Sauveterre Weekend
I had an excellent stay at the Chateau for the
weekend following the return from skiing in Spain. The weather has picked up a
great deal and we went on some great outings.
As I arrived on Wednesday, I was bundled onto a
bus to go and visit the print works of the main Toulouse daily newspaper "La
Dépêche du Midi" in Toulouse. We were given an interesting and informative tour
around and saw the offices of the journalists and editors as well as the
enormous presses, paper stores and ink tanks.
There was a very good concert at the Chateau on
Thursday evening, and I was very pleased to hear that many Mowden pupils had
been practising their instruments well. This was the third of a series of 5
informal concerts at which all musicians will have had a chance to perform.
It was fun to see many Mowden families arriving
for the weekend to take children out. I heard a number of stories about
exciting weekends that they all had. On Friday evening, I had a cookery club,
which prepared dozens of snails and frogs legs for a little tasting session at
the beginning of supper that evening!
One group set off early on Saturday to visit
Carcassonne, where we walked the walls of the old Cité and then had a picnic
lunch. Many decided to brave the "Maison Hantée" and their squeals could be
heard by the rest of us out in the street! Eventually emerging into the street
chased by a hooded monk, who was hissing and snarling, they were delighted to
be back in daylight again!
On Saturday evening the remaining pupils went
to watch Toulouse Football Club try and maintain their 4th place
position in French League 1, in a match against Valenciennes. Unfortunately no
goals were scored so they slip a couple of places. On the way back to the
Chateau, we stopped to catch the last 10 minutes of Lombez's evening football
match, and were delighted to find on the pitch were Mr Bailey, Mr Faul,
Monsieur Lalanne (Tennis coach) "Manu" (from the ski trip) who were equally
delighted to see us as we added some noise to the otherwise deserted
grandstand!
Sunday was a beautiful early spring day, and we
took full advantage, playing outside, eating lunch in the open air and soaking
up the sun!
Mike Spencer
Feb 2009