A Minervois weekend

It's been another busy weekend in the Minervois valley.
I spent a few hours on Saturday starting to get the pool ready for the season by scrubbing the cover, taking out the accumulated leaves and beginning the serious cleaning. The sun is strong so it should heat up well over the coming week.
Sunday means a walk in the hills above the valley. Today was above Siran up into the hills which are covered in wild flowers. Lunch was eaten while sitting on top of a ancient Dolman/ burial cairn likely several thousand years old. We were accompanied by on old dog who wanted to lead the way. I blame him for us getting lost.

This is, I hope, an interesting shot of the church spire in Olonzac taken from my balcony. The building has been slowly going through a renovation over the last couple of years. They are now working on the spire. I wouldn't want to be up there on a windy day.
The church is worth seeing inside and out. Not 12th or 13th century like many in the area it is none the less a beautiful building.
The second photo was taken above a neighboring village, Beaufort, while on a Sunday hike. The hills are bright with spring blossom and the butterflies are out in force.
The bird song around Jardin de Charlotte is constant. They enjoy this summer like weather.

I was sitting in the Cafe de la Poste on the weekend. A man walked up to me and asked me if I was English. I told him that I am Canadian. "Ah, he said, I am a admirer of the English " and walked into the cafe. Several minutes later he reappeared with a length of bill tape in his hand rolled up like a cigarette which obviously had writing on it.
He handed the paper to me and as I started to unroll it he stopped me and said to wait to open it in another place. He then walked off.
The note told a short story about his grandparents who spotted a plane on fire with two parachutists descending. One they couldn't find or he had died, the note wasn't clear, but the other, who was English they hid in their barn from the Germans until they get him to the resistance. The note also said the his grandparents nearly died as a result of their actions.
A post script to the note said that his aunt was killed in the war because of the actions of a Sabotage and he signed off with "J'aime le peuple anglais".
He didn't offer his name or his hand which is quite odd here. And why give this note to a Canadian in a cafe with several English sitting in it? Odd.

Friday evening we attended an art opening in Siran at the Forge. Three artists showed thier work. Oils, watercolours and photographs all using Venice as the inspiration of their work.
I had a lovely Saturday evening at Auberge d'Ecole in St. Jean de Minervois.
Lamb for my companion and steak for me. The meat was cooked to perfection on the open fire in the restaurant. The salad and all else served was fresh and tasty. With only 8 or 10 tables the place has great charm as do the owners.
The wine was regional. A hearty, complex red to go with the meat dishes.
St. Jean de Minervois is known for the production of Muscat wine grown in the rocky limestone of this area. I highly recommend this restaurant for lunch or dinner.

Spring is here

Spring is here!
The almond trees have been blossoming for a while but walking in the hills this weekend I saw more signs of spring. There are lots of wild flowers up and the birds are singing their hearts out.

Even stronger evidence of spring is the number of people walking about clutching wild asparagus.  Long, thin and with a deep green color it's tempting to snatch it away, find two or three farm fresh eggs, and make an omelette. There must be an art form to finding it though. I kept my eyes peeled but had no success in finding any.

Watch this space.
I'm going to do my best to get you to fall in love with the Minervois valley and this entire region of southern France. I've been awhile but I'm back.
The port at Homps is on the Canal du Midi. Both the canal and the lake are a short walk from Olonzac.
It's mid winter and it's quiet but spring is stirring. The sun shines the vast majority of the days and it never a bad day for a walk in this area.
Have a look at the revamped website for Jardin de Charlotte at: www.jardindecharlotte.com

The 22nd of February I was in Limoux, about an hour from Olonzac, to see some of the activities and take a few photos of the Carnival. Limoux sits astride the River Aude and it is best known for the production of sparkling wines. It's claimed that sparkling white wine started here and the Champagne region imitates Limoux. There are many websites devoted to Limoux worth having a look at to see the beauty of the countryside and the town itself.
It was a windy and therefore chilly day, it is February, but what looks like snow in the photos is confetti which the clowns throw at the crowds.
The last image I couldn't help including. Very clever bike storage!