Christmas in the Foothills of the Pyrénées, a quiet magic all its own

One of the loveliest things about Christmas here in the foothills of the Pyrénées is how gently the season arrives. There’s no frantic countdown or overwhelming commercial frenzy, just a slow, steady build-up of lights, flavours, and traditions.

Christmas in rural France leans heavily toward the time-honoured rather than the trendy, with . . . → Read More: Christmas in the Foothills of the Pyrénées, a quiet magic all its own

Happy New Year

It has been a perfect start to 2025 here in the foothills; we had a big snow fall up in the mountains and ski resorts just before the Christmas holidays and, since then, it has been wall-to-wall sunshine and blue skies with frosty mornings and clear, bright days.

The property market is . . . → Read More: Happy New Year

Christmas in the Foothills

 

Christmas in rural France is a more low-key and less commercial than in many parts of the world and is based mainly around food, family and festive traditions.

The main Christmas meal is Le Réveillon de Noël and this is eaten on Christmas Eve around midnight to celebrate the . . . → Read More: Christmas in the Foothills

Wild-water and cold-water swimming in the Pyrénées

As the temperatures steadily rise at this time of year, the French head to the water; either to the seaside, or to one of the many inland lakes dotted around France. Here in the Ariège, we are lucky to be able to choose either the Atlantic coast or the Mediterranean for a day . . . → Read More: Wild-water and cold-water swimming in the Pyrénées

 
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