Le Village Pour Tous Carcassonne

... most of my time in the main dinning and living room. I like to WWOOF for many reasons, but I especially like my spare time. With a working day of only 6 hours it leaves a lot of time in the day to do what you wish. I like to read and write in my spare time. But I was constantly coerced into playing games; card games, dice games, board games....I'd rather poke myself in the eye to be honest.

So tomorrow I'll be on my way, I'm looking forward to some breathing room.

... me that this isn't the first time holes have been patched and gutters dug. Its a losing battle, but it must be waged.

At times I've spent hours alone in the garden, happily picking away at weeds. The last couple days her and I have helped a friend of hers, Terri, tend his plot of land that previously housed a vineyard ...

... a leaky hose outside the front door. The hose is constantly running, regardless of whether laundry is being done, and the yard is a mud pit as a consequence. An old tin shed, recently torn down, and strewn about the backyard, previously housed one of the younger kids. Among the trash in their yard, are several items that look suspiciously like things that previously belonged to Tabitha. Yet she's afraid to confront them, so life goes on unchanged.

... sort he was), we talked for a bit and when I revealed that I was heading to Limoux, he assumed that I was going to drink Blanquette. When I told him that I didn't know what Blanquette was, his reply was simple "It's like Champagne, only cheaper".When I told Tabitha what the missionary had said about Blanquette, it was if I had slapped her in the face.

"Actually the recipe for Blanquette was stolen by Champagne, and when you try Blanquette, you will see why it is ...

... looks like a metal barrel, with a hole in the top for feeding the fire, and two holes in the side for a chimney and removing ash. Its old and a little rusty, I feel like a hobo just sitting near it. It would have been nice to have at the station last night. It smokes horribly, and it is difficult to keep lit, but with a bit of tweaking, we should be able to get it working.

After three nights with little sleep I'm exhausted, I retire to bed shortly after dinner, and sleep soundly.

... one hand is to be commended, but on the other, pitch your tent somewhere else. I'm in danger of turning into a grumpy old woman, Victoria Meldrew??

I bumped into Betty from yesterday in the toilet block. Seems I've been a little unfair poking fun at them yesterday... Turns out Ethel aka Linda has terminal cancer and has become quite cantankerous with her illness. I should not be so quick to judge sometimes ...

... Chateau Montsegur only to find it shrouded in heavy cloud as very heavy rain threatened flooding. Needless to say we have wet pictures of the castle from afar.... Never did make it inside. In fact, as we drove through the gorge, we noticed a torrent of water coming right out of a mountain cave. According to our 'host' this is not something that happens often. Could be why that night I had dreams of being carried off in a flood! Our visit to Carcasonne itself was interesting though I must ...

Wednesday morning was clear and bright, all the rain having moved out. Yvon and Monique said that we must have brought the weather with us as they had had six solid weeks of gloom and rain. The crops were behind and people were cranky. We had a light breakfast of baguette, jam, fruit and tea. Perfect. Yvon prepared a map with our route into Carcassonne, and Monique packed us lunch. They were really taking care of us! We saddled up and began our first solo run ...

... shops (Janet you will be pleased to know I bought you something from here!). We decided to have a traditional meal from the region that night - a cassoulet which is a casserole made with white beans (yes we tortured each other!), pork sausage, duck and pork rind baked in the oven...........yummy. From here we got an early AM train to Aix-en-Provence.

... and then we finally went into the water. It was freezing cold, kind of reminded me of Lake Eeire. A little while later Ashlee and I decided to head out for a walk. We walked down the beach for about 45 mintues or so, and then all of a sudden, EVERYONE WAS NAKED! People in the water were naked, people were laying on beach naked, and people were just standing there, naked. It was crazy. There was even a naked man, building a sand castle with his kid ...