News from Caussi

kayak, bike, hike, wines, dine these friends did it all in May 09 in Caussi

Dear Susan,

Needless to say we have had a wonderful time in your perfect house in Caussi! We are leaving tomorrow morning so I wanted to drop you a note.

We really appreciated your friend who wrote the descriptions of the bike rides--we did most of them, or variations, although it may have taken us a bit longer as we stretched them out to take up much of the day rather than doing them before breakfast!

Phil of Melo Velos met us at your house when we arrived  and was just putting the front wheels on the bikes are we came up the lane. and he will pick them up tonight at 7 so that we had them today.

We also loved kayaking on the Orb, and in fact after a short trip one day went again for a longer trip a second time. We also loved the hike from Moureze with the view of the Lac du Salagou.

Another great outing was biking from Valras Plage to the L'Oppidium an then arriving in Colombiers just in time for an amazing lunch at the Chateau--would recommend it.

We also fell into the camp that rather liked Sete: a delicious meal--real food for real french people. Tonight we are going to La Forge for dinner (rode by on our bikes but it was closed that day!).

Cooking at home, shopping in Laurens (low key, but great strawberries and everything else) and Pezenas (a much bigger deal, but very wonderful), selecting from all the available varieties of delicious cheese, drinking the fresh wonderful Langued'oc red wine have been high points. All in all a wonderful time and there were many things we would have liked to do but had no time for!

Everything in the house is easy to use and has worked perfectly. The deck needless to say is perfect--hard to imagine anything nicer than sitting up there and sipping wine, eating cheese and watching the sun move slowly across the vineyards.....

all the best, and many thanks for sharing your wonderful house,

Kathy

Narbonne - beautiful market, canals, old city

Found this wonderful description of Narbonne:  France on Your Own - Narbonne  It's a  city of great charm, based around the canals, a real Les Halles market, wonderful walking.

Visitor Comments - Swimming, Weather, Tour de France, Chateau de Grezan

July 2007: We took a quick side-trip to Pezenes les Mines and thought it was a beautiful village to stroll and explore. And, if your guests happen to be around when the Tour de France passes by—WOW—do not miss!!!

We loved the beach at Roquebrun; we went there on three hot days and sat in the shade and took dips in the water, with the magnificent view across the way—just lovely. (Our trip to the Mediterranean was not a success; our 11-year-old was very upset by all the naked women! Or at least he was upset being in their presence while his parents were sharing a beach blanket with him. We left after 20 minutes!)

Loved the local markets; we bought fresh fish and vegetables at the one in Laurens and then stopped at the boulangerie there and had an amazing dinner that night. Actually, our very favorite thing was cooking at the house and eating on the rooftop terrace in the evening. We did it every night—didn’t even eat out once

We happened to go to Carcassone on the one day when the temperature was 41 (100+) and aside from there being no shade anywhere, the crowds and honky-tonk souvenir shops took a lot away from the experience. Or maybe it was just the heat. The introductory film was pretty interesting, though.

We were much more impressed by the castle we found outside Laurens called Chateau de Grezan (www.grezan.com) There's a restaurant and hotel there. We were very impressed to see such a huge walled edifice completely intact in the middle of nowhere.

Aside from our day at Carcassone, the temperature was very comfortable—perfect, actually—breezy and sunny. And your beautiful house always stayed cool no matter what.

Bike Rentals in Languedoc

All around Caussi are spectacular (and occasionally challenging) bike rides.  You'll find posts on this blog from two recent visitors with details about their itineraries. (Category: Sports)

If you decide to embark on serious (or even casual) biking, there's no need to box up your own bike and take it with you to France.

Here's a list of places to rent a bike near Caussi and note that Mellow Velo delivers! 

http://www.creme-de-languedoc.com/Languedoc/activities/bike-hire-rentals.php

Don't miss Pezenas

Pezenas was the seat of local Government during the 16th-17th Centuries, and is today one of the prettiest towns to visit near Caussi. The medieval architecture is so distinctive that many French films are set in Pezenas. We go to the Saturday market, the antique shops (much of the furniture in our house came from forays to the antiquaires of Pezenas), the restaurants, and to have ice cream in the cafes on the square.

Nestled between the Mediterranean sea and the Haut Languedoc (the hills on which Caussinioujouls is perched), Pezenas is a town rich with the sort of ambience that Languedoc is famous for. its wines and specialty foods are numerous, such as "Les Petits Pates" (a sort of warm mince pie) and "Berlingots" (a unique type of boiled sweet that everyone should try).

Not to mention the almost inexhaustible range of olives, honey and of course wines. Reds, Roses and whites from the slopes of the the new wineries of the region can be found at wine shops throughout the town.

The old town is rich with Artisans all still practicing their individual crafts, with skills such as leatherwork, jewelery making, glass blowing, metal work, painting and sculpture that have been passed down from generation to generation. They set up shop in small workshops during the summer months, offering visitors the chance to take home a truly unique gift or memento of the area. During the winter months all the 'E' Shops in the old town close so the artisans can busy themselves painting, sculpting and building ready for the summer months ahead.

The arts and crafts theme continues away from the old town, with family runs shops such as "2en1" in Rue Conti. Specialising in high quality material for patchwork (a favoured local pastime) along with candles, candle holders and other table decorations and gifts, "2en1" is a friendly place to visit and an ideal stop in the search for a little something to remind you of your visit to Pezenas.

Pezenas is also well known for it's antique shops, with over thirty shops lining  the main route through the town.

Pezenas is a town that has always been popular with actors, singers and all manner of performing artists. It was this love of the arts that attracted the famous French playwright, Moliere to Pezenas back in the mid 1600's. Moliere felt a real bond with the town and regularly performed in the "Hotel d'Alfonce" (17th century) in Rue Conti, undoubtedly one of the most beautiful buildings in Pezenas and one of the most sought after by history loving visitors. The Hotel is open to visitors from June to September.

As well as arts and crafts and antiques, don't miss the weekly market, in the centre of town on Saturday mornings. A wonderful selection of locally produced food and wine, as well as a huge selection of flowers and clothing.

And finally. A visit to Pezenas would not be complete without enjoying a truly sumptuous meal in one of the many restaurants dotted throughout

the town.

What's the weather like in Caussi?

Languedoc is the region of France with the most sun!  It's warm and dry and beautiful from April through November with glorious blue skies.  Montpellier gets over 300 days of sun per year! July and August can be quite hot, although it's always dry and cool in the shade.

Here's a weather chart so you can judge for yourself how much sun there is and how little rain.

For more details on the average high and low temperatures by month see:

http://www.languedoc-france.info/1101_temperatures.htm

A great kid-friendly vacation in Caussi...

Here are Dylan and Zelda enjoying dinner on the terrace (Aug 08)...The kids loved all the beaches...we went to Serignan Plage (a favorite), Roquebrun (kids loved the stones and cool, clean water).  Cap d'Agde beach has a great kiddie play/water park.
    We found lots of playgrounds as well...one right by the Bedarieux market.  Amazingly, they loved wandering around Pezenas with all the fun shops and the ice cream shop that delivers your ice cream cone shaped like a rose!  We ate at La Tartine in Pezenas...recommend it.
  Instead of driving from the UK, next time we may try the train or Ryannair to Beziers...

Great long bike ride from Caussi

May 2008: I brought my road bike and had some unbelievable rides in all directions. The riding is generally pretty challenging since there aren’t many places to go that don’t involve climbing. The best long climb I went on was about 55 miles—the route goes from Caussi to Cabrerolles to St. Nazaire to Roquebrun, then up the D14 towards the D908. Before you get to the D908, there’s a turn that takes you on about an 8 mile climb, through Le Pin and Le Lau, then a rather exciting descent down to Les Aires. It is a spectacular ride.  There are several nice rides in the other direction, all involving Pezenas les mines, which is a lovely little town.

Auberge de l'Abbaye - Villemagne

From the Kilbreth family (May 2008): we really enjoyed  the Auberge de l’Abbaye in Villemagne. It was exceptionally good—and the wine they  recommended was from Caussi!  You can get menus starting at 27 euros and going all the way to about 58, so you can make it as pricey as you want. But it’s a lovely spot in a spectacular 17th century Abbey with 1 star cuisine, all based on fresh, local ingredients.

From a French guide book:

Charmante petite auberge de campagne, située dans un village classé, au coeur du Parc Régional du Haut Languedoc. Utilisant une petite partie d'une ancienne abbaye cistercienne, cette auberge bénéficie d'un cadre exceptionnel, voûtes du XIIéme siécle, mobilier en bois massif. Vous y goûterez une cuisine originale et inventive élaborée exclusivement à base de produits frais et locaux.

Spécialités : Roulades de Foie Gras aux Figues et Magret sur son croustillant, Etoile d'Anchois de Sète avec sa Poivronnade à boire.

AUBERGE DE L'ABBAYE
Place du Couvent
34600 VILLEMAGNE L'ARGENTIERE
Tél : 04.67.95.34.84
Fax : 04.67.95.34.84

Excellent Casual Restaurant in Pezenas

Our friend and Marseilles native Marion Dubois strongly recommends La Flambee in Pezenas (27, rue de la Foire) for its warm, casual atmosphere accompanied by a simple menu of homemade pasta, house pizzas, grilled shrimp, and salads, all of incredibly high quality.  Very welcoming ambience.

Located in one of charming historic buildings in the heart of Pezenas...Don't miss.

LA FLAMBEE – LES BABOUCHES DE MOLIERE
27, rue de la Foire 
PEZENAS

Tél : 04 67 98 09 19

closed Sunday evenings and Mondays