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Hysteria


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Well, the English national hysteria is over, Wimbledon is finished and it is, thank goodness a Tour rest day. What the heck is it about these events that they arouse folk to a state of often national hysteria?

My interest in the Tour is often ruined by the creeps who get in the way of those brave fools trying to climb what look like vertical mountains on bits of carbon fibre. Human endeavour at its most basic. Do not mention tennis or football!

Thinking this morning about a new sport for France Europe, I thought that an international sheep carrying competition might be appropriate whereby a sheep or equivalent is slung across the competitors shoulders and carried up narrow tracks to the top of a mountain.

Spectators picked on at random could be chosen to take over the carrying if they get in the way or scream too loudly. All in EU colours, of course.

The prize might well be the sheep, well butchered or, for veggies, 70kg of sugar beets or for vegans, ten feet of seisal cable from HMS Victory!

Just musing as I listen to the lovely silence in the village and ponder the housework as gwests are rushing to get here before the next lockdown.
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How about "sling the banana"?
It would be based on the vain hope that the banana would return to the thrower  rather like a boomerang.
There is no factual evidence that it would work, but the supporters of the sport would refuse all arguments agains..

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I watched some of the coverage of each of the latest big sports events.  As I just hate big crowds of people, I look at the thousands and thousands of people inch to inch and cringe. 

While watching the Tour de France peloton all bunched up together, I mentioned to husband that I don't even WALK that close to anyone else - unless forced to, much less ride a bike.  Same with the huge crowds of spectators at each of these events and the parties that followed.

I never liked it when I was young either.

Is it the Pandemic that has created mass party hysteria or has it always been this way and I just never noticed?

Good luck with the housekeeping Wooly.

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Kind of you to notice Norman.  Yes, we've watched every minute.  It was all so stunning.  Even if parts were down right scary looking to me (the roads, not the towns). 

Husband looked up the weather for many of the areas that were so jaw droppingly gorgeous.  We had said to each other that any area that is THAT green in summer must get a LOT of rain.

From what we read, that is true.  A good bit of rain.  Montsegur was stunning.  But, so was the ride before they arrived there and then after too.

It will be interesting to see what happens to the COVID case numbers after all these huge sport events.

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Hi Lori,
Montsegur may be stunning, but it is really in the middle of nowhere!  And the main reason it exists, the Cathars always went where there were no crowds, though of course, Montsegur was one of their last escape places, rather than a pure choice!  And yes, indeed, there are reasons why some places are so green!!

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As Judith says Montsegur is quite a way from any large towns though the circuit from Mirepoix..Lavalenet.. Montsegur Belesta Chalabre is one I often took visitors on when I had my place in the area.

A friend of mine had worked for the DDE in Ariège for 40 years and had great pleasure showing me lesser known spots (and moaning about drivers from elsewhere who didn't know how to navigate the twists and turns)

Some of the greenery is because it is irrigated from melting snow higher up

(the artificial lake of Montbel was constructed as a resevoir for this)  not just from rain...

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All very interesting, thanks.

Those roads would have me rethink even a visit.  I'll never forget having to contend with endless camping cars along the tiny, weavy roads of the Ventoux EVERY single Spring/Summer.  The roads were challenging enough without the camping cars, even when you knew them well. 

That and the bicycles....  I would often take a longer route to avoid the chaos.  It was always very interesting when TWO camping cars met each other on some of these tiny, cliff hugging roads - or a tourist bus.

I did take a look at some of the houses for sale in the towns you mentioned Norman.  There seemed to be a mix of very inexpensive and expensive.  All of the areas looked very pretty, but I am sure it is too remote for us and we'd lose the great weather we have in Provence.  Yet we know we will need to make sacrifices.

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Lori, even the main roads round here can be difficult.  Just back from the only road to our nearest town with the blood test lab in it .. happily didn't need to be à jeun, so went after lunch, but so many dozy nurdles on what is the main road .. one was only doing 60kpm!  It's a 80/90 (speed up for discussion!). PLus the roacade round the town (the lab is of course at the opposite end for us!), was chocker with camping cars all on their way to the coast for JF tomorrow no doubt! 

So any tourist area can suffer, and all around here is certainly not exempt!

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Thanks Judith.  That is what I figured.  It is the same in these parts.  I guess there are benefits for living in a sizeable town that has all the services at hand so you don't have to drive any distance to reach them.

Or, accept the fact that the drive might not be pleasant.  We're trying to figure out what sacrifices we will need to make.

We are hoping to visit the Aude around October, COVID allowing.  At this point, we are still discovering the area we have just moved to.  It is an area of the Vaucluse that I don't know that well.  It also borders the Drome, which I only know in limitation.  So, we have a bit of discovering to do round here.

Our last big driving outing was a bit hair raising for me, as the driver.  SO many tiny, winding, with big drop offs on at least one side roads, I could not really even enjoy the scenery for fear of falling off the road !  I did manage to realize it was gorgeous, in between my near heart attacks.

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Thank you Norman.  Isn't Narbonne in a flood zone?  We have seen several interesting homes (ads) in that town. 

I visited Céret many years ago and I loved it.  No idea what the climate is like or the house prices.  I'll have a look see.

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Lori,

Sadly anywhere on the coastal plain can suffer from floods, but then so can the hills (rain from the hills north and south), remember the area north of Carcassonne was badly hit a few years ago, and that's hilly enough, and we were flooded a couple of years before .. it is impossible to say nowhere will not flood, as London did yesterday .. now I ask you, if too much rain falls, anywhere, in too short a time, flooding is possible. 

Narbonne is a nice place, if I decided to move to a big town around here, that is the town I would choose, a human size but plenty going for it (apologies NormanH, but you know what I think about Beziers. Good transport links, and sufficient higher ground if flooding worries you. 

But you have plenty of time to explore and make decisions, Lori, and you need more than one visit to see what is available.

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" it is impossible to say nowhere will not flood,"

Well, if it floods here, it will be the end of civilization! We are about 550m above sea level, on a ridge (about 50m below the top), with valleys on either side (200-300m down below). We aren't even thinking about building an ark (just laying in some provisions!).

It is true that when it 'really' rains, we have quite a lot of water running down the street (and sometimes into our cave) but nothing really to worry about (other than the hygrométrie in the cave - not good for the wine)..
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