek under the sofa.
We’ve added a new pink climbing rose to the wrought iron gloriette in the central lawned garden and I’m eagerly anticipating the first flush of pink scented roses. The” who can grow the tallest sunflower” competition is well underway and everyone has their own pot with a good strong stem reaching skywards. The children are getting quite competitive with their techniques. I’ve suggested perhaps talking or even singing to their seedlings will help, and they are remembering to regularly water them and in a few weeks add a little plant fertiliser. I’ve decided I’m sticking to the organic approach with a bit of sympathetic chat so it’ll be interesting to see how our final blooms will compare.
We thoroughly enjoyed a few relaxing hours this week at the thermal spa in Lectoure. The bathing pool with it’s powerful jets and cascading waterfall is so soothing. We felt thoroughly spoilt with the bubbling jacuzzi, scented steam room and breathtakingly hot pine sauna. The refreshing jet showers were a real welcome pleasure, some hot and soothing, some powerful and invigorating. I did notice a special promotion for fête des Mères (Mother’s Day) which is celebrated in France the first weekend in June (hint hint!)
The weather forecast for the next ten days is showing continuing sunshine and temperatures will reach around  31 degrees, so ideal pool and gardening weather.

The good weather continues. Last weekend the fair was in Fleurance. The nearby town of Miradoux welcomed one and all for their special open day with fun, games and dressing up. It all began at 8am with breakfast served in the village hall. Then there was an organised medieval ramble followed by aperitifs and a communal midday meal.

Here at La Vieille Source the garden is looking lovely. This year the crops in the fields around the gite are ripening corn, shooting sunflowers and the famous melons de Lectoure. Our local farmer has won the melon grower’s prize of honour 4 times now, and we like to think we play a very small part as the melons are watered from the spring in our garden. Our daughter has planted her own melon plants this year and is keenly watching their progress.

It’s garlic season this month and the air is heavy with the aroma of freshly plucked garlic. On our walk to school we pass the gaggles of ladies sitting out in the sunshine, smiling and chatting whilst plaiting up the bulbs.

Forthcoming events for this weekend include vide greniers at St Clar, Marsolan, Montestruc, Condom and Fleurance. We’re looking forward to the drama soiree in Lectoure on Saturday 16th May. Workshops and short films showcase the work of the local youth drama group. We’ll be going along with our daughter and friends to support our son and his theatre group friends in their much anticipated production of Peter Pan.

A lovely sunny week. It’s time once again for the annual Bandas, an amazing street festival of live music and dance in the town of Condom. This year it takes place on 8th – 10th May. Plenty of stalls, drink, food and live music.
At La Vieille Source this year’s garden vegetables have been planted up and the children have sown their seeds for the “who can grow the tallest sunflower” competition. Results will be announced in August.The forecast for today is 21-24 degrees with a mighty 25+ degrees to follow for the next few days, and with the children off school on Friday for the jour férié (bank holiday) it’s ideal outdoor weather and a really decent start to May.

A really changeable week for weather – sometimes hot – sometimes hailstones????but nice weather forecast by this weekend.
The fair has come to town! This weekend Lectoure hosts the annual May fair, and the town is already buzzing with people setting up rides, stalls and attractions. The Bastion, which is a park with a magnificent panaromic viewpoint of the surrounding countryside and the Pyrenees beyond, is full of tents and stalls. As this is on our route to school the children have already picked out which colour dodgem car they want to drive.

A busy week. All the geraniums are planted, also a forsythia, some new climbing plants a few herbs and rhubarb (I love stewed rhubarb!). I couldn’t find coriander at the garden centres and I tried 3 different places. This is not a very popular culinary herb in France. I was able to buy seeds so it looks as if I need to grow my own. 

It can’t believe how sunny and warm it is now. The children arrived back from school tired and hot, but once they realised they could have their first swim of the year they were soon giggling and splashing about in the pool. The water was a very respectable 23 degrees.

After a shaky false start to spring the sun is out and the weather is getting warmer. March was lovely but April showers seemed to be going on a little too long – although it’s been great for the garden as we’ve removed the old vegetable plot and planted four new lawns.  We’re looking forward to the annual flower market this weekend in the beautiful round bastide town of Fources, although our son has other plans and wants us to go to a horse concours in Auch. I’m sure he’ll probably get his way (as always) but I’ll make sure we get to see some of the flowers as well.

I’m off to buy some geraniums to celebrate this glorious weather!