Too Good to Write About!

I was absolutely gutted to leave! Gutted being an expression I’ve never used before but which seems to most aptly describe how I felt going back to London having spent two weeks in Duilhac while Luis was reporting from the Amazonas on responsible development.

We’d both liked Duilhac on previous visits but this time it really got under my skin. Some of the major works to the house had been done, and I had the time to potter about and really move in and make it ours. (It’s really lovely now, warm and welcoming).

Also, there was time for those essential walks: I finally managed to find my way to the very small ‘gorge’ on the river, with the small waterfalls and deep pools perfect for diving, that are one of the attractions of the village. A 20 minute walk, admittedly, but a beautiful and scented one, perfect for picking wild rosemary, thyme and mint, which I did and successfully used for courgette soup and goat’s cheese and onion tarts.

In a moment of mad impulse my old friend Henry and I started ascending the rock that carries the Peyrepertuse castle (800 meters above sea level) along the old chemin; a narrow, steep, steep path of rolling stones and thorny bushes. A stunning climb, definitely worth it, but rather longer than I had thought. Half-way up there, looking down at the rooftops of Duilhac and up at the towers of Peyrepertuse I did feel momentary regret. Henry is 89, after all, he was wearing sandals, one foot is stiff and not great for finding your balance. Oh, and he was checking his pulse all the time which made me rather nervous.

But we did it (took about 3 hours) and it was well worth it! The views up there are stunning and the sounds of the winds mesmerising.









One day new friend Sally took both of us in her car to the other side of the rock where the ruins of an abandoned village, Paza, can be found hidden among the trees, the old stones covered in moss. One spot boasts an impressive-looking column and Sally thinks old M. Robert in Duilhac had at one point mentioned that there was once a cathedral there. Seems unlikely, but that column did carry a pretty powerful message in a very unexpected location.

Sally and M. Robert are the latest couple of friends we have made in Duilhac. New to the list that already includes the very likeable, generous and entirely trustworthy real estate agent Françoise Cappoen and her husband Thierry, the mad German builder Harry, Maylis the herbalist and snack bar owner who even makes delicious vegetarian sandwiches, and her sister-in-law the mosaic artist Cècile. There are lots more.

Part of what’s been so incredible about getting to know Duilhac has been getting to know its people, and part of the reason for the silence on this blog is it's all too good to write about.