The gite was completed this time last year. We enjoyed the arrival of our first guests later on in the year and were happy to see that visitors were just as impressed with their surroundings as we had hoped they would be. Since then, we have been busy converting the rest of the house, working hard on the land, the garden and extending our livestock.

Sadly, the goats had to be re homed due to their demanding nature and rather pungent smell. Happily though, they are now living contentedly with other goats in a large meadow somewhere in the Pyrenees.

The large enclosure now holds the cockerels (that were hatched on Xmas day) and three Peking and three Barbary ducks, all eventually for eating. Our most recent acquisition has been two young goslings, also brought to fatten up, but they are becoming increasingly sociable and friendly, making it difficult to contemplate any such end!

This time last year, we also adopted a tiny kitten that was found half drowned by the side of a river. Elgar has since proved to be a very loveable and useful addition to the family and has been readily accepted by the other two cats.

Our vegetable patch has grown considerably since we moved here two years ago and we are close to achieving our goal of being self sufficient in fruit and veg. – at least during the summer and autumn months. Our guests will be able to enjoy fresh produce including our free range eggs, plums, peaches, melons, squash, artichoke, chard and tomatoes etc.

In a bid to improve our local knowledge, we have been out and about quite a bit too, enjoying the various nearby music festivals, fetes and feasts! Having played the role of the tourist, we can now recommend numerous places to visit, along with some excellent bars and restaurants all within a short drive of the gite.

Our son, a keen fisherman, has discovered some delightful lakes and rivers where the occasional carp or trout can be caught. France is well served with shady picnic and beauty spots which provide the perfect environment in which to observe nature or enjoy a good book.

This year the moorhens have returned to our pond, obviously having forgotten how the cats sought after their chicks two years ago. It is lovely to hear their call along with that of the cuckoo in the woods opposite and the nightingale down the lane. We have the ‘frog chorus’ back again and this wonderful sound will continue every day from dusk into the evening for a few more weeks to come. Red kites can be seen soaring high in the sky and occasionally we spot the odd Hoopoe on the lawn.

The wild flowers this time of the year are in profusion, making the walks down the lane a real feast for the eyes. Slowly, we are developing a wild meadow part to our garden, which will incorporate most of the local wild flowers, but explaining this to our free range hens is another matter as they seem to enjoy roaming this area more than any other!

Our most recent project has been converting the old cowshed into a small pottery ‘Presbetry Pottery’. We now make bespoke tiles, chimes, garden decorations, teapots and other small items which we will be selling at Mielan craft market every Sunday during July and August. All our pottery is made from the local earthenware clay, common in the Gers and therefore has a lovely rich colour, reflecting the warm hues of the local soil.

Finally, this month, we have friends coming to help us complete our homemade pizza oven, in true Hugh Fernley-Whittingstall style. We are therefore hoping to extend our skills to pizza and bread making, which (if a success), will be available to our guests.

Now we are looking forward to another fine summer of sunshine, outside eating, good wine and plenty of live music. This certainly is ‘The good life’!

Jules