A Roman Villa in the Gers

A model of the villa when it was new.

Signposts are our downfall.  We were headed to a very specific location when we noticed a signpost for Villa Romain.  Now how often do you see one of those?  Actually, in France, surprisingly often.  But we are suckers for such things, so we followed the sign.

This villa had an exception number of tile mosaics.

Tile mosaics with circles of designs.  They assume the large one in the middle was where a table would have been.

A long room with mosaic floors.

Part of the baths,

Most of the villas that have been found only had mosaic floors in the private quarters.  This one had them all over the house.

A wave design; I really like this one!

This just proved to me why we put tile down in all our houses.  When they are dug up in 1500 years, the tile will still be there.  Cool!

A Drive in the Country

We went to the market in St Cler.  To get there we ending up driving though the horrible construction in Lectour.    We surely didn't want to do that on a return trip, so off through the country for us.  BIB did not appreciate our willingness to ignore her directions, but ignore we did.  Driving along narrow country roads, between fields that have been harvested and plowed, next to ruins that look as old as time itself, we come over a small rise and find fields of sunflowers with an old farmhouse.  I am glad we often take the road less traveled.

The field of sunflowers that stretched on and on.  These were a smaller headed variety than we had been seeing.

Tres Belle Maison a La Romieu

Our latest house sit.  Lucky us!

The Lord of the Manor, M Laurel, sitting on my map book.

Stretched out on the back terrace.  Laurel is a very talkative cat, when he isn't sleeping.

Sometimes we drive up to a new housesit and have to catch our breath.  Is this really where we get to stay now?  The house at La Romieu is typical French, and we love it.  The homeowner, Sarah, has lived here only 9 months, so there are still things she is working on to make it 'perfect'.  We have changes we would make if it were ours, but it's not so we get to just enjoy!



The main reason we are here, other than to keep the garden and potted plants watered, is Laurel, a neutered male cat.  Laurel loves to talk and sleep and get rubbed and have his hair combed with a fine toothed comb. A total Mr. Personality!  Last night when I went upstairs to get ready for bed, he was sitting in the opened window of the bathroom keeping an eye on what was going on.  This morning he was across the lane sitting on the neighbor's window sill.  Most afternoons, he sleeps on the back terrace, either on a table with a cloth on it, or in a long wooden trough.  Sarah bought it for another use, but Laurel has claimed it. 

Cat in a window of the village square.

Pretty kitty!

La Romieu is a very old town.  Walking around it feels like there is very little which is new.  The Colliegial Church was built in the 1300's.  The square has cat sculptures in memory of cats who saved the village from starving because the rats were eating everything, again in the 1300's.  I love this place!

A small alley by the old city walls.