The regular Sunday walk this weekend was 3 hours from Cesseras, up to the ancient Cathar village of Minerve and along the gorge of the Cesse river. The picture is of the natural bridge below Minerve which the Cesse flows under. the walls of the gorge are riddled with caves in which evidence of human habitation going back hundreds of thousands of years has been discovered.

Retiring in France

http://www.facebook.com/l/vAQHF0OFUAQH_mPqGZ1a-924nTz8fbKtk0V7ebvnOrcP7Uw/ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/retire-france-205328177.html
Here is a link to a great article about a couple that has retired to France.  It's not as difficult as you might think and especially appealing as spring has sprung. The fruit trees are in blossom and there is warmth in the sun.

Walking in the Minervois valley

March 10, 2013

The regular Sunday walk on a warm spring day. We started out at Tourouzelle just 5 kilometers from Olonzac for a three hour trek on well marked trails through the hills and vineyards. Tourouzelle is a small village on the other side of the Aude river from Olonzac. From the hills above the village are good views of the Minervois valley, Olonzac and the surrounding villages. The country side here varies from wooded slopes to vineyards and fruit tree orchards.
There was a strange site on the hill overlooking the village in the form of a 2 meter high bright blue toy bear sitting looking out at the view.

 Teddy bear picnic?

The Minervois valley with Olonzac at it's center

Tourouzelle with Lac de Jourres behind. This recreational lake is a short walk out of Olonzac and has a park, restaurant, swimming beach and sailing club.

Montouliers  is a small village of 250 people perched on a hill 20 kilometers from Olonzac. It has a 13th century church with a beautiful Italian looking tower and an ancient Chateau with immense arches. While extremely quiet the village is worth a visit. It is located in wonderfully wild walking country. On route a stop can be made at the Olive cooperative at Bize Minervois.
At Jardin de Charlotte the concrete ground floor is going in and should be completed this week.

We are ready to install the ground floor structure in time for the first hints of spring. The almonds are in blossom and so are a number of ground plants. Arlo and I had a great Sunday walk in the hills just outside Olonzac on and off the marked trails.

Lots of block work is in and the ground floor beams will go in this week if the weather will stay bright and dry. It looks rough at the moment but it won't be long before a roof begins to appear.

Living in a Chateau

I'm loving living up on the top floor of the Chateau. It's good to have a proper kitchen for a change. I noticed a set of cat paw prints just in front of the stove this morning. A cat walked across the tiles drying in the sun more than 150 years ago. This last apartment in the Chateau will go on the market this year after a folding wall bed goes in
The loft apartment in the barn is great for entertaining but not quite so good for cooking a simple meal and hunkering down during the winter months. It's still open living with lots of light though. On some mornings I can look out and see the Pyrenees to the south. January is over next week and then I'll be looking for the first almond blossoms in the Minervois.
The materials to start the dividing walls for the first three units in Jardin de Charlotte arrived Saturday morning. Walls start to go up Monday morning.