News from Caussi.com

A Stroll in Pezenas

By Justin Postlethwaite

Editor, FrenchEntrée  (Susan: this is one of our favorite websites about France so I was thrilled to find this ode to Pezenas--don't miss the Saturday morning market.  Take the back road from Faugeres to Pezenas for a lovely tour through the hills and the vineyards toward the coast.)

Let’s start in the best place imaginable – a sun-kissed lunch table in the Languedoc. I’m perched on an unremarkable restaurant terrace in the centre of Pézenas, a staggeringly pretty small town with Molière connections (more of this later), and set before me is a giant mound of perfectly dressed duck salad. Beside it sits a welcoming cold beer and 10 yards away the hubbub of Saturday morning dissipates under the 1pm sun as the weekly market winds down.

The latter day wanderer seeking intrigue, stimulation and beauty at every turn should head to Pézenas, a town of quintessential rustic comeliness where it’s enjoyable to become fully lost in its mazy sidestreets. Cast your map aside as I did and the rewards for eyes-wide, lazy strolling are rich. Around this corner is bustling Place Gambetta, the town’s picture-perfect social hub framed by cafés and restaurants. Down that narrow, bunting-lined street (Rue Conti) is a row of artisan craft shops and a horsemeat butcher (topical!) while up that small lane where a cat snoozes in the sun is a hôtel particulier with ornate staircases and a courtyard of Moroccan riad proportions. These private mansions opening out on to magnificent courtyards and gardens form the town’s splendidly preserved cluster of 15th-18th century buildings. Less a step back-in time, more a giant stride.

Those for whom the randomness of flânerie is too much could seek guidance at the magnificently housed tourist office, set in a 17th-century private mansion, the Hôtel du Peyrat. The building also presents Scenovision Molière, a 3D show that recounts the writer’s life and works. He rocked up with his theatre company, L’Illustre Théâtre, in 1650, and put on plays for the General States of Languedoc (the governor of Languedoc was his patron for a while), before returning twice more in 1653 and 1656. It’s believed that time spent in Pézenas shaped Moliére’s work considerably – and local authorities are keen to embrace the fact as a tourist pull. Keep an eye out for a square, statue, café and more dedicated to the man born Jean-Baptiste Poquelin. There are also plenty of Molière-inspired live events staged in the town, as well as the Mirondela dels Arts that kicks off the summer season.

Pézenas is a wonderfully vibrant place, with a busy Saturday market, craft evenings on Wednesdays and Fridays in the summer, as well as wine growers’ soirée Les Estivales du Vin on Friday evenings. There is a major crafts scene in play here. The town proudly displays its coveted Town of Arts and Crafts label and you can’t walk 20 yards without chancing upon another artist in residence, a stained glass maker, potter, jeweller or a wood worker chiselling his latest creation. There are artisan biscuit makers, sweet shops piled high with packets of boiled berlingot sweets and small bakers selling the noted local delicacy, the petit pâté de Pézenas, a sweet-savoury lamb parcel that’s perfect for a lunchime snack. All of these great ouvriers present souvenir ideas, as does a nose around one of the town’s 50 or so antique dealers.

I might not be quite what flânerie fan Baudelaire characterized as a “gentleman stroller of city streets”, but I know what I like when it comes to France’s illustrious towns of art and history. Head to Pézenas and you will too. Being told to “get lost” will never sound so appealing.

For more information please visit www.pezenas-tourisme.fr

Elizabeth Y and family from Australia - Visit June 2015

Dear Susan,

We are well and truly home and I am remiss for not having thanked you earlier for use of your home in Caussiniojouls.  (And thank you for the check returning our security deposit.)

We were delighted with it from the moment we walked in. Such a blessing. We dined on the terrace most evenings and I always took my morning cup of tea up there. We loved the swifts flying overhead and the views across the fields; checking which sector the farmer was spraying each day.

We struck a season of hot weather, most days in the high 30's but the breezes in the morning and evening were lovely.

We did not see the bread lady but the meat van was in the village on the Wednesday.

We had a fine tasting at the cave and enjoyed the local wine from there as well as the co-operative along the main road.

We ventured to the coast and had a nice afternoon there but found exploring north along the Orb River valley, Lamalou & the National Park simply delightful. This was a favourite. We felt very privileged to have been able to stay there.

From Susan: Here is the review Elizabeth posted on VRBO:

We truly relished the peace of this home and this village amongst the vineyards. Particular care has been taken to make this a welcoming space from the Provençale furnishings and fresh soaps and towels to the supply of games and books. This is a lovely old stone house, well restored; we got used to the tilt of the bedroom floors and loved the authenticity of it. T

he views from all the rooms are a delight but from the roof-top terrace, not to be surpassed. We spent mornings and evenings up here catching the breezes after hot days; enjoying sunrise and sunset; watching the swifts on the nightly flights.

The house is well located between the mountains and the sea. There are good restaurants within a 15 or 30 minute drive and an excellent supermarket about 15 minutes down the road; and a cave selling local wines right on your doorstep

Two Sisters and Their Adult Daughters - Stay in September 2015

Dear Susan,

We had a lovely stay and it was a dream to be there. We couldn’t believe it when we opened the shutters on the first morning and looked out over the rolling vineyards. We are still enjoying the sound of the Spanish workers shouting to each other in the evening.

It was a perfect location for us – we travelled in all directions to see many things – Carcassonne, Albi, Couveratouraide, Sete, Pezenas, and even Nimes.  It was a bit of madness to do so much driving, but we did! The driving through the countryside was amazing – we even saw a wild boar one night as it skittered across the road.

We had a lovely walk in the village one evening, and we had a monster view of the eclipse – it was perfect for night viewing.

We cooked and ate a bit on the terrace and really enjoyed it.

We borrowed the travel books, we used the washer (thank you for the soap), we were amazed at all the spices (which we used a little, and we left some stuff behind, too). we cooked, the dining room table was excellent.

 Thank you so much for a really wonderful stay – it set us to dreaming of having our own little place in the south of France. I am envious. And, actually, we loved the region and would come back in a minute.

Two Couples from Maine - Visited Caussi in June 2015

Hi Susan: 

We had a wonderful time at your place and exploring a bit.  Our first Sunday and our last Friday meal were up in the mountain restaurant (Auberge de Combes). 

 

We met a wonderful couple from Switzerland on the Sunday, the wife of whom owns and runs a vineyard, Clos D’Eve, and they were sharing her last bottle and planning to restock them.  She later took us around her vineyard operation as she slowly rebuilds it (now 7 years).  Building a home, meanwhile renting. He’s finishing up in the IT dept. of the Swiss Army, so a bit of a commuter marriage. 

 

Hit a couple of the day markets, loved the one on Monday.

The only disappointing day was spent going down to the coast to Agde and Sete.  Never discovered the charm though we had some oysters in the little protected port area. 

 

We did some hiking, mostly in the vineyards, and went up into the Alpine area beyond the wonderful restaurant;  lovely there. 

 

Loved your terrace patio and the quiet village you’re in.  You have a lovely place and we’re grateful we found you in the Harvard magazine.  

   Dave

How to set up your iPhone to minimize cost while in Europe

 I use my iPhone for everything--including Google Maps--while in France and use many of the tips in this article to minimize expense.  So I'm pleased to pass these tips on to Caussi visitors:

The article is by Tom Meyers, published on April 22, 2015 here:

http://www.eurocheapo.com/blog/iphone-in-europe-tips-for-avoiding-a-billing-surprise.html

So, you’re planning to use your American smartphone during your upcoming trip to Europe. Great. But how can you ensure that you’re not going to accidentally blow through all of your data and come home to a $800 bill from your carrier?

Using data? Get a plan.

If you’re an AT&T, Verizon or Sprint iPhone customer and are planning, at any point during your trip, to use a data network to access the web or use emails, you are strongly advised to get some sort of plan. Otherwise, it will cost you. (AT&T, for example, charges a hefty $0.0195 per KB without a plan. Sure, that sounds like pennies, but it gets ugly quickly!)

Click through to read more about international data and phone plans for AT&T customers and for Verizon customers.

Sprint customers should first call the carrier to activate your phones for international roaming (and to make sure that your specific device will even work in the countries you’re visiting). You could then sign up for Sprint’s underwhelming international options, including their “Worldwide Voice” package that lowers per-minute charges for phone calls from $1.99 (without a plan) to $.99. Data packages run $40 (40 MB) or $80 (85 MB), and texts cost $.50 each to send.

T-Mobile customers who have signed up for one of the carrier’s “Simple Choice” plans are in much better shape, as the carrier offers free text messaging and data use throughout Europe, and much less expensive phone calls than its rivals (only $.20 per minute). Note that other T-Mobile plans are much less generous, so confirm that you’re on a “Simple Choice” plan before you fire up your iPhone and start Instagramming from Istanbul.

If you are a T-Mobile customer with a Simple Choice plan, congrats. You don’t really need to follow the rest of this article or change the way that your phone is set up. Just know that those phone calls will be billed at an additional $.20 per minute.

How much data do you need?

Let’s imagine that you’ve signed up for AT&T’s $30 passport plan, which comes with 120 MB of data transfer, unlimited texting, and “discounted” phone calls (still a steep $1 per minute). What exactly does 120 MB represent?

As I mention in this post, here are some data use estimates:

• Sending or receiving an email (without attachment): Approx. 20 KB per email; (with attachment) Approx. 300 KB per email

• Loading 1 webpage: 1 MB per page

• Streaming music: 500 KB / minute (30 MB / hour)

• Streaming video (standard quality): 2 MB / minute

I’m going to assume that we’re all steering clear of streaming music and video while traveling (when not connected to Wi-Fi), and that your data use primarily consists of checking emails, using Google maps and pulling up an occasional web page.

If you just stick to emails (and don’t open any large attachments), you could download or send more than 6,000 normal-sized emails with AT&T’s $30 120 MB plan! That’s, um, quite enough for me (especially while on vacation!).

But hey, everyone’s data needs are different. Check out AT&Ts handy data calculator to estimate how much data you require. This is especially handy if you plan to browse the web or (heaven forbid!) fire up your apps.

How to set up your iPhone for international travel

Okay, you’re ready to configure your phone. The following is how I set up my iPhone 5. Note that new phone models may have different locations for some of the settings listed below. A bit of detective work may be required to find them.

                       

1. Turn off data roaming.

First things first. Turn off your data roaming to stop your phone from hooking up with a data network while traveling.

Chances are your carrier doesn’t operate cell towers in the country you’re visiting. Thus, if you need to access a data network, your phone will need to roam around and find a network with which it can work. By turning this off, you’re effectively blocking your phone from joining these partner networks.

Note: When you do want to use your data plan and access these data networks, you’ll flip this button back on. But remember, as a default, it’s best to keep this off.

Go to: Settings > Cellular > Data Roaming. Turn off.

(To make it easy, the iPhone even says “Turn data roaming off when traveling to avoid charges when web browsing and using email and other data services.”)

 

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2. Turn off Cellular Data.

When I’m traveling in Europe, I usually turn off my cellular data, as well. Even if I’ve been assured many times by AT&T that I only need to turn off Data Roaming, I still turn off cellular data, just to make sure that my phone is blocked from using data until I want it to use data. (Apple also suggests turning both off when traveling abroad.)

By turning off your cellular data, you effectively block your phone from accessing all data networks, restricting its use to placing calls and sending SMS text messages, although you can use all of your other features (apps, email, Internet, iMessage) when you connect it to a Wi-Fi network.

Note that if you flip the order of #1 and #2 here, turning off your cellular data first, your data roaming will also turn off. You can’t roam for data if you’ve already turned off your phone’s access to data.

As with data roaming, if you want to use your data package, you’ll need to turn cellular data back on, then turn on data roaming.

Go to: Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data. Turn off. (Note that “Enable LTE” will also disappear as soon as you turn off Cellular Data.)

 

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3. Cut off your apps’ cellular data connection.

Your apps can’t work without a data connection or a Wi-Fi network. Even so, you should go in through your cellular settings and manually turn your apps off to prevent them from hogging your data plan.

But wait, if you’re planning to already turn off your cellular data (by following the two previous steps), isn’t this a bit redundant? Not necessarily.

Don’t forget that many of us allow our apps to send us push notifications and to run on their own in the background. If you keep all of them activated, the moment that you turn on your data roaming in Paris to check your emails, they could kick into gear, tearing through your data allotment.

To prevent this, take a moment to scroll through your list of apps and turn off their data connection, one by one. (Note that you’ll need to do this prior to turning off your cellular data, as turning off your cellular data makes these buttons inaccessible.)

Once these apps have had their cellular data access turned off, they will still be usable over a Wi-Fi network. If you wish to use cellular data for these apps (for example, using Google Maps over cellular data, which I do all the time from abroad), simply turn them back on when you need them!

Go to: Settings > Cellular > Use Cellular Data For. Turn off apps, one by one.

 

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4. Reset your statistics and monitor your data usage.

This one is fun and essential. At the very bottom of the “Cellular” page is a simple little link that states, “Reset Statistics”. Once you’ve arrived abroad, click this link and start tracking your international data usage. You’ll see your total data usage and your telephone usage at the top of the “Cellular” page (under “Cellular Data Usage”).

Keep track of your usage here and you shouldn’t come home to any unpleasant billing surprises, especially if you’ve purchased the right data package for your trip.

The only hiccup with this, unfortunately, is that the stats aren’t always totally up-to-date. It turns out that AT&T can have delays in reporting international data usage (as international carriers are actually providing you with the network and then, later, reporting it back to AT&T). I’d suggest erring on the side of caution here.

Go to: Settings > Cellular > Reset Statistics. Click it.

 

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5. Turn “Fetch New Data” to “Manual” to stop automatic email downloads.

When I’m traveling, I also turn off my phone’s ability to automatically check and download emails. Even if my data roaming is almost always set to “off” (preventing me from accessing emails), I still don’t like my phone automatically fetching anything the moment I turn the data roaming to “on”.

Go to: Setting > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Fetch New Data. Switch “Push” to “Off” and click “Manually” at the bottom of the screen under “Fetch”.

Once switched to “Manually”, you’ll be able to check and send emails by turning on your data roaming and cellular data, then opening your mail program. Simple.

In Montpellier, cypresses grow as high as ....

From the New York Times: FEB. 26, 2015

By EMILY BRENNAN

In Montpellier, cypresses grow as high as the bell tower of Eglise Ste.-Thérèse. Whelks, caught that morning from the nearby Mediterranean Sea, are sold by the dozen with a side of aioli at the covered market Halles Castellane. The Musée Fabre, a national museum that houses works by the likes of Delacroix and Courbet in a grand 18th-century chateau, manages to feel inviting, not intimidating. Even its visitors, sipping their espresso at the cafe Insensé on the front lawn, look more like leisured houseguests than the sort of wearied tourists you see at the Louvre. Montpellier, France’s eighth-largest city, is blessed with a Mediterranean sun and a beautiful, walkable historic center, a tourist destination in its own right….

.On our way back to Montpellier after a night in the countryside, I began to see its originality. It lay not in the center’s 19th-century architecture, stunning though it may be, particularly the Place de la Comédie and the ornate Italianate opera house there. Nor was it in its vibrant cafe culture, though seemingly every back alley is lined with dimly lighted cafes teeming with young people (among my favorites now are the pub Le Rebuffy, Au P’tit Quart d’Heure, and the Comptoir de L’Arc). What makes Montpellier remarkable is the way nature unexpectedly asserts itself amid all of the stone and concrete.

 It seemed as if our short country visit was making me see, more vividly, the highway divider with a hedge of pink bay bushes. Or the parking lot with two statuesque cypresses at its entrance. Or the single olive tree at the center of a roundabout. More interesting than the city’s plane-tree-lined plazas were people’s gardens, overgrown with lemon trees, palm trees and grapevines. Better still was the Jardin des Plantes, one of the oldest botanical gardens in France and a magnificent trove of Mediterranean flora. 

The night before we returned to New York, I sat on my grandmother-in-law’s balcony admiring the Eglise St.-Roch and, in the distance, the illuminated towers of Cathédrale St.-Pierre, proud that I now knew their names. Looking out over the Spanish-tiled houses, as I finished the last of the pastis, I thought, “I wish we had more time here.”

If You Go Montpellier

At the covered market Halles Castellane (Rue de la Loge; 33-4-67-66-29-92) you can buy everything from fresh fruit to cheese to prepared food. Load your plate, grab a table on the terrace and order coffee, wine or pastis from the roving waiter. The market is open every day from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., except Sundays, when it closes at 1:30 p.m.

The Musée Fabre (39 Boulevard Bonne Nouvelle; open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; admission, 6 euros, about $6.70 at $1.13 to the euro) has an impressive collection of 17th- to 19th-century European paintings, particularly of Montpellier-born artists like Frédéric Bazille and Auguste-Barthélemy Glaize.

Along the bustling, tree-lined Esplanade Charles-de-Gaulle are many lovely cafes and restaurants, including an outpost of the bistro Chez Boris (17 Boulevard Sarrail; chezboris.com), which offers a dizzying number of beef cuts.

The Jardin des Plantes de Montpellier (Boulevard Henri IV;  which boasts 2,000 plant species, is open Tuesday through Sunday; free.

September in Caussi - 2014

Hi Susan,

We got home from Barcelona on Monday evening after a very long day. We all enjoyed our stay at Caussi. It was a different experience for us since we usually plant ourselves in a large city or take a wild tour around the country. This time we took it easy and enjoyed the house, visited several of the spots that you suggested and generally relaxed.

One weekday, my daughter and I went to Serignan Plage and then to Valras Plage for lunch but arrived just as the restaurants were closing. Too bad! The Menus looked very good, particularly for fish. This beach is a good destination on September weekdays since it is relatively quiet. We did get our shorefront meal a couple of days later at Meze on a beautiful day.

We stayed near Collioure for a few days after leaving Caussi. I would recommend Collioure as a day trip to those who do not mind a comparatively long day on the road.

Our stay at Caussi was a welcome time of tranquility sandwiched between a hectic beginning and a hectic end of our vacation in Europe.

Pete & Jeanne

Utterly Transformative Experience - A visit in July 2014

Note from Susan:  I asked Jim, a New York professor who has twice spent three weeks at our house, whether he would post comments about his stay on our VRBO page. I was honored to read what's below and have copied here to our Caussi site.

 

It may well be that the constellation of experiences one can have from a visit to this village and a stay at this home has wrecked me for other vacations, but I'm the better for it. 

 

In what follows, I will gush to the point that you may suspect me of being a plant. I'm not: This is my second time renting here.  From the utter congeniality of its owners to the wonderful possibilities of staying in this location, I cannot recommend this place more highly. 

 

Within a short distance--that is, a drive of 20-40 minutes at most and sometimes less--you can be swimming on a Mediterranean beach of extraordinary beauty, diving into a pool of fresh water and leaning against a waterfall, eating at a Michelin-star restaurant, hiking in the mountains, marketing in one of many villages or towns in the area, or visiting any of a number of very good winemakers. 

 

Then there's taking off from the village for a 2-hour trip, which would be enough time to visit the art and Roman ruins of Arles as well as the extraordinary birds of the wildlife refuge of the Camargue; Girona in Spain (or Barcelona only an hour more).  All of this is to say that the location and possibilities are extraordinary and fit many ages. 

 

The house itself is a winning combination of amenities and a rustic charm, and suitable for families or couples or individuals of many ages.  You can cook sumptuously in it and relax in it with ease.  Whether it is the view of the Mediterranean towns from the roof deck at night or from the front bedroom, there is a peacefulness to the place, an utter quiet that is restorative. 

 

The owners are honorable and reliable, too. I feel deep affection for this place, which occurred almost instantly but has built over two visits taking place in two different summers, each for multiple weeks.  To my mind, that speaks to one of those rare times when my impulses have not proven themselves wrong.  I've only deepened in satisfaction for this village and this home.

A True Home - from the Nadler family

Note from Susan:

Yaniv and Yael Nadler, along with their daughters Lili and Ada, live in Paris where Yaniv is an architect.  The family has been spending August in Caussiniouojouls for the last eight years (and sometimes New Year's as well).  They've become family friends and Caussi's biggest fans. 

Here's a recommendation that Yaniv posted to our page on VRBO in the fall of 2014:

 

 

Yet again we had a great summer in Caussi. Lili is now 8 years old which means this is our 8th visit.

We wanted to say a few warm words about how the house makes us feel that we are visiting a friends house instead of any ordinary characterless  gite. The house is generous In light, in its scenery, in its effortless style, in its kitchen spices and utensils!  In its bed linen! and more.

It is such an optimistic welcoming house and each time when we sit on the terrace and see the Pyrenees mountains on the south or the fire works on the beach at night (40km away!) it fills us with joy. Beautiful.

For us the house sits on the right spot between mountain and sea. We love to go to the beach at Portiragne but also to Lake Vailhan or for river swimming at Roquebrun. We saw a great exposition of Rosson Crow this year at Serignan and of course we went to the MIAM at Sete. Yael took this year couple more horse riding lessons and has become a real cowgirl :-) even Ada started to take Poney lessons. On the last weekend there was a concert at the Chateau (flute & Harp) and this year we discovered another new great market at Lamalou-les bains (on tuesday). We already miss it till next summer.

Languedoc Named Best Wine Travel Destination by the Wine Enthusiast

Languedoc, France

 

Note from Susan: I was pleased to see this article about the region around our house.  Some of our visitors have been surprised to find themselves surrounded by vineyards so here's my chance to clarify! Caussiniojouls is a wine-growing village.

 

From The Wine Enthusiast:

A part of Languedoc-Roussillon, the world’s largest wine-producing region, Languedoc lies in the sunny south of France, bordered by the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Mountains. It stretches west from the Roman city of Nîmes to the borders of the Aude départment. A vast expanse of multiple landscapes, grapes and weather patterns, this up-and-coming area stands out for its exciting, excellent value wines and unspoiled, vine-covered vistas. With its sandy, golden coastline and cool, green climes inland, visitors have the best of both worlds. —Louise Hurren

Where to Dine 

Some of the most authentic restaurants here are hidden in the heart of wine country. Le Faitout (Berlou), l’Auberge du Presbytère (Vailhan) and Ô. Bontemps (Magalas) offer intimate dining paired with local wines, while the charming Relais Chantovent offers traditional regional cuisine in the must-see medieval village of Minerve. For something more unusual, dine al fresco in Domaine Gayda’s luxury barbecue straw huts (a short drive from Carcassonne). L’Auberge du Vieux Puits (Fontjoncouse) is a ritzy address worthy of a splurge. 

Where to Stay 

Lodging options abound. The upmarket Château les Carrasses in Capestang is a 19th-century wine estate transformed into luxury, self-catering vacation homes. Winemaker Gérard Bertrand’s L’Hospitalet is a leading wine tourism destination, boasting hotel rooms, a restaurant, tasting room and craft boutiques. In the hamlet of Lauret, Auberge du Cèdre offers character, shady gardens, authentic cuisine and a wine list featuring some of the Pic Saint Loup appellation’s best producers. 

Other Activities 

This is a region for fans of the great outdoors. Sea kayaking, wind surfing and river canoeing are just some options. Rocky Upper Languedoc has miles of walking and cycling trails. Ancient Roman sites like the Pont du Gard and the amphitheatre of Nîmes can be enjoyed at a more leisurely pace. 

 

Budget Tip 

Book a self-catering holiday rental (like susan and gerry's house!) and live like the locals: buy produce at a local market (think olives, salted anchovies, goat cheese, some charcuterie and a handful of nectarines), add a bottle from a nearby domaine and enjoy. 

When to Go 

Spring for budding vines, fall for harvest and gentle sunshine. Avoid the crowds and soaring summer heat. 

Local in the Know

Note from Susan:  The Faugeres wine festival is held the second weekend in July--do not miss.  All the winemakers have booths along the winding medieval streets offering tastings.  Moules et frites lunch too.

Vianney Fabre, a second-generation winemaker at Château d’Anglès, says, “The annual gourmet wine walks held in early summer are the perfect way to discover some of Languedoc’s top AOPs and stunning landscapes. The Sentiers Gourmands event is held on the third weekend in May. It’s a gentle walk interspersed with delicious food and AOP La Clape wine pairings, which you can enjoy while admiring the breathtaking views of the coastline and limestone cliffs.” 

Where to Taste

Few wineries have public tasting rooms with full-time staff, but calling ahead will open many doors—tastings are almost always free. In Lattes, the Mas de Saporta showcases over 400 Languedoc wines and the knowledgeable staff will happily answer questions and make recommendations. In Saint-Chinian, the Maison des Vins’s dispensing machines allow visitors to try 32 wines (red, white and rosé) from across the appellation for a charge. The shop stocks more than 300 wines. Florensac co-op’s Vinipolis visitor center offers an informative, multilingual experience (buy a bottle and enjoy it in the adjoining Bistrot d’Alex), while Faugères producerL’Abbaye Sylva Plana’s tasting room and restaurant are open year-round. In Montagnac, Côté Mas has a tasting room and restaurant showcasing wines from seven Domaines Paul Mas estates. Down near Fitou, the Mont Tauch co-op has an excellent visitor center, interactive displays and free tours. 

Prominent Wines

Languedoc’s challenge is its diversity: red, white, rosé, still and sparkling, dry and fortified wines are all made here. Its AOPs—particularly Minervois, Corbières and Coteaux du Languedoc—are becoming well known. Terrasses du Larzac, Saint- Chinian and La Clape are now attracting attention. Varietal wines like Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, Viognier and Chardonnay are commonly found under the Pays d’Oc label. Zippy Picpoul de Pinet (perfect with seafood), sparkling Blanquette de Limoux and aromatic Rolle-Roussanne-Marsanne blends are whites to watch. Fans of hearty reds should try the rich, spicy wines of Pic Saint Loup, Corbières and Fitou. 

June 2014 - visitors from Massachuetts

Hi Susan --

               Back home after a wonderful couple of weeks of Languedoc and a few nights in Barcelona. We really enjoyed your house, most especially the view from the rooftop terrace where we ate most of our meals. The Manleys were tremendously helpful, and arranged to have us take part in the moules et boules fest  in the village a few nights before we left.

             We liked what we ate and drank almost everywhere we went. One of my personal favorite local places was the restaurant at the Karting place in the village. We also had a terrific lunch in Roquebrun. My favorite surprise sightseeing spot was the convent of Cassan, a beautifully restored, peaceful place. We spent a night in Nimes, stopping at the Pont du Gare, which remains absolutely spectacular. At the Roman amphitheater in Nimes, for a little contrast, we could hear the strains of ZZ Top in concert.

                We got to the Mediterranean at Valras Plage and Sete, where we waded but didn't swim. Though we had brought our suits and towels, a sudden cool-down with rain at Sete had us walking the empty beach instead. But we got in a couple of excellent swimming sessions at Lamalou-les-Bains, where there is a nice big public pool.

                Our two younger women went farther afield on foot into the hills, but my sister and I enjoyed plenty of walking, too. We were sorry not to be there when the grapes ripened, or for that matter, the figs on all of those grand trees. The weather was just about perfect. One big, dramatic storm in the evening, and some heavy rain when we were at the market in Bedarieux, which didn't stop us from getting beautiful produce and cheeses and other local items.

Marietta and co

A July Stay By an Enthusiast!

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

 

A Guide to Ordering Coffee in France

Finally!  A wonderful overview of how to order coffee in France from one of my favorite websites:

The Bonne Femme Cook Book     This terrific web site has recipes, travel tips and much more. Check it out! (no affiliation)

From the Bonne Femme:
Frankly, it took me quite a few trips to figure out exactly how to order coffee in France. Let me save you some time. Here is how to get what you want in France (or at least, drink coffee like the French…and I say, “when in France…”).

Part I: Coffees You Order Just About Any Time of Day

Cafe Express. (What we call espresso.)
1. Café Express is espresso. Certainly a French waiter will understand you if you order an “espresso,” but the French call it cafe express (pronounced as it looks). This is enjoyed any time of day, but quite commonly after lunch or dinner.

 
Une Noisette. Espresso with a touch of milk.
2. Une Noisette (pronounced: nwahzette). This is pretty much a macchiato in Italy or a cortado in Spain. It’s espresso with a dab of milk. Generally, you can order this whenever you want, though again, after dinner, the French usually drink their coffee black.

Though the milk in une noisette should be hot, foamed milk, annoyingly, some barmen just pour a touch of cold milk in the espresso for you (resulting in a tepid, boring drink). This happens to me especially in the Southwest of France. So generally, when traveling there, I just order espresso.

Part II: Coffees Mostly Enjoyed at Breakfast (with an exception)

Now things get confusing—but stay with me here, and you’ll get exactly the coffee you want to order:

Cafe au Lait. Order it at breakfast only.
1. Café au Lait: If you’re staying in a hotel that serves breakfast, you can order café-au-lait. This is strong, dark-roasted brewed coffee (not espresso) served with milk. Generally, the milk and coffee are served in two separate pitchers, and you mix them to your taste. And though I rarely drink sugar in coffee, I always do so in France. It just tastes better that way.

You can, of course, order café noir (black coffee, without the milk). But I really don’t think French breakfast coffee tastes great that way. And my theory is that the only way the classic French breakfast (croissant and bread-butter-jam combo known as tartine) can sustain you through the morning is if you get the protein that the milk provides.

Un Grand Crème: Espresso with Milk (basically, a latte)
2. Un Crème:This drink, mostly served in cafés, consists of espressowith steamed milk. It is not the same as café au lait, which is made with brewed filtered coffee (not espresso).

You see, most French hotels won’t have an espresso machine, so they’ll serve you café-au-lait; conversely, many French cafés don’t monkey around with brewed filtered coffee, so if you want a milky coffee, they’ll serve you un crème.

If you want a double, order un grand crème. Otherwise, the standard size is simply un crème. Whenever I order un grand crème, however, I always specify “avec le lait à part” (with the milk on the side, pronounced: ah-vehck luh lay ah par); otherwise, they can fill that big cup up with too much milk. Ugh.

Another point: Though the French do not drink “un crème” after lunch, it is not a faux-pas to order it other times than breakfast; say, in the mid-morning or mid-afternoon at a café.

A few more things to keep in mind:

1. Coffee with Dessert?:Don’t go there. If you have coffee at lunchtime or dinnertime, it will come after dessert, not with it. Try it: You will find that having your café express after dessert works as a digestif—it helps you digest your food, and wards off that sluggish feeling a fine meal can bring.

2. Cappuccino? Some cafés will serve this, but it’s not France’s specialty. The closest thing to order is un crème. Yes that’s more like a latte, but generally, not as milky as lattes we get over here. And please don’t order it after lunch or dinner.

It’s just not done.

3. American black coffee? The closest thing in a restaurant or café is un café allongé—espresso elongated with water.

4. French-press coffee?:Some restaurants might have it, but I’ve rarely seen it outside a private home.

 

Everything You Need to Know About Travel Insurance

We recommend travel insurance to all Caussi renters...you just never know!  Here is a terrific overview on the topic reprinted with permission from one of our favorite online newsletters:  FRANCE On Your Own     FRANCE On Your Own is always filled with interesting tidbits, events, and even a regular column on nearby Narbonne...check it out!

A Travel Insurance Review by Damian Tysdal

While carriers and travel suppliers assume almost no financial responsibility to travelers for cancellations that occur due to events beyond their control, travelers can protect themselves by having the right travel insurance plan.  Here are five reasons you may want to take a second look at travel insurance.

1.  You might have to cancel your trip - or abandon it and return home to handle an emergency.

One of the most popular reasons travelers buy travel insurance is to have coverage if they have to cancel their trip, and it's a very valid reason because even if your trip to France has to be delayed a few months, you still may want to take it.  After you add up the cost of prepaid airfare, tours, and accommodations, a trip to France can start out costing thousands of dollars.

What most travelers don't know is that trip cancellation coverage is also bundled with trip interruption coverage, which is similar to cancellation except that it covers the unused portion of a trip if a traveler has to suddenly return home.  Trip interruption coverage also reimburses a traveler for unexpected return airfare costs and lodging should they need it on their return trip.

The covered reasons for trip cancellation and interruption vary from policy to policy, and it's important to understand the covered reasons to fully understand your options should you have to cancel.  For example, you may have to cancel or interrupt your trip in the event a family member develops a serious illness or dies, but that family member has to be listed as a covered family member.  Beloved family pets don't count, unfortunately.

2.  Medical emergencies can happen anywhere, anytime.

Tourist buses crash, flu viruses attack, people get hurt - it happens all the time and a medical emergency can be quite costly when you consider emergency transportation, physician's expenses, medicines, X-rays, and more.

France has a strong network of medical practitioners, so you will have no problem finding a doctor even in a very small town. The standard of medical care in France is extremely high.  To find a doctor, ask any local resident or step into a pharmacy and inquire.  If the patient is too sick to move, a doctor will make a visit to their accommodations.  Ask your host to contact a local doctor.  The cost is slightly higher than a visit to a doctor's office (cabinet du médicin), and the payment and refunding expectations are the same.

The standard principle of the French health service is to pay first, make a claim and be reimbursed (except with hospital treatment).  Visitors from the European Union countries are advised to be sure they have health insurance coverage before traveling to France.  The same is true the US visitors to France, although many make the mistake of believing their existing health insurance plan will protect them overseas.  In truth, their health insurance generally stops at the border, and Medicare always stops at the border.

Some US health insurance companies will reimburse a traveler's overseas expenses at out-of-network rates and with proper documentation; and some Medicare supplement plans provide travel medical coverage up to a relatively small limit.  Should you, or your spouse or traveling companion become seriously ill or be seriously injured, however, it may not be enough.

While trip cancellation and travel medical emergencies are the primary reasons ...

3.  Continued economic woes could incite action causing further strikes and defaults.

As the Greek financial crisis continues to dominate the news and the European Union works to find appropriate strategies to cope with it, further laws and reforms could cause unexpected, short-notice strikes, leaving passengers caught off guard.

Some travel insurance plans allow you to cancel your trip for a full refund if flights are canceled due to an unexpected labor strike.

4.  Natural disasters like volcanic eruptions cause widespread disruptions.

French tourism was nearly crushed in 2010 with the pension reform strikes in the fall and then volcanic eruptions that affected most of the transportation systems in the spring.  Nature remains a powerful and unpredictable force that can cause all kinds of trouble for travelers.

Some travel insurance plans cover pre-departure trip cancellations due to natural disasters.

5.  Lost or stolen passports could bring your France trip to a quick halt.

If a thief were to steal your passport the week before your trip to France, could you get a replacement in time?  If not, would you lose all your prepaid, non-refundable trip costs?

What if your passport were lost or stolen while you were traveling in France - could you get a replacement copy in time to get back home?

Some travel insurance plans cover pre-departure trip cancellations if your passports are lost or stolen (you'll need to make a police report and provide a copy with your claim).  If your passport is lost or stolen while you are traveling, travel insurance assistance services can help you navigate the bureaucracy to get a replacement passport, and often they'll pay the fees (up to the plan limit).

The best way to find a good travel insurance plan is to use a comparison site that lets you filter the coverage you need and price-shop a lot of plans at once. 

Damian Tysdal founded Travel Insurance Review in 2006 on the belief that travel insurance should be easier to understand.  We thank him for this informative article.

 

Family of five in Caussi - July 2012

Highlights of our trip...

 We all loved walking right in Caussiniojouls, whether down to the mayorie and back or along the edges of the vineyards. Our kids were enchanted with the "secret passageways" - neighboring streets that wind around near the Chateau, and delighted in wandering around on their own, trying to get lost. 

 I loved exploring Pezenas (where we found some great gifts to bring home) and the drive there from Caussi was beautiful. On the way, we stopped at the Chateau de Cassan (photo of courtyard right), which we toured by following a treasure hunt guide made for kids. Also, in Pezenas, we discovered a sandy playground at the center of a beautiful, shady park - a treat for travel weary youngsters. 

 We swam at Serignan and Roquebrun. 

 We ate mussels, drank wine and talked with the British contingent in Caussi, at the village fete. I now know it will take more than a week to get my French back in working order, but our kids managed to play with the kids at the fete.

 Although we made it to the wonderful market in Bedarieux, we missed a couple others and I was glad to find wine, cheese, bread and croissants at the little store in nearby Faugeres, even as late at 7pm. There was also someone selling fruit across the street, next to the restaurant.

One day, my husband and I explored Faugeres on our own wandering up hill with no particular destination in mind. Near the top of the village we happened upon a little trail and hiked up until we came across a 16th century windmill, surrounded by spectacular countryside. There was a small sign at the bottom of the hike so if our French had been better, it might not have been such a lovely surprise - definitely a highlight of our trip.  

 We were so happy in the house, the village and the surrounding area, that we didn't even go to Carcasonne, as we had planned. Next time!

 Katherine

Languedoc wines as the "California of France"

So pleased to see this excellent write up of the wines of Languedoc (many produced very near Caussi) in the New York Times, Nov 28, 2012. Great list of recommended local wines. Look for them at the Cellerie de la Vigneronne wineshop in Faugeres

The Untamed Region

By Eric Asimov

ONCE, back in the 1990s, my very young son, surveying the density of scaffolding and construction sites in our Manhattan neighborhood, said, “Dad, when are they going to finish building New York?” I think of his question whenever I open a bottle of wine from the Languedoc, a region that seems as if it, too, is permanently in transition.       

Find an article on the Languedoc published anytime in the last 25 years and the odds are, the theme will be the same: the makeover from ocean of mediocrity to region of vast, realized potential. Nonetheless, the progress is real. Yet the evolution of the Languedoc is not merely linear. That would be too simple, too easy, in a region that can be as challenging as it is rewarding.       

A few weeks ago, the wine panel surveyed recent vintages of red wines from the Languedoc. We tasted 20 bottles, restricting ourselves to the Languedoc rather than including the Roussillon, the neighboring region that so often forms the tail end of the hyphenated pairing Languedoc-Roussillon. For the tasting, Florence Fabricant and I were joined by Michael Madrigale, the head sommelier at Bar Boulud and Boulud Sud, and Thomas Pastuszak, the wine director at the NoMad.       

It was clear from our tasting why the Languedoc is sometimes called the California of France. The grip of history, so powerful through most of France in the rules that govern its appellation system, is less evident in the Languedoc. If anything, the region’s many years as a bulk-wine supplier for the rest of the country offer clear justification for the sort of experimentation that sometimes muddies the clarity of its identity.       

Without the burden of past greatness, and lacking the clear delineation of rigorous appellations, many producers feel freer in the Languedoc to work with untraditional grapes in the region. Carignan, cinsault, grenache, syrah and mourvèdre still predominate, though the proportion of syrah has risen as carignan has declined. But cabernet, merlot and other international grapes are also part of the mix, especially in those wines labeled vins de pays.       

A result, in our tasting, at least, were wines of great contrasts. From glass to glass, the styles veered wildly. Some evoked what I always imagine to be the wildness of the Mediterranean countryside: craggy, rocky hillsides redolent of lavender and wild thyme, the famous garrigue. Others are powerful modern wines, dominated by sweet fruit and oak. Some wines are stern, tannic, almost austere. Others are dense yet supple. And another style has emerged, incorporating the Beaujolais winemaking method of carbon maceration that can make spicy, easily accessible wines.       

“The styles make the region interesting,” Michael said. “The common thread is the grapes are really good — this is great terroir.”       

Thomas was impressed by the general quality of the winemaking, regardless of the style. “It’s great to see such a maligned region produce so many good wines,” he said.       

I agreed with Michael and Thomas, yet for me, and for all of us, by far the most interesting wines were also the most distinct, those that could come from nowhere else but Mediterranean France. The smooth, fruity, oaky wines can no doubt compete on the global stage. Yet in the end, what will really set them apart from similar wines, whether from the United States, South America, Tuscany or Australia? Price, perhaps?       

The wines most full of distinctive character, like our favorites, still rely primarily on the traditional grapes, even the oft-despised carignan, which top Languedoc producers have proved can achieve great results if its carefully farmed and the yields are kept relatively low. Our No. 1 bottle, the 2009 Faugères Jadis from Léon Barral (SC: winerie in Lentheric, a hamlet near Caussi), was 50 percent carignan, along with 30 percent syrah and 20 percent grenache. It was juicy, earthy and complex, but what really set it apart from the other wines was a tension and balance that gave the wine great energy.       

At $39, the Barral was one of the more expensive wines in the tasting. By contrast, our No. 2 bottle, the 2010 Tour de Pierres from Ermitage du Pic Saint Loup, was our best value at $15. With 50 percent syrah, 40 percent grenache and 10 percent mourvèdre, it had no carignan at all. Yet it screamed of herbal Languedoc character, and was altogether delightful.       

By far the most expensive wine at $80 was the 2007 Grange des Pères Vin de Pays de l’Hérault. It is one of the few cult wines of the region, incorporating 20 percent cabernet sauvignon along with syrah and mourvèdre. I can tell you from experience that it is a lovely wine, yet in our blind tasting it seemed simpler than I remembered it. Bottle variation? A period of dormancy? I don’t know, but it’s worth pointing out that our $80 was an older vintage. The current 2009 vintage is selling for more than $100.       

The only wine over which the panel showed significant differences was the 2011 Domaine Rimbert from St.-Chinian. For me, this was an archetypal Languedoc wine, dry and lip-smacking with savory herbal and purple fruit flavors. Others were less entranced. Try it for yourself and see what you think.       

Other wines especially worth noting were the intense yet well-balanced 2009 Grand Pas from Le Pas de l’Escalette; the tannic, herbal 2010 Clos Fantine; and the dense yet juicy 2008 Mas Champart Causse du Bousquet from St.-Chinian.       

The evolution of the Languedoc continues. The unwieldy, nebulous regional appellations remain confusing, an overlapping bunch of zones and sub-zones that do little to zero in on characteristics of terroir or geography. Changes are in the works, though it’s not clear exactly when they will become official. Even so, it’s true that appellations in most regions fall short of the ideal.       

Meanwhile, land in the Languedoc remains relatively inexpensive, new winemakers arrive to try their hand at expressing its terroir, and the experimentation goes on. It may be some time before the scaffolding comes down for good.       

Tasting Report       

Léon Barral Faugères Jadis 2009,
Juicy, earthy and tense with complex aromas of flowers and purple fruit, and a touch of oak.

BEST VALUE
Ermitage du Pic Saint Loup,
Languedoc Tour de Pierres 2010
Minty, herbal, well-balanced and firm; full of classic regional character.

Le Pas de l’Escalette Coteaux,
du Languedoc Terrasses du Larzac Le Grand Pas 2009
Rich and beautifully balanced with savory, almost savage flavors that linger.

Mas Champart St.-Chinian,
Causse du Bousquet 2008
Dense, juicy and smooth, with almost grapey fruit flavors.

Grange des Pères,
Vin de Pays de l’Hérault 2007
Dense, ripe and powerfully fruity yet tinged with brambly, cedar flavors.

Domaine Rimbert St.-Chinian,
Les Travers de Marceau 2011
Juicy, grapey and herbal; classic Languedoc flavors.

Château de Lancyre Languedoc,
Pic Saint Loup Coste d’Aleyrac 2009
Spicy and balanced with flavors of sweet, smoky fruit and oak.

Hecht & Bannier Minervois 2009,
Dense, firm and reticent with dusty, earthy flavors.        

Mas des Brousses,
Coteaux du Languedoc Terrasses du Larzac 2010
Powerful and tannic with dense flavors of dark fruit.    

Local Winemaker Gets Accolades from Kermit Lynch

We were excited to see Kermit Lynch celebrate Domaine Léon Barral, a winerie in hearby Lentheric.

After founding the domaine in 1993, which he named after his grandfather, Didier Barral decided fairly quickly that biodynamic practices were the best choice for farming his vineyards. Deep in the heart of the Languedoc, in the Faugères appellation just outside the hamlet of Lenthéric, Domaine Léon Barral is a beacon of revolutionary winegrowing. Didier farms thirty hectares of vineyards, and this is no small feat. Incorporating biodynamic practices into a vineyard means working the soil rigorously, and with so much land to farm, it is fortunate that he has so much help. His workers of choice? A team of twenty cows, horses, and pigs that graze the cover crops in and around the vineyards. The simple act of grazing cultivates healthy microbiotic activity in the soil, bringing mushrooms, ants, ladybugs, earthworms, and other essential life forms, which add important nutrients while aerating the soil. This is the concept of sustainability at its finest, where the ecosystem creates interdependence between the animals and the vineyards.Read more in Kermit Lynch

Nine Terrific Restaurants within a Few Minutes of Caussi

From casual to chic, here are our favorite nearby restaurants.....(in no particular order)...                                                                                        

1.   O Bontemps  in Magalas.                                             
Place de l’eglise.  Tel: 04 67 36 20 82  Photos and the latest menus on the website: http://www.o-bontemps.com/ 

Located on the main town square in Magalas, this restaurant, decorated with all manner of funky American jazz souvenirs, serves excellent food, and is always full so call for reservations.  Great review

                                                                     
2. Another favorite is restaurant “Abbaye Sylva Plana”
in Laurens Serves great Tapas. Open midday Monday to Saturday and evenings (a la carte) from Thursday to Saturday. 
They also make great wines. Call for reservations: 04 67 93 43 55  Reviews

      
3. Le Relais D’Amans located at the ‘Karting Centre’ in Caussiniojouls
(just before you join the D909 out the outskirts of Caussi) Excellent ‘Plat du Jour’
open from 15 June to 15 September 7 days a week midday and evening. Tel 0467 93 45 53 (when you don't feel like cooking on the terrace)            

 4. La Forge in Bedarieux. 22 av. Abbe Tarroux, 04 67 95 13 13.  Excellent cuisine in a beautiful stone high-ceilinged dining room (with summer terrace --photo on right).  (closed Sunday evening and Mondays)   Very reasonably priced (we got the Prix Fixe menu last time and it was excellent).

 5.    Pizzeria Sergio in Herepian 18 Av Marcellin Albert 0467
23 09 37 good value and friendly.  A  wide range from pizzas & pastas to
steaks and kangaroo!

 6.   L’Ocre Rouge in Herepian12 Pl Croix 0467 95 06 93 very good quality traditional french cuisine

 7.   Le Framboisier in Beziers (12 rue Boieldieu,) 04 67
49 90 00, closed Sunday and Monday.  Two stars from the Guide Michelin!  For the special evening out.

 8.   Le Cep d’Or, in Beziers, 7 r. Viennet, 04 67 49 28
09, closed Monday

 9. Restaurant “ Le Bel Air”  Faugères Tel: 0467 95 05 39  Casual. Good lunch time menu includes wine                     

Best Restaurants in Beziers

THanks to the Irish Herault (late 2010):

The two Michelin-starred restaurants in Béziers held onto their honours last night. And there are one or two others that are rather good too…

1. l’Ambassade

Status: one Michelin star
Head chef: Patrick Olry
Address: 22 boulevard de Verdun
Location: almost directly opposite the main entrance to the railway station
Web: Restaurant-lambassade.com
Telephone: 04 67 76 06 24
Typical reviews: “Established local chef just gets better and better.” – Graham Tigg at Languedoc-Dining.com

This is the  more established of the two Michelin-starred places. Pricey, and service is a bit too formal and fussy for us.

2. l’Octopus

Status: one Michelin star
Head chef: Fabien Lefebvre
Address: 12 rue Boieldieu
Location: just off the main promenade Allée Paul Riquet, down a side street near the Galeries Lafayette (follow the sign on the Allée)
Web: Restaurant-octopus.com
Telephone: 04 67 49 90 00
Reviews: “Simply some of the finest modern cooking to be found on this list. Bargain set lunch” – Graham Tigg

This place has been going since 2005, and got its first Michelin star in 2008. Despite the rather spartan dining room, it has some of the classiest cooking in Béziers and we much prefer it to l’Ambassade.

“Une étoile Michelin, cela rassure le client. Il y a toujours des personnes qui ne jurent que par ce guide.”
- Fabien Lefebvre, talking to Midi Libre yesterday. (“A Michelin star reassures the customer. There are always people who swear by this guide.”)

3. La Compagnie des Comptoirs

Status: No stars but don’t let that put you off
Telephone: 04 67 36 33 63
Web: Lacompagniedescomptoirs.com
Address: 15 place Jean-Jaurès

This outlet of the Michelin-starred Pourcel brothers is a brasserie serving Mediterranean cuisine with an Asian twist. Two-course menus cost from €21. We haven’t been there yet but it’s on our list of “must tries”.

4. La Raffinerie

Head chef: “Monsieur Blaszak et son équipe a votre service”
Status: No stars yet
Address: 14 Avenue Joseph Lazare
Location: a large, recently renovated old sulphur refinery,  formerly used to crush sulphur shipped from Sicily for distribution in the local vineyards. It’s tucked away by the Canal du Midi on the Quai du Pont Neuf
Telephone: 04 67 76 07 12
Web: Laraffinerie.com

A very up-and-coming place, inspired by Chez Philippe, the celebrated restaurant in  Marseillan. French based international cuisine, with plenty of Spanish and Italian touches.

5. Le Cep d’Or

Address: 2 Impasse de la Notairie
Location: In a little side street just around the corner from la cathédrale St Nazaire
Telephone: 04 67 49 28 09
Website: none

Last but not least, this cosy little restaurant is our favourite in Béziers. Traditional French with a few clever modern twists, good value, excellent service, and the most perfectly charming waiter in the world.

43.3416293.217816

Barcelona and Caussi - Perfect Yin and Yang

Hi Susan- we are at JFK, waiting for our last flight home from Caussi and Barcelona and I wanted to tell you what a wonderful week we had at your  charming and cozy home in Caussi.  It was a perfect time with lots of wine, good food, most of which we prepared ourselves, incredible views, many of which Sam painted, trips to Roquebrun, Fos, Pezenas, Bedarieux, a great hike up Mt. Caroux, and much more.  

 We spent all day Saturday in Pezenas and appreciated the extra day at your house which allowed us to enjoy the day there at the market.  Then, yesterday, we left for Collioure, which was awe-inspiring both in its magnificent coastline and castles, and the fact that we were seeing the same views that Matisse, Picasso and others painted.

 We loved Barcelona as well, and with our trip to Caussi, it was the perfect combination of yin and yang.

 I wanted to mention the restaurant , O Bontemps, that we really loved in Magalas.  It was very contemporary French, in an attractive, minimalist, modern room.  The food was lovely, the owner spoke English, but what made it really work for us was that he was willing and able to accommodate my husband's dietary issues, and we both enjoyed a wonderful meal.

 So, again, thank you for sharing your fairy tale village with us.  It was a vacation we will always remember.

 All the best,

 Bonnie and Sam (Oct 2011)