Tour de Castelnau Magnoac

Last month, the tour de Castelnau Magnoac or rather le Tour de France 2016 what a coo, after ten years (allegedly) is passing through our village! There are maps in the mairie showing the various legs of the tour and when it will be due here! Apparently smaller villages bid against each other for the publicite and the action to arrive in their town, even though some of the beginning and end points are roughly the same each year the route can vary inbetween. We were excited having never seen it before other than on the tele, and despite the slightly negative comments from a few, re stand for a several hours and in three seconds it's all over, were really looking forward to it.

They started with the flags tents and razzmatazz obviously a couple of days earlier....but at nine am the town was buzzing and it felt like a big party despite the fact they were not due until about twelve-thirty.

flags in place, now set up a few stalls

We were strategically placed on the roundabout where they would fly by on route to the next village, Puntous and then Trie. What we did not realise was that the so called caravan that arrives two hours before the tour is a promotional cavalcade, desperate not to miss it and on a majorly hot scorching day, we were perched on our roundabout camera poised in midday sun and hour before the caravan arrived. When the whole caravan thundered by it was more like twenty- five minutes of fun-filled carnival. The street was rocking every vehicle that came by was chucking promotional items for kids and adults alike. From biros, caps, shirts things to eat, key rings and fobs umbrellas and shades. The caravan thundered through to a musical beat. Modelled from the innovative to the slightly grotesque. A car shaped like a giant madeleine springs to mind , giant rolling tyres, endless cars with something to advertise, but all good fun.

 In between the sports minister for France jumps out of the car for a friendly chin-wag with our mairie and one of our local cyclists who does big distances at the weekend jumps in a posh car with a glass of champers and is whisked away ...what is that about?

 

then there is Lenny the lion not sure what he was advertising, but with our church roof in the background  an interesting backdrop 

now we know what they are advertising and the prelude for the run through

these two dudes turned up in the middle of the caravan, grabbed champagne as you do...ex tour?

Nearly two hours after the caravan, we were told they are not far away, the excitement is immense. Having gathered all our widgets, eaten the freebies a cavalcade of motorcyclists, gendarmerie first and then these guys second, you could hear the noise all the way up the hill from Boulogne sur le Gesse!

here they come!!! 

wow raced through...but that was just the top twelve-ish,  Chris Frome is in the pack....

.....much more too come as the second band raced through

much later chilled on our own terrace with salad and rose

A really thrilling spectacle, i would do it again. Note to ones self do not stand in thirty-five degrees with no hat no water, no food, no purse, no sunscreen for five hours...frightened to miss those oh so vital three seconds even though a very tiny walk to the house.

nouveau pour 2016

Darcie green eyes, always looking on

Where has the time gone i ask myself for the umpteenth time...the time has ripped by and no posts for a year. So i will do an extremely brief precis of what has happened since my last post

Well where do i start, a year has gone by since my last may entry in 2015. In April 2015 we had battering storms that did a lot of damage to towns and houses in south west France, quite horrific damage to some including entire roofs being ripped off, lots of heartache and insurance claims. On the upside we had gentler weather throughout the main winter months and no real frost or cold significantly, until mid February the following year and then a mildish bout! Spring was beautiful here as indeed in lots of places, new promise, plants new smells and new colours and for those of us that like it...yes a little more warmth too. Milou has been shorn for the summer and Darcie did not recognise her, hackles, spits and all, very funny. Milou, Mark and I are still keeping up with our walking companions, doggy wise, and still loving the lac

We had a lovely hot but slightly wet summer. Lots of vide greniers , some gardening work for both of us, a couple we met by chance at a casual restaurant. Whom we both helped, in the garden lovely people and an entrancing garden.

My very better half turned ** early September.

Castelnau ripped in September with another beatlovs Beatles tribute band, shame it is not happening this year, danced all night, good memories and great company.

In October we had my brother and family out for the very first time, for a week and had a great time showing them the area we love so much.

Mark and Joel putting the world to rights? Notre- dame de Garaison

Mark and Anna tying laces and ready for the off?

We are already off, off to the Gorges de Save

Milou has decided on a pose between Beccy and Mark? 

My bro Mark and my lovely niece halfway up a mountain...marks changing his lens cap as one does

Valcabrere, a Unesco site on the outskirts of St Bertrand

group shot outside Cathes beautiful place, where they all stayed

St Bertrand and a trail of beau sheep, all to the sound of tinkling bells

the sun going down, leaving just a striking silhouette of a day

lovely mountain climb...not even to scary for me

Loved catching up with them and spending some time with all of them...due to both circumstances we have not really had the freedom to do...so that made it extra special x

Quiet Christmas , just me and M and our lovely furry family

All new experiences this year some brilliant and some not so good...having to find our way through the french tax system again, new sets of papers was testing and extremely taxing to say the least even with a very patient and calm french speaking friend around. However on the bright side we may be able to follow his lead for future stuff.

We are still enjoying our life and our family and all that our lovely area has to offer, it is still awesome and we are still discovering new and old landscapes.

Tonight I am going to see the fireworks in Castelnau, tomorrow is Bastille day bringing us almost to a current date in the Pyrenees!

Excitement buzzes the tour de France is coming through Castelnau for the second time in ten years, major coo.....