Snow, scorpions and a sad farewell to Jamico

This last week has probably been the strangest week of all, and not really because it was our last week. At the weekend we went up to the ruins at Paracois (on La Fargassa land about a 30 minute walk from the main house) – something that we had planned to do since our first day but we had not quite got round to. The ruins are actually four tumbled down houses owned by the people at La Fargassa, but while they are interesting to look at, it is more the views from them that is worth the steep climb – beautiful.

Roc de San Salvadore

The Mediterranean sea

The next day we went up to the Col D’Ares on the French/Spanish border and saw some even more spectacular scenes. I have to say that it was REALLY cold, so we didn’t stay long, but think we managed to put one cold foot at least in Spain!

View over to France from Col D’Ares.

Monday was quite exciting because we woke up to snow. It kept snowing for most of the morning which Tegan was bemused and excited about in equal proportions - it took her a while to stop calling it smoke and work out that it was called snow. Normal work sort of ground to a halt as most of the outside work wasn’t possible, although we did get assigned a slightly bizarre task. This involved uprooting senacia plants (I have no real idea how you actually spell this) from the side of the road. These are wild flowers that are not native to France and apparently kill donkeys and other animals that eat them. I have to say that we had mixed feelings about the effectiveness of this job – if they are wild and sowing themselves all over the place then picking them by hand felt like a bit of a loosing battle. But, we enjoyed wombling about in the snow and Tegan seemed to be having a great time.

Chillin’ out by the road side

The way back……….

We got back to La Fargassa for a cup of hot coffee in the kitchen only to find that a scorpion had joined us too. I think it had come in to warm it’s toes out of the snow, but it wasn’t long before it found itself in a jar being carefully escorted off the premises. We had heard of scorpions in France and I don’t think they are all that dangerous, but can give a nasty sting so on that basis we felt that it needed a different venue to hibernate.

Andy carried on doing more senacia picking the next day while I was on chutney making duty – one more thing that I had never done before and meant that I was snuggy and warm in the kitchen. It did seem as though our warm weather had indeed deserted us at last and frosts started to become common. It was, we think this cold weather that led to the sad demise of Jamico, one of La Fargassa's old and much loved horses. He normally had the run of the place, but because of some reshuffling of four legged brown things (horses and donkeys – about 6 I think) who were ordinarily housed (or stabled, fielded – can you tell I am not an equestrian?!) in a different location he had to share his small stable with them. It was not really clear what happened but Jamico appeared to have spent a night not inside but outside of his stable and was in a very cold state the next morning. One of the WWOOFERS tried to get him to come down the hill from his stable into a warmer spot and somehow he couldn’t really muster the strength to cope with the hill and fell down it. The vet pronounced that “il est mort” and once the news had sunk in, we all started to prepare for a horse cremation. I have to say that I am not a keen horse lover, but it was really sad to see such a lovely animal die.

This event seemed to tinge the rest of the week with a sort of melancholie air, although we still carried on with the usual stuff. As usual we cleaned the living space and kitchen ready for baking day on Friday and took part in the pummelling of dough, mixing of ingredients and generally making a fantastic mess! Tegan was particularly helpful in this department (the mess making), although also enjoyed the sweeping and cleaning beforehand, especially where water was involved……..

I am not entirely sure how we actually managed to leave La Fargassa as we had so much stuff to pack up, and had been here for 5 weeks (the longest WWOOF yet) and customarily had spread ourselves everywhere. We did finally manage it though and said our farewells to the remaining team members (also due to leave to go to their respective places for Christmas). Andy and I had many discussions in this last week about our experiences of what we had learnt, and about the positives and negatives of this and other WWOOFS. Living in a community environment had definitely provoked some interesting thoughts on all kinds of levels about things such as “how hippy are we"?” – not very it seems compared to some of the people we have met! And on the way people embrace alternative lifestyles and the contradictions that many people show. There were many examples of this, a simple one being a clash of economics versus the environment where we were asked to collect holly to sell at the market before the birds ate all the berries as as this was one of their last remaining food sources for the winter! Or the method of bringing your child up where you basically let them do what they want to “find their own limits”. This seems only to apply to the proponent of this idea and their own child and not visiting toddlers when they start to pull Christmas tree decorations off the tree and then its “no don’t do that”! A lot of time we had no answers for our questions, and at least once we ended up wondering about the shape of a Pringle instead – a much more down to earth issue!

We drove from La Fargassa to the outskirts of Toulouse and stayed the night in a cheap hotel next to a shopping centre. Talk about jolt back to reality! We are now at my grandparents house in the Lot et Garonne for a bit of a rest and a Christmas break and as far as possible avoiding the seasonal crazyness. Tegan though has learnt about “Teggie presents” so it won’t be long before she picks up on what a mad time of year December has become!  

More raspberries and getting close to Christmas

We have realised that the time has come for us to start thinking about packing up again as we now have only one week left at La Fargassa before we leave to go to the Lot et Garonne for our Christmas break. The other WWOOFERS are starting to leave too or at least get themselves in the zone – two of them have been making some amazing Christmas presents out of wood. It is so amazing to see how things can be created from bits of log. We too have been inspired, but artistic talents with wood are a bit of an untried and untested area for us, so no one get your hopes up just yet!

The cold weather is starting to kick in, in the shape of a couple of frosty mornings, but amazingly we still manage to get hot sunshine between the hours of 11.15 and 3pm (we all wait for the sun to come up over the hill and are sad to see it go, so we all know the times quite well!). Still sitting round the campfire at nights, although I think my bum now needs a hat as it gets so cold!

The work this week has been quite varied, Andy has finished the work on corking the house, and we have almost finished our raspberries. Part of this has involved rerouting the irrigation system which has been quite interesting and we felt pleased with the results. We have also been doing some more pruning and are now uprooting some tenacious stinging nettles around the edges. This activity actually revealed a small nest that one of the chickens had made (outside the coup) with three eggs in it- all very exciting. Thinking of chickens, we also had a chicken cremation (this is a farm full of veggies by the way) as Delores the chicken went off to that chicken place in the sky earlier in the week.  Most of the chickens seem to have names including Houdini (no prizes for guessing why!) and Penguin (not a clue on that one!).

We actually weren’t around for said chicken funeral as we have been backwards and forwards to the garage trying to sort the car out. We have a new exhaust pipe and a back wheel bearing and now know that the drive shaft is also a bit ill. French car vocab slowly improving, car slowly deteriorating……………..

Tegan is all well and happy and excited by the fact that there is now a Christmas tree in the gite for her to pull the baubles off. This is often met by great cries of “NOOOOO” from the two 8 year old kids here who decorated it so carefully. She is actually more excited by the fact that the digger (once at the top of the drive way) is now down by the house so she can see it every day, and say “hello digger”. She is making great headway in blasting to bits any gender stereotyping at a young age and is very excited by all things mechanical. You’d never guess she is the daughter of an engineer….

Beautifully pruned raspberries!

Tegan helping with to dig a hole for the irrigation pipe

Pausing to play

Saving the lettuces and looking at the moon

We are now at the end of the third week of our La Fargassa experience and there is talk of winter in the air. Amazingly we have reached the first week of December before anyone has really had to consider the fact that there is in fact a fourth season in the year! Apparently this has been an unusually long summer and normally winter has arrived by now, but it seems we have been lucky. The full moon this week has brought on lots of comments about people doing crazy things, although I can’t say that I have seen that many. We have had some really clear nights though and some lovely views of the moon and stars.

The moon from La Fargassa (yes, I know you have all seen a moon before!)

We have stopped eating outside in the evenings now, although still eat outside at lunch time, and there are still a few of us that are by the fire outside at night. We have also spent a few nights inside by the fire in the gite where most WWOOFERS are sleeping as it is definitely more cosy. There is just something about a campfire thought that makes us want to stay outside as long as possible in the evenings before we have to say goodbye to the experience for this year. It won’t be long though, and we have had to move back in from the Pigstye and into the gite again as it is a lot warmer. The pigsyte was more self contained and meant that Tegan could be as noisy as she liked in the mornings. Now however, we have to try to encourage her to keep a bit quiet in the mornings as there is a meditation session that happens each day in the gite. Tegan in her friendly way walked through the meditation session the other day saying “morning [every]body” and “ssshhh” (very loudly) – I have to admit I struggled not to laugh!

Following the theme of winter preparations this week we have been making cold frames from thick pieces of plastic to cover the lettuces. We have transplanted loads of lettuces and built some arches out of hose pipe to help them stand up. I think Andy was enjoying thinking about the best way to engineer some supports for the plastic and making some sturdy arches. I have to say that lettuce in the winter is not the main thing that I want to eat, but salad is very popular here, so lots of lettuces are needed. Andy has also been continuing with the corking of the house down the road and I have tried to help a bit. Tegan had been compliant to varying degrees to me and Andy doing this together while she stayed with Catherine (the wife of the bloke Andy is doing the work for) and her kids, one of whom is a similar age to Tegan. She has mostly though not been that keen and seems to like being outdoors with us more than ever which is hard when outside the house is a bit like a building site, so we have had limited success with my involvement in this work. I have had quite a few chances to practice my French though with this family who are lovely and seem to cope with my constant mistakes.

The house dressed in cork

Tegan is still loving life and despite having a bit of a cold seems to be full of energy and getting more and more confident each day. She knows the names of all the other WWOOFERS now and makes sure she says hello to them all at least 10 times a day! We spent last weekend pottering around and doing things in town, followed by a short walk to a nearby village on Sunday. we even managed a picnic on the way! She also helps us cook sometimes, as each of the WWOOFERS take turns to cook so we have to be quite creative when it comes to team Ware making food. She is pretty good though and we feel so lucky that we have such an adaptable daughter. 

Picnicking on a rock!

Helene and Tegan having a bit of a lie in

Tegan “helping” to cook.

We now have 2 weeks left before we leave here for the Lot et Garonne back to the Grandparents for Christmas. Have to admit we are looking forward to some home comforts. Our time here has flown by though and it will be quite sad to say goodbye. We are still unsure exactly where we will be in the new year, but watch this space!

Pruning the raspberries and corking the house

This week has been pretty relaxing actually, and for the most part this has involved pruning raspberry plants (not trees, nor bushes – what are they called I wonder?). By pruning, I actually mean cutting them all down so they can grow again next year, so no marks for any cleverness there really, nice and simple. Except when you have a speedy toddler to keep up with! This actually ended up being easier than anticipated as, surprisingly there were still quite a few raspberries on the plants, and once Tegan had worked this out she went a hunting and gathering. Every now and then we heard a cry of “more raspberries” and with a bit of direction she was once again occupied. There were also walnuts left on the ground, so she was mostly satisfied for the majority of the time. Once said raspberry plants had been all cut down the chickens were then let loose amongst them to pick at all the bits (not too sure what these “bits are but they seemed happy). Oh just how much fun can once small person have chasing chickens endlessly in and around the posts (put up to keep the plants straight) whilst we weeded the stinging nettles that were left!? I am sure the chickens think “hello chickens”  (repeated endlessly) means “run”!

Tegan having a little rest!

We still continue to sit around the campfire at night and have only eaten inside once. We have moved into the pigsty (old pigsty converted into a studio apartment) so are in the lap of luxury, except there is no heater (or not one that we can use at least) so we are keeping an eye on the weather. At the moment all is well and warm enough, but we have been informed that the weather is on the turn with the full moon next week. Which is also apparently when funny things happen, because of the moon…………

Some of the WWOOFERS have gone although more we think due to arrive. The raw food eating ones left without us getting the chance to explore this curious eating habit further. We are lead to believe that it is something to do with not killing the spirit of the food. There are actually only 5 of us now (6 if your count Tegan), although the work doesn’t seem to have increased any and a generally flexible relaxed attitude to getting things done, sharing the cooking and washing up prevails. I never though that living in a community (although technically this is not really a community as such) would really be my thing, but so far it is a really nice atmosphere.

Mostly the people seem ordinary, and quite like us, with not too many whacky ideas. But occasionally there are some slightly more bizarre ideas on universe and the like (did you not know the world will end in 2011/2012?), and we stop to consider what we think about such things. While we all seem to share the core thoughts about limiting our impact on the environment and a respect for the great outdoors there are also some ideas floating around that are quite new to us. I would say that so far we are not about to jump at most, and while we are toying with the idea of using washing balls in the washing machine when we get home (to reduce the amount of washing powder) we are intrigued, mystified, outraged and amused in fairly even measure by some of the stranger wackier ideas we hear.  I like to think I am open minded, but sometimes my sense of the ridiculous gives me a little kick.

Last weekend we went to Coilloures which is a beautiful seaside town – such a lovely sunny day and such a beautiful place. Tegan was able to run around and play in the sand and we ate take away pizza on the beach. We also spent a day in Ceret where we have found a lovely cyber cafe to sit and scoff lovely sandwiches and use their internet facilities.

Tegan playing with pebbles

The beach

 

Tegan in Ceret chasing Daddy

Andy spent a few half days with Evan, one of the other WWOOFers helping Laurent from the next house (a couple of miles away down the valley) with some building work. His house is in the shadow of the mountain and doesn’t get any sunlight from November to February and so gets very cold. To insulate it he is corking it, that is, sticking up 1m by 0.5m tiles, 10cm thick onto the outside of the house. A slightly bizarre concept at first inspection but apparently these tiles are a wonderous material and are resistant to rotting, vermin and insects. They’ve corked one side of the house and it was still standing when we went past this morning so all’s well. Its been very interesting to discuss eco building ideas with Laurent. Certainly plently of food for thought this week.

The Pyrenees Orientales and an ode to donkey pooh....

So here we are in the third place on our adventures - the stunning Pyrenees Orientales, near a town called Amelie les Bains on another isolated farm, up 9 km of really very windy (but tarmaced road).

The weather has been amazing and we are still comfortably eating all our meals out doors. There are a few other WWOOFers and a few paying guests and we all have meals together. We are loving the evening campfires too which provide a cosy place to sit before and after meals where we can chat and drink "green tea" - another WWOOFER'S name for the cheap larger that is provided (it's in green cans)! Even got my guitar out last night, wanting to feel like I was doing the proper campfire thing - can't actually play more than a few cords, so quickly put it down again, but it felt good to do! And the stars are amazing - such clear skies. 

We've had to work pretty hard - half the time shovelling and carting donkey pooh for compost- we shifted 47 big sacks of the stuff down the mountain to the garden. We had to take a cart up the hill each time which was a bit of a walk and on the way I was inspired to come up with a little ditty:

Oh donkey pooh, oh donkey pooh how fabulous you are
for the garden and the compost heap
we have brought you from afar
We dig you up and drag you down the hill onto the farm
And count the bags that are piling up
and proudly feel my arms
and legs, and back, that are joining in the list of aching parts.
It's rather nice in all this sun to do this tough old job
And we're very glad there is no rain or we'd be walking in a bog
of donkey pooh, ah yes you're great, but we'll leave you there for now.
A different job next week I think, and for now a nice sit down!

Andy's actually on wood chopping duty now, and I've been making jam, and we've all been woking as master bakers making bread and cakes which got sold on a market stall today here in Ceret. Should we be asking for a cut?!

Tegan has been helping us in everything we do in her own inimitable style and seems to be really enjoying herself - there's chickens, a rabbit, horse, dogs and cats all of which she loves, not to mention the river, woods and gardens to keep her amused. Just as importantly the other people here also seem to enjoy Tegan's company and she has managed to entertain everyone with her friendly chat and comic ways!

There are a few rather unusual people who we are learning about, including those who only eat raw food - not quite sure what to say about this at the moment, will wait until I have learnt more! And a couple who have been WWOOFING for 4 years - not bad!

We are writing this in an internet cafe so I think it's time to go now and maybe we will be better organised to write some more inspiring thoughts next time.

The journey of the stick and other stories

So here we are again, packing up ready for the next place! We have had a really great two weeks here with Jan and Dave, been totally spoilt with lovely food, wine and beer and the cosy little flat that we have been living in. Have learnt absolutely no French and communication has been nice and easy. Definitely time to move on!

We had 1 1/2 days off last weekend and went to Montpellier on a wet and miserable Saturday. Very cool place indeed, with a nice cheap and easy tram from the park and ride into the centre of town. Had a great meal at “L’assiette de boeuf” – being a non meat eater I wasn’t immediately drawn to this particular place, but it was raining hard, it was 2pm and they had salmon on the set 11 Euro menu. What a find! Very lovely lunch swashed down with half a litre of red, fantastic. Pedestrianised streets meant that we could comply to Tegan’s demands of “walk” and the rain eased off, so all was well.

The next day we went to the Cirque du Navaselles – beautiful valley in a gorge, rather breathtaking I would say. It’s a sort of ox-bow lake type feature. We walked along the gorge for a bit and had a picnic by the river, all very civilised. And we found a stick – a small non-descript piece of wood that we got Tegan to throw in the water so we could watch it float down stream. She wasn’t particularly interested in it after that but it somehow provided some great entertainment for Andy and I, trying to help move it down the river. Little things on a sunny afternoon………………………………..!

 

Cirque du Navaselles

     

And left a bit down the valley!

The rest of the week has seen us carrying on with lots of collecting wood, clearing bushes and setting fire to things, I think we have both quite enjoyed this, as it feels quite satisfying. Maybe we both have repressed tidy streaks in us! We also put Tegan to work again doing some more weeding (she’s good at that as long as you keep a very close eye on what she pulls up!) and stacking small logs which she did seem to get quite in to.

Helene feeding the bracken fire.

Tegan’s helping with the log stacking (more like stick stacking I suppose!).

 

Tegan examining some more piles of wood.

And yet more wood!

I ended the day today with clearing the leaves out of the swimming pool – if we ever build a swimming pool (thinking the chances are slim to zero on this one) best not to do it under loads of trees with big leaves. All looks quite easy to clean, but the leaves didn’t comply with my chasing them with a giant sieve thing. Not one of my most successful exploits. Andy managed to break the prong off a garden fork whilst digging up a bramble bush – those muscles……………!

Off to near Amelie des Bains (nearish Perpignan) tomorrow although will be staying the night in Carcassonne on the way so we can check it out.

Wildlife we’ve discovered………………..

 

Some kind of stripey cricket thing – as yet unidentified (by us I mean!)

Preying mantis larvae -  there are loads of eggs inside this little thing apparently.

Arbutus (strawberry tree) – you can eat them apparently but not too many as they give you stomach ache

 

Chestnut (La Chataigne) – yes they hurt when you pick them up and several at once are like stickle bricks!