Éoliennes coming this way?

Wind turbines (éoliennes) have started to become a part of the Hérault landscape over the past 10 years or so. The farm at Aumes is the nearest to Aspiran at 14 Km (9 miles) to the south of east and clearly visible on the horizon across the valley.

Wind farm at Aumes seen from the commune

According to Aspiran Info No. 42 a feasibility study will start in the autumn of 2012 looking at the area in the commune known as Coste-Ferre as a possible wind farm site. This area forms the ridge that runs to the right and parallel to the route to Adissan and a farm here would be a dominant feature visible from much of the land in the western half of the commune. However, for many of the village dwellings the éoliennes will be out of sight. This will not be the case for Peret and much of Adissan where the farm is sure to dominate the vista.

Bastille Day Repas du Village

July 14th is arguably the most important French holiday and obviously unique to France. It sees the biggest annual event in the village, an evening meal with music for several hundred Aspiranaises. While technically on evening of the 13th, eating, drinking and dancing span well into the big day.

This year tradition was broken and the event moved from the village square, the Place de Peyrou by the church and Mairie, to the Pétanque pitch. Undoubtedly controversial, the new location affords a better layout with improved lighting and facilities.

Paella service (11:30 pm)

After the Storm

Late evening double rainbow over "Les Pins"

Presidential election

This weekend sees the first round of the French Presidential elections and all the towns and villages have these official poster displays. If nothing else they do remind people to vote. While there is no graffiti inflicted so far, there is clearly some strong feeling about incumbent Sarkosi and Socialist challenger Francois Hollande- the two frontrunners who have allocated slots at each extreme of the display.

Wisteria, Cyprus tree and blue sky

Wisteria, Cyprus tree and blue sky

Four à Chaux

The detailed IGN map of the area indicates "le Four à Chaux Ruines" wedged between the road to Paulhan and Adissan soon after they fork near where electricity pylons cross. Four à Chaux is a lime kiln. Limestone would have been heated in an oven to produce lime principally for use as a building material. Lime mortar is still the material of choice today for renovating old stone house walls. According to the document "Guide d'interprétation des paysages viticoles : exemple de 50 communes en Coeur d'Hérault - décembre 2005" from Observatoire viticole there are seven Four à Chaux remains in the 50 communes surveyed. Along with Aspiran are one in Cabrières and Fontès plus four from Caux - all virtually neighbours. Given that Caux is Occitan for Chaux then such popularity is perhaps appropriate.

There are indeed ruins at the Aspiran site. The above was taken at the spot indicated on the IGN map and is the only "ruin" in the vicinity, although little remains to indicate it was a kiln beyond piles and ridges of white stones. 100m to the north is more convincing evidence, a pit dug in limestone and reaching well into the current water table. These two features are indicated by the paddle markers on the Google map above.

Rain, floods and river levels

Two days of rain in the last week of October, the first of any real significance since March, is a reminder that the Hérault floods and will be of special concern to those around the Aspiran Gare sector. This link plots real-time levels for the Hérault at Aspiran. The home page www.vigicrues.ecologie.gouv.fr displays river flood warnings for the whole of France - click on the map to zoom into the Languedoc.

The weir on the Hérault at Aspiran Gare