http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk en-gb franceandbeyond.co.uk 2012-2-9T00:00:00Z franceandbeyond.co.uk http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#112131 I mean bitterly cold. A nasty Siberian wind is causing the temperatures to plumet. Yesterday in Narbonne the highest it got was 1.5 overnight with the wind chill it feels like 15. Its been like this for a week and is set to last at least another. Bone dry though so no frosty cars in the morning. Looking for a positive here.... Weather Forecast Weather Maps 2012-2-9 13:47:07 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#109779 After operating as a husband and wife team since we started out we are happy to be doubling in size for 2012 and welcome John and Carol to the team. They are good friends and will be helping with changeovers this summer. This means we can take on more properties and cover a wider area no more turning business away I hope They have come along at a good time for us as fingers crossed we should be moving to Mailhac soon to start works on our barn renovation. We will be hoping to increase business in this area so if you have a property in the Bize MinervoisMinerveOlonzac area we will be happy to look after it for you. 2012-1-5 19:37:53 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#107045 some feedback from the first few afternoon teas and a Sunday Lunch we have done recently as part of our Secret Supper Club We just wanted to say how much we enjoyed the afternoon tea in the garden at LamaloulesBains. The food the company and the setting were excellent. Your attention to detail is superb and we would definitely recommend you to our friends. Wishing you well for future events very best wishes Yvonne and Derek xx Thank you so much for inviting us to your lovely home and preparing a fabulous meal. It is such a good idea we enjoyed meeting your friends. Good luck to you both Carol amp Mike Food was great and it was a good way of meeting new people Susan amp Robert 2011-11-17 15:51:25 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#106244 A few posts ago I was talking of the lovely weather. hhhmmm. For the past 2 weeks we have had heavy rain pretty much non stop with a few storms thrown in too. It has been reported that some parts of the Languedoc have had a years worth of rain in 4 days. Not nice I dont like it and can feel myself slowly going crazy... How did I live in the north of England The autumn fair in Bedarieux has been cancelled I suspect the chestnut fete in Olargues has too. Driving home the other day we noticed quite a few trees had fallen casualty of the weather. Now the pompiers here will come out and remove the trees from the road and cut them into sizeable chunks then its up to us Joe Public What a great system. Most houses here are heated with wood burners or open fires so a bootfull of free logs is very welcome thankyou very much So there we were in the pouring rain humping tree bits into the car. Afterwards we were thinking about the elderly and how in the UK so many of them die in the winter. The... 2011-11-6 10:14:20 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#105743 There is a nip in the air this morning. The tourists have gone and the market is bustling with locals. The stall holders who put their prices up for the summer visitors have reverted back to sensible prices its funny how you can buy 3 cured sausages for 9 euros then during July amp August Mr Saucisson cheekily asks for 10 euros. The old man in front of me at the veg stall pays for his purchases then asks if he can take a handfull of nuts. Oui avec plaisir monsieur. A little freebie to keep the old timer sweet. I buy a bag full of green beans for 1 euro and move on. Great a tat stall Everything 1 euro this is new. I buy a couple of baking sheets and some table decorations. You can sense winter is coming gone are the swimsuit stalls instead I find woolen jumpers and cardigans some actually quite chic for 10 euros. I am looking for inspiration I have a lot of baking to do for afternoon tea on Thursday not to mention cooking a dinner for 8 on Sunday. I move on to the stall which sells o... 2011-10-18 17:03:05 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#103232 So here we are in the last week of September. The weather is just right high 20s during the day but cool enough at night so one can sleep under the covers rather than on top of them. Yes the days are getting shorter and the sun is lower in the sky peeping between the trees for half the day giving lovely shady areas. I know the shade will increase and the sunny spots in the garden will slowly disappear as the seasons move on but right now it is really pleasant to sit outside we will enjoy the last of the rose as to me that is a summer drink. The wild blackberries have been picked and are in the freezer. The flowers and herbs in the garden are happy that is the ones which have survived the scorching heat of July amp August. Must pay more attention next year to positioning when planting. The roads all over the region are full of little tractors transporting the grapes to the wine caves. I dont know how many bunches are lost bouncing out of the tractors as they trundle along the ri... 2011-9-25 16:37:37 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#102738 we recently had a tea party in the back garden. very English lots of sandwiches savouries cakes and biscuits all home made even down to the bread and chutneys. the weather was beautiful for sunbathing slightly hot for drinking tea though.. 2011-9-18 17:04:51 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#100914 an article by Olly Smith about the wines of our region. Is it a bad thing I know most of the wineries he mentions I know its definitely a good thing we dont have to pay the prices he mentions smug me....... httpwww.dailymail.co.ukhomemoslivearticle2027897LanguedocwinesTheychangelife.html 2011-8-21 17:17:15 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#98965 We were in Nimes this week to see Portishead playing at the arena. Portishead have been around for over 15 years we really liked them in the good old days. I must admit we had kind of forgotten all about them recently but when we found out they were playing nearby out came the albums and tickets were bought. Their support was Mogwai and we got to the arena in the last 15 mins or so of their set. Which was a good thing not because of their music which was actually ok but it seemed their one and only mission was to deafen the entire audience. Now you may be thinking poor love shes getting old only old biddies complain about loud music etc but I was actually one of the more tolerant ones in the audience. Most people had ear plugs many had tissue in their ears and some people had even stuffed cigarettes in their lug holes How did they know Is it a French thing to be so prepared Honestly never seen anything like it. And we have been to loads of rock festivals in our time. Mogwai were ... 2011-7-23 20:42:42 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#98563 The tour passed through our region today. I didnt watch it. Well I did but on tv. Have watched it in the streets amongst the crowds the previous 2 years but to be honest they whizz past so fast and its all over so quickly I thought it would be better to watch it on tv. Not that Im a big fan I just wanted to see how many places I recognised and also to get an aerial view of the chateaux and circulade villages that litter the region. It was quite funny actually as it took a route we quite often find ourselves driving on a hot summers Saturday when racing accross the countryside doing changeovers. Look theres that little village we always get lost in... The weather has been cool today practically chilly Which is nice. Honest When its over 30 degrees for a length of time a cool day is like a breath of fresh air really invigorating. I was walking home from shopping in town recently it was so hot I thought my yoghurts were curdling in my bag 2011-7-17 19:31:34 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#97085 For the past month or so cherries have been in season here people have been selling them at the road sides for 3 euros per kilo the lovely looking dark red cherries and we have picked some just outside our local wine cave.Tthere is a little old guy who sells his produce on the main road from Lamalou when I stopped today to buy some they were just 2 euros per kilo. When I asked why he told me today was his last day. Why I asked have the cherries finished Non madame but the weather is just too hot for me to stand here and sell them. He must be about 98 yrs old Bless.... 2011-6-26 18:52:02 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#97074 We have a new fountain here in Lamalou it has just been built to celebrate the town being twinned with Misasa in Japan for 21 years. I think someone has been having some fun with fairy liquid... 2011-6-26 12:47:02 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#97000 Does anyone remember Chicaboo he was my sisters fave toy as a kid and I have been looking for one for her for ages. We were at a vide grenier recently which was more of an antique fair and although little Chicaboo isnt antique we did find him on a retro toy stall. He hails from Japan and in France is called Kiki. Kiki le petit singe. He winged his way to England in a Jiffy bag..... aaahhhh 2011-6-24 22:22:11 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#96740 Born to Brass playing at Olargues Friday night we ventured into Olargues it was the first night of the fete du music weekend. Having no idea what to expect we were very surprised or rather bemused to find a Slipknot style band pelting out heavy rock sporting totally bizarre costumes and instead of lead guitar they played trumpets and saxophones Wierd. Other half thought they were great I thought what a racket That was until they did Killing in the Name Of by Rage Against the Machine when I was overcome by the urge to grab the megaphone and join in chanting the infamous lyrics After they had finished we had a sausage butty yes we do fine dining here then a really cool thing happened. The funny metal creature in the photo came alive his eyes shone he breathed fire and to a fanfare of pipes guitar riffs and fireworks he set off down the street the band members beckoning us to follow. And so we did a thousand people danced behind this contrapt... 2011-6-21 12:14:54 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#96738 this was taken recently at the annual brocante fair in Pezenas excuse me I rather like the look of the chair at the bottom.... 2011-6-21 11:55:03 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#96231 I love vide greniers bank holidays lazy lunches and yesterday we had all 3 Yesterdays mooching took place at Lunas a pretty place situated half way between Bedarieux and Lodeve. When a vide grenier is in such a pretty setting it increases the joy joy factor you can imagine the film crew from channel 4 or is it BBC 2 filming one of their antique programmes here. Dont get me wrong some vide greniers are rubbish just like some of the car boot sales in England. This one was good with over 100 stalls and lots selling antiques or interesting old things To be honest I wouldnt know an antique if it jumped off the table and hit me on the nose. I am trying to learn studying the glassware here the porceline the linens and the silver. But I can never bring myself to buy something that a costs more then 20 euros and b I think is disgusting I will be posting some photos of my treasures or rather non treasures soon. Yesterday I was over the moon as i found something I had been looking f... 2011-6-14 16:29:41 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#96213 an article in the Telegraph comparing Provence with the Languedoc. Although Provence is our neighbour it does have a different feel and Aix en Provence is a beautiful place to visit. One of the main things I love about France is you only have to jump in the car and drive a couple of hours and then once you are in a new region it is very different the food and climate perhaps but the architecture especially. I am always obsessed with rooftops Its no wonder the French stay in France for their holidays httpwww.telegraph.co.uktraveldestinationseuropefrance8568539FranceholidaysProvencevsLanguedoc.html 2011-6-14 12:47:39 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#96029 We went to a music festival last night just down the road in Les Aires. Les Aires is a tiny sleepy little village but yesterday it was completely taken over by festival goers who ranged from babies in prams to old aged pensioners and everyone else in between. There were hippies too. Lots of hippies. And dogs. Never trust a hippy says other half think he got that from the Sex Pistols The concert was free just small scale local bands but the one group that had us jigging about immediately was Le Peuple de LOrb A blast of a trumpet horn and the crowd went mad. They didnt even use the stage instead they blew their horns and banged the drums whilst dancing about with the crowd. And what a riot of colour their costumes are all tartan based the clothing is as colourful and festive as the music. This type of music immediately lifts your spirits and throws you head first into party mode whether you like it or not I didnt take any photos but heres some from their website httpwww.myspace.comlep... 2011-6-12 10:28:20 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#90259 some news articles in the Independent about our local stomping ground Canal du Midi httpwww.independent.co.uktraveleuropecanaldumidigentlydownthestream2252958.html Pezenas httpwww.independent.co.uktraveleuropepzenasastrollthroughthepast2252959.html Wine httpwww.independent.co.uktraveleuropehraultwines2253129.html 2011-3-26 15:36:47 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#88553 this is a little coffee table book I have created had to do somthing with all my photos Its only small with a soft cover click on the image to see what you think. If you like it you can order it direct from photobox or buy one direct from me in France for 20 euros. If ordering online use the code SHAREBOOK at checkout for a 20 discount 2011-3-6 16:05:43 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#86789 Our good friend Nigel has just opened his lovely house in Quarante as a Chambres dhotes. The house has been beautifully restored with spacious en suite bedrooms. Breakfast is served either on the terrace or in the sunny dining room and wifi is free. Quarante located just near Capestang makes an ideal base for exploring the Herault and Aude areas of the Languedoc. Nigel is a great host and excellent cook and he will be offering evening meals which I can highly recommend. Website The Belvedere Email the.belvedereorange.fr Phone 00 33 04 67 24 66 96 2011-2-12 14:32:41 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#82425 2010-12-9 16:05:39 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#82291 Before I came to France I hated olives. Now I just cant get enough of them well the green ones anyway and my favourite is the Lucques Olive. It has a lovely taste and texture and an added bonus is they are grown locally. You can visit LOulibo the olive cooperative it has a lovely shop selling lots of olive products. Situated just off the main road at the turn for Bize Minervois and whilst there why not continue on to Bize and take a walk around the old village centre it is worth a look. Look out for the ornate street signs Read Olive Oil Times article here 2010-12-7 19:28:37 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#82198 Nestled in the hills about 15 minutes from Lodeve is the Lerab Ling Tibetan Buddhist retreat centre. Not what you expect in rural France The centre opened in 1992 and has been visited twice by the Dalai Lama himself. It is a place of teachings meditation and retreat and open to the public for visits on Sunday afternoons. We went one afternoon in August and as you might expect it was busy. The visit was in 2 parts the first a guide was talking about the temple then free time to walk around. We didnt have a very good experience with the guide because a the group was so large we couldnt hear her properly and b even if we did hear what she was saying it was all in French so we wouldnt have understood it all and c she talked for far too long We did however enjoy our free time admiring the temple its architecture fantastic use of colour and the grounds. What did I learn To walk clockwise around the temple Admission fee was 6 ample parking souvenir shop and one could buy a drink or ice cr... 2010-12-6 15:40:34 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#81475 A recent article posted in the Express quite like this bit In the villages of the Dordogne or Languedoc the most cultivated soign233 residents are the Brits.. As our Irish friend says the Languedoc is bogger France And I am slowly turning into a bogger myself httpwww.express.co.ukpostsview209127ViveLaDifference 2010-11-28 14:16:21 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#81471 Jardin St Adrien is located near Servian which is roughly mid way between Beziers and Pezenas. A quarry dating back to the middle ages has been transformed into magical gardens open to the public on Sunday afternoons. Work started in 1988 by Mr amp Mm Malgouyres and since its creation the gardens have won many awards. The landscaping is fantastic and the whole experience makes for a lovely Sunday afternoon out. There is a little cafe on site too. The gardens also offer guided visits which must be booked in advance and they also host exclusive concerts in July and August which are only advertised to people on their mailing list. Website in French only here To see my photos of the gardens click here 2010-11-28 12:46:30 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#81486 My father in law has a huge interest in anything Roman. Over the course of his visits here he has seen the big sites such as Nimes Arles Pont du Gard Narbonne so one afternoon on his last visit we thought to take him to the Roman Villa Loupian. It was perfect for an afternoon out as not too far away and a nice drive located near the Etang du Thau. The villa was a farm built close to the Via Domitia and its main activity was wine making. In the 5th century the villa was rebuilt and with a guide you can walk around the remains which is basically the floors of the rooms all with the most fantastic mosaic floors. If you know about mosaics you are going to be impressed I know nothing but found myself oohing and aahing as we wandered from one mosaic floor to the next The visit includes free time to peruse in the museum and the guided tour of the mosaics. In the lobby they sell drinks and ice cream. httpwww.loupian.frVillaGalloRomaine.htm 2010-11-26 17:48:56 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#81041 Now this is fantastic news Flybe have announced a new route to Beziers airport for summer 2011 from Southampton. Connecting flights are available from northern airports such as Edinburgh Belfast Newcastle and Manchester. A little competition for Ryanair and another boost for the region. See httpwww.flybe.com 2010-11-23 17:43:38 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#80295 I hope you enjoyed this as much as we did huge belly laughs all round 2010-11-21 17:59:31 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#78938 I have moved my blog. In an attempt to simplyfy my life I have decided I dont need the whistles and bells my old one provided. Or having to remember yet another password. Or the fee So new blog posts will be here from now on. And a selection of the old ones 2010-11-20 21:47:34 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#81043 I am a total sucker for anywhere pretty and quaint and luckily we have many villages in the area that fit the bill. However in the Herault region we have 3 villages officially recongnised and given the title les plus beaux villages de France Minerve Olargues and St Guilhem le Desert. In our neigbouring Aude department we have Lagrasse. Minerve is full of charm and Cathar history and set in a stunning location. The narrow streets are home to many artisans and there is a good selection of eateries. It has a good bookshop and the tourist office can provide information on walks in the area. In the summer months the river bed is dry and natural bridges are formed look for the many pebble statues people have created. See our Minerve page for more information Lagrasse is a pretty village famous for its Abbey which is linked to the town by an 11th century hump backed bridge and its covered market. Located in the wild and rugged Corbieres regions the surrounding landscape is quite stu... 2010-2-13 19:15:43 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#81047 La Fine de Faugeres is a high quality brandy which was made in Faugeres in the 19th century. Over the past few years a few producers have started making it again. We came across it at the Faugeres wine fete last year the producer invited us to stick our finger under the tap for a taste. Ooh la la 2010-2-10 19:54:52 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#81048 Beziers tourist office have put an audio guide on their website available to download free of charge. So now you can take a stroll through the town map in hand headphones on whilst learning the history of the major sights like the Church of the Madeleine the scene of the Cathar massacre in 1209. Ever heard the phrase kill them all God will recognise his own It was said here in Beziers by Arnaud Amaury.... Learn more you can download the audio guide here 2010-1-12 19:57:10 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#81051 Perfect for a winters evening we first discovered tartiflette in the French Alps where we had it for lunch whilst seeking refuge from the bitter cold of the ski resort. MISTAKE It is actually impossible to bend over to attach your feet to your snowboard after this big dish never mind partake in any kind of physical activity. The token green salad served alongside kind of draws you in deceiving you I am healthy it screams. Wrong. Ingredients potatoes onions lardons creamcreme fraiche and a whole load of Reblochon cheese. Actually a WHOLE Reblochon cheese. Easy peasy. Just dont bank on doing anything after eating this other than napping. Comfort food at its best and we love it Funnily enough this dish isnt listed in the Larousse bible and I was surprised to discover its not a traditional French dish at all apparently it was invented in the 80s by the Reblochon cheese guys to increase the sale of cheese. To sample a really good tartiflette head to Lamalou les Bains where you will fi... 2009-12-23 20:55:36 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#81052 Les Halles de Narbonne is Narbonnes indoor food market open every morning from 6am to 1pm. There is also an outdoor market every Sunday in Narbonne making it a great day to visit if you dont mind the crowds. The outdoor market lines the Canal de la Robine and the stalls here sell mostly clothes. Without a doubt the main attraction is les Halles itself. The building has been around since 1901 and the exterior is very attractive. Inside there are approx 70 traders and as well as the many food stalls selling all sorts of varied produce from local olives to fruit and veg from amazingly fresh fish to tempting pastries there is a great choice of little bars. It was extremely busy this morning and as we wandered around we were amazed by the buzzy atmosphere the men drinking pastis whilst the women shopped the crowded muscat bar the wine bar offering degustations for 2 euros a glass the seafood bar where people where enjoying sea urchins with a glass of white wine. The whole experience is a... 2009-11-1 21:00:07 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#81053 The second Sunday in July sees the annual wine fete in the pretty village of Faugeres. Sunday 12th July 2009 was a blistering hot day and the little village was packed not only with the wine makers keen for all to sample their wine but market stalls too tempting us with home made jams and honeys soaps and cakes. It seemed every available garage was being used as a cave and with lots of stands in the street as well we had a huge task on our hands sampling the many wines from this region. So we bought our tasting glasses for 3 euros and made a start. Before long it was time for lunch which was a jolly event and actually quite good for something cooked for the masses. 18 euros got a tray with 3 coursescharcuterie to start a nice chicken stew for the main followed by a tart bread and wine. Cant say fairer than that and it lined our stomachs ready for the afternoons tastings Locals and tourists meandered up the narrow little street and as the day went on the event got busier and busi... 2009-10-22 21:09:37 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#81054 We recently spent 2 weeks in a lovely villa in Lamalou les Bains which is in the National Park. With no English TV or internet our nightly entertainment was a glass of the local Faugeres wine whilst laying on the sun loungers stargazing. The meteor shower was amazing we saw lots even a bright pink shooting star Kate came to stay so the 3 of us laid out in the dark moonbathing as she called it. Hippies The mud bath was one of the treatments we had at the spa 49 euros for 4 treatments excellent value. Moules are on the menu at the restaurant Petite Abbaye and are to die for and I dont even like fish much Cooked in the pizza oven all garlicky and cheesy yum yum Mongozo is one of the hundreds of beers served at the Mary John bar in Lamalou Mongozo coconut beer just has to be tried. I am a huge fan so yes amongst being rushed off our feet doing changeovers we did manage to fit a little R amp R in 2009-8-26 21:12:20 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#81056 We recently took a trip deep into the Corbieres wilderness to visit the Cathar Castle of Villerouge Termenes. Unlike most of the other Cathar Castles and most other castles full stop this one is not on a mountain top in fact you walk down to it in the heart of the village. I did realise afterwards though I was driving up for a long while a lovely drive climbing up and slighty hairy freewheeling down Great access though for the elderly or for those unable to hike up to many of the other castles in the area. Parking is on the edge of the village follow the marked footpath to the castle just a 5 minute walk away whilst reading about Guillaume Belibaste the last of the Cathars who was burned at the stake here. The castle has been fully restored and is in a really picturesue setting. Entrance costs 6 euros and gives you a headset in French or English which guides you through the audio visual exhibitions within the castle. Although this was quite informative telling us about life in ... 2009-6-24 21:16:49 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#81058 lines struts leading edge zenith chicken loop.. am I speaking double Dutch Nope these are some of the words we learnt whilst trying our hand at kitesurfing last week. I have in the past been a bit fearful of kitesurfing. Having never flown a proper kite before it all looked a bit technical to me. But its not that complicated at all and we quickly learnt how to set up the kite along with all the safety checks. the safety checks are VERY important. We were then shown how to launch the kite how to fly it and get it into the zenith position and then how to land it. Next you are taught boddy dragging which is basically letting the kite drag you through the water and then you can progress to putting the board on and letting rip I didnt get as far as body dragging in my first lesson but Iain went back the next day and had a go and found it quite easy or so he said... The kitesurf school here is SudWind Sports at St Pierre la Mer. Run by friendly qualified English staff they have a d... 2009-5-8 21:20:18 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#81060 I love this time of year when flowers appear in the hedgerows and at the roadsides. So pretty 2009-5-3 21:26:12 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#81062 Running every weekend from mid Jan March possibly the longest carnival in the world Limoux Carnival certainly brightens up the winter. Centred around the Place de la Republic the procession of masked people pierrots and goudils and musicians dance along beneath the arcades and weave their way between the restaurant and cafe tables. Its a little wierd having an expressionless masked face stare back at you and the pierrots carry a long wand and a big bag full of confetti to throw over the spectators. They slowly dance along a dance that involves only moving their arms and legs. We visited one sunny afternoon mid March and were pleasantly surprised by the fun and friendly atmosphere which we soaked up whilst enjoying a glass of Blanquette the local sparkling wine. I think we all expected it to be really busy but the Carnival isnt laid on for tourists its quite a low key affair. As the sun went down we enjoyed a nice meal then headed back leaving the masked ones to it 2009-4-18 21:31:32 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#81064 This has to be one of the first fetes of the year and a really nice one too. The sleepy village of Roquebrun came alive with thousands of people yesterday the streets were lined with stalls selling wine food and all the usual things you find at a French market. A nice touch was the free buses that took you into the village from the parking areas on the roads in. We followed the smell of BBQ and had a hot dog and hot wine for lunch and we also bought a cone of delicious roasted Olargue Chestnuts. The parade consisted of floats and bands the finale resulted in the spectators being covered in flour... 2009-2-9 21:36:17 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#81065 We were in Cessanon today and I commented on how many beautiful door knockers and knobs there were. Then we came across some altogether different door furniture this hunter is obviously very proud And when I have run out of scenery to take photos of I am going to start again with a knobs and knockers album. Im not kidding there are some lovely ones around and also gutter spouts too 2009-1-18 21:38:49 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#81066 Whilst we were in Pas last week we enjoyed a lovely meal as the resaurant La Raclette Chez Gegene. We were eating earlier than usual as meeting friends afterwards so we walked into an empty restaurant. The friendly owner directed us to the warmest corner and took our drinks order. Whilst we were perusing the menu a couple of wooden platters were brought to the table one with a tomato bruschetta and the other with various sliced hot sausage. The waiter was helpful in his suggestions but coming from the Languedoc we were a bit miffed at paying 15 euros for a bottle of wine. Next to arrive was a humungous ginormous platter or charcuterie and a big knife with the chefs words help yourself So we did and carved off some tasty sausage and parma ham. The main consisted of steaks which were shown to us before being cooked. That was a nice touch you could actually choose the piece of meat you wanted. Whilst my entrecote was no more than average my other half took the waiters recommendatio... 2009-1-17 21:42:46 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#81068 2008-12-6 21:45:51 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#81070 yesterday was Journee des ateliers part of les Grands Chemins it was also FREEZING yes something I am not used to. Single figures not seen 9 degrees for a while... Anyway we went to Aigne as it was advertised visite du chemin des installations. We didnt have a clue what this meant but as we huddled in the square a lady told us to get our car and meet by the fountain. So we did and the lady led a convoy of us out to a field in which was this creation for a brief moment images of the Wicker Man entered my head.... the artist was waiting to answer questions and explain what her creation was about. She said when she was thinking of making this she thought of Tibet an army the colours of the wine and she also wanted to do something to bring the artists and winemakers of the Minervois together. It was quite impressive actually. Upon leaving this site we followed the car in front to see another installation afterwards there was a circus and wine tasting in the village but honestly... 2008-10-30 21:50:23 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#81071 Spurred on by our mountain biking experience last week we tackled a 27 km ride around the lovely Lac Salagou yesterday. Thinking we could beat the heat we set off early but oh no at 9.30 it was already 27 degrees rising to 33 as we were halfway round. Now 27 km doesnt sound much and Im sure its not on a road bike but this course was very technicalwith lots of gravel shingle rocks jumps streams and hill climbs. Of course I fell off. And Iains wheel fell off. And about a third of the way round we both got so very tired I am sure we suffered heat stroke. Of course we had water bottles and half way round there was a water station but after an hour I swear you could have made a goodly cup of tea with the water they heated up so much To top the experience off the very last few km was a steep hill climb never really used gears 1 and 1 before So we made it back to the lake ordered giant Coca Colas drank water Orange and more coke then dived into the Lake to cool off. Picnic to follow but... 2008-6-30 21:55:42 http://www.franceandbeyond.co.uk/page14.htm#81072 ooh arent we lucky Dionysos twice so far this year AND theyre playing not too far away next month so who knows maybe it could be 3 times. They played a great show at the Theatre de la Mer in Sete last night and what a lovely place to watch a concert an outdoor ampitheatre overlooking the med. Very civilised. Our typical haunt back in the North of England was Manchester Apollo need I say any more dodgy rip off parking agressive bossy bouncers overpriced beer the drunken mob of a crowd etc.. In fact I did suffer the French security last night as being a smart arse I smuggled my camera in and I was fine taking photos of the support band what a load of rubbish tell you later but just before Dionysos came on a big chap came over and as much as tried to act the foreign fool they confiscated my camera. I had to join the naughty queue at the end of the night to get it back Anyway Dionysos were awesome as usual and for once it was great to be looking down onto a band and being able to see. ... 2008-6-14 22:02:01