The arrival of spring is a great motivation to get out the paint brush or saw….and get DIY-ing, but do you know what to ask for when you realise at the last minute that you are missing that ‘absolutely-can’t-finish-the-job-without’ screw, nail or spanner?

The clever network of signal towers (tours à signaux) that you see on the high mountain tops around the region date back to the 13th century. They were originally set up by the Rois de Majorque as a defence system to protect the Roussillon from invaders and to enable the passing of information around the region, using fire and smoke signals.

One of their great writers, Jean de La Fontaine, produced French versions of fables, in verse and with illustrations. There are twelve volumes, with stories such as The Ant and the Grasshopper, told with elegance, wit and verve, in simple French which is usually easy to understand today. Each teaches a lesson about our relationships with society.

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