Cordes sur ceil

Some may think that South West France is sunny, warm and inviting all year round - it is not, and this week is proving that. The rain has made for an incredibly wet and muddy farm, where us and the animals are beginning to get a bit fed up with (apart from the ducks who are loving the puddles everywhere). Feeling flat after the loss of Milo man we needed to get off the farm for a few hours so a trip to Cordes yesterday afternoon was planned.

High up in the sky Cordes was voted the favourite village of 2014 by the French (but they probably didn't go this time of year) being so high up there the rain would run down the hill and with cobbled streets no mud. We were able to drive right up to the top and park with ease, something which is very hard to do in tourist season.

Just as well we decided to eat before we left the farm as no restaurants were open, even the public loos were shut which meant going into the only open cafe and buying the most expensive coffees ever - we were probably the only customers of the day (the lady in the photo was a friend of the proprietor, perhaps we paid for her coffee?). It was like a ghost town, a few shops were open but it was far from the bustling village of the summer.

One house was open, and always has been when we've been there has been dedicated to this lady. The whole house is open to all each room has peace if but a little spooky. Huge wooden ornaments and furniture fill the rooms, some of which are dimly lit and as you go down to the cellar its very dark. There are many, many pictures of her with a meditation room at the top and a room which was marked private but was open on previous visits like a meeting room which had seating with a large wooden box up the front, a  bit too much coffin like for me.

We left the old village to go down the bottom where a busy Saturday market is held to go to what is classed as the best patisserie in the tarn to buy cakes but alas it was closed. Home for tea and cake James and a bit of mud to wade through.