Davidabricot Off topics

[Old Geezer]

Hi and welcome!

I just wanted to message you (and don't know how to do it (other than this) to say that I have had a house at Le Verdier near Gaillac for 30 years and it is my a most beautiful part pf France.  There were hardly any English people there when we arrived and restored our 17th century ruined farmhouse.  My chums and I have been to Castres rugby to watch Wasps lose!!!

I often go to watch Gaillac play.  They had a bit of trouble a few years ago - I think they fielded some ineligible players or something like that and were punished.

[Davidabricot]

Hey, great to hear this! There is many British people in the South-West of France. Usually people are highly friendly with, because many people don't have enough money to refurbish old houses. So this is great to see the estate still alive with people who care of it.

Gaillac had some troubles, but this is kind of folk. This is the former club of Bernard Laporte, and there is troubles everywhere he goes ahah. The situation of rugby in Tarn is difficult, the French federation lost more than 50% of its players. Many clubs have to merge. And Gaillac is badly located with Castres, Montauban, Toulouse, and Albi. So I guess this is difficult for them. Since Castres won 2 titles with a great results for 10 years, the CO became a more regional club. I guess it has some impacts on smaller teams.

There is some good wine also in Gaillac (despite the fact I don't like wine, and cheese. Do you believe it for a French guy?).

[Old Geezer]

great red wines but whites are indifferent IMHO.

I have three grown up children and they are all visiting house this summer. Says something for the Region!!!!

[backdoc]

Hello David and 'Geezer' - [I really enjoyed Mike Friday on the podcast this week; Mark Rigby was responsible for the nickname].

I have a very old place near Valence D'Agen - the usual French ruin and money pit.

I love Tarn et Garonne - we are at the juncture of the department with the Gers and Lot et Garonne, and can enjoy the pleasure of each. We are surrounded by orchards - apples and plums - and the local village wine is Cotes de Brulhois - the red is OK, the rose is good, and the white is IMO excellent - typical Gascony white.

I go to see Agen, but also Toulouse and Bordeaux when I can. A motorcycle makes the trips fun and easy parking.

[Davidabricot]

great red wines but whites are indifferent IMHO.

I have three grown up children and they are all visiting house this summer. Says something for the Region!!!!

I'm not sure to understand this, English expression? (I'm sorry I'm still struggling with jokes, expressions or slang). Good to hear backdoc! Tarn et Garonne is nice. But did you both noticed how close was the north or Tarn with Tarn et Garonne or Haute-Garonne? While the south of Tarn is not the same (with the Black mountain, less crops, no vines and a lot of wind). This is sad that the south-west has few jobs and opportunity because the places are beautiful almost everywhere (I love the Quercy with Sarlat, Rocamadour, all that stuff about templars, medieval knights).

Do you face problems with your house in Valence d'Agen due to the brexit? By my side, I dream of a small cottage in England. I have still many places to visit, but I really love the surroundings of Wells. It's so calm, I really enjoyed Dorset and Somerset.

I've got a question for you. I met someone, who is not representative of the population (I hope) who think that British people who buy houses in the South-West of France, are taking their revenge on the Hundred's year war (the guy told me that seriously). Did you meet that kind of person?

About wine, near Gaillac, in Fronton, there is some wine made from a grape we only find here. This is not an AOC, but a nice experience. I drink rarely wine, but when I do so, I prefer wine from Burgundy... except the price! Each year in the Tarn there is a rugby challenge before the season, many teams are invited to play friendly games. Last years have seen Glasgow, Leicester, Sale... But I hope wasps will come. CO-Wasps is the only game where I will be happy at the end and be sure that one of my team will win!

[backdoc]

David - my house was sold by the English King Edward II to the French Pope Clement V in 1312.

It was in the thick of the 100 yrs war, and later was owned by Henry IV, and given by him to his friend Charles de Balsac [lover of his wife, La Reine Margot when she lived in Agen, and sole survivor of the 'duel des mignons' as popularised by Dumas pere in 'La Dame de Monsoreau'.] Charles' daughter became Henri's lover - Henrietta de Balsac d'Entragues, Marquise de Verneuil.

So I am the first British owner since 1312.

[Heathen]

As this appears to be the French thread, we have a humble abode in the Mayenne! Sadly not the the wine producting regions boasts the rather more humble capital of milk and butter production.

[Davidabricot]

@backdoc
Really? Your house's background is fantastic. This is not a house anymore, just a piece of history!

@Heathen
Oh no no, this is not the 'French' thread... this is just that being French is one of my characteritics  . We are just discussing almost anything as it appears that Wasps fans are closer to me than I thought. It seems that everybody here have a house in France. But I admit that me too! But just a small 120 years house in Castres. I have never been in Mayenne, but in other places in Normandy. Nice place, with, de facto, awesome and strong history 'things'. This is far different from the South, the butter/oil cooking divided France in 2!

[Vespula Vulgaris]

Well I don't have a place in France, at least not yet. I've long wanted a place somewhere close to Fougères. Lots of happy memories of hanging out there, and I'm fascinated by Breton Wrestling so thatd be a plus...

[Davidabricot]

Fougère, nice choice! Great landscape and monuments!! Breton Wrestling, how did you discover that... this is not something you meet everyday and everywhere! But to be honest I can understand, I love Highland games and this is a reason why I was a hammer thrower, which is not particularly common in France. I'm thinking now to all the place where I would like to have something, both in France, in the UK or in Italy... and I regret not to be a Saracens  some pounds would have been helpful!

[coddy]

As much as I'd like one I haven't got a house in France either of though I do visit there every year on my motorcycle. I've spent a lot of time riding through the Central Massif and South West France. The roads are fantastic for bikes and Rocamadour is beautiful.

I've planned a trip for the Pyrenees but with Ferry bookings already filling up fast and my riding pals not yet committed that one will probably be next year now.

[backdoc]

Coddy, that is exactly what hooked me - the motorcycling. Very little traffic, good visibility, and mostly well surfaced roads.
The pyrenees are fantastic, but I don't enjoy the 24hr ferry so I keep an old bike in France.

[Old Geezer]

Davidabricot, the expression "says a lot about......"  really suggests that you don't have to say anything about something because the facts speak for themselves.  In my case I was indicating that the region must be lovely because even after 30 years each of my children are going there this summer (as they do every summer) but these days it is with Husbands/wives and my grandchildren.  My house was merely a farmhouse.  Apart from marrying my wife and having my lovely chidren it is the best thing I ever did!!!!  Bought it for £40,000 but spent a fortune restoring it.  I have found this a very interesting and enjoyable thread.  A Wasps thread with no abuse or strongly held and contentious views!!!!

[Gaz]

I'm not envious at all ....

Always wanted to work and live abroad but (to date) haven't quite managed either.

Somewhere with a rugby team would be a bonus!

[Davidabricot]

Thank you for your replies!

Coddy, this so true, part of Massif Central are few crowded, with many regional nature parks. So I can imagine that for bike's lover this is a good place. Pyrenees are fantastic, especially the part arround Font-Romeu.

Old Geezer, thank you so much for the explanation. It makes senses now! That's nice you engaged time, money and a lot of work, and in a way you have transmitted your love for France to your children who are enjoying now their holidays. For sure this is a nice thread. Many thanks for having opened it  . But do you imply that many threads are not so cool there? I'm a newbie here and at this stage I just meet lovely people, enjoying Wasps, rugby and many other things.

Gaz, me too I can say! Each time I visit a place, I wish to live there. If I listen to my heart I would buy houses in Wells, Scotland, London, Prag, Milan, or Lynton. I mooved within France, and I need to admit that this is not easy at all to manage it. Regions are far different, not just in their urbanism, or building style, but also in their mentality. Sadly, many French people are racists against other French people coming from other part of the country. I would like to live abroad, but the brexit killed a job offer I had, the crisis in Italy killed another offer I had... and my former company wanted to throw me to Poland, which is not my choice. But for rugby, I need to admit that most part of the South of France is a good place. For example in Castres where I live, everything is about rugby. So much that people who don't like it suffer sometimes to hear about the CO all the time!