Sunday 18 November 2012

Where's the Bear?


When speaking of bears in the Pyrenees, people always say 'the bear' in the singular. Sadly, that is almost the truth.
                
The brown bear was once present in every region of France. Over the centuries, hunting, poisoning, deforestation and poaching led to a massive decline in the bear population. Their last refuge was in the Pyrenees. Here the bears were both loved and hated. They were hunted for their skins and, in a poor region where any meat was acceptable - badger stew and crow pie figured in local recipes - for their meat. The forests nearly disappeared as miners used the wood for charcoal, new roads crossed valleys where the bears had previously been able to live undisturbed. The local farmers were always hostile to the presence of bears who could kill as many as twenty sheep in a single attack. Bear cubs were taken from their mothers and trained to perform. This was a tradition in the Couserans region, where the living was particularly hard.


And there were always the hunters, eager to shoot a bear for sport. When a hunter shot Cannelle [Cinnamon] the last native Pyrenean female bear in 2004, the population was reduced to just five male bears. Brown bears from Slovenia have been brought in, and the bear population is currently about twenty. There is violent opposition from the farmers of the Ariege region, who want the bears to disappear permanently. During the summer months, their animals - cows, sheep, goats and horses - are taken up to roam freely in the lush upper valleys. This is called "Estive". As the bear is an opportunistic hunter, the farmers risk losses to their stock. The struggle over the bear is far from over.

                                         
Safety leaflets for walkers in the central Pyrenees offer the following advice:

-- If you come across a bear at less than 50 metres, help it to realise you are there by moving slowly and speaking softly. Never shout.

 -- Move away gradually, keeping away from any path the bear might use to escape.

-- DO NOT RUN,  WALK

They state that if the bear rears up on its hind legs, it is not being aggressive, only curious.

How brave would you feel at such a moment?

Wednesday 7 November 2012

Saint-Lizier in Couserans, Ariège.

 Once this was an important bishopric but the town was gradually deserted for the town of Saint Girons further down the valley. The old town has been restored and is an absolute gem, gently slumbering on its hill. There are arcaded squares and quiet streets following the line of the massive medieval walls of the two cathedrals.



The cathedral of Saint-Lizier is an example of Pyrenean Romanesque style. It dates from the 12th Century and contains 12th century frescos, discovered behind plaster during restoration.



It also has a two storey cloister with marble columns, some of which have carved capitals. This is a wonderfully peaceful place to sit on a hot day.

Next door to the cathedral is a hospital and pharmacy, still equipped with its surgical tools and medicines as it was in the 18th century.  [see later post].

[Thanks to Lucie Rochelle for the photos]

Friday 21 September 2012

The Lake of Bethmale, Ariège-Pyrénees

The Couserans region of Ariège is a wild tumble of mountains, high meadows, lakes, streams and waterfalls. The Lac de Bethmale is especially beautiful because of the incredible blue-green colour of the water.
According to legend, a wicked witch lived by the lake and she caused endless mischief and misery for the local peasants. One day, they took their pitchforks and surrounded her. Seeing there was no escape, the witch jumped into the lake, shouting that she would never really vanish. It is her cloak, on the lake bottom, that gives the water its unusual colour.




The traditional costume of the people in the Vallée de Bethmale is completely different from anything else in the region. The wooden sabots with their enormous upturned toes have a special significance. The young man has to have the strength to pull two branches from a beech tree from which to make a pair of clogs. So - the longer the toes, the stronger the man and the better chance he has of getting a bride.

                             
File:B315556101 A GARDILANNE 1 009.jpg

Picture courtesy of Wikipedia Commons



Friday 7 September 2012

La Ferme de Méras - a farm with a difference

Research for my current WIP takes me to strange places. And the byways of that research often yield much more than was expected. In August, I needed to make a second trip into the Ariège region of France in order to investigate the type of horses that could be bred and managed in that mountainous area.

                                
                      Mérens horse
                                                  
           

                                                     Castillon horse 
[image courtesy of www.chevalcastillonais.fr]

Lucie consulted the Routard guidebook for the region near Foix. 'Horses,' she exclaimed, 'Just listen to this: "The Mérens horse is considered to be descended from the race represented in cave paintings from the Magdalenian period, 13,000 years ago. Short legged and sturdy, they are perfectly adapted to the Pyreneen region." ' Then she gave a shout of triumph. 'We can stay at the Ferme de Méras, where the owner farms only with oxen or mules. He gives courses in training farm animals and is an associate of the Mérens horse society.'

That is how we came to spend four days at Olivier Courthiade's farm. It was an experience of life in the countryside as it used to be. The farm is reached via a road with several hairpin bends. Our arrival was observed by a crowd of dogs and several mules, as well as a Mérens horse. Within half an hour of arriving, we were embarked in Olivier's car, together with as many dogs as could fit in around us, to drive up the hill to take grain for his sheep and goats. These wander freely during the summer season, so they all wear bells. The tinkling came faster and faster as they all rushed to their barn for a share of the grain.             

                          

Olivier simply sweeps all visitors into the family. Dinner is eaten - late - on the balcony, with a view of the sunset behind the hills. Then as darkness falls, we continue our meal by candlelight. The food is a delight - all cooked by Olivier from the produce of his garden and local meat. His soups and sauces are mouthwatering. The relaxed atmosphere adds to the charm of the evening. In this photo, everything is ready for a first course of 'soupe à l'oeuf'.

The farmhouse
                                            
                                          Below : The stables and some of the carts in use 


             Below : Inside the stables. The mules are very happy if you bring them apple peel.
For more pictures and information about courses or simply staying on the farm, follow the link below.

                               La ferme-de-meras


Ferme de Méras - Ariège Pyrénées
09240 La Bastide de Serou, Ariège Pyrénées, France,
Tel : (33) 05 61 64 50 66 ( Daily before 9am or after 9pm)
English spoken - Habla español + catalan ...


[C] words - Beth Elliott, photos Lucie Rochelle 07/09/2012

Wednesday 15 August 2012

Feria in Beziers, France

Beziers is a historic town in Languedoc in southern France, in the Hérault department. The town is chiefly known for wine and for bullfighting. There is a large community of inhabitants of Spanish origin, so the annual Feria, held over five days in August each year, attracts the very best bullfighters and the flamenco dancers.
 
L'Orb, le Pont Vieux et la cathédrale Saint-Nazaire.A million visitors are attracted to the town at this time.



In unexpected corners of the town, Bodegas appear. These are little cafes, each with its own theme, selling local wine and providing live music from about 10pm until 5am the next morning. Along the Allee Paul Riquet and in all the main squares, crowds wander in happy mood, stopping to sample the food and drink on offer or to watch the numerous displays of folk dancing, acrobatics or to listen to the live music - everything from classical guitar to jazz, via African drums and Eastern European or Asian instruments.

In the cloister of the Cathédrale Saint-Nazaire, every seat is taken to watch the superb Flamenco performance by the Jose Manuel Alvarez Company from Barcelona.

      

The dances are very stylised and sweep the audience along in their intensity. As in the picture above, the dancer represents movements from the bullfight.
                      

It is a tradition that the bullfighters at the Feria are the best Spanish bullfighters of the year; those who have won all their competitions.

Tuesday 24 July 2012

Carpets are like books




















Turkey has always been renowned for its carpets and kilims. Seen in many paintings from Renaissance times on, they represent a touch of luxury. They are made in a range of materials and styles with varying patterns and motifs, depending on the different regions of Anatolia where they originate.

The ancient city of Konya is a centre for weaving as well as repairing all types of oriental carpets. You don't spend many minutes gazing in a shop window before someone comes out to invite you to: 'Please, step inside.'
Once inside, you are waved to a seat and offered tea or coffee. Even if you are just looking, the merchant is pleased to show off his wares and hand you a catalogue.
In our case, Mehmet bey made us welcome, saying he was happy just to talk about his business.
He speaks half a dozen languages and travels the world to sell his goods in cities like Paris, Frankfurt and New York. As well as old carpets, he sells rugs made locally, to his orders. His carpets are made using natural dyes and the best wools. These modern carpets and kilims are woven in the villages around the city, using traditional motifs and patterns. To see and admire some of the wonderful carpets in his stock, try http://www.silkroadrugs.com/

                                                                

His shop was a veritable Aladdin's cave of treasures, antique and modern carpets, kilims, woven nomad tent decorations, cicims, battered tools from long ago, as well as furniture and ornaments from the Ottoman period.

Looking at the neat and not so neat piles of carpets, it seemed to me that they were like books and the shop like some sort of library. You need to read a carpet. Its colours and motifs tell you about the way of life and the tribal origins of the area where it was made [the Turkic peoples were originally nomads travelling westwards from Central Asia] ; the number of knots per square inch, the quality of the weaving; the materials used: wool, cotton or silk. And then the carpet has to appeal to you aesthetically and emotionally as an item you will live with and treasure - just like a good book.
                                              


Sunday 1 July 2012

THE RAKE'S CHALLENGE - Large Print edition

The Large Print edition of The Rake's Challenge is published on 1st July by Ulverscroft.




Anna visits Brighton for the summer season. It is her first visit to the seaside, so naturally she wishes to experience sea bathing.  She goes for a dip - but ends up in hot water with Giles!
                               
        
  It is not long before she catches the Prince Regent's eye ...  and after that it takes all of Giles's ingenuity to rescue her from any number of dangerous situations