After dropping our friend Lucy off at the airport in Toulouse we decided to stop in Montauban, a small city on the way home. We have always just driven by on our way to somewhere else, and thought it might be worthy of a stop. We were pleasantly surprised at the quality of the old town, and by the lunch we enjoyed in the square. It is most famous as the home of the painter Ingres,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Auguste_Dominique_Ingres

and has an Ingres museum. We were less impressed by the museum. It’s in an interesting building by the river, but has very few of his paintings – he seems to have sold most of them in his lifetime, and left drawings, sketches and wherever was in his atelier to his birthplace when he died.
The building itself consists of a large vaulted room at ground level known as the Black Prince’s room as the English constructed it during the Hundred Years’ War. We couldn’t tell whether this shield over the fireplace was original but it seemed to indicate the place had gone to the dogs after the English left. The upper three stories were reconstructed as an Episcopal palace in the seventeenth century and contain many original features such as the intricately painting ceilings.


The central square, la place Nationale, (previously la Place Royale), we found quite reminiscent of Toulouse with its red brick work, arch ways, bars and restaurants.

Working as I do, most days in the garden, I tend to forget how things were before and what progress has been made over a relatively short time. I came across some 'before'photos the other day and thought it would be interesting to see how the garden has developed in two years or so.

These shots were taken the 22nd MARCH 2006, about eighteen months after the wall fell down and a couple of months after several trees and a lot of brush had been cut and burned from the area on top of the wall.

These were taken the 11th April 2006 as my buddy Pascal was finishing the terracing. That's him in the background with his 9 ton JCB.

I didn't make any videos at the time so you'll have to settle for this one -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3WhQB7Hq0Q

They were digging up our road at the same time to install water pipes so the whole place was a mess.

This is now AUGUST 2006 and Daniel has rebuilt parts of the wall and I have planted Cupressus sempervirens 'Pyramidalis' (Florence cypress), Ceanothus thrysiflorus repens (California lilac), Euonymus fortunei 'Emerald Gaiety', and lots of Santolina.

They hardly show up in the mud.

Here is the current situation in MAY 2008, two short years after planting and most things have taken and spread, and generally improved the look of the space.

There are still some bare spots to be filled in but so far the wall has not fallen, the bank has not washed away, and we hope it can only improve.

As if the fifteen May celebrations here in Carlux weren't enough, we accepted the invitation of one of Susan's english-class students to attend yet another on Sunday evening in a small village about an hours' drive west.

Yvette had said there would be fifteen couronnes (crowns) on this May tree, something we'd not seen before.
The practices are somewhat different in this village as there is only one tree but a couronne for the Mayor and each of the councillors.

These were in the colours of the French flag, crepe paper wrapped around a wire frame and were attached to the pole in series.


Some snacks and drinks were provided and most people would go on to the village hall for dinner, which we graciously declined as we had not yet recovered from Saturday night.

I have a lot to learn about videos but here's another.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9mxp9M7NTY

There were a couple of issues here: firstly- the telephone lines, and secondly - the ladder that was to prop up the tree got caught. Luckily it was retrieved without anyone being injured.

For some history see -

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arbre_de_mai

Just so you know that we don't spend all our time eating, drinking and gallivanting about the country, here are some shots taken Sunday morning in the garden.
Watch out for the bee!

We'd been invited to a wedding in the cathedral in Sarlat Saturday afternoon so missed the first two May plantings but returned to Carlux about 6 PM, just in time to witness the one at Daniel's.

Here he is next to the plaque before it's raised.

There were fewer helpers to raise this one and it was caught under the telephone wire in the beginning.

The video shows the tree being put in place.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcIU6Fu3iLY

Daniel was urged to become involved and duly climbed the ladder.

We then went for drinks and dinner.

The mayor and each of his fouteen councillors are all entitled to a May tree, plaque , and flags, with each plantation followed by eating and drinking. This year the events are organised over four successive Saturdays and we attended last Saturday, which included the planting at the mayor's house. This is usually the best as he goes all out to provide lots of eats and drinks.

The mayor also seems to have the largest tree of any planted. I'm sure there's no symbolism involved at all. It took many arms to put it up - there's a small video on You Tube -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rCbR94D0jc

In this case the tree was pulled into position, wired to an existing telephone pole, and then the plaque attached.





M et Madame le Maire.
















We were not disappointed by the meal as on offer for apero were beer, rose wine, port, whiskey and pastis. This was followed by a cold buffet with roast beef and pork, many salads, and at least a dozen home-made desserts. And the red wine flowed. we stumbled home early, about 10:30.

The Planting of the May is an old tradition, which, we are told, survives in France exclusively in the South-West. A May is often planted to celebrate a young couple's marriage or in honour of the owner of a small business, supposedly after he has granted all the employees a raise. The occaisons we've attended have followed the election of the mayor of the village and his councillors.

Typically the May is a tall, straight pine tree with all but a few of the top branches cut off.

In this case the actual tree has been done away with and the flags and plaque attached directly to a post.

Madame la conseillière obliges the photographers.