The ride

Delivering Linelle to the train on Friday served several purposes apart from the obvious. I had already emailed the Office de Tourisme about leaving our luggage there the next day so we sussed out how to get to a nearby (narrow and quiet) backstreet to drop the girls and luggage when Russell and I would have to return Pablo to Bordeaux on Saturday.

We also managed to find a dentist to repair the tooth that Fiona had chipped the day before (43 euro thanks very much!), chat to the dentist about her show jumping daughter and visit another sellerie ( saddlery) where they had a great hot pink bridle (that I may forever regret not buying…) and have a farewell lunch with Linelle.

Monpazier

Back in Monpazier it was time to do the last day pack up (challenging for everyone by now) and enjoy a final dinner against the Monpazier skyline.

Saturday morning we were on the road by 10 heading back to Agen where Patrick, our ride organiser (from 2015) would collect us later in the day. Unfortunately the only down side of the lease car ( as opposed to a rental) was return had to be at Bordeaux, so after leaving Fiona, Yvie and Julie with a mountain of luggage at the Office de Tourisme, Russell and I returned the car to Bordeaux ( a little under 2 hours in heavy holiday traffic) and then caught the train back to Agen.

Patrick was there to greet us as we walked out of Agen train station and as we climbed into the familiar white van we were soon chatting like old friends and on our way to collect the other three plus luggage. One of the many things I really like about Patrick is there are never any comments about the excess luggage we seem to have accumulated every time we meet him!

I won't detail the following week too much except for a few highlights, mostly it was just wonderful riding and company … Suffice to say it was the same but different to last year. Great horses, a patient informative guide, ( who treats his horses magnificently) diverse but different ( to 2015) countryside and of course wonderful food and wine.

The Armagnac region is known obviously for its Armagnac (brandy) but also for its Floc and we visited the winery that Patrick works in during winter to hear all about the process and try a glass or two.

Floc de Gascogne is a sweet, strong liqueur, made by blending barely-fermenting grape juice with Armagnac brandy. It can be made in both white and rosé forms and can be produced in any vineyard which qualifies for the Bas Armagnac, Haut Armagnac and Armagnac-Tenareze titles. Patrick proudly produced it as an aperitif every lunch time and we all became quite fond of 'Floc time!'

We visited a winery owned by a direct descendant of D'Artagnan ( see the Three Musketeers) and tried more wine and had amongst the best belly laughs of the trip…

We rode through villages large and small and miles of sunflower crops in full bloom, our reward for braving the heat and July tourists encountered in Provence earlier.

Sunflowers gave way to vineyards and harvested fields (perfect cantering spots) and then to a slow moving river which one day provided a shady spot for Simon to set up lunch for us and the horses.

Russell's horse, Roland, is apparently the boss of the herd and on more than one occasion he untied himself and Patrick was happy to let him wander the field and join us for lunch one day!

We stayed in impressive château variously owned by an English couple who had intended to buy a weekender but met a guy at a bar who told them about a bargain that needed some work….

Château Hordosse

to the gorgeous Château Saint-Loup, owned by a French monarchist couple whose private chapel ( containing a fourth century tomb – allegedly the Bishop Saint-Loup,) was the view from our window.

Rumour has it that after the French Revolution the villagers wanted to move the tomb to a village church but the four pair of oxen pulling the wagon refused to leave the property so he was returned to his original resting place!

It is mainly used as a wedding venue now but the owners are friends of Patrick so we five had the place to ourselves.

We had dinner in Condom, (home of the wonderful Three Musketeers and D'Artagnan sculpture) and heard the local band in full song after dinner, some of us even dancing in the square after a rosé or three..

Condom

In Nerac we had dinner in the shadow of the château where Jeanne d'Albret, mother of the future Henri IV of France once lived.

On our final night in the village of Barbaste we discovered another saddlery and did our bit for the local economy (OK, mainly me) and then strolled back past the picturesque moulin (mill) where we would have our last dinner together that night.

Barbaste

Saturday morning we visited Nerac market before four of us departed Agen by TGV for Paris and Patrick drove Fiona to Bergerac for her onward journey to the UK.

The thousands of photos that I took do not do this area justice – the Gascogne is much less visited than other parts of France but has a surprise around every corner for those intrepid enough to venture here and I'm sure we'll be back!

A bientôt 🙂

 

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