Where in Languedoc on August 2 can you find somewhere cool and un-crowded avoiding the busy roads the radio stations call ‘un jour rouge’? Not so difficult when you live in such an ideal location as I do!
Turn right from the House and head north west up into the hills – St Gervais sur Mare, Castanet le Haut, Murat sur Vebre, Nages to Lac du Lauzas. It was lunch time in Murat sur Vebre and to find the village en fete was a dream come true, offering a stunning 11€ lunch of barbequed local beef (to die for) jacket potato and salad, followed by 3 huge pieces of local cheeses with an oreillette. This is cattle and grain country, 800 – 1000m up; so green and lush looking and with a temperature some 12 degrees cooler than our sun-baked schist, grape growing region! The lake looked as if it was anywhere other than in Languedoc with beautiful planting. The red and orange berries of the Rowans were a joy and the real find of the day was several ‘Cardabelles’. These are the yellow saucer like flowers growing from the murderously pricklely leaves that are pinned onto Languedoc doorways in ancient villages. (A mystery as to how anyone cold handle them, let alone pin them to a door!) Along the waters’ edge there are little plages, sandy bits to sit on. There is a ‘Leisure Area’, which quite honestly is a throw back to the 1960’s – grassy banks for sitting, crazy golf and a trampoline, pedalo look-alikes with a little engine to hire by the half hour. This different world is only 1 hour away along the prettiest of routes, albeit quite narrow in places!
We drove around the lake to Fraisse sur Agout, another ‘village de fleurie’. Do stop and take a coffee or beer in the little bar with lovely outside seating overlooking the river. I was fascinated by the French families all armed with very long bamboo canes and fixed fishing line with a float – dangling them into the water from the bank. They were catching their supper – trout! Not so easy to catch but some managed 6 in a relative short space of time. They had to pay 1€80 for each fish caught. A cheap supper it seemed to me! (mind you – you have to gut and clean them)…..
Time to head back driving through the Foret de l’Espinouse….take a camera to capture some of the stunning views heading for St Gervais and home to Brousson.
This was my treat for a trying week….
A puncture in Narbonne on Tuesday. This is a great city and the highlight was fabulous tapas and a La Clape tasting with Eric at El Rincon in the famous Les Halles, a must for a visit anytime.
On Wednesday the builders renovating ‘the tower’ of La Tour dug the chemin up AGAIN, the second time in 2 weeks – without any warning marooning the guests!
I scalded my left hand quite badly on Thursday – here is me with my hand plastered in green mud to draw out the heat. So come Sunday I was ready to head out!
