Natalia & I took the train from Paris to Toulouse, and were met by Cyndy at the station,
she just arriving also, driving from Italy. Roads were closed in Toulouse, and we kept
going round and round to find our way our of town.
Our directions were: Take the A61 south, until you see the rocket ship ?
on the left of the highway.
We never found the rocket ship! GPS does not work, not mapped here!
Who speaks French?, 0! (Oh, we can get by in France, but directions?) Who do we ask that speaks English?, 0!
There are two Durfort’s in the South of France. They are not on our map!
Durfort is in the hills, and no cell reception, so we can not call!
We love ADVENTURE, this is not a crisis, we are in FRANCE! What FUN!
ARRIVED! Lovely home and studio we have rented for our group,
eight women artists from California.
Durfort is a medieval town that manufactured copper vessels,
using waterwheels for the power to pound the copper.
This was such a mill, and there is is creek in back that provided the hydro power.
There is a flowing drain down the middle of the street also.
***
Durfort is located Between Revel, Haute-Garonne and Sorèze, Tarn. It borders the shores of the Sor river,
which leads to Montagne Noir (the Black Mountain).
If you are interested, this is the home of Gwen Gibson, la Cascade.
Here is a link to her site. http://www.gwengibson.com/lacascade.htm
The Art Studio is on the third floor.
We are welcomed by our hostess, Gwen, and eventually we all arrived. And began cooking. Patty was our food guru, with detailed menu’s for supper; we cooked by teams, devoting hours for shopping, preparing, and cooking. The results were fabulous. Wine was chosen by Patty to complement each menu. My photo’s will have to tell the story.
- The studio.
‘We ate too much, we drank too much, too many deserts!’
***
The Revel Market
The most notable physical feature of Revel is its central square, which is partially covered by a 14th century roof, supported by wooden pillars and topped by a distinctive bell-tower. Every Saturday morning, a market is held in the square and surrounding streets in which a variety of goods, but especially food and clothing, is on sale.
***
NEXT POST, THE PAPER MILL.
WOULD YOU BELIVE THE LOVELY FRENCH PASTRY’S
ARE WRAPPED IN PAPER MADE FROM THIS MILL,
PAPER MADE FROM IMPORTED ELEPHANT DUNG?
how lovely!
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I’m so in-a-good-way jealous! Great photos, I’ll go over them again, imagining myself in France…oh! I love your artwork, keep it going! Thanks for visiting my blog 🙂
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Hello mzuritam,
Thank you for your encouraging comments! Let’s keep in touch.
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Allons-y! Tout alors!
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Just absolutely lovely!
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where were you on the map + or – ? my family is from St Jean de Luz- bottom left close to spain- about 10 min from Biarritz <=== you can see on the map : ) my brother and i share a place there. but i currently live in the usa : ) i'm wondering if you were close-by? there are a lot of cool outdoor markets there. sounds like you had a fun trip!
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when i see all this camaraderie, i get homesick :’I
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Love this post – technically, we live in ‘south’ eastern France, but when I see these warm photos, I am reminded that really, we live in ‘eastern’ France, since where you are looks a lot warmer than the snowy Jura mountains behind our house. Our markets aren’t bad, although they have pyramids of cheese more often than pyramids of seafood.
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Hi. Thanks for visiting my site. As you know I’ve been doing a virtual bike trip through Central France. Your photos are so interesting and I am going to check out Durfort on Street View. Thanks for the beautiful photo of the market. Jane
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Ah, this makes me homesick! Love that area, love that food, love the renovated mill, love the entire concept of your artist retreat. Lovable post in every way. And thank you for stopping by my blog. Time is precious, and I know that took time to visit me. Very kind of you!–M.
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What a wonderful adventure with good friends! I am in love with France now. Everything looked so peaceful.
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Thanks for the visit.
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What wonderful photos – loved the architecture, the lovely stone, the pale blue shutters, the interiors, the green views and French doors – the ancient wooden rafters and pillars in the market -and oh, the scrumptious looking food, to eat with friends and laughter – you are truly blessed!
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Hello Valerie,
Yes, we were a happy group of women! Because of these artists and art teachers, I decided to get my California teaching credential in Art. One of those women is now my mentor teacher! I get my credential in 6 weeks!
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What an incredible trip. What a life changing experience. I can only imagine the excitement in exchange of culture and ideas. I’m guessing your art will be forever influenced!
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Delightful report! The photos make me feel like I am there with you 😉
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One of my favorite places in the world! Thanks for inviting me to visit through your words and pictures.
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