LAST STOP ON THE GRAND DAY OUT (Languedoc)

 

 

We'd done art, we'd picnicked, we'd walked and now it was time for a bit of sight seeing. A green line edging a road on a map and I'm off, and this pretty stretch of road led to the village of Montouliers.
It looked very kept and quite 'up market' as we drove in! Many, many villages and towns in France have that very shabby chic look and many, many are a lot more shabby than chic and I'll be the first to admit our home town of St.Pons has suffered from the closed shop syndrome and can look pretty grim on occasion. But when we come across an idyllic mountain top hamlet, a quaint village in the depths of the country, and think how lovely it would be to live here, I remind myself the prerequisites we set ourselves when house hunting.
1. Walking distance to a good grocery store.
2. Walking distance to a good boulangerie.
3. Walking distance to a pavement café.
4. Walking distance to at least 1 restaurant
5. And OK we will concede to a short driving distance to a D.I.Y store.
And now I would also add to that list, a garden centre not too far away.
Montouliers didn't appear to have any of the above, beautiful yes, functional no, indeed living there would be the life of a bird in a gilded cage.
It's claims to fame are the 'calades' the name given to the steeply cobbles alleys in the centre of the old villag and it's roman fountain, a lovely cool oasis (I wonder if the potters have taken their coats off yet?)

 

A Calade

 

 

The reflective waters of the roman fountain.

 

Having walked up the Calade to the church perched on the top of the town we viewed across on the neighbouring hill an interesting structure; is it an office, is it a school, is it a house - what it is, is blooming modern - how interesting, lets go take a look....

 

It wasn't quite so massive looking when you get up close and indeed it was just a 'modest' house. But what a crowning glory - the roof, beautifully planted, my photos don't do it justice. Can't wait to return next year and see the garden when it's done (hopefully), although the general appearance of the site led me to think there may be a cash flow problem, but so far no expense has been spared. I guess some may say it's a blot on the landscape but I think the contrast with the traditional architecture of the village centre is lovely and apart from a missing terracotta tiled roof it's not that far out of kilter with the new housing going up here and about.

 

So a jolly good day was had by one and all, byeeee.