Lacoste village wash and sericiculture houses -

and not a polo shirt in sight. In case you are wondering at my long word it means silk worm farming and the tall thin house used to have silk worms in the attic being fed mulberry leaves and spinning their cocoons. The wash house to the right still had running water and was extremely clean. The whole village was on a small hill and was full of alleys and very steep paths,

I am staying in an extraordinary area - all the fields full of vines with swifts and lots of different coloured butterflies flying above. The house backs onto dense wooded hills which are full of birds and birdsong - have heard a golden oriol, nightjar and nightingale amongst many others and this morning when walking the dog saw three wild multicoloured rabbits in a field of barley. I'm told there are pine martins and red squirrels as well as wild boar around. Don't think I'll be seeing many things though as the dog will be with me.