Earthquake!

We live in an earthquake zone here and we had our first noticeable tremor this evening.
We heard it approaching, it took until the shaking hit us to realise what it was. It sounded like a wonky spin dryer coming closer and then the whole house shook quite significantly. Nothing fell apart or broke though. I guess the house has survived many many of that kind of size. Apparently there is a bit '100 year' one which is well over due. The house hasn't survived one of those as it was built just over a 100 years ago!

Back in France

I am now back at home after a spell in the UK.
When I got back my lovely husband had baked celebration madeleines. They were yummy!

While I have been away Doug has been trying to get the doggly used to her jacket that I bought because I am worried she will be cold left in the car while we ski as well as generally after walks in the winter when she gets wet. Maybe I am worried about nothing and just pampering her. But her fur is very short and at least I didn't get it in pink or with sparkly bits or something.

We decided that with the slaughter of the pigs we were going to declare phase 2 of Project Barranède complete, so since I got back we have been taking a bit of a rest... kind of... we have been doing lots of stuff but more stuff we fancy doing or needs doing now rather than aiming at a goal. We are planning on going to Chamonix next week to pick up our ski stuff and other stuff from the flat there. We need to find a reasonably priced van to hire.
We have engaged an architect as we found ourselves unable to finalise what the layout of the house should be without help. He can start in January so we won't do any work on the house until after that.
I have felt inspired to do a lot of cooking and have made curry (and naan bread), a practise batch of mince pies, some practise Christmas gingerbread shapes, a chicken and mushroom pie and started making some cheese (getting the culture ready).

We have been for a couple of walks at Payolle (in the mountains with a lake and activities like mountain boarding and in the winter skiing) which is where we picked the sloes in September. We took a look at the bushes just to see what was going on and they still had sloes. Sloes are very bitter, but they are much less bitter now than we have ever tasted them. In the UK they never get left until properly ripe because so many people pick them for sloe gin. We have picked some more to make sloe jelly - when we have made it before it comes out making you teeth a bit furry, this is because of the tannin in the unripe fruit I think, despite that the jelly has always been very tasty. Hopefully this lot will come out even better.

Ripe sloes

Picnic

Playing in the lake

Snow in the mountains

We have also done useful tasks such as sweeping up leaves (imagine how many we have - we are only trying to clear the driveway), chipping some of the massive pile resulting from the hedge massacre, putting gravel on the drive (again imagine how much gravel is needed for 600m of drive) and cleaning the chickens.

Snow!

Yesterday the forecast said it was going to go down to -5 overnight. It didn't, it was about 3 degrees at the coldest. Which did feel pretty cold first thing this morning. But no danger of the pump and pipes freezing. However it is good we have insulated them ready for when it does freeze.

It did snow in the mountains overnight though and we woke to a very white Pic du Midi. We thought it was time for Poppy to see snow for the first time (and we wanted to see it too...) so we went up to La Mongie - which is the ski area by the Midi.
She seemed to enjoy it

Lunch and walk at the Col de Beyrede

We take most visitors to the Auberge du Col de Beyrede (if we didn't take you it is because you were here before we discovered it) as it has good food and an amazing view. It is not open in the winter unfortunately (except by arrangement for large parties). Hilary and Iain were the most recent. We went for a walk afterwards in the lovely warm sun. They have a history of only getting rainy weather in mountains across the world, so it was good to break this tradition.

Autumn is here

Lovely view in all directions

View from the col

Lots of horses up there

Taking a stroll (and some photos)

Walking through the woods

First snow on the Midi!

It was pouring in rain this morning when I took the dog out, and there had been 10mm of rain overnight.
When it cleared slightly we could see that it had snowed on the Pic du Midi.
Skiing here we come!

It reminds us we had better do something about insulating the pump and where the water comes in to the house before we get frost down here. Although it is over 2000m higher than here.
By evening the weather was much nicer but still a hint of snow was left. The temperature at the house was 13 degrees when this photo was taken. Much colder suddenly than it has been.

Walk to The Lac Bleu

The walk in words
We have been having some lovely weather here. It is sunny, but not as hot as it was (there are some rainy days inbetween the sunny days but let's ignore them).
We went for a beautiful walk to the Lac Bleu (there must be hundreds of lakes in the mountains called this).
It is probably the longest walk we have had since coming here taking about 6 hours for the round trip (including an hour for lunch by the lake). The climb is pretty sustained with no real flat bits. You start off with a climb through the woods, a slightly gentler bit as you come out the woods and then gets steeper and steeper until you come out to a beautiful blue lake at the top.
Doug went for a swim in the lake, we couldn't persuade Poppy that she is designed to swim with webbed paws. Doug says it was most pleasant, rather like swimming in an ice cube. Poppy went a bit mad when Doug dived in and started doing her funny puppy bark, perhaps trying to intimidate the lake that had eaten her great leader. She was very excited about paddling around but would not go out of her depth. She also managed to try to breathe underwater and doesn't seem to know that she doesn't need swimming lessons or safety floats to get her started.
We took cheese and bread with us. The bread was lovely fresh baked and of course tasted even better than usual after a stiff climb.
On the way down there was a giant flock of sheep (hundreds of them probably) being herded down the path behind us. They must have made it across the little hanging bridge somehow although we didn't see it and ended up in a field at the bottom.  We kept moving as we didn't want to be added to the flock and sent to the abatoir!!

The walk in pictures

Setting off

Walking up through the woods

Coming out the top of the woods

Just out the woods

On the path

Happy puppy off the lead

Running around

Horses

Pretty waterfall

View back down

View up (lake is over the lowest point)

View to the top (just by the tiny white waterfall in middle)

There were quite a few waterfalls

Bridge

Doug on bridge (Poppy wasn't keen to cross)

Waterfall near the top

Approaching the top (tired now!!)

First view of the lake

Swim! She didn't quite managed it but loves splashing around

The lake

Admiring the view

Doug and Poppy by Lac Bleu

Poppy looking regal (not the mad puppy she is)

Lunch and GPS...

... while standing in the lake

Madman going for a swim - was a bit cold

Poppy shocked anyone would chose to swim

Setting off back down

Sign near the lake

View of the path back down

Some sheep followed us down

Doug and Poppy ahead

Back over the bridge. Poppy ok this time

Looking back up where we were (lowest point of skyline)

Poppy is tired, so are we!

Groovy cow on the road back down