I am a member of several walking groups. I have been telling them about my French house and the lovely countryside around it, good for walking & cycling.
Three of my colleagues Elizabeth, Betty & Paddy agreed to join me for a week in the south of France.
We travelled from East Midlands to Carcassonne airports, a less than 2 hour flight.
There we collected a hire car and drove to make house in the village of Argeliers,taking about an hour.
Having shopped at the local Intermarche supermarket, I first showed them round the house and their bedrooms.
We then did a walk round the village to get them orientated. They seemed pleasantly surprised by the house & village.
We dined on takeaway pizzas from the nearest restaurant about 70yards away.
We eat outside as we did for all our meals during the week.
The next being Tuesday there is a market in Olonzac. The market covers the whole town and is the largest in the local villages. After enjoying the market we walked to Homps on the Canal du Midi which is lively in summer with two locations for hire boats.
After a drink in the Rive Gauche we walked along then Canal & then to the Lac du Jourass between Homps & Olonzac.
This is used for swimming & boating, only Bet was brave enough to go swimming.
Afterwards we returned to Olonzac and drove home.
The next day we did a walk from my house over the hill behind the village to the village of Bize Minervois. We walked round the attractive village and the sat by the river for a picnic
The river is made into a swimming pool during the summer & Bet again went for a swim and since the water came from the mountains it was cold.
After a picnic by the river we walked to Cabazec where they produce olive oil, we walked round the shop and were surprised at the cost of the special olive oils. We then walked back through the vineyards to my house.
This is used for swimming & boating, only Bet was brave enough to go swimming.
Afterwards we returned to Olonzac and drove home.
The next day we drove Peyriac de Mer and followed a recommended walk. The area was once used for salt production and so causeways have been built to enclose the lagoons.
The walk took us over pontoons to a former island and walked round and over it the height at the top being 58 or 82 metres above sea level dependant on which information you read.
Afterwards we returned to the car and wandered round the pretty village.
We drove to Bages another attractive village most of which is situated up a steep hill.
I had bought another value bike at the local Intermarche. Paddy made sure that this and the other 3 bikes were OK. We therefore cycled to ‘Le Chat qui Peche’ and had an enjoyable alfresco meal on the banks of the Canal du Midi.
On Friday with a change of plan we went to Beziers, a historical city dating from the Ancient Greeks, We parked by the ‘neuf ecluses’ , nine locks enabling the barges to descend into a quay at Beziers. This are has been turned into a tourist attraction with boat trips & a road train into the town
We walked along the canal cut to the quay. Where this section ended we walked to the River Orb and along to where the Canal goes over the river.
We then decided to walk up to the city centre after one dead end we reached the cathedral at the top. There were steps up the tower so we had to go up, and as the cathedral is perched on a cliff there were magnificent views down to the Orb and the canal, and also to the Montagne Noire to the north.
The following day we went to Minerve another Cathar stronghold and despite forgetting the walk book had a pleasant walk in hills behind the village and then down into the gorges which cover 3 sides of the village.
On Sunday we went to Narbonne after a look round the historic centre including a Roman road & magnificent cathedral, we went to the markets, an external one selling clothes & other goods and then to the daily internal food market with all manner of food and restaurants to eat it.
Afterwards we went to Narbonne Plage, a magnificent stretch of sand. A triathlon was taking place which was over twice the Olympic distance! The slower competitors were just getting back after over 6 hours 30 minutes.
I had hoped to watch the local Rugby team at Argeliers and then take part in a Petangue game but was too late.
Later we attended the monthly Apero, a get together with wine & sancks, of the Argeliers sans frontier, a local club for ex-pats & locals.
On Monday we had to return to the cold & damp of England but on the way to the airport we visited La citie at Carcassone. The largest of the Cathar fortresses,really awalled city, which has been restored to its 13th century glory.
We the returned the hire car and flew home.
