straw bale rerevisited

I left the mountains in a snow storm, concerned that the roads wouldn’t be clear enough for the car.  Fortunately Pierlo arrived with a sturdy 4x4 which managed the conditions without a problem.  The weather has now changed for the better, the storms of the weekend have ceased and it appears that spring has decided to arrive.  

After such a snowy, cold winter it is surprising to see that lower altitudes in the area have already sprung into life, there are flowers everywhere, the fields have a new flush of green, the first buds are bursting on the trees and the bees are busy restocking their supplies as fast as they can.  Life continues even though the mountains are still covered in meters of snow, they are a view now, distant, cold and uninviting, rather than the purpose of being there.  The ski season over, a new chapter begins.

Straight back onto building mode, the early part of the week mixing earth plaster for the final indoor phase, finishing the walls of the living area downstairs.  The first floor rooms are now finished, decorated and well lived in, the rest should be done this summer.  It was great not worrying about being clean and tidy all the time, getting clay on my clothes and living in a house that is still under construction.  The straw bales, that had been visible  walls since the house went up, fast disappeared under a couple of layers of mud plaster, along with the strapping and electricity conduits, changing the appearance dramatically, giving the space clear flat walls.  The final coat will be added later on, when all the walls have been given the initial treatments and have had time to dry.  I’ll be back again to see the finished result and the transformation of the earth floor into something more durable and suitable for modern living.

The latter part of the week was taken up with gardening and starting a structure for some newly planted kiwi plants.  Part support for their climbing habit and part a shaded dining area for the family.  Constructed in a similar fashion to the greenhouse that I erected here a couple of years ago but a lot quicker.  Firstly because I only had a little over a day to get it done and secondly the wood needed a lot less preparation as it wasn’t going to have plastic stretched over the top, none of the knobbles, buds and pointy bits needed to be trimmed away.  Elsewhere in the garden I planted onion starts, harvested nettle tops for use in the kitchen, wild garlic for pesto, weeded, reconstructed a badly leaning compost heap, spreaded manure and transplanted hundreds of tiny seedlings.

It was great to be back at the house to see all that had been done the last year, to catch up with Pierlo and Sandrine, both of whom were on form and, with much improved french, have some much more indepth and interesting conversations.  Jules and Maryon have grown up a lot in the last couple of years and are mainly great fun to be around.  

The families’ diet is somewhat radical, but I love it for the time that I visit.  Mainly raw food, fresh preserved from the garden and market, minimal cheese, milk and meat products, minimal wheat, no alcohol or stimulants (tea, coffee etc) or refined sugars.  Amazingly I feel different after  just a few days, lighter , with more energy, more eager to get on and do things, less tired and infrequently hungry.  Each time I stumble on people who eat like this I am more and more sure that it is the way to go for the future.  I feel great.

Having said that, I did catch up with a friend, Simon, who took me along to a bbq one evening where the combined spread was amazing.  Everyone invited took a plate or two and bottle and something to cook on the fire.  Wonderful evening, a great group of alternative people, delicious food and drink Simon did his famous bbq roast chicken on a string, it’s always delicious, even more so when it is shared between twenty hungry people, all eager to try a bit.  MMmmmm, the quandary of eating what’s good and what’s nice. 

the morning I left the chalet 

sunrise from Esconetts

straw bale house from the garden

transforming the walls with clay render

living in a building site

finished wall and ceiling with bird detail

land at Barbazan

I found some land on the internet.  It looked like a great deal, and not that far from the chalet, so I went and had a nose.  I recognised the village from a visit four years ago, though I hadn’t put two and two together and had no idea that I was in the same area until I really thought about it.  Anyway, all looked promising, the village had an old thermal baths, abandoned in the seventies when some restoration work on the source caused it to stop flowing completely, rendering the whole complex unusable.  It’s rather a sad affair, but the village is lovely and well positioned for the mountains and further afield.

The agent was already there.  In france you can’t just go and have a look at property, in case you contact the owner direct and come to some arrangement, you have to be met and sign a form that states the you have officially visited and they were involved.  Once signed, she didn’t stay long,  I asked all my questions and was left to inspect on my own.

It was a great plot, sloping away from a quiet country road, on the outskirts of the village, view across the valley to fairly distant hills, a stream at the bottom, needed a bit of clearing but nothing disasterous so I started to get excited.    I positioned the house, greenhouses, pond and gardens all in my head.  There were woods on the other side of the road and a walking track.  The local village had a railway station and the motorway  passed not that far away.  All good.  Then there was a break in the clouds and I really got my bearings, I calculated south, then east and west to see the passage of the sun and realised quite fast why the land was such a good deal.  The enormous hill behind, just across the road was to the south east, where the morning sun rises, by looking at the sun at five in the evening it was obvious that there would be no sun in the winter till mid afternoon and probably very little morning sun except in the height of summer.  

It was a NO.  There’s no way, with the lifestyle plans I have in mind, that I could pass the winter without sunshine, or try and raise a garden on land that stays shaded most of the day.  I imagined being cold and in the shade, looking out on a sunny view of the valley and waiting till the earth rotated enough for the sun to arrive.  It wouldn’t do.  Later I spoke to a couple of locals who confirmed the situation, they also added that the valley suffered terribly from cold winds in the spring till the mountain snow had melted and from frequent cloud cover, though not so much rain, as the warm atlantic air circulates and is forced to rise by the mountains.  I’ll take their advice and adjust my region still further for my continued hunting.

a bit of clearing to do

the only neighbours

pretty good view

what remains accessible of the old thermal baths

snowboard

The last few weeks have flown by and taken ages at the same time.  The weekends extremely busy with guests and week days occupied with chalet maintenance and enjoying the great outdoors.  Normally by now the weather is a little too warm for a ski resort and the snow melts faster and faster up the hillside, the mountain sides start to green up and spring tries to make an appearance.  This year it’s still snowy.  As I write, three days before the end of the ski season, it is snowing, the snow plough has been working through the night and it feels like January again.

It has been sunny, we have had some wonderful days, but like elsewhere in europe it has remained on the cool side.  

After much deliberation I rented a snowboard and gave it a go.  All the comments over the years are true, plenty of padding is needed.  I fell all the time for the first two days, thankful for a helmet and wrist protectors that undoubtedly saved broken wrists and concussion.  More padding would have helped for just about everywhere else, ribs, elbows, shoulders, knees and the like.  I quickly realised that the softer spring snow was more forgiving both for getting to grips with the board and for falling onto.  An early frosty start was not in the least bit enjoyable and I quickly swapped back to skis.

Five half days in and I am starting to enjoy snowboarding.  Getting the hang of linking turns and finding out the tricks of balance and movement that are so very different to being on skis.   It is strange to move sideways all the time and frustrating to buckle and unbuckle a boot to move anywhere once stationery, the alternative is to scuttle around like a crab with both feet strapped in.  I now know why boarders like to board with skiers, the skiers can always give them a tow when they get stuck.   It’s a different sensation to skiing, that uses more energy, especially at the start, and involves more whole body movement.  I’m not one of those numerous people who tries boarding and never uses skis again but I shall return for more next season.  For now, though, the last precious days in the mountains, I shall be making the most of my trusty skis.

Heading back to Pierlo and Sandrines to check out progress at their straw bale house, give them a hand in the garden and get back into speaking french all the time, followed by a couple of weeks on a small farm where they make jams, chutneys, conserves and honey, have a small B n B and are new to HelpX.  They’re close to my departure airport for my spring trip back to the UK.  Looking forward to seeing family and friends back home next month.

a visitor in the mountains

Nic came to visit with Dolly his dog which was a great surprise.  The original plan was that he was going to spend a few days here and then continue on into Spain to visit friends for the rest of the week.  At the last minute plans changed and he was here for a swift day and a half.  We crammed a whole lot in.

The first afternoon, after one of Marks amazing thai curries we headed out in the mist to walk to Pla d’Adet, the view wasn’t there just thick cloud. Along the path, evidence of several avalanches, one of which had caught several walkers the week before, It worried me slightly that they weren’t over and I didn’t fancy being someone else winched to safety by helicopter in a dramatic rescue.  We arrived safely and I waved to one of the bus drivers that I know as we walked into the village,  he stopped the bus and we got an impromptu lift home.  

DAY 2

The weather was sunny but threatening a bit of snow so we took the dog for a good walk on a route that I have been meaning to do for ages.  I always decide that skiing is a better idea but with a dog a walk was a must.  We checked with the girl in the ticket office who said that there were no rules forbidding dogs on the station, so we went.

Up in the ‘eggs’  which felt odd without ski equipment and then down on a chair lift, towards the lake.  There was a grumpy attendant who wasn’t at all sure that a dog should be allowed but we went, ignoring his protestations. We held the dog tight and I discovered why everyone looks frozen when they take that lift down the hill, it catches a cruelly cold wind. Half way to the lake we crossed an area of  ski slope to get to the next lift, Dolly was so excited, running round in huge circles, surprising everyone there, it isn’t often that you see a dog in the middle of a ski resort, miles from habitation.

She got the hang quickly and snuggled between us on the second descent.  The scenery was beautiful, the trees sparkling with a slight dusting of snow and their trunks glowing orange from the sunlight reflected back from the snow.  Slowly, the huge dam and lake came into view, the water level low and completely covered in snow.  It is always a surprise to see the water levels so low but then, most of the water is still stuck on the mountains as snow.  It’ll be full to overflowing when it all melts this year.

More surprised faces and comments from folk passing in the other direction and when we arrived at the bottom.  It’s a weird sensation descending and alighting a ski lift without skis, Dolly didn’t think so, leaping off at the right moment and knowing exactly where to go.

We set off, not sure how far we were going to walk.  The lake looked huge and there was an enormous amount of snow everywhere.  The track was evident only by following the tracks of others and not by any of the usual markers.  We made good progress and soon decided to go right the way round the lake.  We discussed cutting of the far end but decided it would be too dangerous as there was no way of knowing how deep the snow was or if the ice would support our weight.  Dolly was in her element, tracking scents and chasing and destroying the countless sticks that we threw for her.  Boundless energy.

Nic and I caught up on news since I stayed last autumn, discussed plans for the future and bandied about ideas for his land and making ends meet.  He’s started a bee keeping course and is excited about getting his first hive.  We explored an old shelter with a vaulted stone ceiling and theorised about winter trekking in the mountains.

Ancient shepherds huts and shelters were visible deep in the snow, and a bridge that we crossed had a good six feet of snow across its top, making it feel rather fragile and unsafe.  It was great to be outside in the elements away from the crowds and in complete silence.  I no longer notice how noisy the ski station is, but in contrast all there was to hear was the occasional bird in the stillness of the winter landscape.  Pictures are always easier than words, so here is where we were:

We had a true mountain lunch of Tartiflet at little refuge by the dam before heading back.  Dolly was much more independent on the lifts, commanding her own chair when possible and fascinated by looking out over the slopes, skiers and landscape.  The lift attendants surprised and happy to see her so confident on the return journey.

A flying visit needed a bit of calm so we headed to the thermal baths of Balnéa for a soak.  It’s a hit with all the guests that go and my brother absolutely loved our visit last year, so I wasn’t concerned that Nic wasn’t going to enjoy it.  Two hours of soaking, floating, steaming and sauna’ing under water music and a pile of snow to roll in, what more could one ask for?  Nothing.  

We left without a trouble in the world, clean and slightly wrinkled from the hot water and me, feeling better than I have been in a long time.  It was just what I needed after the holidays.  Nic loved it too; he continued on his journey to Spain and I came back to the chalet for the soundest nights sleep in ages.  Wonderful.

the calm after the storm

The end of the french school holidays is here accompanied by a huge sigh of relief from everyone working at the chalet.  It’s been a tough four weeks all in all.

Busier with guests than ever before, an additional lunchtime challenge of feeding between twenty five and forty kids who arrive at 12:00 midday with their ski school instructors for a meal before our normal lunchtime restaurant service.  One, then two missing from the team rather than an extra one that we had hoped for at the beginning of the season, so four doing the work of six/seven, then on the second week some guests brought a flu virus with them that they promptly shared with everyone.  Mark the chef was laid up for 24 hours the same time as I couldn’t get out of bed for the day, I have no idea how the others managed but they did. Both Clare and Jessie were rough with colds that have gone on for ages.  I  was knocked for six and have very little recollection of the following ten days or so and a good two weeks later am starting to feel on form again, perhaps it was a good thing to have done the most challenging part of the season without much of a memory, but I think that I’d rather have been there.  

Still, guests have arrived and departed without major hitch, everyone has been fed and accommodated and enjoyed their holidays seemingly as much as usual.  Plenty of folk staying elsewhere have returned time and time again for lunches and occasionally evening meals and our Sticky Toffee Pudding is becoming famous throughout the resort.  Clare should publish a chalet cook book, it would make a small fortune, as everyone wants the Sticky Toffee Pudding recipe.  It’s a secret!

Now we have two nights with absolutely no guests. Peace and quiet, no one to look after and only a smallish pile of washing and ironing to get through.  Maybe even that will be forgotten for a couple of days.  There is enough food and drink in stock to keep us going and nothing pressing to do.  It’s not often that I relish the thought of being lazy but for the moment, I can’t wait to do nothing.  Sleep perhaps or maybe a good book, I might go out and ski for a bit if the weather is nice, but even the thought of exercise is tiring today.

A couple of days reprieve will be enough to charge the batteries.   With the knowledge that there will be fewer guests from now on and no more huge lunchtimes it’s time to enjoy the slopes again.  It’ll be good to get outside in the sunshine and fresh air again, which is the main reason that I am here.

yes, still more snow

How fast things change.  The excessive snow seems weeks ago now and the resort is back to normal.  There is still plenty of evidence on the hillsides, with bare earth and vegetation exposed by the countless avalanches and huge piles of snow along the roadsides where clearing has been necessary.  The signs on many of the pistes are buried or are poking out through the snow even though they are on poles that are a good six feet tall.  Netting safety barriers are stretched to their highest positions or in some places completely buried.  Many of the drag lift routes have been cleared so that there is enough room under the wires for them to work properly, giving the impression, in places, that one is in a corridor of snow.  The huge icicles and overhangs of snow on the chalet are beginning to melt and drop from the roof causing hazardous areas underneath, hopefully they will all be down by the time we are inundated with children next week.  It’ll be impossible to keep them away.

Chalet wise, we have a full team again, all up and running well, it’s taken a couple of weeks of additional input and encouragement to form the team but the results are well worth the effort.  Unfortunately two of the three newcomers are only staying for a shortish period of time, so we’ll be doing it all over again before too long.  Each time it gets a bit easier, though learning peoples characters and how they respond to learning/teaching methods always takes a bit of time.  Slightly disappointed that there aren’t any real skiers amongst them, I go out on my own a fair amount or occasionally find guests that are happy to have a guide from time to time.  Whatever, it’s great to get out at every available opportunity right now as the holidays are about to be upon us and then we’ll be too busy and the pistes too crowded for skiing to be so much fun.

I am still toying with the idea of trying snowboarding.  Each season I arrive here, at the start of winter, with the thought that I will donate a week or so to learning, but so far have not actually mustered the enthusiasm to spend the better part of a week arse or face down in the snow.  I have been as far as the ski hire shop to get equipped for the mission several times before turning back to get my skis and enjoying the day.  I don’t know if I shall this season, but if I do, it will be after the holidays and I have more than sufficient time to study video tutorials and get myself mentally prepared for the challenge.  But then again, it’ll depend on the day.

the usual table shot to see the depth of snow

two cars

yes, I am standing up

tree with snow and sky background

they blocked the road with snow to stop people getting caught in avalanches lower down

the only way in, and out....

amazing morning light over Saint Lary

clearing the road ..........   again

mung beans

My green fingers are keeping busy this winter too.  When I arrived, Clare and Mark came and found me in Toulouse and we visited the Asian supermarket on the way to the chalet.  Mark was in his element and would have filled the car with tasty ingredients.  They had already made a list and it was difficult to keep him on track.

One of the extras was a bag of Mung Beans.  It didn’t cost a fortune and is proving to be very good value for money.  Every few days I put a few into a large jam jar, leave them to soak overnight and them rinse them three times a day till they fill the jar.  This usually takes about five days, but Mark if often so involved in preparing us asian dishes whilst there aren’t too many guests, that they get used as soon as they look edible.

It’s good to see things growing here in the mountains in mid winter where there is snow everywhere albeit in a jar on the kitchen counter.  We are using the fresh shoots in stir fries and curries, a little sprinkle on side salads for the clients and apart from one over planting, there never seems to be enough.  Long live the bean sprout.