Every guest that comes to la Métairie des Songes for more than just an overnight stay, simply MUST visit Saint-Cirq-Lapopie ! Voted one of France’s Most Beautiful Villages in 2012 (Les Plus Beaux Villages de France), it astounds by its grandeur, charms by its rurality and seduces by its views over the Lot river. With a gentle amble up the winding paths, passing restaurants, bars and numerous little shops within the ... [ More ]
News
Elderflower Syrup
Everywhere in the countryside during late May into June, you will see an abundance of these creamy flowers, like little wedding bouquets, clustered upon the branches of the Elder tree. As you approach them (especially in the sunshine) you will almost certainly smell their heady perfume; a cross between new mown hay and crushed grapes ! Pick them, steep them in a hot syrup and behold the mouth-watering floral notes ... [ More ]
A stroll through our Woods
When we first viewed ‘la Métairie des Songes’ (although un-named at that time), we had simply viewed the grounds from the house. It was not until the second viewing that we took the opportunity to stroll around the woodlands that surrounded the land. It was enchantment at first site, like a hidden and even more precious gift awaiting discovery. Eventually after 12 years of living here, we have managed to create a ... [ More ]
Recipe: Char-grilled and raw Asparagus
The Spring hails the season for this wonderful vegetable delicacy. Once considered an expensive and ‘decadent’ luxury, it now is widely available in all supermarkets and better still, freshly picked from the local growers. Green Asparagus with its succulent pea-like flavour, adds another depth to Summertime meals. Although delicious simply boiled for 3-4 minutes, keeping them a little ‘al dente’, with some good ... [ More ]
Les Jardins d’eau
Within just 20 minutes drive from us you will arrive at the fabulous ‘Jardins d’Eau’, located between Gourdon and Sarlat on the D704. From our first visit many years ago when the project was in its early stages, we have seen these gardens grow into a beautiful array of vast flowering lily-covered ponds that greet you from the entrance with ornamental fish who swim in special 'open-view’ tanks. You then walk across a ... [ More ]
The Bales are cut for the Summer !
Following a Winter with unprecedented rainfall that continued well into May (although very patchy), the resulting growth from the valley seemed like a jungle. When an occasional shower would flatten everything then a stiff breeze would bring all back to attention again. The obvious advantage of possessing such a natural hillside meadow is that it becomes replete with Orchids and an armada of Butterflies in the early ... [ More ]
