GATEWAY TO GASCONY

Welcome to Gascony, the other south of France. Stretching from Toulouse in the east, to the Atlantic coast in the west, from the River Garonne in the north, to the Pyrenees in the south, Gascony is a golden land of rolling hills and wide horizons, swathed with vineyards, sunflowers, maize and pastures. Wild boar and roe deer roam in the oak forests. The people are honest, welcoming and independent. In the towns in summer, locals and visitors can join in with the music of the joyeuses bandas, lively brass and percussion street orchestras of musicians dressed in colourful costumes. The Gascons have their own particular customs, and the French outside of Gascony, when confronted with their funny ways, will shrug their shoulders – it’s the southwest, what can you expect? This is France but not as we know it!

Gascony is the setting for Martin Calder's new travel memoir A Summer in Gascony appearing March 2008. This website Gateway to Gascony created by the author Martin Calder is dedicated to showcasing all things Gascon, to illustrating the Gascon way of life described in his book, and to offering points of access for travellers to Gascony.

Adishatz! This means hello or goodbye in Gascon. Gascony has a distinct identity, and a history which sets it apart from the rest of France. It was home to an ancient Iberian tribe called the Vascones, who gave it their name. Gascony was an independent state, ruled by the Dukes of Gascony. Old affinities and friendships exist between England and Gascony, for centuries Gascons fought with the English against a common foe – the French! During the Napoleanic Wars, the Gascon peasantry sided with the British army against the French. The Gascons still regard northern France as another country and are suspicious of Parisians. The pace of life and the rate of progress are a little out of step with the rest of France.

If you want to learn more about the long and complex history of Gascony, the standard work in French is by Louis Puech, entitled Histoire de la Gascogne, published in 1914, by the archaeological society of the Gers, price 3 old francs, it’s difficult to get hold of, but worth the effort for those who are interested.