Hibernating in Aulos

Those of you who have seen the odd comment on Facebook, Instagram or WhatsApp will be aware of me hibernating in the midi-Pyrenees in a little village called Aulos, sometime home to my sister, brother-in-law and nephew. This is a beautiful place with dramatic views of mountains all around. An American friend of mine in Bulgaria sent me this information when he found out where I was headed. I cannot vouch for the authenticity but, looking at the road winding through the high mountain sides I can well believe it:

Probably more chickens than residents

An aulos or tibia was an ancient Greek wind instrument, depicted often in art and also attested by archaeology. An aulete was the musician who performed on an aulos. The ancient Roman equivalent was the tibicen, from the Latin tibia, "pipe, aulos." - Looking at the photo of the entrance to town, with grey looming massif of stone forcing the road to bend-a pipe-Yep!

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Aulosois orAulosoises

In 2010 the commune had 55 inhabitants. The evolution of the number of inhabitants is known from the population censuses conducted in the commune since 1793. From the 21st century, a census of communes with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants is held every five years, unlike larger towns that have a sample survey every year

I had thought that my time here would allow me to catch up on my various blogs. little did I know! Log fires may look very cosy and romantic but they are the devil to light and keep going especially on my own. Logs are stacked on a woodpile outside as we have seen in various timber growing countries on my travels. These have to be hauled into the house after splitting some down into kindling. Carefully lay the fire after cleaning the ash pan. Watch it catch and burn but make sure that you have a cup of coffee and a croissant to hand as it will go out as soon as you turn your back! It takes a good half hour or more, adjusting the air flow as the flames grow. I was to discover that both have to be very dry otherwise all the effort is wasted as the energy used to dry the log as it burns detracts from the heat generated. Eventually logs may be applied but be careful you don't put the whole thing out as the log smothers the flame. Once it is going it must be fed regularly. The number of times I have gone to start editing photos or some other task only to end up with frozen fingers because the fire has gone out!

14 RD 522 is a converted barn on the side of a farmhouse. Originally partly converted into a butcher's shop, a task it was ideally suited for as the stone walls are about a metre thick. Cool in summer but freezing in winter. Now converted into a house and gite (guesthouse) winter shows how difficult these conversions are. Stone floors and draughts galore especially when the cold winds suddenly spring up. I am mainly here to look after Humphrey and Camille who demand feeding whilst I am trying to get the fire going. Inevitably the cats win. Or I should say won. Sadly Humphrey was knocked down crossing the road in the early hours of the morning. A glancing blow from a snow plough perhaps. Camille is lost without him to play with and now constantly follows me around the house.

Winter is hard in the Midi-Pyrenees. The weather can change two or three times a day, always cold but the sun may shine then suddenly everything disappears under a blanket of snow which may last for several days. Fortunately the authorities keep the roads clear but I did make a trip to the "Super U" at Tarascon to stock up the freezer just in case.  It is surprising how much of your day is taken up with the day to day essentials of living. I am not sure whether my time in warmer climes has made my blood run thin or it is the natural ageing process but I do not seem to be able to get warm. My visiting nephew and his friends passed on a bug which has taken over a week to clear. I walked into Les Cabannes the other day taking photos on the way, today the wind is howling once more.

Despite the hardships the surrounding scenery is amazing, constantly changing throughout the day and from day to day. I was awestruck on a trip to Tarascon. The trees and foliage, green and brown, suddenly turned a silvery grey as the haw frost coated everything in sight above a certain altitude. It was as if a the mountains had been turned upside down and dipped in sugar. I have never seen anything like it. Of course there is the snow line which, to the pleasure of the skiers who arrive every weekend, is still plentiful but this was something unique and completely different.

Arriving for Christmas to meet my brother-in-law I was able to sample the delights of the bar and the market in Les Cabannes about 1.4km down the road. I should point out that there are no shops or services in Aulos other than the office of the Marie (mayor) along the road. The railway halt has long ceased too though the communal laundry troughs still exist. On Christmas Eve I was privileged to be invited to share in the traditional family meal with friends who live in Verdun, one of several tiny villages surrounding Les Cabannes.  This meal consisting of about seven courses is lovingly prepared during the day. It is the traditional way to celebrate with the family. Having travelled across Europe where did we go wrong in Britain where time is spent at the pub or nightclub rather than the family.

Chateau Verdun and the trout farrm

As I mentioned earlier the sun was shining the other day as I walked into Les Cabannes once again. I took a series of photographs on my mobile phone which, added to some I took earlier in in the year now form a mini tour of the immediate area. You can see how rural the place is. Popular for skiing in the winter, walking, fishing and canoeing in the summer this is a beautiful spot. Up the road we have Andorra and on into Spain. I cannot say for sure but I suspect that Les Cabannes is larger because, historically, it was overshadowed by Chateau Verdun.

Please look at the "Aulos photo album"  which guides you around the village and the walk between Aulos and Les Cabannes as well as some of the dramatic winter views of the area.  I will continue to add more to about my travels in Europe and further afield over the coming weeks. Eventually the individual blogs will form a chronological record of my journeys whilst this site will be a mixture of events as the fancy takes me. It only remains to wish you all a belated "Happy New Year"