Dear Susan,
I'm back and a bit more settled, and still I think about how wonderful my stay was in Caussiniojouls. Here as promised is a list of additions to your guidebooks, things I did that I liked, etc.
1) Markets: A) The Pezenas market on Saturdays is terrific: large, interesting, a true market experience, from fish and meats to cheeses, vegetables and fruits; and while the town is a little further from Caussi than other places, the drive is beautiful.
B) The Fruitier who sets up shop at the corner of D909 and the road into Caussinojouls sells good fruit.
2) Wine in Faugères and nearby: I have a few to add to the list and a general comment. In Languedoc, one calls ahead and makes appointments to visit caves. Also, my tendency on vacation is to pay a little more for wine, which may not be other people's style.
A) From drinking wines of the regions, I wanted to second your comments about Domaine Ollier Taillefer,
B) I wanted to add the name of Domaine Jean Michel Alquier to the list. (There are two Alquiers in Faugères, the other Jean Michel's brother Frederic, who still sells his wine under the name of their father Gilbert). I do not know his whites, but Jean Michel's red wines are excellent: big, beautiful, and in need of cellaring. They are not inexpensive. His cave and chateau are in the center of the town of Faugères.
C) The other winemaker is in nearby Lentheric. (You may have him on your list, but it's Domaine Leon Barral, who makes really fine wines.).
D) I had other excellent wines from the region, in particular white wines from Maxime Magnon (a friend of Barral).
3) Outings: A) The Gorge D'Heric--which is a national monument, I believe. It is a short drive beyond Bedarieux, on the road that travels past Lamalou-Les-Bains and Poujols-Sur-Orb (D908?), perhaps 35 minutes in total. The Gorge is a beautiful canyon through which a stream of water runs. It's beautiful for its flora, but above all for its numerous swimming holes, some with waterfalls; and while it's popular, if one goes late enough in the day and walks far enough up the trail, it's likely you'll have an entirely private experience. Also, the water is surprisingly warm, much more so than the Mediterranean.
B) Among Mediterranean beaches, I wanted to second the beaches at Serignan, especially the northern edge of those beaches, which do abut a kind of family nudist beach but are beautiful sand beaches without large populations of people. The downside to such beaches is that there are not a lot of amenities. Also, as a general point, I'd recommend people bring a beach umbrella and at Serignan, one may want to bring some kind of windstop or set up towels along the edge of the dunes, to break the power of the winds. (This is not always the case, however, as I learned from someone fishing there.).
C) The Gorges and drive to and above St. Guilhem Le Desert. This drive takes you through some beautiful canyon country, past numerous places to canoe and kayak, along small winding roads. St. Guilhem itself is of course interesting for its medieval history, the monastery, and its beauty, so there's a nice combination of history, culture, and the outdoors.
4) Restaurants: A) On the modest end, when I went to pick up someone in Narbonne, we ate at L'Aladdin in Narbonne, a Moroccan restaurant whose tangines were wonderful (e.g. Chicken with Lemon Confit) and who served excellent Moroccan wines, among other wines. The place itself is quite modest in appearance, but the food and the proprietors were great. Also, Narbonne is striking for its Roman history and some of its Renaissance history, especially in the drive along the canal.
B) L'Auberge de Combes: This restaurant is in your guidebook, and I wanted to second the experience. The restaurant is found by climbing into the Languedoc Mountains above Poujouls-Sur-Orb, so a drive in the same direction as the Gorge D'Heric, past Lamalous Les Bains. The road up is all switchbacks, the town beautiful, and the view from the restaurant truly spectacular. The people at the restaurant are really lovely: unpretentious, justly proud of their food and offerings. It is an ambitious restaurant but with slightly less of the formality of, say, L'Octopus in Beziers even if it is elegant. The wine selection is excellent, and the food quite, quite good. It is not inexpensive.
C) L'Octopus: In Beziers, L'Octopus is a Michelin one-star restaurant, and so an ambitious, elegant restaurant whose food and wine were both excellent. The service was fantastic too, so while this meal is a splurge, it was great from the amuse-bouche until the final coffee.
D) Especially if one is visiting in July and perhaps all summer, be sure to go to the numerous Fetes that the towns of the area have, a celebration of the wines or the summer or Bastille Day. They are informal, often involve live musical performances, and a small carnival-like atmosphere; but each was different. The fete in Laurens was a sit-down meal for 15 euros, with an entertainer in the French chanson tradition; the one in Autignac was 3-5 euros for mussels or french fries or wine; and a rock band that covered American and French hits.
Jim
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