The small village of Arget has just 70 inhabitants and we become part of this community for the next couple of weeks whilst house-sitting.
Pulling up outside of the house we are greeted by Kristyna and her rather large dogs, Tiger and Turbo.
Tiger certainly lives up to the name her breed is known by ‘ Gentle Lion’. Originating in the 1800s in the German city of Leonberg, this giant of a dog has an appearance that resembles a lion but thankfully for us, she has a lovely temperament. Tiger is just seven months old so she is an energetic fun loving girl who loves life and is always ready to go out for the next adventure.
Turbo on the other hand is a three-year-old Golden Retriever who doesn’t live up to or realise his breed is a hunting dog, Turbo likes to take the joyous, laid-back, playful approach to life and plods along.
Once the dogs are settled Kristyna shows us around ‘Maison Moutaut’. Set in a large garden that spills into the neighbouring fields this classic maison is a Bearnaise-style house dating back to the 18th century and although it isn’t fancy it’s full of character and charm.
Tiger and Turbo are used to Kristyna being here most of the time so they can only be left for a few hours at a time, so we have spent a lot more time at the house however this wasn’t a problem because travelling from place to place each day and having to pack everything away can be tiring so it’s good to stop and catch up on things.
It meant we can do our laundry whenever we want, ( I’m sure John doesn’t get my frustration with the ever-growing laundry bag whilst travelling ) give the motorhome a good overall, and I get the chance to catch up with my blog whilst John gets out and about tackling the hills on his bike on the quiet roads here.
Like so many of the villages we stop at I’m always excited that we will be able to walk and buy fresh croissants and a baguette but unfortunately, that isn’t the case here it’s an all-around 16-mile trip to the nearest Boulangerie and with the current price of diesel the Mille Fueille I have been longing for will have to wait.
We are just surrounded by nothing more than the French countryside and the area is dotted with small peaceful hamlets that each have just a handful of houses, the odd book exchange but there’s always a church where the bells chime every hour.
Each day we are up and out walking Tiger and Turbo by 6.30 am. There are lots of marked paths nearby for walks and before Kristyna leaves she shares ideas of walks we may like and with such a varied landscape, composed of valleys, farmland, woodland and even a view of the Pyrenees mountains on a clear day, we have plenty to choose from. Both dogs love the water so as soon as we get near the pond and stream they are gone, jumping in to have a paddle and in Tiger’s case a swim.
We can just about see the tops of some of our neighbour’s rooves so when we get a knock at the door it’s lovely to meet the couple who live down the lane. Guilluame and Valerie have been renovating the house that once belonged to Guilluame’s Grandparents and they are having a Pendaisons de Cremaillere ( House warming party) and we are invited to attend on Saturday.
We were slightly apprehensive about attending as we are only passing visitors but they insist that we go along. As we arrive at the gathering we receive a warm welcome and embark on ‘La Bise’ (cheek kissing) from the 45 locals, family and friends. With very little (if any) English being spoken, I’m sure our accent and pronunciation proved hilarious to them at times, thank goodness for google translate.
As we chat we quickly realise that events like this in rural France are important to all, young mixing with old and from all walks of life; shepherds, soldiers, farmers and the retired, there’s no feeling of status here and nobody cares what car you drive, or what clothes you wear, the afternoon is all about having fun and of course the food, we get the feeling that tradition is ticking along nicely in this village the way it has done for centuries.
It has been a privilege to experience this unique way of life and how this commune works but I’m not sure this way of life would be for us, however being so remote does have its advantages, especially with the current situation in France where the riots seem to be spreading to other parts of the country daily, at least we have been away from the hustle and bustle of the bigger towns and cities during this time.
Maison Montaut
Maison Montaut still has lots of its original features and I’m sure this Old lady has been keeping an eye on this property for years
Kristyna gives us a crash course on how to speak to the dogs in Czech as we head out for a walk
Both the dogs walk off the lead but we soon realise that if Tiger has to go on a leash you have to have a stronghold or you will go for a run with her, thankfully there are plenty of places for our new four-legged friends to roam as we walk
It’s to early for a swim for me but Tiger loves it
We definitely won’t be sharing the couch with these two huge creatures
Over the time we are here, the weather ranges from dry bright days to cloudy, which turn windy with sudden outbursts of rain we begin to wonder what is happening with the weather this year.
Apart from the distant bleats and moos of farm animals, there is hardly a manmade sound to be heard around here.
Whilst walking the dogs we find traps amongst the trees and a huge lookout, so John climbs the bank and is surprised to find an Army site at the top.
Hagetmau is a nice town with lots of independent shops and places to eat
We make an Apricot Brioche tart for the Pendaisons de Cremaillere
John rides for miles and there’s no sign of life
Who needs an alarm clock when you have these two to tell you it’s 6.30am
Finally finished the cheek kissing at the Pendaisons de Cremaillere and the food starts which continues all afternoon and into the evening
At the party, we get to sample soup, pate and vegetables all grown at the farm they run.
Valeria chatting to John about the corn and kiwis they grow at the farm
All clean and ready for the next adventure
Not many people are given a tree, 8 chickens, 2 goats, and a cockerel as housewarming gifts but I’m sure Valerie would have preferred a candle!!
The table is set for the house warming party everyone is welcome in this village
The nearest village that has amenities is Arzacq-Arraziguet which is about a 10-minute drive but has everything you might need and a great market on a Saturday morning.
The small village of Sault-de-Navailles is pretty with several historic buildings and a lovely river bank to walk along
We aren’t far from stage 4 of the Tour de France so we drive to the village of Bonas and park on the road below the village.