Our trip from Bern to Nimes was hugely enjoyable - we had to change trains twice and being seasoned travellers with our small bags it was easy. We arived in Nimes at 3 pm and collected our little car at the station. I tried to persuade Conal to get a GPS but that would make it too easy for him - and he is a great believer in making things challenging. I thought driving on the right would be enough of a challenge. Anyway with a great deal of trepidation we set off for Le Vigan. I do think the angels must have been watching over us because other than Conal side-swiping the kerb, we found our way out of Nimes and onto the road to Le Vigan with me constantly reminding Conal to keep to the right. The road was well sign posted and we drove through countryside that kept getting more beautiful, through a gorge. and arrived in the village in time to stock up with groceries and set up the narrow road to Les Paillerols a village consisting of about 3 houses where we managed to find Annie who came with us to open up the house.
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| View from the house |
The farm house is perched high in the mountains is HUGE and old - with crumbling walls. It was renovated about 30 years ago and is quite comfortable and must have been lovely while Evelyn was alive. Sadly it now has a rather unloved look about it with things dumped in cheerful confusion on every surface - but as Jan would say "what the hell Michelle". It took Conal's ingenuity to get us set up - we took rust encrusted keys to locks to connect the water - and then down into a cob webbed cellar to find the electricity and hot water system. Lots of chatting from Annie in French - tres complique she kept saying - and trying to get by with my rather basic French - in between raiding the fig trees laden with the sweetest black figs - eventually we managed to sit down with a glass of French rose and an omelette eaten beneath the fig trees outside the kitchen.
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| Farm house - note the fig tree |
We went into the village again this morning and walked into the central 'place' to a cafe for our coffee and croissants - then to the tourist information to get maps of the area, to a little market set amonst the old buildings - some dating from the 15thC and earlier. There's lots to explore and I anticipate that we're going to have lots of fun - this is the bread basket of France - olive trees, fruit trees and vineyards galore. Too many cheeses to chose from - and this is where pate de fois gras is made - ou-la-la!
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| View from the farm |
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