Gascony - the "New Tuscany"

Dallas comes to the Gers !

2007-07-02T15:58:00.000+02:00

Do you like Country and Western music ?

Are you old enough to remember JR Ewing and the rest of the oil-mad family from Dallas ?

The come along in a couple of weeks to Mirande for the annual C&W Festival which this year features not one, not two but FIVE members of that famous clan.

You can see JR, Sue Ellen, Bobby, Ray Crebbs and even diminuitive Lucy !

For a smallish fee you can also sit down to dinner with them (and only about another 200 people) but what the heck - you may never be so close to so may face lifts ever again !!

So enjoy an evening out with "La Famille Ewing" (and don't forget your stetson !)

Migrating Cranes

2007-03-03T14:40:00.000+01:00

The other afternoon (Thursday 1st March), if you were lucky enough to be outside, you would have witnessed one of the great sights in the Gers in Springtime.

Literally thousands and thousands of cranes could be seen migrating north for the summer.

As they pass overhead in their characteristic "V" formation, the noise can be quite deafening.

Sometimes, they appear to get disoriented and a whole group can circle for a few minutes before one or two seem to suddenly sense the right direction again and off they go.

We've been lucky enough to see these huge flocks a few times now from our house (both in the Spring and in the Autumn) but never in the numbers that were there this year.

A truly memorable experience and one that makes you marvel yet again at the some of the wonders of the natural world around us.

A nice little earner !

2006-11-29T13:32:00.000+01:00

If you're looking to supplement your income whilst living in this lovely area, then why not consider running gîtes or chambres d'hôte. As people look further afield from the traditional haunts of Brittany, the Dordogne and Provence, the South West of France has become increasingly popular over the last few years. It 's a very pleasant way of meeting a wide variety of people and we have found it really rewarding when you see them relaxing and enjoying themselves in an environment and accommodation you have created.

With gîtes, the main work is on changeover days (normally Saturday) when you have 5-6 hours to clean the gîtes between guests leaving and arriving. This sounds a lot, but you may find that you need help if you have more than two gîtes to manage. Advertising your property is clearly important and, with more and more people now booking their holidays online over the Internet, choosing between the plethora of available sites is tricky.

Chambres d'hôte (B&B) are obviously a lot more work as people tend to stay for less time and therefore there's a lot more cleaning and washing to be done, as well as providing breakfasts and possibly evening meals. The advantage is that you can advertise cheaply at the local Tourist Offices and get some passing trade throughout the season.

You may decide to go just for the British market, or look further afield to France, Holland, Spain and Germany for your bookings. Having a pool with your gîtes is really a must if you're trying to attract the British holidaymaker, perhaps less so for the French. As the French all go on holiday in July and August, it's a ready source of high season bookings.

We've found the hardest thing of all is setting your prices. Too high and you just don't get the bookings in what is now a very competitive marketplace, too low and you don't make enough to cover your costs and make it worthwhile. It's a delicate balance, but our yardstick has always been to try and give people good value for money.

The best advice we've been given was "Don't oversell what you're offering - let the guests be pleasantly surprised". So now the times when someone says "We've had a really fantastic holiday, it was better than we'd hoped and we'd love to come back again soon", then we know we're doing something right !

An Indian Summer in the Gers

2006-11-19T10:08:00.000+01:00

Just how long can this spell of warm weather continue?

It seems that since August with its usual mixed bag of bright days and showers, the Gers has been blessed with the most beautiful autumn. There have been a few days, of course, with light rain and unusually for this area, some strong gusty winds, but by and large it's been gorgeous.

If you are a keen photographer or painter, it must have just been a delight to see the countryside in all its recent glory. The low morning and evening sun casts lovely shadows over the undulating hills and brings out the soft colours of the houses dotted across the hillsides to perfection. At the start and end of the day, the snow-capped peaks of the Pyrenees stand out clearly on the southern horizon.

Work in the fields still goes on no matter what time of year, and the vineyards, now this year's harvest is over, are just getting prepared now for the winter pruning to begin ready for next year. The farmers are busy working long hours ploughing the fields, providing rich pickings for the buzzards and crows to feast on.

The flowers in the garden seem to think it's Spring and I still haven't convinced myself that I can put the mower away for the year, as the lawn just keeps on growing.

The extended warm spell has brought some unwelcome visitors, however, and those of us who are susceptible to insect bites have suffered more than usual over the last couple of months.

Still, it's all worth it to be able to draw aside the curtains in the morning and gaze out onto a landscape warmed by the glow of the rising sun at the start of another gentle day in the Gers.

Pousse Rapière

2006-08-19T16:08:00.000+02:00

I've just had a request for the recipe for this local cocktail, which reputedly was developed by the Monluc family and is nowadays produced at the Château de Monluc in nearby St. Puy.

The mixture is 1 part Pousse Rapière (an Armagnac based liqueur) to six parts Champagne (locally they sell a product called Vin Sauvage) topped off with an ice cube and half an orange slice. It should be served cold.

There is a traditional glass to accompany this drink, shaped like a small champagne flute glass with a rapier on the side. You fill the glass with the liqueur to the bottom of the rapier and then fill up with champagne to the top of the rapier to achieve the 1:6 ratio.

Hope that helps and thanks Joan for asking.

A Bit of a Do !

2006-07-11T13:57:00.000+02:00

Last week we went to a family wedding in Provence, where some of us hadn't seen each other for a least 10 years, so lots of chat ensued over several glasses of the local wine.

As the ages of the guests ranged from 3 to 88, we covered a wide range of topics. Apparently, the latest craze amongst French kids is to say some words backwards to confuse their parents. It works !!

I'm now convinced that global warming is also having an effect on the growth hormones of teenagers, as they all seem to be over six feet tall these days and still growing !

On the afternoon of the service, there was the most tremendous thunderstorm with hail and lightening. Fortunately, we all made it safely to and from the next village where the service was taking place and the good news is that in France they have a saying (un marriage pluvieux est un marriage heureux), a wet wedding means a happy marriage - allegedly !

The marriage itself took place at the local Mairie, with the Mayor resplendent in his ceremonial sash. The civil service is actually quite short, just being made up of the reading of several articles that concentrate on the way the married couple will live, support each other and bring up their children. After that, the bride and groom both answer "Oui" when asked and they're married - simple as that !

Then it was back to the reception with much tooting of horns and down to the serious business of eating and drinking for a few hours. The next day dawned bright, as the storms had now moved on, the only problem for some was coping with the hangovers from the night before.

Fête weekends

2006-06-20T14:39:00.000+02:00

Around this time of year, there is a Fête every weekend somewhere in the Gers. The one in our local village, Bezolles, took place recently and it follows a standard format each year, namely

Friday Evening: Lotto (a bit mad unless your French numbers are good !)

Saturday Morning : Fishing competition
Lunchtime: Aperitif and snacks for all the residents of the commune
Afternoon: Boules competition
Evening: Steak and chips supper, then a Disco

Sunday Lunchtime: More aperitifs !
Afternoon: More Boules !!
Evening: The Grand Dinner, followed by another Disco

The weather was good and there was plenty of friendly rivalry in the Boules competition, especially in the husband and wife section !!

One local village, St. Puy, is thinking of changing the date of its Fête as it always rains. The locals say it's because the village is really just called Puy (as it doesn't have a Saint at all), but the villagers at the time thought St. Puy sounded much nicer. Someone is obviously wreaking their revenge !

Escape the World Cup

2006-05-29T11:47:00.000+02:00

If you're one of the many (few?) who are dreading a whole month of football whilst the World Cup is on from June 9th to July 9th and are in serious need of escape, then why not spend a peaceful week or two in South West France.

We've still got a couple of spare weeks left in our gites (due to a late cancellation). So why not check out the availability calendars on our website below, book a cheap flight to Toulouse, Bordeaux, Pau or Bergerac, and in a couple more hours you can be sipping a cool glass of wine by the pool.

The department of the Gers is a beautiful, peaceful area of France set between the river Garonne to the North and the mighty Pyrenees to the South. Within an hour or two, you can be down by the coast, up in the mountains or just sampling a few of the lovely villages dotted throughout the area.

Of course, there are some great restaurants, cheap wine and local markets every day.
You can find all the details you'll need on our website www.gers-gites.com

So, find your passport, get some euros, pack your suntan cream and jet off to a week "sans football"

Wine - What's on the Label ?

2006-03-28T16:13:00.000+02:00

To help you decide whether a bottle of wine is a good buy or not, here's some information that will allow you decipher the labels on French wines.

1. Quality

The best are the Appellation Contrôlée (AC or AOC) and the Vin Delimite de Qualite Superieure (VDQS) which have to meet strict production methods and tasting standards.

Next comes Vin de Pays, which are reasonably priced quality wines from a particular region.

Last comes the "cheap and cheerful" Vin de Table, where you can still find the odd gem if you look hard enough.

2. Where was it bottled ?

Check to see whether the wine has been bottled on the estate where it was grown, in their own cellars or at the Chateau (usually better quality control) or whether it was sent to the local co-operative to be bottled on behalf of the grower.

Also, check to see if the wine was aged in oak barrels to give a deeper flavour and golden colours to white wines like Chardonnay.

3. How was it picked ?

If you see "Vendange à la main" it means the grapes have been picked by hand (usually reserved for the best grapes as it takes longer and therefore costs more)

4. The foil

Look at the foil around the cork. If it has an 'R' or the word Recoltante it is classed as a Vintage wine. If it has an 'N' or a 'NR' or the words Non-Recoltante, then it is usually a standard wine like a Vin de Pays from a regional grower.

5. Other details

The grape variety, the alcoholic strength (less than 12% - normal, 12 to 13.5% - strong, over 13.5% - very strong), the year of production and the producer's name all give clues to the overall quality of the wine and therefore whether it is good value for money.

Wine - the new season begins !

2006-02-16T09:46:00.000+01:00

From 8am to 6pm, the sound of the birds is broken only by the rhythmic whizz of the electric clippers as Roget, Alain and Michel from Domaine les Acacias in Bezolles work their way slowly through the vineyard at the top of our drive.

They reckon it takes 50 man-hours to clip back a full hectare of vines to the single stalk from which this year's crop will eventually grow. With 27 hectares to complete, they started just before Christmas and will finish in early March. It's laborious work, but when the sun's out they seem to manage to stay in good humour.

The stems of the vines that are used to make the sweet dessert wine (Petit Manseng) are much tougher than those for the two white wines they produce (Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay), so Michel's wife Isobelle has taken a few days off whilst they complete that part of the vineyard. Then it's on to the next hectare !

The off-cuts are dried and make fabulous fresh smelling kindling for the summer BBQs.

The next stage, which will be later in the Spring when the new shoots are long enough, is to tie them all in to the training wires - another slow, time-consuming job. When you see how much work goes into producing a bottle of wine here, it's amazing they can sell it for just 2 or 3 euros and still make a profit.

I'll give some tips on what to look out for when buying wine in Gascony in a later Blog.

Cooking - A Winter Delight

2006-02-05T09:40:00.000+01:00

The daily markets of Gascony in winter offer a great variety of seafood and seasonal vegetables to bring a warm glow to your meals during these long, cold winter evenings. Shellfish is a particular favourite at this time of the year and there are many stalls groaning with oysters, mussels and crab.

Scallops have a particular association with this area because of the St. Jacques de Compostella walking routes. Two of the paths taken by pigrims run through the Department of the Gers.

Elizabeth David, in her 1960 cookbook "French Provincial Cooking" eloquently describes how to combine simple ingredients to produce gorgeous flavours. We've included this recipe to show how this lovely local produce can be put to great effect.

Recipe for Coquilles St. Jacques au vin Blanc (Scallops with White Wine)

"The mixture of bacon with fish in this dish sounds odd, but it is an old-fashioned and delicious one, although the amount must not be overdone.

For 4 large scallops, the other ingredients are 2oz of unsmoked bacon, a shallot or two, 1 oz butter, flour, a small glass of dry white wine and parsley.

Melt the butter in a frying-pan, add the finely chopped shallots and the bacon cut into tiny cubes. Cut the cleaned scallops into larger cubes, season with pepper but no salt and sprinkle them with flour. When the shallots have turned pale yellow and the bacon is beginning to sizzle, put the scallops in the pan and let them cook very gently for 5 to 7 minutes. Take them out of the pan and set aside in a serving dish.

Pour the white wine into the pan and let it bubble fiercely, stirring so that it amalgamates with the juices and all the tiny bits left in the pan. When it has thickened to a syrupy consistency, add a very little finely chopped parsley and pour the sauce over the scallops."

Serve with, perhaps some mushrooms and rice or fresh, crusty bread.

Enjoy !

It's a Goose's life

2005-11-27T13:59:00.000+01:00

Christmas is coming and the geese are getting fat - so are their livers if you live in the Gers !

Although many dining tables over the festive season will have a roast duck or a goose as the centrepiece, this is also the land of foie gras and confit all year round. In every corner of the countryside you'll come across goose and duck farms where descendants of the old lady in the picture are still force-feeding the birds in the time-honoured tradition.

It's not very PC I know, but when in Rome !!

In the nearby village of Castera Verduzan, Jacqueline Cella (http://www.jacqueline-cella.com/) sells products direct from her farm, as does Gabriel Ducasse of "Les Canards de Gaillo" at Lectoure. Their ranges include foie gras, confits, magrets (duck breasts), duck stuffed with Agen prunes and gésiers (don't ask !)

Over in St. Puy, about 20 minutes from us, you'll find Terre Blanche, where you can attend either a hearty breakfast or go for the full lunchtime blow-out and have the opportunity to taste every part of the duck or goose (and I mean every part !), all for just a few euros. Full details are available on their website at www.terreblanche.fr

Another gastronomic alternative can be found at Jegun, just 15 minutes away in the direction of Auch, where there is an ostrich farm. For those of you watching your weight, ostrich meat is high in protein but low in cholesterol, so it's the perfect type of steak for the barbecue if you've just been resting "poolside" all day.

So, why not have a change from chicken or turkey this year and order a duck or a goose from your local butcher - if nothing else you'll have wonderful fat left over for the roast potatoes !!

Book early and save money !!

2005-11-13T16:30:00.000+01:00

The nights are drawing in, the central heating's been switched on and the Holiday programs are back on the TV.

Yes, it's time to start thinking about next year's holiday and by booking before Xmas you could save yourself money - if you know where to look.

Gascony has been in the news a lot recently. Holiday Which have written a comprehensive guide to the area, Rick Stein has pased through here on his cooking trip for BBC2 and Joanne Harris has written a new cookbook specifically using the fabulous produce from the local markets.

So, what are you waiting for ?

Here at Mounon du Nord, in the heart of the Gers countryside and just a few kilometers south of Condom, we have two spacious gites where you can while away a few days relaxing by the pool before setting off to explore this fascinating region.

Prices range from £195 per week for our small gite (sleeps 2) in April to £650 per week for our large gite (sleeps 7) in August.

If you book before Xmas, we're offering a 10% discount on all 2006 holidays.

Our prices are very competitive and we've reduced them slightly from last year in an attempt to lure a few more people here to experience this lovely area. Once you've been, we feel sure you'll want to come back.

So, check out our website at www.gers-gites.com for full details.

Go on, spoil yourself - surely that new living room suite can wait another year !!

Sources for courses

2005-11-02T16:23:00.000+01:00

We all go on holiday to relax and for a change from our daily routine, so why not combine this with learning a new skill or perhaps brushing up a current one ?

The magazines and papers are full of residential "Learn French in France" courses and there are certainly plenty to choose from here in the Gers, but I want to tell you about two other opportunities - an Arts course and a Chamber Music Masterclass weekend.

Michael Fell is a well-known local artist resident in Rozes near Vic Fezensac. His work is highly acclaimed and he is a member of the Royal Society. Michael came to live in the Gers some years ago and his paintings of local scenes are much sought after. Twice a year, he runs a weekly course for enthusiasts of all abilities.

Also resident in Rozes is Juliet Vles, an artist who works in various mediums including painting and sculpture. She exhibits widely throughout France, most recently in Paris.

Susan Edward, who lives in nearby Caillavet, is a professional cellist and with her husband Brian they are currently renovating a small hamlet which will eventually become a local music centre where people can come and stay to make music in a relaxed atmosphere. Their website at http://www.labourdere.com/ gives you an idea of what they are planning.

Susan teaches in nearby Castera Verduzan and with the violinist, Nigel Keatley they have now embarked on providing Chamber Music Masterclass weekends in the relaxed setting of the lovely château at Le Brouilh Monbert. Nigel recently moved to the Gers after a career with various orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic and Covent Garden.

You can find out more about this on their website www.chambermusicholidaysinfrance.com

So, if you fancy doing more than just sitting by the pool next time you're away, why not give something like this a try - you never know, you may discover a hidden talent.

Huntin, Shootin 'n Fishin

2005-11-01T09:41:00.000+01:00

We're a few weeks into the Hunting season now and each Wednesday and Sunday morning resounds to the sound of rifles in the nearby woods.

"La Chasse" begins in early October when the hunters come out in force to control the population of wild rabbits, deer and of course the wild boar - "Le Sanglier". Although I've not come across a boar myself (yet), they are about near here and have been seen during the late evenings by various guests on their return from a local restaurant.

We frequently get deer straying through the vines at the end of our drive and occasionally onto our front lawn, but they are very timid creatures and the slightest sound or movement will send them bounding away into the cover of the forest.

All around the Gers, fishing is also very popular with trout being found in plentiful supply in the many rivers between here and the foothills of the Pyrenees. There is some concern in local government that the amount of chemicals being dumped in the local rivers by the farming community is becoming a problem, but it is usually dismissed as "pas de probleme à ce moment" with a Gallic shrug of the shoulders.

At the end of the hunting season in March, there's a grand feast at the local "Salle des Fètes" in Bezolles of some of the meats caught during the previous months. Last year's extravaganza lasted nearly 7 hours and comprised many courses of meat interspersed with various Gascogne wines and finishing with some Armaganac.

We decided to walk home that evening and come back the next morning to retrieve our car. We weren't alone !!

Off-Season Breaks

2005-10-20T16:36:00.000+02:00

The Gers is a great place to take a break out of season as, unlike many areas of France which are just geared up to the tourist months of June through September, it's a working department and places of interest are therefore open all year round.

We've got some friends staying this week and have just got back from a 10 euro four course lunch in the pretty village of Bassoues. The Pyrenees were incredibly clear, there's wasn't a cloud in the sky and the temperature was a pleasant 21C - not bad for the end of October !!

As the sun sinks lower in the Autumn (and again when it's rising in the Spring), it shows off the colours in the landscape to their best. If you enjoy photography or painting, then this is defintely the time to come. All the river valleys in the Gers run North - South, so if you drive East - West (along the Route des Bastides for example) you go up and down short hills, giving an ever changing view of the passing countryside.

If you just want to relax, another 10 euros will buy you a two hour session in our local Thermal Baths in Castera Verduzan, where you can try out the sauna and steam room or be pummeled by various jets in the baths themselves, before relaxing with a good book on the loungers overlooking the lovely gardens.

Most of the gourmet restaurants in the area are still open, although it's best to check as some may be closed on one or two nights each week, but with so many to chose from, it's never really a problem.

Also, getting here is cheaper and there's always good deals to be had on flights to either Toulouse or Bordeaux. So go on, spoil yourself and come and see this lovely area of South West France for a few days - you won't regret it !

Full details of our gites at Mounon du Nord on our website http://www.gers-gites.com/

La Vendange

2005-10-12T09:08:00.000+02:00

Well, as predicted after another long hot summer in the Gers, it looks as though 2005 could be another great year for wine here in Gascony.

Our local vignerons, Michel, his father Robert and cousin Alain, who were featured last year on the BBC2 programme "Full on Food", have been hard at work over the past two weeks harvesting the grapes and starting the fermentation process.

At Domaine les Acacias in Bezolles, they specialise in two white wines, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, but last year also added Merlot to the list. Their Petit Manseng sweet white wine dessert wine, the grapes for which will be picked shortly, has won various awards during recent years and is now listed in the Guide Hachette (Michel is one of only a few producers in the Gers to be given this accolade)

It's great fun watching the huge machines plough their way up and down the rows shaking the grapes from the vines. A few specialist hectares are also set aside to be hand-picked for the finest vintages.

So, if you're down this way, why not drop in to the Domaine and buy a few bottles - they also do some great oak-aged armagnac and a mean eau de vie !!

Jazz in Marciac

2005-08-03T15:12:00.000+02:00

August has arrived and for lovers of Jazz that means just one thing - the International Festival in Marciac.

For over 25 years now, some of the greatest Jazz musicians of the modern era have come to perform here during the two weeks of concerts in this pretty village in the heart of the southern Gers countryside.

Names like saxophonist Stan Getz, pianist Oscar Peterson and violinist Stephane Grapelli have all appeared and a regular at the festival is the sensational trumpeter Wynton Marsalis.

This year sees some more big names such as The Blind Boys of Alabama, the Charlie Parker Legacy Band and The Count Basie Orchestra.

There are free concerts to listen to in the main square during the day and lots of stalls selling all sorts of Jazz memorabilia, as well as plenty of places to eat and drink dotted around the village.

We'll be going along next week to soak up the atmosphere as usual and listen to a few bands over a cool glass or two of Gascogne wine.

If you want more details, the Festival has a good website at jazzinmarciac.com

Tempo Latino

2005-07-29T10:21:00.000+02:00

The second festival of the year in nearby Vic Fezensac gets underway this weekend with the arrival of the Tempo Latino.

The intoxicating Latin American rhythms of Salsa ring out everywhere, provided by an array of Cuban bands throughout the day and well into the night.

Whether you fancy tapping your feet to sound of the steel bands, enjoying caribbean food or just relaxing with a quiet drink in one of the many "Hawaiian" style bars, there's somethinhg for everyone here. If you're really feeling energetic, come along and join in the Conga at 1am in the morning !!

The big groups play in the Arena, but there's plenty of interesting stalls to visit and free concerts to listen to all around the village.

It's a festival where being laid back is the order of the day, so come and enjoy !

Gers night markets and other entertainments

2005-07-27T09:51:00.000+02:00

We are hoping to go to the Lavardens Night market this evening with friends who have just arrived.

Coming events not to be missed are the Jegun Wine Festival on Sat 13th August and later in the month the Samatan Antiques fair where we go for the wine and foie gras stalls, as the antiques are very expensive!! We also buy our champagne there!!

Martyn

Night Markets

2005-07-22T16:15:00.000+02:00

July and August see the annual round of night markets get underway in various villages throughout the Gers.

They're great fun and a good way to mix with the locals over a bowl or two of moules frites washed down with copious amounts of local Gascogne wine.

All the usual stalls from the day markets are present showing off the local produce and the bars and restaurants usually do a roaring trade, as this is the time when the French themselves are on holiday and the numbers of visitors in the area is at its greatest.

The two markets we like are those at Vic Fezensac and Lavardens, the latter taking place in the shadow of the beautiful hilltop chateau.

We've seen fire-eaters, jugglers and mime artists, so it's a good night out for all the family and it needn't cost you a fortune.

As with most French evening gatherings, the entertainment doesn't usually get underway until after 9pm, although if you want to get a seat at the long trestle tables serving food, it's best to get there around 7:30pm.

So, give it a try - after all, you're on holiday and you can always have a lie in the next morning !

Travel options to Gascony

2005-07-16T10:54:00.000+02:00

Whether by air, sea, train or tunnel, getting to the South West of France has never been easier.

The area is well served by the low cost airlines - Ryanair, Easy Jet, FlyBe and BmiBaby, all of which get you to the local airports in around 2 hours from the UK.

Dover to Calais remains the most used ferry route across the Channel, but the new Speed Ferries hydrofoil to Boulogne is rapidly gaining in popularity, being both quick and cheap. Eurotunnel continues to attract many people and is of course not subject to changing weather conditions.

For a more leisurely journey, however, why not indulge yourself in the 2 day ferry trip to Bilbao in Northern Spain and then take a spectacular drive over the Pyrenees.

Some visitors also consider taking the TGV high speed train via Paris to Bordeaux and then hiring a car on arrival.

Whatever option you choose, you can usually be sure of arriving at your chosen destination with a minimum of hassle, ready to enjoy your vacation.

Another good year for wine ?

2005-07-08T13:27:00.000+02:00

If the current warm weather continues over the summer, it looks as though 2005 could be another great year for wine here in Gascony.

Our local vigneron, Michel, at Domaine les Acacias in Bezolles, told us that the cold winter and steady rain during February has meant that there has been very little disease on the vines this year. Combined with a very hot spell just recently, when the grapes are beginning to grow rapidly, this could mean that we are set for some more lovely wines following the vendage in Autumn.

Michel specialises in white wines, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, but has recently added Merlot to his list. His sweet white wine dessert wine (Petit Manseng) has won various awards during recent years and he is now listed in the Guide Hachette (one of only a few producers in the Gers to be given this accolade)

If you're down this way, why not drop in and buy a few bottles - they also do some mean armagnac and eau de vie !!

Country Music Festival in Mirande

2005-07-01T14:48:00.000+02:00

It's nearly time again for the Country & Western Festival in nearby Mirande which starts on Wednesday 13th July and runs for 5 days until Sunday 17th.

You can jostle alongside the Harley Davidson bikers who come from all over France or try your hand at line dancing with all the locals, who love to dress up for the occasion.

Apart from the 63 concerts in the stadium, there are free open air concerts in the centre of the town plus bike shows, car shows, 250 stands, 20 restaurants, balloon flights and even a Disneyland village showing the legend of Buffalo Bill Cody.

Each year, they bring over an ex-Dallas star to open the festival and this year it's Sue Ellen (aka Linda Gray) who is entitled the "Marianne du Festival" which literally translates (rather unfortunately for her) as Godmother of the Festival. Let's hope she's not dressed as such, but sports the usual cowboy hat and jeans.

We've still got places free in our gites for that week (at discount prices) if you fancy soaking up the atmosphere !

What's in a name ?

2005-06-24T14:23:00.000+02:00

Thanks to one of our recent guests, we have at last discovered what the name "Mounon" relates to. He was visiting the Armagnac museum in Condom and noticed that the large beam over the Armagnac press was called a Mounon.

We had always assumed up until now that our property 'Mounon du Nord' was just a name with no particular significance (like "Hilltop view" say in England). Together with our next door neighbours, whose house is called Mounon du Sud, the two properties were originally one (just called Mounon and shown as such on old local maps) so perhaps there were connections with armagnac making years ago.

There is also a Rue de Mounon in Condom so it somehow all fits.

There are water wells in our two gardens, so it's something we shall now investigate further to discover what else was going on here in years gone by. I'll let you know how we get on.

By the way, it's still hot (35C + yesterday) so it should be another good year for the local wines if it carries on like this.