www.jardindecharlotte.comDecember 29, 2012

Today we went on a 2 1/2 hour walk in and around Rieux Minervois which is only a few kilometers from Olonzac. It has an ancient Chateau started in the 11th century and a seven sided church, beautifully restored in the center of town. Is there a Templar connection?
There were 20 or so people and afterwards we visited the home of a Dutch couple for, and I'll get this wrong, louleebole?, essentially a doughnut sprinkled with icing sugar and mulled wine. Not the 20C we had a few days ago but a lovely day.

Sunset in southern France

                                                                  The Lake at Sunset
This is where young Arlo goes everyday for a swim and a bit of stick throwing. The sunsets in the Minervois valley of the south of France remind me of the sunsets of Southern Alberta in Canada.

 www.jardindecharlotte.com    
December 16,2012
The major demolition is complete and the foundation work begins this coming week. Foundations will be in by Christmas and move in date is scheduled for early July 2013. If you get involved early enough the opportunity exists to choose colors and finishes. Watch our construction progress on the blog and for other news as well.
David

It starts

Today the bulk of the demolition was completed on the stone building we are converting into three luxury homes. We also took down a section of the stone wall that surrounds the property in order to create a new entrance to the parking area we are developing. Ca Commence!

A walk in the Pyrenees

The Pyrenees

On the last weekend in June I walked 26 kilometers as part of the Ruta dels Rontrabandistes / The smugglers Route from France over the border through the High Pyrenees to Spain. It is a smugglers route used up until the mid 1950's. It's always a real challenge undertaken by a group of about 75 people.
This year we ran into a herd of more than a thousand sheep and goats being guided up from the lower slopes to the high mountains by a group of Catalan shepherds. Next year we do it in the night like the smugglers of old.