Further info

Should you tire of swimming or soaking up the sun, you can walk "down the line" to the next village, or hire bicycles from Mézin (9 km) and ride. The village of Sos is a short walk away and has a depot de pain, a good little supermarket, bar, newsagent, pharmacy, post office and two part-time hairdressers. There is also a lovely arcaded square, half-timbered houses in narrow medieval streets and a hotel/restaurant

The old province of Gascony is still relatively undiscovered and therefore the “tourist industry” in the area is relatively underdeveloped, but you can find most things that you might expect, and several unexpected treasures too.

Visitors are usually warmly welcomed everywhere - there seems to be little of the “tourist fatigue” found in the Dordogne or on the Mediterranean coast - and there is still a great deal of local pride in the area which will readily be shared with you by the local residents, especially if you can try to communicate in French. There is a tennis court in the village, several good golf courses within half an hour’s drive, various horse-riding possibilities, lake swimming and boating, a mini theme-park/funfair (Parc Walibi) just outside Agen and a tourist railway or two. There are also museums to the prune, to armagnac, to cork and to the condom (in the town of Condom), the French national collection of water lilies (where Monet bought his for Giverny) and a collection of  ancient fruit trees and vegetable varieties of worldwide importance. Villages still have village fetes and meals to celebrate the solstice and the change of seasons (leaping over bonfires a speciality in June), and  Sos and others organise rambles and historic tours. There is a classical concert season in July/August and occasional visits from theatre or folklore groups.

This corner of the Lot-et-Garonne département is characterised by small farms set among heavily wooded rolling valleys, changing rapidly to the west to the sand and pines of the Landes forest. Agriculture and viticulture are the dominant local activities, local crops including early strawberries and asparagus (March to June), maize, sunflowers, melons, tomatoes and grapes. Wine from the area is distilled into the famous Armagnac brandy - with plenty of tasting opportunities nearby! Be sure to try Floc, the rather less fiery aperitif made from armagnac and grape juice, and delicious ice-cold. Slightly further afield, the vineyards of Bordeaux, Sauternes, Bergerac and Duras can all make fascinating day or half-day outings, as can several local vineyards beginning to make more interesting wines - Tariquet/Grassa in Éauze, various Buzet properties in and out of the co-op, Fézas near Fourcès, Chardonnay from Pellehaut etc.

Road and track sides are still mown rather than sprayed, and are therefore thick with wild flowers, especially orchids in the spring. Deer, wild boar, buzzards, kestrels, black kites, herons, nightingales, woodpeckers, owls and bats have all been seen round the station.

The weather, affected by the proximity of the Atlantic and the Pyrenées, can be as variable as in the UK, but it is usually at least 5° C warmer, and the summer temperatures can be very high indeed (up to 38°C in 1997). It can also be grey and miserable for days at a time, though this is unusual in the summer months. Even in January, however, it warms up rapidly whenever the sun appears, and “Indian summers” in September and October are frequent - the pool was in happy use on November 1st, 1999...

Sos itself, dating back to pre-Roman times, is charming, and there are many other attractive local villages, bastides and small towns (most with markets selling local produce), chateaux, castles, churches, chapels and trees to be visited. Four nearby examples are Fourcès, Poudenas, Mézin and Nérac. There is a range of restaurants to suit every budget and every occasion, from 10 € for five courses including wine and coffee via ferme auberges serving excellent specialities (this is big duck and goose country) mostly grown on the premises, to Michelin-recommended style and quality. Further afield, the Atlantic coast and Bordeaux (1.5 hours), the Pyrenées and Toulouse (2 hours) are all tempting outings and pleasant drives.

I am usually nearby if required for help or advice, and a full handbook is provided in the station with more detailed information, instructions and hints on how things work along with a “house book” of what previous visitors have seen and done.