Le Tour is approaching so a couple of days ago we went to check out where we might spend the day on its route between Carcassonne and Bagneres de Luchon.

This is typical of the scenery the riders will be seeing around Fanjeau - undulating countryside with sunflowers as far as the eye can see.

Fanjeau itself is a beautiful little village with narrow streets, an ancient church,

a covered marketplace, 

an abundance of fascinating doors,

and an almost refurbished office de tourisme.

The tour will be entering and quickly leaving Fanjeau by the D119

then taking a right along the D102 continuing through wheatfields and sunflowers

with the Pyrenees awaiting them in the distance.

They'll be passing through the sleepy town of Belpech with its stunning church.

and pretty market place then carrying on through pretty avenues of trees before reaching the mountain climbs.

That's for next Tuesday, 22nd.

 Meanwhile we've been out & about quite a bit ourselves.  

This is on one of the hairpins on the road to Andorra.

Heading for a tax free shopping trip in Pas de la Casa. 

These are danseurs folkloriques taking part in the annual Occitan weekend in nearby Saurat.  

They must be rather warm in their woolly blue bobble hats and wooden sabots.

The wandering minstrels helped to add to the lovely ambience of the weekend.  The BBQ and buvette weren't bad either!

Back in Tarascon the trees are looking beautiful and the rapaces are out profusion.

Yes, it's another rubbish photo but I'm pretty sure it's a bearded vulture/gypaete barbu/lammergeier.

This may look like a Christmas pud gone wrong but it is in fact another batch which I've just turned out of the dye bucket!

Fabric, threads and a calico bag which needed brightening up!

It's so hot today the breeze is like the hot air from a hairdryer.  Despite being 39 degs in the shade I'm making jam!  The trees just outside Place Garrigou are just dripping with ripe plums and it would be a waste not to make use of them!