Le Tour de France & M. Bouyssière

If I could see the laptop screen in the bright sunshine I'd be sat on the terrace writing this blog. We've had a glorious day & I've been able to get out on the bike again & clock up a few more kilometres which is just as well as I've been challenged to a ride over Easter. A & J who own a house in the hamlet have been over for a few days liaising with their builder & we'd asked them over for a meal on Friday night. During the evening the subject of mountain biking came up, as it does, & it turns out A is a keen MTB'r and has completed a couple of the local routes. They're back over Easter and we have arranged to check out a couple of the more technical routes, there's always safety in numbers, so I think it's time to get back in the saddle & do a little training. While on the subject of bikes it looks like we're going to get a close up view of this years Tour de France. On 12th July the route takes the race from Figeac to Toulouse via VDR so anyone interested in a room at competitive rates should get in touch now!

In last weeks blog I'd made reference to the concerns being aired in the UK over excessive drinking. Last Sunday I was invited out for a meal & had to drive to get there as unfortunately my chauffeur was still back in sunny Blackpool. I had a great night but what a struggle I had to avoid the demon drink. It was Thierry's 50th, a very popular age, and to say the alcohol flowed was an understatement. Trying to make one small glass of wine last 5 hours was not easy & despite me keep repeating that I had to drive home my hosts wouldn't take no for an answer, 'There'll be no gendarmes out at this time of night'. When I told them about being breathalysed a couple of weeks ago they were most surprised but it didn't stop them trying to top my glass up. We've been invited back to attend his 'official' birthday celebrations in July & I've already booked a taxi.

It's not just the USA who are currently going through the election process. Here in France it's time to elect the Maire, a very important person in the local community and the campaigning in Najac, although not getting the same coverage on the BBC as Hillary, Barack & John, is just as entertaining (not sure if that's the right word for the US elections). M. Bouyssière is the oldest & longest serving Maire in France & several of the locals have decided that at 88 years old it's time he called it a day. He doesn't agree and is campaigning for a further term saying that there is so much left for him to do but things are getting personal and the split in the community would make a great plot for a Sunday night TV programme. The local website is running several non too complimentary videos, here's one of them.

Hubert Bouyssiere presente...
I'm sure M. Bouyssière is running a similar campaign but I haven't managed to find it as yet. Click here and you can see some more of the very professional videos.


On Thursday it was off to Carcasonne to collect Barbara & although she's only been away a couple of weeks the washing machine & I have really missed her. Never being ones to miss an opportunity & despite Babs having left her mum's in Blackpool at 3:30 AM we had time to call into Ikea in Toulouse & collect 2 wardrobes, 2 bedside cabinets, 2 small tables & various light fittings. Needless to say the Yaris was full to bursting and with Barbara having to sit in the back during the journey there was very little conversation as she dozed all the way back home. Back in Lagarrigue I think she was happy with the progress I'd made in her absence and was looking forward t getting the wardrobes built and our clothes out of suitcases at long last. Later this week the estate agent is calling to take pictures and get the house on the market so it's going to be a busy few days 'dressing' the house.