Fall in the Minervois valley

It is currently over 20C in the Minervois but fall has arrived with all it's colours. The days are lovely and warm but the night's are cool.
Tomorrow is Halloween which over the last decade has seen children taking up the North American model of collecting candy door to door while dressed in costumes. I've looked high and low but can't find a Donald Trump mask so treats may be limited this year.

A Story About Stones.

We purchased 4 pieces of land around the village of La Liviniere last year. All have magnificent views over the Minervois valley and collapsed structures and crumbling ancient walls on them.
La Liviniere is known for it's dry stone walls. Whether used to build small shelters from the sun or to divide up parcels of land they are impressive. 

I had a visit from someone asking if I knew where he could get a few stones suitable for raising the height of a short section of his garden wall.
I showed him the stones lying around on one property and said he was welcome to a few.
As he was gathering the few stones  a couple of days later the Gendarmes arrived and he was asked what he thought he was doing. 

Explaining that he knew the owner of the land the Gendarmes were having none of it and told him to put them back. Why? He was told the land had a Roman road on it and was a protected world heritage site. Quite the surprise! The stones are resting there in their original location.
Is this true? Is there a 2000 year old section of Roman road on this land. Sounds like an interesting research project. 
If you would like to buy a plot of land with history attached to it contact me. Along with the views there are lovely trees, an ancient mill stream and several kinds of wild orchids on the land and all a short stroll from the center of the village. How many people do you know that own a bit of the Roman empire?

The harvest is coming to a close. This is the last of the big mechanical harvesters I've seen. There is still some hand picking going on in the higher elevations.
The days are shorter and the mornings are cooler but it's still lovely to have lunch on a sunny terrace.
Years with a five in them are thought to bring in a good crop and this certainly appears to be the case this year. Sweet grapes full of flavor should make fine wine.

The Dolmen des Fades is an interesting but little known ancient burial site dating from 5000 years ago. Signage is virtually non existent so it can be difficult to find.
Set on top of a wooded hilltop a few kilometers outside of Olonzac it is a peaceful spot with an aura about it.
Occasionally an art installation appears on same the hill just below the dolman. This recent one consists of wrapping the trees in brilliant colored cloth and hanging fabric between them. Earlier this year I arrived there to find stones, not the dolman itself, wrapped in tin foil. I found that a little odd but it did make me wonder why. Perhaps that was the only purpose.

I was asked to tell the story about the best dog in Olonzac. Arlo is her name and I found her abandoned in the hills to the north of Olonzac several years ago.
A mad Russian, Oleg, told me of a hidden waterfall and pool to swim in hidden in a gorge. My daughter and son and I set off to find it. This entailed driving down vineyard tracks and a hike of a few kilometers to this beautiful spot.
After spending an afternoon there with a picnic and swimming we were leaving as we lost the light. My son spotted movement in tall grass by the pool and alerted us that he thought a snake was approaching. It was not a snake but a tiny puppy that fit one hand. After waiting and calling out for half an hour Arlo left with us leading the way to the car.
The next day she was at the Vet's who said she's a 6 or 7 week old border collie and likely abandoned as the runt of the litter. She was far too young to be separated from her mother.
Arlo is very well known in Olonzac as the friendly, stick chasing dog with boundless energy.

Saturday night and Sunday afternoon was the wine and food tasting event in Homps, "Tastes of the Minervois", which is 2 kilometers from Olonzac on the banks of the Canal de Midi. I tried steak, fish, fois gras and chicken dishes from the stall of a 3 star Michelin chef. Extremely good!
The wines were whites, roses and reds and ranged from sweet to very strong reds. It was a real tasting with just a thimbleful given.
Lots of people in attendance and with a play area for the children, bands playing, great food and wine I think everyone enjoyed it.

Looking for the harvest

I went in search of the grape harvest this week. The whites are coming in but in the Minervois valley the reds predominate. While the harvest has started and  I found both machine and hand picking underway the weather has been cooler the past few days which seems to be slowing it down.
With a bit of cloud and temperatures in the mid twenties currently, along with cooler nights, next week should bring on the frenzy of picking. The juice will run in the streets.
Tonight is an an event with 50 local producers giving tastings of their wines along the Canal de Midi.
I'll look for some wines that I've not tried before. The variety should be overwhelming.

 

Olonzac's municipal park

Olonzac has a fine municipal park with boules courts, tennis courts, a playground, swan ponds and
specimen trees. Once part of the grounds of one of the grand houses of the 19th century it was obtained by the town in lieu of taxes a hundred years ago. It is beautifully maintained by the Marie and has it's own greenhouse for seedlings.
Jardin de Charlotte is in the grounds of another, and larger, of Olonzac's grand houses. At one time there were ponds, fountains and an arboretum on this property too.
This week I'll post pictures of the grape harvest. If you enjoy the blog consider telling others about it and see more of this beautiful region of France

Another great meal last night at Auberge d'ecole in St. Jean de Minervois. There were 5 of us there for a very dinner with the friendly hosts. I've been told the best cassoulet in the region is made by Madame. It's a hardy dish which I personally think is best eaten in the winter.
My choice last night was beef cheeks. Very tender, tasty and cooked perfectly.
St Jean de Minervois is best known for Muscat wine. Fortified and either sweet or dry it's a good apero before the meal. Another wonderful warm evening in the Minervois.

Summer at Jardin de Charlotte

We had a good summer party at Jardin de Charlotte with a local classic rock band called Catharock providing the music.
There were about 75 people invited who brought things to nibble on with a section of local wines.
Friends and neighbors enjoyed themselves while sitting on the lawn, chatting and enjoying the music. The weather was perfect for it being warm and without a breath of wind.
There is already talk of doing something similar during the Christmas season in the grand halls of the Maison de Maitre.

Train station

Trains used to run throughout the Minervois valley. Carrying both passengers and freight they connected all the small villages. Still scattered about are buildings, bridges, aqueducts and raised rail beds which in some cases are converted into lovely walking trails. Here is one train related building sitting out in the middle of the vineyards. Just to the left over the small road is the overgrown rail line. The small piece of land with it is being used as a fruit and vegetable garden but the building is abandoned.

The wine harvest

The harvest will be early by a week or so this year and should underway here in the Minervois any day now. Months of hot and dry weather after good spring rains mean that the quantity of juice will be down but the sweetness of the grapes is up.
2015 should be a very good year throughout France for wine.
The photos were taken from just below Azille just a few kilometers from Olonzac.

August 18, 2015

Tuesday and it's market day in Olonzac. The town is heaving with visitors so it's best to get out early to get your local produce. Finding a chair at any of the cafes can be a challenge between 10am and noon.
The number of visitors is higher year on year as more people discover Olonzac and the Minervois valley.

Best fishes

Here's a better image of the fish in our pond at Jardin de Charlotte.

It's been a beautiful summer in the Minervois. We've had week after week of sunny, warm days.
One group that seems to have done exceptionally well over the season are the fish in the pond.
I lined a portion of the ancient reservoir that was used to service the pleasure gardens beside the Chateau. There were ponds and fountains with fish, ducks and swans. Long gone before we acquired the property.
I put in 5 gold and 5 orange goldfish in the fall. It must be a good environment for them because I counted one school of between 20 and 25 fish this morning. I've just started feeding them in the last few days which brings them to the surface. They are an array of colors now and a variety of sizes. Here's a not very clear picture of them. They haven't learned to pose for a shot. Perhaps I resemble a heron which are known to do a little pond fishing.

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.