After driving for many hours, we arrived in the late afternoon in Argelliers (pronounced “are jelly ess”). It is a tiny town east of Toulouse.

We walked to the only store in town and bought them out. It sells everything from books to cheese to toys; they love us now. We unpacked and went for a pre-dinner walk; Tim bailed on us. But why just aimlessly walk about if there is a goat farm a mile or so out of town?

We’re staying in a very old house with modern plumbing, electrical, and internet. The house is an addition to the templer-built church and compound from the twelfth century—the time of the Crusades.

Our hosts are Robert, from Poland, and Maria Elena, from Mexico. Even though the house is over 300 years old, they are only the second owners. They purchased it from the family who built the house. The last of that family, a 90-year-old woman who grew up in the house, had moved away during WWII, but never sold the property. She had happy memories of the house, although she didn’t live in it. But I imagine it was a difficult life out here in a tiny village—the house needed modern plumbing, heating, and electricity. One of the rooms had broken windows since 1944 and the swallows had moved in, building nests in that room. It was clearly a lot of work to make this place habitable again, and Maria Elena took up the challenge.

Tim claimed the “romantic” bedroom, and Nick took the fourth bedroom on the third floor, the “Swallow Suite.”

Christopher commandeered the second kitchen on the third floor for his tech area. He insists on being able to continue working for our clients while on vacation. I have to admit that I use it too.