Today is market day and Olonzacs is one of the bigger markets in the area. The market starts at the end of the little rue coming off our front door., 25 meters.


There is so much fresh produce,meat,olives, sausages etc etc etc that we have enough food to last us until we leave. We buy a BBQ chook and as a treat some of the spuds. (at the bottom of the large rotisserie where they do the chooks and the hot fat falls they spread scalloped potatoes and herbs out and they get cooked along with the chicken...no heart tick for these suckers!) The fat on chickens in France is yellow...like it used to be in Australia before all our chickens started being made out of plastic. There is even a butchers van specifically devoted to horse meat. Artichokes are certainly in season,as is garlic.


The end of the market is clothing, textiles, handmade jewellery and the usual crap you find at markets, there is even a guy selling ex army gear, he also sells pepper spray and tazers !!!


We finish with a coffee in the square listening to a band which features bagpipes made from sheep ( I think). We have chicken and salad for lunch at the gite.

we decide to walk to a lake that is close by, Lac du Jouarre. We walk through the vineyards to get there...sounds great except for the 100kph breeze. We get to the Lake and no kidding there was white caps on it!! So we settle in to the restaurant at the lake and have a nice long lunch.


We do have to leave eventually so we brave the gale to go back to Olonzac.


Lisa then decides she needs to go for a run !!! (it could have been the red wine or just a rush of blood to the head !!??). We drive to Homps, which is only 3 k's away and on the Canal du Midi. Lisa decides on a direction to run and I start walking the same way and we will meet when she turns around.

I strike a conversation with an american guy at the lock in Homps whilst his boat was brought up to the next level, he and his wife had the boat to themselves.........with a skipper, a maid and a personal chef ! Tough life.


Anyway she didn't enjoy the run , so we go for a drive around the district, basically just make random turns down roads and discover another little village....good fun really.
Back home and Lisa calls it an early night, the big lunch and the run along the canal has taken its toll. I have some olives and red wine for dinner and crash as well.

We meet up with Penny ,one of the local real estate people from the village. She is english and we find the process pretty easy, working our way through a pile of suggested places. We narrow it down to 5 places to look at and whilst we have a coffee at the cafe next door she makes the phone calls......not much luck only one available to view today. An interesting place but we need to see more.








It means we have the rest of the day free so we decide to visit Minerve. On the way we visit a wine co-op (les troise blasons) to do some tasting, some nice stuff, featuring plenty of Syrah (Shiraz). I educate him on the Australian wine industry, he now knows its not all factory produced mass market rubbish, he was very surprised to learn we had vines that in some places are 100 years old.

Minerve,The road winds slowly up the valley , first climbing steeply then falling into the town of Aigues-Vives, that lies along the River Cesse. Perched like a survivor, that it is, marking the massacre inflicted by Simon de Montfort during the crusades against the Cathars in France in 1210.Minerve gives its name to the famous wine of the region - Minervois.The village is a hodge-podge of narrow alleys, topped by a simple 12th century church that apparantly seems closed. ???

There are several shops selling some great handmade stuff and Lisa invests in the local economy once again.
After another drive through the local villages we have Dinner at home.

Sounds wonderful. And it sounds like you are looking for a place to buy in the area?

I am glad you enjoyed the Grand Balcon in Toulouse, I stayed there last September and thought it was very cool. My experience of Toulouse was that the streets were lively every night, lots of people, especially young people.

This is a fun report, and makes me want to go to this part of the country. We spent two weeks nearer to Uzes several years ago, and loved the countryside.

We did drive down to see some of the Cathar castles, and now your report is making me want to go to the Minervois area.

Please keep posting!

I have thoroughly enjoyed this report. Definitely makes me want to include more of this area in our trip planning for next year.

The last day trip from Olonzac saw us head back towards Narbonne for a look at the coast. Gruissan is on the Mediterranean coast near Narbonne, between the hills of the Clape ( rocky hillside of pine trees and vineyards known as the garrigue), the lakes frequented by the pink flamingos( apparantly !! the only one we saw was actually sitting on the dock in the village itself.). Gruissan was originally a fishing village on a small island surrounded by marshland. The narrow streets of Gruissan village encircle the ruined 13th century castle tower which stands out like the proverbial sore thumb.


We were there early so no point in spending too much time so we drove onto Gruissan Plage, the beach !! Very early season so definately no crowds but certainly a nice big expanse of white sand. The local beach shacks are all lifted as the surge tides can run through without notice !! No surf, and despite the early season there were a handfull of topless sunbathers.

Back on the road, to the Abbey of Fontfroide was founded as a Benedictine abbey in 1093 and affiliated with the Cistercians in 1145. Construction on the church began soon after.The last abbot, the saintly Père Jean, died in 1895. A law of 1901 put an end to monastic communities, and the last of the monks fled to Spain. The abbey remained uninhabited until 1908, when the property was sold at auction to those who wished to preserve its art and architecture.

Under this new ownership, extensive restoration was undertaken: stained-glass windows were fitted, decorative wrought iron filled the window openings, and statues and reliefs were added to the walls and gardens. In 1990, a rose garden of more than 3000 rosebushes was planted.

In the cellar, you can taste the Corbières Blanc produced at Fontfroide as well as the Corbières Rouge and the Rosé of St. Julien de Séptieme from the vineyards of the oldest Fontfroide grange which is situated immediately next to the starting point of route D613. The Rosé was particularly good.

The stained glass is excellent despite not being all that old ! The collection of roses was just hitting its stride and the perfume was quite heady.

Back to Olonzac through the back roads, the profileration of wind power towers at times reminds you of something from the War of the Worlds !!

We left Olonzac for the drive to Collioure on the southern coast, we had all day so we added a few highlights on the way. In hindsight we could have gone a hell of a lot more direct, but we avoided toll roads and found some really nice country. First stop was Lagrasse, another one of the "most beautifull villages in France", we arrive just on 11am ...........just as they closed for lunch !! WTF ???????? So we had a wander around the village , had a coffee and took a couple of pics.

The abbey, St Marie d'Orbieu, was founded in 799, with a founding charter from Charlemagne, and it became quickly one of the most important abbeys in southern France. The village is famed for its Abbey, Medieval houses and streets, and a lovely 12th century hump backed bridge.

So, no Abbey to visit, a quick reschedule required, luckily there is so much accessible history so we decide that Termes is the next stop. Well that was was an "interesting" choice as the road there was an "experience".......spouse almost killed me for choosing it, very narrow, very steep and guard rails...........what guard rails !

Chateau Termes held a very strategic position and was finally conquored by the infamous Simon de Monfort. (worth looking up, intrigueing stuff!). We had lunch in the little village of Termes which has a little stream running through it and if my piscatorial eye was correct had a healthly supply of trout in it. Its definately not high season and the only place open was a tiny vegetarian restaurant, and we were the only diners, so the chef sat with us and kept telling us how she didn't sleep the night before.

Back in the car for another unplanned direction change....the little man in the GPS must hate me by now...I never go where he tells me !!

Mirepoix is in the Ariege department of the Midi-Pyrenees near the border with the Languedoc-Roussillon and between Carcassonne and Foix.

The highlight of this ancient bastide town is the central square - the Place des Couverts - surrounded by medieval houses and arcades (covered walkways in front of the shops). The square is absolutely beautiful and very colourful as the timber-framed houses are painted in a variety of pastel shades. Take some time to admire the woodwork involved in these houses - some of the carpentry and decorative features have fascinating details.

The 'Maison des Consuls' is one of the best of these buildings. Have a look at the carved figures on the ancient woodwork, these include African heads, women’s heads and a tortoise. There are an incredible 103 carvings in total! I have to say its a place with a really good feel! The church had a huge pipe organ and there was a guy stuffing around with it while we were in there, amazing sound!

All in all a pleasant day but it is time to head to our home for the last week.

Keep it coming svp!

The last week is to be spent in Collioure, you can't get much closer to the Spanish border and that is part of the appeal.

Collioure is a fishing village, a bit commercialized but still quite attractive. Matisse "discovered" the town in 1905 and, attracted by the light, the sun and the blue of the sky and sea, persuaded other painters to join him. It soon became an artists' mecca, attracting Derain, Dufy, Dali and Picasso. The harbor is full of “working” fishing boats, as well as the four brightly colored ones that seem to remain anchored for the benefit of tourists and tour-guide photographers. There are beaches which seemed quite popular during our stay even though the water is freaking cold .

Collioure is also known for its Sardines !!! and at certain times and wind directions you are remined of it !

The local version of Surf and Turf involves Sardines and ham from the pigs in the Pyrenees!

We walked up the hill behind the town. There was an old windmill and farther up, Fort St-Elme. This is one of the two forts that once guarded the port. The other, Fort Miradou, lies north of town. The trail up to Fort St-Elme was narrow, winding and sometimes steep. The view was worth it. The town has two market days a week and they are a foodie heaven, fresh veggies and fruit, seafood, cheese and charcuterie items. The seafood guy did a nice little sideline of selling 6 freshly shucked oysters and a glass of white wine for 5 euros, and despite it being about 9.30 in the morning they were damn fine.

One restaurant reommendation in Collioure that I am happy to make is a Restaurant called,Le Neptune, here is the menu http://www.leneptune-collioure.com/ great food and the wine was superb !

Sorry if these last bits are slightly dijointed...I can't find my journal !!

We had a look at some real estate this morning and needed an excursion out of town. Ille sur Tet is on the way to the Pyrenees and there was a village I wanted to see on the way. The Pyrenees seem to tower over the countryside and despite being mid May still had a good cover on the peaks. Castlenou is one of those impossibly pretty places that has a perfectly placed spot to take a pic ! Its one of those spots that you want your eyes to soak in as much as possible.

Ille sur Tet is a pretty little village, very much agricultural based.
Just outside of the village is Les Orgues d’Ille, a natural formation just begging for some pics. Certainly not a place to put on your number one priority list but an interesting site none the less.

Half day trip to Perpignan, its a gritty sort of place not all that pleasant ( they do have a very good Rugby side though !), a quick wander around was all we needed. Perpignans positives include an airport that you can get a flight to ANYWHERE in Europe and its on the main rail line heading north and south.

There is a nice park in the middle of town which would have been pleasant if it didn't coincide with the finish of the Perpignan Marathon, you have to love the fact that the after race meal deal for the runners includes wine !

The Castillet shows the Spanish influence in the area, that and the fact that all signs are bilingual.

The fourteenth-century Cathédrale St-Jean on place Gambetta has external walls built of bands of river stones sandwiched by brick. The interior is most interesting for its elaborate Catalan altarpieces, shadowy in the gloom of the dimly lit nave, and for the tortured wooden crucifix, known as the Dévôt Christ, in a side chapel to the south.A very stern french lady warned me about using a flash .

The Pyrenees seem to loom over you nearly everywhere in Roussillon. We use the GPS to set a route for Abbey Martin Du Conigou, but intentionally take a couple of wrong terms just to see what is there, thats how we chance upon a restaurant in a tiny village called Taurinya and the little restautant called Taller . We are talking very small village with a stunning backdrop of the highest mountain in the southern Pyrenees. Great food ! Just for reference its just up the road from Abbey St Michel de Cuxa.

Abbey Martin du Canigou was built from 1005 to 1009, the original bit at least.The abbey consists of two churches; the lower church, dedicated to St. Mary, and the upper, dedicated to St. Martin.The walk up is to say the least is.......... hard ! The views make it worthwhile though.

Back in the car the next stop is Villefranche-de-Conflent its a medieval garrison town suffering from arrested development, 6km up the Têt from Prades, is a tourist classic and lives off it, but is nevertheless an interesting place. Villefranche is the terminus for trains from Perpignan. From here up to La Tour-de-Carol on the Spanish frontier, transport is by SNCF bus, or, the narrow-gauge Petit Train Jaune, which climbs to the valley head at a pace that allows you a walker's or cyclist's proximity to the scenery. It has a complete set of fortified walls which, for a fee, you can walk around. It also hosts a Mushroom museum.

I should have retitled this thread ! LOL

How about a day trip to Spain !! Its a bit surreal jumping in the car and 25 minutes later you are in Spain, the border gates are now nothing more than bird roosts and the Spanish cops barely look up from their paella as you buzz through. The destination is Figueres,the town is the birthplace of artist Salvador Dalí, and houses the Teatre-Museu Gala Salvador Dalí, a large museum designed by Dalí himself Its.situated in the north-east corner of Catalonia, Figueres is about 40 km from Girona, 140 km from Barcelona, 60 km from Perpignan. The Dalí Theatre-Museum, the largest surrealistic object in the world, occupies the building of the former Municipal Theatre, a 19th century construction which was destroyed at the end of the Spanish Civil War.
The hardest part is finding somewhere to park !!!!!

I took an absolute shite load of pics at the museum, its an amazing place and well worth a visit.

In true Dali style there is no program and quite a few exhibits are not labelled.
In conjunction with the art there is a display of Dali designed jewellery next door, stunning stuff but I can assure you wearability was not his highest criteria !!
The ceiling of the main area features Dali ascending to heaven amazing piece of work! Also note that many of the artworks are coin operated, worthwhile having some loose change with you.

Its Cathar castle day, The Cathar religion and its struggles and eventual demise are a very interesting part of French history. The two sites for today are pretty close together, Queribus and Peyrepertuse are stunning in their placement .

Queribus was one of the ‘five sons of Carcassonne' with Aguilar, Peyrepertuse, Puilaurens and Termes. Its remarkable strategic location enabled the castle to survey the plains of the Roussillon in the south and to bar enemies from entering into the Corbières massif. The castle lost its strategic interest in 1659 with the Treaty of the Pyrenees which fixed the border with Spain at its present location.

Peyrepertuse is anchored into the cliff-tops of the Hautes Corbières, Peyrepertuse peaks at 800 metres altitude, surrounded by garrigue vegetation, and overlooks the small village of Duilhac. From the high head-land, the view embraces the neighbouring castle of Quéribus, 5 kilometres away. The site of Peyrepertuse was first occupied during the Roman period, at the beginning of the 1st century B.C.. It had one of the longest long drop dunnies I have ever seen !

If you are in the area these are two you should not miss. Tere are plenty of small villages around with restaurants. We ate in the village of Cucugnan at a place that didn't look all that inspiring but had a superb duck confit !!

Another day for a drive in the country. Ceret lies in the foothills of the Pyrénées mountains, in south-eastern France.Céret is famous for its Musée d'Art Moderne (Museum of Modern Art), which has numerous Picasso paintings, sculptures and ceramics, including the famous bull fighting bowl series. The museum also features paintings by Chagall, Matisse, Herbin, Soutine, lots of Fauves and a few Impressionists. The top floor of the Museum hosts touring exhibitions. Which are patrolled very sternly by hard looking old women who yell at you when you go to take a photo !!

The region around Céret is major fruit producer, in particular famed for its cherries. The first of the season's pick are, by local tradition, sent to France's President. He then spits the pits at the british prime minister.

Back to Collioure for dinner and packing.

The last day saw a drive to Toulouse to drop the car back and catch a flight to Frankfurt ( which was very late) and the the flight to Singapore and onwards to Brisbane and home.

Thank you to all those on the forum who provided valuable input and advice. If you haven't already done so get Stu Dudley to send you his marvellous touring guide !! This corner of France is magnificent, the people welcoming and the scenery and history absorbing.

Thanks for an informative and entertaining report. Might have my wires crossed, but weren't you thinking of buying a place in the area at one stage?

Still do, I will be heading back for a week in November to nail something down !! We know pretty much where we want to buy and we now know what we can expect to buy for our budget. I have made contacts with local people who can assist as well. It will happen

Super report, Marko. TVM

How timely! We're getting ready to do a reconnaissance trip to the very same area next month, as we're planning on spending 11 months there next year. I've set up a number of places to check out, in Uzes, and also Olonzac, Quillan, Limoux and Esperaza. Plus we want to spend some time in Toulouse and Montpellier.

We totally love the area and it's fun to read about your wanderings through there too! I promise not to hijack your wonderful report thread...and pledge to my Fodorite pals that I shall have much to report when we get back