November Updates - four months in France

The last outing for the bulls and the horses - right outside our house!

Saturday afternoon I went to visit a friend who has recently bought a massive old house in one of the nearby hill villages. Having climbed up through the four floors of draughty hallways, stone staircases, freezing attics and crumbling plaster, I didn’t know whether to congratulate her or commiserate with her. I just hope that she can find that illusive creature known as a “French Builder” who will take on the project without bankrupting her completely. I have to confess that I returned home to our snug single storey easily heated house with great relief and appreciation.
While up in that neck of the woods, we took the opportunity of enjoying a musical evening where wine was included in the entrance fee, and children and dogs entertained themselves by ducking and diving in among the dancers and under the tables, while adults talked and laughed, drank and danced and generally had a good time. It was simple, it was cheap but it was excellent value and the music was really good, and driving back home through vineyards bathed in the light of a full moon, rounded out a thoroughly pleasant day. I have to confess that the day had been further improved by my clever husband who won a huge smoked ham in a lottery. It is the size of a four month old baby and will feed us up to, and including Christmas.

Our trip to the Equisud Horse Show:

From the sublime

Passing by the "Flemish Mare"

To the slightly ridiculous

In the past month, we have gone from basking in summer sun and eating al fresco three times a day, and now we seem to spend far more time inside, appreciating our electric fan heater and the fact that we can close the shutters at night and conserve valuable warmth. I daresay we are in for far colder temperatures in the next few months, but having spent five years in Florida, we are totally unused to the new system of extra layers, sheepskin slippers and another blanket on the bed.

The colder weather seems to bring on a flurry of alternative amusements and every little town that we drive through appears to have a circus passing through. Circuses hold no interest for me whatsoever, and I have never enjoyed watching animals being made to perform. I don’t care how many people dangle off high wires or risk life and limb in the Big Top; the last place I would run away to would be the circus.

What we did enjoy earlier this week was a visit to the Equisud Horse Show in Montpellier, and I fell utterly and totally in love with a palomino stallion who has to be the equine equivalent of Brad Pitt. Only in France would the main arena be surrounded by restaurants so that diners can enjoy a good meal and a fine wine while being entertained with a variety of dressage displays. From massive draught horses to miniature horses, there was something for everyone, and instead of the rather “hoity toity” feel of a British Horse Show, there were “Guardians” from the Camargue showing off their skills, children and adult equestrians from all walks of life, and an enthusiastic audience who in most part appeared to be made up of family members.

The beach at Grand Motte certainly doesn't look like this in summer!

Perfect weather at Port Camargue:

It’s been raining on and off for what seems like weeks, and apart from a quick trip down to the coast to Port Camargue where we struck the most fabulously perfect day, the weather has been decidedly contrary.