Why don't British folk do much walking any more?

One of the biggest changes in clients' behaviour I've noticed since we opened our gites 13 years ago (apart from the inability of people to get through their day without clinging to a phone) is how rarely people, especially the young, leave La Bastide on foot nowadays.

There are four paths out of our property, offering plenty of scope for circular walks of varying lengths, some along hill-tops with views as far as the Pyrenees 100km away visibility permitting. On this particular track it takes only 45 minutes to reach the bar-restaurant in the next village. Have a 3 course lunch for €10 and walk it and the beers off on the saunter home!

Are people now so urbanised that their legs are no longer happy supporting their bodies? Are they as nervous of walking in the safe countryside as we are of walking in London after dark? Why don't children go off exploring the woods on their own?

There are a few exceptions of course, particularly a Yorkshire grandfather here last month who went for a 20km run three times a week (2 hours and 2 litres of water).

So if your legs will carry you for an hour or two, think of coming to stay in the Tarn, especially in late May/early June or September, when it's cooler.

There's something about acacia trees...

that birds love, especially young ones.

Around 6pm we turn our sun-loungers and glasses of wine towards the acacias just behind us to watch the groups of young birds work their way along through these trees before turning round and working their way back again.

They are mostly tree creepers, great tits, blue tits and acrobatic long-tailed tits. As last year, not as many as there were before the exceptionally cold spell here two winters ago. We feel certain the drop in bird numbers stems from that, as it's only the year-round birds that are down. Migratory birds are as numerous as ever - never seen as many bee-eaters as this summer.