The Middle of Nowhere

Throughout my adventures over the past two months there has been one major thing in common. Everywhere I go, whether it be big cities or mountains or hikes, there are always lots of other people.

It’s well established that I love people, the fact that I love them from an anthropological point of view is besides the point, but even I need a little break away from them every now and then. Luckily, just an opportunity came about, and this past weekend I hopped on a train out of Toulouse.

Destination: Nowhere.

The things one does for an Adventure

Whilst the trains in Europe are much cheaper than those in the UK, one can’t help but snatch up a good deal when one sees it. This weekend, my travel will cost the whopping total of 3€ as I get trains way out into the sticks from Toulouse. However, getting that kind of deal means I have to wake up pretty early to get to the station. How early? Well around 4am!

So with the sky still black and my eyes still bleary, I set off to the station and got my train out of Toulouse, which has a population of 511,000 (that will be important as I travel).

Somewhere that isn’t Nowhere

Okay so, first I had to pass through a few places that you couldn’t really class as nowhere because they were still towns that had lots of people in, but we’ll get there soon I promise.

The first of these places is called Auch, it’s a town about 60km or so to the west of Toulouse, and after about a 90-minute train ride I arrived in the town, population: 22,000. A 96% decrease in population!

Auch is most well known for its large renaissance built cathedral that sits atop the central hill, le Cathédrale Sainte-Marie. I decided to stop here for a drink and a look around.

On Saturdays, Auch holds a market in the square out the front of the cathedral. It’s a standard market selling cheeses, fruit, meats, and other bits and pieces. I even managed to find a brilliant French bag for the mere price of 30€, and snatched it up right away!

After a few fresh croissants, I got into my hosts car, and we continued our journey away from civilisation.

One Last Stop

Driving south through the French countryside, I spent most of the journey gazing out of the window. There were so many fields growing so many different plants and crops. Sunflowers seemed to be the main thing here, according to my local experts the heads are used to make things like oil whereas the stalks are used to feed livestock. That way everything gets used!

Soon enough we arrived at our final stop before our destination: Castelnau-Magnoac. This small town has a population of 765 people, a 97% decrease from Auch! There’s another small market here for us to check out and a lovely café for us to eat at.

Storm clouds were beginning to approach over the region though, so after spending time with an adorable baby, we dragged ourselves away back to the car. It was finally time to go to nowhere.

The Hosts with the Most

This weekend I’m staying with some relatives who have a house out here in France! It’s pure coincidence that I happen to be in Toulouse whilst they live only around 100km to the southwest, but very convenient for my weekend getaway.

After about an hours drive through the beautiful French scenery, we arrived at their home, a stunning renovated barnhouse in the small village of Mont-de-Marrast, population: 106, another 87% decrease from the previous town and an overall 99.97% decrease in population from where I live in Toulouse. Beautiful!

Where I’ll be staying was referred to as the gîte, a separate part of the maison away from the living room and the kitchen. It has such a classical look to it i was absolutely in love once I laid eyes on it, the wooden features, the large windows; I may only be here for the night but it’s going to be a lovely stay.

The Blissful Silence of Isolation

After being given a tour and exploring the grounds a bit for myself, I noticed something interesting. There was no sound.

I’ve spent the past couple of months rarely leaving the busy lives of those around me, but here none of that existed. It was peaceful, and empty.

My hosts showed my some of their own plants that they have here, with the hot weather and near constant sun, its ideal conditions to grow things like tomatoes! I was shown a small setup on a bench where there a few little plants growing and bearing the fruit. Apparently I’ll even get to taste some of them later on, yum!

I decided to explore the village and see what, if anything, was going on. I stepped out of the gate, walked up the road, and noticed something.

A New Sidequest

So a little tangent, some of my favourite movies ever made are the Studio Ghibli movies. Spirited Away, Howls Moving Castle, and my favourite of all: My Neighbour Totoro, I adore those movies and their intrinsic style and beautiful design. Often, I’ve wished to live a life like the protagonists of those films; suddenly finding myself in a natural setting, discovering something magical. As I walked through the calm streets of the village, I realised my wish had come true.

Studio Ghibli Presents: Cassiopeia’s Journey to Nowhere

I wore my hat, Firenze, and a summery outfit for the mid-30s weather. I had my new bag filled with chocolatines, and the summer sun was interspersed between the clouds rolling over from the Atlantic. Bees were buzzing between the flowers, butterflies fluttered all around me, and the occasional dog barked “Salut” as I walked by.

The centre of the village was comprised of a church and a post office. Every hour, the bell of the church rang just once to signify its passing. As I glanced up at the bell tower, a kindly man passed me, greeting me as he did. “Bonjour!” I replied as he tipped his hat. He would be the only person I would see on my walk.

I continued down a well-worn path towards the forest. The trees got thicker and the grasshoppers got louder, but I continued onwards.

I wasn’t in the dark for long. Soon, the trees gave way to fields full of lines of crops and large agriculture machinery. Places like this interest me, a perfect mix of the natural and artificial world brought about from the industrial revolution. I opted to sit on the machinery and eat a few of my snacks; energy for the walk ahead.

The path wound around the low hills, and the sun disappeared behind the clouds. I reached the end of the road to more paved tracks, so spun on my heels and went back the way I came.

Methods of Relaxation

Always fun to write a little story! Anyway…

When I got back to the farmhouse, I was informed of a pool that they had on the grounds. I’d been planning a lesson on Buoyancy lately so this was the perfect excuse for me to get everything ready for it.

After taking all my pictures and videos that I’d use for the teaching, I leaned back on the lilo and felt the rest of the afternoon float past me.

In the evening, after a delicious meal, we played card games and watched the sun set and the sky begin to darken. I decided to go for another stroll and admire the twilight sky.

It was one of the most peaceful nights of sleep I’d had in weeks. The calming sound of grasshoppers outside lulled me into tranquillity, and I slept the whole night through.

After waking the next morning, and having some delicious baguette toast, we decided to go on a car ride to the town of Marciac, but I’ll save that adventure for another post! Once the exploring was done, we were known our way back to the farmhouse, and I spent the early afternoon playing catch with Max, my relatives’ Spaniel.

I knew that we had to leave at 5pm so I could catch my train home at 6pm, so as it neared to 3pm I decided now was my last chance to explore more of the empty wilderness and set out on another hike.

Another direction

Yesterday I’d gone south out of the village, so today I went north down a paved street towards another village. A road sign I’d seen had quoted it as being two kilometres away, so a walk there and back would take up a nice hour.

A little ways down the road, the path crossed over a bridge spanning a small stream. A glance over the railing showed it to be only about three or four metres below me but it still seemed like a significant drop. I could see pond skaters on the waters surface, zipping around aimlessly.

Soon I came across a farm, and a look into the large pen told me it was a goose farm. They all seemed quite excited to see me, even if I had no food for them, so I hoped that they were living a nice enough life in the open air. Goose eggs are becoming more and more popular these days as they tend to be larger than chicken eggs, the farm even had a few for sale but I felt it would be much too difficult for me to transport them home and opted not to buy any.

I continued my walk, past hay bales and corn fields. The occasional car passed me by, but we paid each other no mind. They had somewhere to be, and I was revelling in being nowhere.

As I passed into the next village, a town called Sadeillan, I gazed around at all of the old farmhouses situated here. Many of them were run down, like they hadn’t been lived in for decades, and I couldn’t help but wonder what my life would be like if I lived somewhere like here. The peace and quiet would be delightful, but the isolation? Perhaps maddening. I’d spent only a day in nowhere, and I think I was starting to miss being somewhere.

I once again turned around and headed back home. Passing the hay bales, and the geese, and the bridge, before making it back to the farmhouse. I packed up all my belongings and we began the long drive to the train station and hour away. Away from nowhere to somewhere.

*

I think there’s something so misunderstood about the feeling of boredom. It has such a negative connotation like it’s something that should never be felt; but this past weekend, as I explored nowhere, I’ve never felt more bored in my life and I loved every second. I think boredom leads to innovation, and my case and point will be made here with my first attempt at filming and video editing. Enjoy!

See you nowhere,

Cassie