Having wrapped up our first of two WWOOF stays in Tarn-et-Garonne, we moved east only about 18km to the next spot: an organic farm doing market sales, AMAP baskets, and online sales. A further point of interest: they do a fair share of ploughing with donkeys! We would spend nearly 2 weeks here, celebrating Bodhi's second birthday as we go, and enjoying a warm and interesting stay with our host family...
THE (SHORT) RIDE TO LAGARRIGUE:
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| Leaving St. Hubert, we faced a steep push on a dirt track... |
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| ... which flattened out and offered some superb scenery. |
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| Decorated with taste, seen roadside. |
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| Bo stretches out after a nap. |
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| In Vazerac we stopped for a picnic lunch... Katy and Bo feeling the heat as temperatures were in the low 30's. |
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| Vazerac made for a colorful rest in the shade. |
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| Arriving near the farm, Bo wanted to ride his balance bike for the last 100 meters! |
THE PEOPLE:
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| 8 y.o. Robin. |
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| Nadine and Jeff, flanking Sined the donkey. |
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| Bo picks one of the season's first strawberries. |
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| 5 y.o. Eva. |
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| Gilles, Nadine's partner. |
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| Robin and Bo got on like old pals... |
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| ... clowning around all over the place. |
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| Eva, Bo and Robin enjoying an afternoon snack of homemade chocolate chip cookies, made by Jeff. |
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| Eva, trying out Bo's chariot. |
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Our first days at Lagarrigue and it was HOT!!! 35-6 degrees. Bodhi found a good way to beat the heat, though...
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| Storytime, a rousing rendition of The Tiger Who Came To Tea with Jeff and the kids. |
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| Tania, who is nearly 20 y.o.. |
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| Her son Sined, 8 y.o., and castrated. |
THE PLACE:
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| Gilles and Nadine have been on site for about 5 years now. |
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| The greenhouses permit them to offer vegetables all-year round. |
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| Katy and Gilles prepare spring onions just an arm's reach from our lodging: a 2-roomed caravan. |
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| The greenhouse scene: tomatoes and zucchini are thriving. |
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| The showy flowers of zucchini. |
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| We witnessed the trimming of the donkeys' nails/hooves, a rather delicate affair. |
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| Besides the two donkeys, Gilles and Nadine have 2 goats who can be seen munching grass and weeds around the clock. |
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| The neighbors' farmhouse. Growing organic since the early 1970's, a pioneer in the department. |
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| The pigeonnier at the neighbors' farm. Called a dovecote in English, these are very common in the area and nearly all old farmhouses have one. They are remarkable for their variety of architectural styles |
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| Doudou, a neighbor's donkey. Bo developed a routine of visiting Doudou morning and evening, and as such we were often treated to heavy braying sessions, as seen here. |
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| Doudou hamming it up. |
THE WORK:
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| Wednesday is AMAP day, Friday is internet order-filling day, and Saturday is the market in Montauban, which keeps things pretty busy around the farm. |
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| Bo helps out with fava bean harvesting. |
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| Katy prepares fresh-picked asparagus while Bo looks on... |
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| ... picking and eating fresh organic asparagus is a serious highlight. |
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| Then again, so is that of artichokes! |
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| Jeff learned some donkey tricks... like that of scratching the backside of the ears. |
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| Nadine gives Jeff some pointers on leading a donkey for work. |
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| Jeff takes the lead... |
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| ... and Gilles controls the tool. |
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| Katy and Bo also got a chance to lead the donkey... |
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| ... which needless to say, fascinated Bo. |
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| Preparing freshly-harvested vegetables for the AMAP. |
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| The list of vegetables and quantities for this day's distribution. Gilles and Nadine strive to offer at least 5-6 types of vegetable in each basket. |
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| Nadine also sells seedlings (tomatoes and herbs, especially) to AMAPiens and at the market. |
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| An attractive basket backed by blooming rose bushes. |
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| The AMAP comprises about 22 baskets at this point in time. |
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| We planted a fair variety of vegetables during our stay, including tomatoes, bell peppers, leeks, Peruvian ground cherry, etc.. |
BO'S SECOND BIRTHDAY!
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| To celebrate the little man's Big Number Two, we cycled to the nearby village of Lafrancaise, where there is an adjacent lake with picnic areas and walking trails. |
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| Bo hit the trails with glee. |
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| We hadn't been properly hiking in a long time, and Bo was glad to be back at it... |
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| Back at the house, a little party was held, with double chocolate cupcakes... |
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| Gilles, Robin, Nadine, Bo, Katy and Eva. Bodhi was stoked. |
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| Needless to say, lots of excitement in the present-opening moments. Bo had cards sent in from England and elsewhere in France, as well as several gifts. |
OUT AND ABOUT IN THE REGION:
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| Montauban, on the River Tarn. |
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| Saturday is market day, and better yet, it is a producer's market. |
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| Nadine's stand, one of several organic sellers to be found.... |
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| Nadine with Katy and Bo... |
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| The market was heaving... |
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| ...colorful stands... |
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| ...artisanal cheeses... |
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| ... and organic stands offering strawberries and lots of other things. |
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| Spotted salamander seen while cycling to Alternatiba. |
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| A fair that's held apparently all over France and elsewhere, with the intention of spreading ecological conscience and alternative ways of living. One little problem, WE were pretty much the only ones to arrive on bicycle (besides one other cyclist), which is pretty ironically sad. What's the point of blah-blahing about climate change and ecological breaking point, when all you do is drive your car everywhere??? |
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| Bo and Robin at Alternatiba. |
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| We obtained this flag at the fair, and rightly attached it to our flagpole. |
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| Katy clowns around on Robin's bike. |
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| We found a bunch of ripe cherries on the way home and put Jeff's toaster to good use. |
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| Bo's got a weakness for cherries (and just about any fruit you put in front of him). |
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| Flying the flag proudly. |
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| A fun crew here. |
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| The town hall of Lafrancaise. |
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| The sweeping views from Lafrancaise, which give you an idea of the extent of fruit tree production in the Tarn-et-Garonne. |
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