I live in a small village in the south of France.  Life here runs on different lines from anything I have experienced before.  

Although I have lived in villages in England, the rural demands of farming did not seem to take precedence.  Here tractors, bailers, trailers, grape picking machines and anything else you can think of which might be needed for a mixed farming area can be left safely beside the road while the farmer goes home for lunch. The mixed farming is new because the local wines are not selling so the vines are being grubbed up.  Sometimes they are replaced, sometimes a crop of grain is grown and sometimes the land is used for hay. The local farmers, mostly vine growers, have a problem of what to grow next. The climate is harsh with fierce winds and very dry. The countryside is achingly beautiful and teams with game and less inviting creatures. 

The cats and dogs lead their own lives.  Most families have pets, some of which live inside the house and are kept clean and other live outside and quite frankly, in enclosed places, stink.  The cats spend their time asleep or hunting.  Occasionally they will approach in an appealing way looking for tit bits.  The dogs lie in the middle of the road and sleep.  Cars, tractors and even the school bus if it has room, crawl round them carefully. Like small children, they are safe. Their behavior is expected. They have a varied and interesting sex life when they are awake. 

Historically the area is interesting. The region was the base for the Cathars, a seemingly tolerant and peaceable people. The region is dotted with strangely placed castles as a result of the need to watch trade routes and keep out foreigners.  

That didn’t work because the local people are a mixture of nationalities, French, Spanish and Italian in the main.  The visigoths were in the region and left their names as well as other groups.  While French is the official language, Occitane is the language they grew up speaking and not far away Catalan is a powerful force. This can be a source of confusion for those struggling to speak French.

The village contains a large number of different nationalities.  Some own second homes, many live here permanently.  There are Spanish who escaped from the civil war, English, Irish, Belgians, Germans and Dutch.  The foreign invasion is in operation but the locals tolerate them and are friendly and helpful.