You may find it hard to believe but whilst I knew about blogs and blogging, I had absolutely no idea how easy it would be on Blogspot. It's brilliant! Left to my own devices, I would be happy with my ancient electric typewriter and a France Telecom landline. Now, thanks to my savvy kids, I am entering a wonderful new world of being able to share my love of the Ariege with anyone who wants to know more.
We first discovered the Ariege in 1994, the year our daughter was born. We had only recently returned to the UK from a stint in Madrid, and knew that we wanted to remain 'Europeans'. We had loved Spain, especially the Pyrenees, but opted for our first love, France. We madly agreed with some friends of ours to buy a house jointly somewhere within an hour's radius of Toulouse. In those days, pre Ryanair and Easyjet, the only carriers were British Airways and Air France, and Toulouse was the only viable airport for this unspoilt part of France.
We intended to drive for Easter, Christmas and summer vacations, nine hours or so from the Normandy ports of Caen and St Malo, and a few hours more from Calais or Boulougne, but we wanted our new home to be accessible for weekends. We saw many beautiful, often deserted properties and got a real feel for the region. We were in love! It seems incredible now, but fifteen years ago there were hardly any Brits at all in the Ariege. Mirepoix was a shadow of the bustling, thriving tourist trap that it has now become since the arrival of Ryanair to Carcassonne. This really was 'la France profonde'.
In the process of searching, we read everything that we could find about the region. Having read history as part of a joint honours degree, I was amazed to discover two centuries or more of Cathar history virtually unknown to anyone without a special interest in their lost world. We went to Montsegur, Queribus and Montaillou and eventually found our own house with direct links to the Cathars, whose origins dated from 1002AD. We loved the Chateau de Queille, close to Mirepoix, and spent many happy years there before moving west to the Chateau de Bardies, not far from St Girons, in 2000.
When we arrived here to see it in December 1999, with the first snowfall of that winter, it was like walking back in time. The pace of life hasn't changed here for centuries. I had recently read 'La Gloire de Mon Pere' and here I was peering into a world of life as it used to be in Pagnol's Provence. It was the antithesis of life in England. We could immediately visualise ourselves decamping here for the following summer, and the deal was done.
That first summer, we had a party and invited all our neighbours. I was fascinated by stories about our predecessor, Madame Simone Henri, and what a wonderful woman she had been. I was also curious about the history of the house and the lives of the Barthet, Henri and Crinon families who had lived here for 178 years. We were part of a continuum and felt honoured and privileged to be warmly welcomed as worthy successors. We have kept in touch with M et Mme Crinon, which is a bonus.
Over the years since we have had wonderful times with family and friends. I am proud to say that our parties and hospitality are legendary and we have made many new and lasting friendships with people throughout the Ariege. Our 'Blues at Bardies' festival has been an ambitious, but hugely enjoyable sideline, which keeps my music mad family happy every two years. If I had my way, I'd be here permanently. I'm now counting the months until my youngest goes off to university!
Meantime, I plan to continue my endless creative projects. Like many people looking carefully at the way we all live now, we are fully signed up members to Carl Honore's 'In Praise of Slow'. Life at Bardies is slow by metropolitan standards, but it is exceedingly creative and expansive in an altogether different way. If you believe in the existence of leylines, then Bardies is definitely a 'haut lieu d'energie'. The difference here is that our energies are channelled positively. Situated on top of pre-historic caves and in close proximity to Cathar sites, how could we not have a spring in our step?
We try to support local French artists and artisans, as well as the many local artisan food producers. As a committed 'foodie', I hope to be able to blog about new wine and food discoveries, as well as art and sculpture and places to visit. Music, though, is our first love, so watch this space! In fact, being a serial chatterbox, now that I have come out of my cave, I may well blog about just about anything! A bientot.
PS You can check us out in more detail through www.chateaudebardies.net and www.bluesatbardies.net
