La Vieille Source Blog

Living in this beautiful region it’s easy to be biased, but don’t take out word for it, why not read what the papers have to say about Gascony.

“Many people don’t know where Gascony is, unsurprising really, as it is the old name given to parts of the Gers and Ariège. You can drive round for days without spotting another GB car number plate in mid-August and pass miles and miles of towering sunflower fields before sitting down to lunch at a small auberge where almost every course includes duck meat (even the omelettes) and a good bottle of wine. When I visited the area last year, the week after the Blairs had left, the locals were still raving about his visit. ‘Monsieur Blair was eating lunch right off this very checked tablecloth last week. Such a nice family’…

The Guardian

Gascony – a “triangle” running south of the Garonne, west of Toulouse and down into the foothills of the Pyrenees – has at its heart the Gers. As départements go, this one easily levels with the Dordogne for gentle hills and rolling farmlands, for slow winding rivers and avenues of poplars. You can crawl from château to château, comparing the merits of one Armagnac dégustation against another. Or, as in the Dordogne, respond to the many roadside hoardings promising farm-made confits and foie gras. And yet you would be hard-pressed to find a GB number plate here…

The Telegraph

South-west France is home to exhilarating ingredients, wines, markets and food festivals. Where much of foodie France suffers from a dose of the smugs, the little-hyped region of Gers (Gascony, as was) offers sincere welcome and genuine discoveries. Wines like Madiran, dishes like l’aligot (imagine the silkiest, creamiest puree of yellow potatoes forked through with fresh Cantal cheese and a French kiss of garlic) and abundant affordable foie gras are produced in green countryside that rolls and dips before sharpening into the Pyrenees…

Guardian Travel

If an Englishman’s ideal French home is in Provence, many Frenchmen say they would prefer to be in Gascony. There are fewer foreigners, for a start (which means it helps to have a smattering of the language), and it is far more authentic. Gascony is no longer a distinct administrative area, but it covers an area including Bordeaux, Bayonne, Pau and Auch.
Within easy distance of the Pyrenees and the Atlantic coast, the area has something for everyone, with beautiful rolling countryside, a relaxed, friendly way of life, wonderful stone houses, a temperate climate ….. good wines and gastronomic delights…

Times Online

“The countryside is unspoilt and the wildlife abundant. Mass tourism hasn’t made any impact here at all and you find yourself wandering round villages that are like pristine period-drama sets, with all visual evidence of the modern age removed, not quite believing that in high season you have the place to yourself.
The fortified village of Bassoues d’Armagnac would, in any other part of Europe, be essential itinerary for coach parties and festooned with car parks and postcard kiosks.
Here it is deserted – a small Café des Sports serving bowls of steaming duck to the locals, blissfully unaware of the staggering beauty that surrounds it.”…

Mail Online… Howard Goodall ,“Gascony and all that Jazz”

We’ve discovered that one of our former guests has written an article about family friendly holidays for the Families Cheshire parenting magazine. It was lovely to read how much they had enjoyed their holiday here, and we’re delighted they wrote in to highly recommend our gite to other families.

Here’s an extract from the article in Families Cheshire November/December 2009 edition entitled Holiday Time, Family friendly France by Esther Prescott :

…” we did what many people planning to travel with children do these days we Googled  “family friendly holidays”…with a 3 year old and a baby in tow we opted for La Vieille Source,  situated in the Gascony region of France. A beautiful open plan apartment set above the old stable block of an 18th century manor house. It is within walking distance of  the local village for a coffee or a bite to eat. For us what made this property so fantastic was that the owners, being parents themselves, had really thought about the needs of families and had kitted the property out with plastic plates, bowls and cutlery, steriliser, BabyDan, baby monitor, high chair, full size cot and loads more, which saved on the packing. The heated swimming pool, trampoline, sandpit, swings, climbing set , books, toys, and DVDs meant there was a lot for our eldest to do if we wanted to just spend a lazy day “at home”.  We couldn’t have asked for nicer hosts, nothing was too much trouble for them - we sent a shopping list ahead of our arrival and they called to check the details, they provided us with a picnic rug for an outing one day and  babysat – even dropping us off and picking us up from the restaurant”…

What’s on in Lectoure for November? 6-8th November it’s the  annual exhibition of the Foire de la Saint Martin, now in it’s 27^thyear. There’s a large market along the high street, as well as the flea market and brocante on the car parking area in front of the thermal baths. Children can enjoy the funfair and entertainment everyday on the Bastion Esplanade opposite the post office.

The fair is a crowd puller with plenty of stalls to browse and sample:

stalls for local tradespeople

handicrafts and regional products

agricultural machinery

delicious wines and regional specialities

vehicles and farming craft demonstrations

hot food stalls

11th October 2009. It’s time for the annual Cit’en Jeu at Lectoure. This autumn family festival has been going for over ten years and gets bigger and more fun each year. 

Cit’en Jeu is a day of games and activities with plenty of variety. Nobody is forgotten. From the youngest children, parents, teens and grandparents, everyone can find a game or activity they can enjoy.

Some of this year’s attractions include:

Fishing simulator, Sphinx & Titanic giant inflatables

Tree climbing, Bungee Trampoline

Maze, Toy quad bikes & Go karts

Ball pits, Dressing up

Face painting, Fun with foam

Workshops to  craft your own wooden toy, Photography with the Lectoure photography centre

Medieval minting, Clay modelling

Traditional board games, Skill & strategy games

Educational games, Archery, Crossbow & Shooting range.

Sports games, Interactive demonstrations from the Lectoure Judo club

Table Tennis circle, Thrills & spills with jousting pirates

Have a go Rodeo for adults & children

Big loop cycle ride, Wagon rides, Walk through history with the tourist office

Family workshops in Latin calligraphy, Visit to the archaeological museum at Lectoure

There are good on-site facilities too and the entry fee is just 4€ per person.

On Sunday 27th September there will be a car rally organised by PARC – Pauilhac Auto Retro club. All comers are welcome and there’s no requirement to own or turn up in a classic car. Entry is 3€ per person. The first departure will be at 8.30am. Around 1pm there will be a meal (12€ for adults and 8€ for the under 12’s) followed by a classic car show and parade.

If you’d like to take part then ring and reserve your place before the 22nd September. You need to bring along a metre rule, a dictionary and a pair of scissors.
To contact PARC organisers call: 05 62 06 62 69/ 05 62 64 05 07 or 05 62 06 66 70

On Saturday evening I was lucky enough to be invited to the first night of a vernissage (an exhibition). The photographer is my dear friend Sallie Erichson and her photographic exhibition is entitled “The Rolling Stones of Gascogne – “pierres secrètes et joyaux perdus…”. If you’d like to see this exhibition it’s being held from 5th September until 25th September, on Wednesdays through to Sundays at the Auberge de Gauran, just outside Lectoure. All the beautiful photographs featured have been taken in Gascony, they are available to buy as framed works and some have been produced as gorgeous high quality postcards. I can highly recommend it!
If you’d like to contact the Auberge de Gauran their telephone number is 05 6268 8412

I know autumn is approaching as it’s almost time for the splendid annual fireworks festival in Lectoure. This event takes place on the first weekend in September, on the Friday and Saturday night. For 2009 the dates for your diary are Friday 4th and Saturday 5th September.
The show will be held on the sports pitch at the Lectoure stadium, just below the town, and there will be free parking. Hot air balloons take flight to mark the start and a traditional communal meal is served on long trestle tables along the tennis courts. The menu usually includes regional specialities such as duck and melon de Lectoure. There will also be bars set up serving drinks, snacks and ice cream as well as stalls for the children with illuminated toys.
The fireworks begin at 9.30pm after a few words from the mayor of Lectoure, Gérard Duclos.This year’s theme for the Friday show is: Once upon a time, Lectoure “La Grande Époque”, and in honour of the bi centenary of his death Maréchal Lannes “Un Anniversaire Illustre”. The fliers for this year’s show describe it as “an evening of history punctuated with gold and diamonds creating a magical moment transporting us through time”.
Saturday’s fireworks also start at 9.30pm after a few words from the mayor. The programme of events for Saturday is: Akouma “everything alight”, Colours and Music from around the world, A voyage through islands in the sun, Special Effects and a Burst of flames.
At 11.30 is the fabulous “Embrasement de la Cite” when the town of Lectoure, seen high above the stadium, is plunged into darkness and then crowned with lights and a firework finale illuminating the ramparts and the cathedral. This is accompanied by rousing music and is always a truly magical sight.
Definitely a date for your diaries!

We’ve been so busy recently with the gite, the children, our guests and working in the garden that it’s hard to keep up with all the fetes and fairs going on. Last Friday was the second of the two summer outdoor meals being held at the Bastion park at Lectoure, with lots of loud music, flamenco dancers, live bands and dancing well into the night.
Recent events include the annual fete at the nearby village of Tane also with music, dancing and a communal feast, and on 10th August was the final summer night market in Lectoure.
This weekend there were fetes in Tournecoup, Gondrin, Dune, Nogaro and St Antonin.
There will be a tuna & mussels fest coming up soon in St Clar on 20th August.
The weekend of the 22 & 23rd August there will be fetes at Castera Verduzan, Pauilhac, Miradoux, Castelnau d’Arbieu, St Puy, Barran and Lupiac.
Our sunflowers have started to wilt so it was time to judge the family’s who-can-grow-the-tallest- sunflower competition and the winner was our daughter with a lovely flower stretching well over 6 feet tall. All around us the melons are being harvested and the sunflowers are starting to wilt and dry out. The weather has been amazing this year and we’ve been enjoying temperatures well into the 30s all summer long.
The gite has been full since April and we have guests booked through until 31st October. Due to the really poor weather in the UK we received a flurry of enquiries at the beginning of August, but our summer months had already been taken from before Easter this year. If you are reading our gite blog and would like to stay at La Vieille Source during June, July or August 2010 then please think about reserving your summer holiday earlier in the year to make sure you get the dates you want. Cottages and gites with pools are always in higher demand during the summer months. We have an annual newletter that goes out just after New Year to act as a reminder, if you’d like to join our newsletter list please click here to email us your details.

I thought it was time to blog about the fun to be had at Parc Walibi. This theme park at Agen, just 30 minutes from our gite La Vieille Source, opens around Easter each year until it closes for winter in November. It’s great fun for all ages with lots and lots and LOTS of fun rides to discover. It’s well signposted and easy to find, there’s plenty of parking and a really nice shady picnic area with tables and bench seating.
The park has a few fast food restaurants and a more formal restaurant at the chateau in the park. There’s a shop selling Walibi souvenirs and other booths and stalls throughout the park selling cold drinks, slush puppies, sweets and ice creams.
Some of the rides to enjoy are:
Drakkar (log flume) -Radja River Rapids (wet and wild)- Tam Tam Tour (a tame and pleasant boat trip)
 - Cocinelle (small roller coaster) – Boomerang (fast roller coaster) – Cosmic (an up and down spinning around ride) -
Fandango (chairoplanes) – Carousel (merry go round) – Splash battle (be prepared to get very wet on this ride) –
Pirate Boat (hold on to your stomachs) – Tea Cups (waltzers) and other rides especially for younger children – Tapis Magique- sliding fun on a doormat, Tacos – little “Brum” style cars, the Walibi mini railway, a baby helicopter ride and ponies. There are daily shows too. A sea lion show, dancing musical fountains and a singing mascots show. The audience are invited up on stage after the performance to have their photograph taken with the cuddly characters. We would definitely recommend this as a great day out for families with children of all ages. Find out more about Parc Walibi including opening hours, prices and a plan of the park.

We’ve had such a lovely summer so far, hot and sunny. There are fetes and fairs going on in most towns and villages every weekend now. Our local town of Lectoure held a night market on Monday 13th July, and there was also a ceremony for the inauguration of the newly renovated place du Général de Gaulle in front of the cathedral. There were fireworks too as it was the eve of Bastille day.
In short Bastille Day is the French national holiday celebrated on 14 July each year. In France it is a Fête Nationale, a National Celebration, or sometimes just known as le quatorze juillet (14th July). This date commemorates the 1790 Fête de la Fédération which was held on the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789. The anniversary of the storming of the Bastille fortress-prison was seen as a symbol of the uprising of the modern nation, and of the reconciliation of all the French inside the constitutional monarchy which preceded the First Republic, during the French Revolution.
Festivities are held on the morning of 14 July on the Champs-Élysées avenue in Paris in front of the President of the Republic.
Throughout France cities, towns and villages celebrate this day sometimes starting on the eve (13th July) or on the day itself , and celebrations normally involve fireworks.

It’s time to celebrate the locally grown Melon de Lectoure. In previous years the tasting sessions have taken place outside the post office in Lectoure, but this year the stalls offering this delicious local delicacy will be set up in front of the tourist office on the newly refurbished, and very attractive, place du Général de Gaulle. The dates are six consecutive Sundays starting on 12 July until 16 August.

As well as being able to visit the beautiful town of Lectoure and sample the melons you’ll find other local producers have been invited along, so you can try or buy a wide selection of local cheeses and honey, traditional duck delicacies and other locally grown fruit and vegetables.

The annual official Melon Day will be held on Friday 14 August with a celebratory meal in the evening.

I thought I should write a little about the Festival de Country Music. This 5-day celebration of all things Country & Western will take place in Mirande on 9th -14th July. Last year’s special guests included the cast of Dallas (Patrick Duffy, Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Steve Kanaly and Charlene Tilton). This year’s guest of honour will be Stephanie Powers of Hart to Hart fame. Some of the other guests appearing include Roch Voisine, Cock Robin, Ricky Norton, Mike Sanchez and Michelle Wright.
The festival started in 1993 and 30,000 people came along. In 16 years it has turned into a highly successful annual fixture, and now it’s the biggest country music festival in Europe. Last year over 160,000 people attended. That’s a really big concert for a small village of 4,000 inhabitants!
For a few days the small French town of Mirande transforms itself into mini America with plenty of American cars and Harley Davidson’s on show. Expect lots and lots and LOTS of country music, up to 16 hours per day and over 70 concerts. You can join in with line dancing, try hot air ballooning or choose from one of the many other family activities.
Over 200 stands, on both the festival site and in the centre of town, offer food, drink and gifts for sale including Native American Indian or Western clothing and of course local gastronomic products. All these elements contribute to the happy, warm and convivial atmosphere where all ages can join in, young and old, having a great family day out.
Today the Mirande Festival de Country Music’s success has contributed enormously to the local economy and has created many full time jobs. The Festival staff and over 350 volunteers work all year round to ensure the quality and organisation of the event, which has recently been awarded the Midi-Pyrenees Cultural Tourism Trophy.
So c’mon pardners, come ‘n join in and don’t forgit your ten gallon hat, your boots ‘n’ spurs and your leather chaps. Yeeeeeeeeeee-haaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwww!

Do you really know what a gite is? How do you pronounce it correctly? For all those who want to know more here’s my rough guide:
Gîte is pronounced “ zh-eet” and is a masculine noun….click to hear the correct pronunciation.
A gite is a French holiday home available for rent. Gites are usually fully-furnished and equipped for self-catering holidays in France. Many gite owners choose to handle their own rentals and some will advertise on the internet, or perhaps through the local tourist information office.
Technically speaking to be called a gite the owner must live close by in order to provide help, assistance and a warm welcome to guests. Gites can be old farm workers’ cottages or converted outbuildings or barns within the proximity of the owners’ principal residence. Our gite, La Vieille Source, was once a set of stables on the Vaucluse estate. Gite holiday accommodation used to be thought of as ‘basic’ in terms of facilities, however nowadays most gites are generally very well kept and a growing number will have excellent facilities such as a fitted kitchen, a modern bathroom, TV, and access to a swimming pool or other sporting activities.
Here at La Vieille Source you’ll find a spacious, clean and comfortable holiday home with a very well equipped kitchen. It has a full size gas oven and four burner hob, a dishwasher, microwave, toaster, and kettle. There’s plenty of entertainment with the English satellite television, DVD and VCR players, a radio and a music system and free internet Wi-Fi access. The heated swimming pool has wonderful views along the valley of the Gers towards the roman hilltop spa town of Lectoure, and a large sun terrace with comfortable loungers and parasols.
The term gite nowadays encompasses most forms of French cottages and sometimes even self catering holiday flats or apartments. A gîte originally meant quite simply a form of shelter. Gites today vary from being luxury holiday homes to very very basic apartments. You might find that some gites don’t provide bed linen as standard, so many gite holiday makers take their bedding along with them. However many gite owners do include linen at least as an option. Here at La Vieille Source you’ll find bed linen and towels are included free of charge.
Gites are encouraged by the local tourist board as they attract investment and tourism. All gite owners are required to ensure that their gites are safe and comply with the necessary rules, regulations and insurance requirements. La Vieille Source is all this and more. We chose to have an independent Child Accident Prevention Assessment to ensure this gite has been approved as one of the best child friendly gites. So if you’re thinking of bringing your tots to France, we’re sure you’ll discover a well thought out and comfortable home from home to give you a truly relaxing family holiday in France.
Here you can link to La Vieille Source’s Photo Album or find out more about our Baby & Toddler Pack

On Sunday our friends cooked us a delicious Sunday lunch and then our two families went together to the beautiful seventeen hectare leisure site at St Clar. Set amongst rolling hills the five hectare lake is sectioned off into safe supervised swimming areas. Around the lake is a fine white sandy beach, and in every way as good as the seaside but with the added bonus of no traffic, free parking, grassy banks with bench seats, and plenty of shady picnic areas with stunning views of the Gers countryside. Toddlers will love the a large shallow pool to splash about in and plenty of sand to dig and make sandcastles. The main swimming lake is split into two depths and has a sandy bottom and two fantastic water slides. The facilities on the site are excellent, toilets, showers, shaded seating, a cafe to buy drinks and ice creams and a child friendly restaurant with a panoramic view across the lake. There’s an excellent play area with wooden swings and slides also with a sandy floor. There’s also a woodland walk to explore complete with a fitness trim trail obstacle course. The entry fee to enjoy all these facilities is just €2 for children and €3 for adults. This “beach” is only ten minutes from our gite. There are over twenty five inland fishing and swimming lakes to enjoy in this department. For details on the other lakes and leisure centres see pages 3 and 4 of our downloadable guide for tourism in the Gers.

On Saturday the time had come once again for the end of year school concert. The school chooses a theme that runs throughout the childrens’ classwork, poems and songs over the school year. Last year the theme was films and this year the focus was on different countries of the world. The title of this piece was “Around the World in 60 Minutes”. Some of the acts we enjoyed included France, China, some line dancing Cowboys & Indians from North America, traditional African dancing, a Japanese state circus, a troupe of dancers from India and a flying carpet. The girls in our daughter’s class took to the stage in colourful saris, complete with red bindis, dancing enthusiastically to their Bollywood routine and the boys were dressed as snake charmers. Our son began his turn as a Japanese flute player leading out the circus acts. He looked great with his black eyeliner Foo-Man-Choo moustache and beard. He and his best friend put on a great act as Japanese jugglers, and the girls in the class twirled around with paper parasols, dressed in bright silk kimonos as Geisha girls with the traditional full face white makeup. After the concert families could stay to enjoy the stalls and an evening meal.