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

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.

Market Days Near Caussi

 One of the joys of life in Caussi in shopping in local village markets each day.  With the freshest produce and great oysters from the Intermarche, we often dine in splendor on the terrace. 

The most authentic, agricultural market is arguably Bedarieux.  And the Saturday market in Pezenas (see left) is totally charming, filled with handicrafts and in a spot surrounded by charming antique shops.

Market day in the villages around Caussi are listed below (and every day is market day in Les Halles in Beziers):

Bedarieux: Monday

Laurens: Thursday

Roquebrun: Tuesday, Friday morning

Beziers: Friday flower market

Pezenas: Saturday

Lamalou les Bain: Tuesday

Autignac: Friday

Magalas: Wednesday

St. Chinian: Thursday

Pezenes-les Mines

Friends who stayed in Caussi raved about the charms of nearby village Pezenes-les-Mines.  "We thought it was a beautiful village to stroll and explore."  Pezenes-les-Mines is a walled village -- a great example of the oldest villages in Languedoc, those that survived the Cathar and Crusader marches through the plains..

Walk to the top of Mt Caroux

One fall day in 2007, we headed by car to Lamalou-les-Bains and then up the mountain to the hamlet of DOUCH, beneath the summit of Le Caroux.  Douch is a perfect village where time seems really to have stood still. Half-a-dozen rough stone houses, inhabited by a handful of elderly residents, cluster tightly together for protection against the elements..  In the meadows below nestles a picturesque church with an ancient cemetery full of graves like iron cots.
From Douch follow the path south of the village to the popular, easy 2.5 miles ascent of Le Caroux (1040m), where you’ll find extraordinary views from the summit along the mountain ridge, south to Beziers, the Mediterranean sea and even the Pyrenees, on a clear day.  We could see the mountain goats scampering up and down over the rocks below.
Walking back through the fallen fall leaves was exquisite—and we stopped in the charming inn at Douch for tea before claiming our car in the parking lot. 
Driving back to Caussi, we chose the route through Rosis, where the road levels out into  a small mountain valley, whose slopes are brilliant yellow with broom in June, and then the village of Combes.  From Combes,  the D180 winds through cherry orchards to Le Pourjol 

The Auberges de Combes (tel 04.67.95.66.55.) offers a splendid meal in an exquisite gorgeous mountain setting (Closed Sunday evening and all day Monday).  Although we’ve driven by many times, we haven’t stopped for a meal yet.  The very first Caussi renters, the Hackman family of Kansas City, raved about their lunch at the Auberges de Combes so we recommend it.

The glorious, soaring bridge at Millau

We were astonished by the beauty of the Norman Foster bridge at Millau, less than an hour from Caussi.  Don't miss this easy trip (and stop for Roquefort cheese at the village of Roquefort en route).

Here are bits from the New York Times article on the Millau bridge:

A DELICATE butterfly of concrete and steel, the viaduct of Millau soars across the sky as if eager to proclaim that no bridge on earth is taller. Yet its arrogant daring can surely be forgiven. It took a feat of engineering and a leap of the imagination to span the rough, rugged Tarn Valley less than an hour from Caussi.
The result is breathtaking.
The gently curving structure dominating the skyline is best appreciated from a distance. When it comes into view, its appearance is always a surprise. The curved white suspension cables of the bridge blend so easily with a blue sky that when the sun is just right, the cables magically disappear, one after the other.
But from almost any angle, the Millau bridge radiates energy. On the approach by car on the A75 from Montpellier, for example, the bridge suddenly sneaks up from around a curve. On the drive along the winding road to the cheese-making town of Roquefort, it abruptly hovers overhead.
The bridge is more than 50 feet higher than the Eiffel Tower (1,125 feet from the bottom of the gorge to the top of the pylon atop the tallest pillar), with a sweep of one and a half miles.
Its architect, the British lord Norman Foster, used light, ultramodern materials to give drivers crossing the bridge the feeling of flying over the valley. He insisted that the roads used to haul materials and equipment during the three-year construction be covered over so the bridge would be surrounded by unspoiled terrain.
Since it opened in December 2004, the bridge has begun to rid the sleepy region of its reputation as a way to somewhere else. The market on Wednesday and Friday at the central square is a local affair, where vinegars and violet garlic in bunches are sold at bargain prices. In ancient times, Millau was the site of some of the largest mass-production pottery factories in the Roman Empire, replacing Arezzo when Italian pottery became too costly to make. The Museum of Millau, in an 18th-century mansion, has a vast collection illustrating just how ubiquitous the pottery was: the stamps of 600 pottery makers have been found on the pieces here.
For visitors interested in Millau's ancient history, Graufesenque just outside Millau is the Gallic-Roman archaeological site of an ancient pottery factory. Only a tiny fraction has been excavated; most of the remains are under the land owned by the neighborhood farmers. The site is enveloped in the scent of wild rosemary. Visitors are invited to picnic under the shade of cherry and walnut trees, where they may have a view of the paragliders who take off from a nearby mountain.
Alain Vernet, the archaeologist who has been working here for 35 years, will show you where the slaves who worked in the factory were housed, as well as the location of the ovens, baths, kitchens, living quarters and a temple area. He can explain how up to 40,000 pieces could be fired in the 1,000-degree oven at the same time and how Millau once produced pottery for the entire imperial Roman army. To demonstrate how plentiful and easy to find pottery shards are, he has collected thousands of them in a pile encircled by a green wire fence.
The Millau Office de Tourisme, 1, place du Beffroi, (33-5) 65.60.02.42, www.ot-millau.fr, can provide information on hotels and tourist sites in the region. Tours of the bridge are offered for $12.
The Viaduc Espace Info, (33-5) 65.58.80.65, three miles on the D992 from Millau, is between bridge pillars P4 and P5. The toll across the bridge is $7.90 in summer; $6 the rest of the year. For information, visit www.leviaducdemillau.com.

Swimming

We're a big swimming family.  Wherever we go, we look for places to swim.  When we are in Caussi in the summer, we usually swim every day. 

A great place to swim for kids and grownups alike is in the Orb River at the town of Roquebrun. There's a beach for picnics, a place to rent a kayak or a canoe, and a great restaurant in Roquebrun itself.

Our favorite beach on the Mediterranean is Serignan Plage (about 20 minutes from our house). (Picture below). We often go there in the late afternoon on hot summer days.   It's easy to park right behind the dunes and, if you want comfort, you can pay 10 euros to lie on a shaded chaise longue...or, as we usually do, just take some beach towels and an umbrella from the house.

The town of Serignan is an old beach town with funky cafes and old architecture.  It's nothing like the crowded ticky tacky of Agde with its boardwalks and condos.

In March the water wasn't warm enough to swim outdoors. Our daughter was training for her New York swim team finals so we tracked down the Beziers town pool...a beautiful indoor facility with locker rooms, cafe, that served her needs perfectly.