The Last Few Days Here.

Well, it's sweltering. Every day so far it's hit up to 39c by mid-day. Work stops, we have lunch Spicy courgette soup, new potatoes, and South American black pudding. Then retire to find a cool spot.

The vegetable plot is well established now, with an abundance of courgettes, which seem to grow bigger overnight.

The things you can make with a courgette. From soups to cakes

There's a bounty of tomatoes waiting to turn red. Cherry, plum, some curious shaped ones.

Just when you think you have run out of courgettes. A monsieur arrives with a bag bursting with of aubergines from his allotment. (Like the courgettes I think, keep appearing as if by magic every morning). But, Louise can turn an aubergine into a wonderful bake.

My mission this week after I had a day off with a headache and a day off with a bite that spread around my leg, down to my knee. Was to take the terracotta tiles up in the attic, this is the place where the silkworms where bred and they were called magnagneries

Silk-making was the major industry of the Cevennes region until the Second World War By the mid-nineteenth century, the Cevennes, along with Piedmont in Italy, were the world's principal silk producers. In 1853, the Cevennes provided more than half of the cocoons produced in France (26,000 tons).

A small piece of history for you, but more about silkworms later. Each tiles had to have the old limestone mortar knocked off. They are at least 200 years old, probably laid when the house was being built. The first few came off in one piece; I think the damp had got to it, making it softer than the rest. Which I had to tediously chip and chip away at. On some occasion you would get to the very last bit and the corner would break of.

Outside in the shade, Dave and Richard were chopping down a bay tree; the aroma that was coming into the room while I worked was wonderful. It says it's a bit like cinnamon.

Tour de France 2012

Saturday morning and off to see the passing of the tour de France. They were passing by a corner in a little village called 'st Martin de londres' a medieval village, with a Romanesque church.

Built in the 11th century by the monks of Gellone abbey. Around the church the courtyard had little shops that would have been open in the medieval times but not today. It was Bastille Day.

We stood up on a wobbly bench which we shared with a German woman. All anticipating the arrival of the procession. The gendarmines were the first to pass, alerting the crowd to move back as the cavalcade of sponsors and advertising vehicles would be coming.

By now it was jam-packed first to drive by was Mickey Mouse, followed by the other Disney characters. Then followed foods ads, a car that looked like a baguette oven, and a woman standing on the top with a dress made of baguettes,, then giant marshmallow cars, haribo sweet packets 10 feet high.

All the cars were throwing goodies into the crowd. We got showered with disposable carrier bags, which hit Dave on the head causing us all to wobble on the already wobbly bench. But we did end up with a disposable carrier bag.

The cavalcade of sponsors ended, leaving a dull moment. Teargo was overcome with the excitement and said 'I have had enough of this travelling circus' and he couldn't take any more and went to find peace and solitude somewhere.

It took some twiddling of thumbs for an hour to go by, and then the sound of the helicopters told us they were coming. And that was it quick as a flash they rode by, Britain was in front and then it was over. My first tour de France.

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