Sunday Stroll

We were invited by our friends south of Cahors to go with them on their village's monthly organised walk.

Fortunately it was only (?) about 8km but, as well as a small contingent of English, we had the opportunity to chat to the French ramblers, all of whom were only too pleased to talk and answer our inquiries. What we hadn't realised was that the walk was organised to call in to an 'ecologically' friendly house made of straw and mud.

The house had been built by a Dutch couple; she's an architect and he's an artist. The house has been built using straw in wooden frames, coated with mud. Their electricity comes from solar panels, they use a 'dry' toilet and their used water (from washing machine etc) is purified in a reed bed system.

You can see the clumps of Bullrushes that they've planted.

The house was actually an interesting mix of 'Good Life', artist's house, hippy dwelling and high technology. We think that they have built it to show that it can be done, but we were not given the details of what it all cost. However we picked up an idea from the way that they'd tiled in their kitchen. We're always on the look-out for new ideas!

The visit to the house finished with a little glass of wine and a selection of home-made tarts and gateaux; all very civilised.