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Category Archives: Environment
The Parachute Opens
The day following the storm dawned clear and very still. It was an unusual stillness, as if the whole landscape was under sedation, sleeping off the cuts and bruises inflicted by the big windy bully the day before. There was a … Continue reading
La tempête
On Saturday, southern France was pretty well paralysed by the biggest storm for a decade. Immensely strong winds swept across the country, felling trees and tearing bits off buildings. By lunchtime the préfet of our département, the Aude, had ordered … Continue reading
Saint-Sornin — our new village
L’agriculture est le fer de lance de cette petite commune de 228 âmes, fière de son patrimoine naturel et bâti typiquement bourbonnais. Église romane, maisons de maîtres, fermes anciennes et moulin à eau lui confèrent son charme rural. Son plan … Continue reading
White Christmas (almost)
The South of France is covered in snow on Boxing Day. As the pound approaches parity with the euro (cue panic for ex-pats), Mediterranean weather seeks parity with the UK. Even though today is not a holiday in France, everything … Continue reading
Bird
This is a picture of the little redstart that had taken to roosting at night on our thermometer in our porch, a couple of weeks ago. As it sheltered from the endless rain, on its precarious perch, I took pity … Continue reading
Fairy Cows
On Monday evening, when we were on our way to pick up Simon’s daughter and her husband from the train station in Carcassonne, I was surprised by a sudden glimpse of a white cow-shaped object, looming in the edge of … Continue reading