Friday 3 May 2019
Our first day in the Languedoc was cold and damp. We drove into Saint Chinian and took a walk round the little town to seek out the familiar landmarks, going to the supermarket on the outskirts with the finest view of any in France to stock up for our stay.
Saturday 4 May
A day for catching up on washing and a chance to visit an art exhibition in a nearby village. The festival "Art in Prades" had brought the catering van of the Comité des fêtes into action and local artists and a dozen craftspeople had set up their stalls in the community centre attached to the mairie. Trestle tables were set out and snacks began to be served late in the afternoon. The duo of musicians, who were performing folksy music with a Catalan feel to it, had difficulty in attracting interest as most people were crowded around a screen watching replays of processions at previous rather grander village fetes. It was quite a low key event and aimed at the villagers themselves rather than the throngs of people from across the Languedoc who had failed to materialise. We would have been outsiders, had we stayed to eat their saucisses et frites, so we our village for a glass or more of wine on the terrace.
Sunday 5 May 2019
We visited the busy market in St Chinian in the morning, held under the trees in the main promenade. Campaigning was beginning for the European elections with daunting lists of candidates for more than thirty parties. Leaflets were being distributed for the Communist Party candidate Ian Brosset who seems to be winning approval for his policies from other candidates. He certainly hits the ecological buttons with a lack of Marxist cant - funding for energy efficiency in buildings, doubling the proportion of freight to be carried by rail, an end to austerity to benefit the planet and its occupants. Also proposals to reform the EU, including ending the requirement for the French budget to be submitted to Brussels before being placed before the French parliament - but no call for withdrawal, they hope to fight for changes from inside.
In the afternoon we visited Roquebrun. Outside the school there were banners protesting at the loss of teaching staff. Apparently the number of pupils had fallen below fifty, so they were entitled to one less teacher.
Monday 6 May 2019
We travelled to Beziers by bus from Saint-Chinian. Rural bus services in the Herault are not as densely provided as in the UK but they are certainly cheaper. There is a flat fare of 1.60 € - about £1.40 for the 30 or so Kilometers to Beziers - and we could have got much further for the same price.
Once arrived we found the city much improved since our recent visits. There was much less dog mess around and most of the central areas had been tidied up with pavements relaid and flower beds well tended. Posters boasted that the city had tripled the expenditure on street cleaning and the results showed, with people much in evidence keeping the streets clean. This was true also in the shabbier areas which were largely occupied by migrants. The houses may not have been given a face-lift but the streets were much cleaner.
This visit we made our way to the port area, aiming to walk to the series of locks on the Canal du Midi. The port was no longer used for commercial purposes although it bore the evidence of the grand houses of former merchants. Now it was full of leisure craft.
We crossed the canal bridge - a later addition to the Canal du Midi than Paul Riquet's 17th century work - and continued along the canal, past mother ducks guarding their broods to the Ecluses de Fonserunes.
We climbed up the slope beside the locks, watching the craft passing through. A boat hoist had also been constructed to assist in the long haul through the locks, but this was not in use.
We returned to the city via the Pont-Vieux, a medieval bridge with wonderful views up towards the cathedral which Ian could not resist photographing yet again.
Back in the city we visited the church of St Jacques with its glitzy gold statue and wandered the streets of the old town. Like so many places in France it had its share of trompe l'oeil mural paintings, in this instance one in memory of the resistance fighter Jean Moulin.
Tuesday 7 May 2019
Today we took a more local tour, revisiting places of which we had fond memories, starting with the abbey at Fontecaude, set in a little dip in the midst of the wild garrigue with its pictureque hamlet beside a little stream.
The village (or little town - it is often difficult to draw the line in France) of Puisserguier has its own medieval castle, accessible to the public but in great need of renovation.
The town hall on the other hand, located in the former mansion of a wine grower, was in a much better condition, proudly flying its flags, its stonework gleaming and its little garden neatly trimmed - a suitable place for Jill to relax.
There was a trompe l'oeil mural to intrigue and delight us - can you see where the real world begins?
Then on to nearby Malpas, an intriguing node in communications across more than two millennia. The celtic oppidum of Enserune tops the hill to the west with wonderful views to the south where the 17th century Canal du Midi and the Roman Via Domitia cross the plain below.
To the north the view from the hilltop at Enserune is completely different, across the massive drained pond of Montady, the converging field boundaries giving the appearance of a gigantic sliced pizza quattro stagione. It was the work of medieval monks who constructed a drainage tunnel passing beneath the ridge at Montady.
Across the top of the ridge passed the Via Domitia, and a milestone is still there to remind us. Below this and above the medieval drainage channel the 17th century Canal du Midi and the 19th century railway cross one another in tunnels.
Our final stop of the day was the village of Capestang which also has its chateau and a pond that has still not been drained, but we made our way to the collegiate church with the nearly square, shaded with trees, where we had a welcome coffee.
Wednesday, 8 May 2019
We went to Narbonne for the day on yet another bank holiday just a week after May Day, the Fête de la Victoire, Victory in Europe day. There were diversions around towns and villages for ceremonies at war memorials in Cuxac d'Aude. Macron is aiming to cut down on the number of national holidays as part of the measures that are antagonising the gilets jaunes. There is a long tradition of confrontation with the central authories in the Languedoc and the Occitane region in general, be it with the French king and the Papal legates by the Cathars in the 13th century, the protestant Camisards in the Cevennes after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685 or the government of Clemenceau in 1907 when more than 30,000 troops were called in and five people were killed by gunfire in Narbonne. The events are recorded in large panels of old photographs across the town.
Over 10,000 people attended the funeral of the twenty year old Cecile Bourrel in Narbonne
The city is attractively laid out along the banks of the Canal de la Robine, an ancient bed of the River Aude which separates the historic quarters of the Bourg and the Cité. Like so many towns there have been many improvements since our earlier visits.
If it had ever been completed the cathedral would have been one of the largest in France with a very high roof to the choir. Started in 1272, the choir was completed by 1332 but disputes with the town and financial problems meant that it was never completed. It would have meant the demolition of the roman town walls and this the city fathers would not countenance.
The gardens by the cathedral are laid out in the traditional formal carefully clipped Franch style but for some obscure reason it has been decided to erect a massive rusting metal monstrosity at one end to edge a walkway leading to a terrace over the top of some modern shops.
France treasures its markets and there is a national competition to find the best market. There were leaflet in the market at Narbonne encouraging support, and it certainly merits it. It is decorated externally with large photographic displays honouring the protesters of 1907 and inside the covered market the food stalls were packed with diners. People were queuing to grab seats as they became vacant.
Narbonne's history goes back to Roman times and inscribed stones have been built into its walls. There is a section of the Via Domitia in the main square and various fragments scattered around, including a pillar by the bar where we had a coffee.
Thursday 9 May 2019
In the morning we went to St Chinian market to treat ourselves to a five litre bag-in-box of Roquebrun red wine. In the afternoon we drove the winding roads across the hills from Berlou to Vieussan. Ian's pictures speak for themselves.
The village of Vieussan was once virtually deserted and there are still few facilities there, but incomers, many of them foreigners, have restored the place without making it touristy. At the top of the town there is a rose garden and active steps are being taken to combat one of the biggest scourges of streets in France:
Friday 10 May 2019
Today was a round and winding tour through the mountains of the Espinousse to revisit three places, each with a distinct character.
Saint Pons-de-Thomière lies 23 kilometers to the west of Saint-Chinian at the end of a well engineered road which passes through the Defilé de l'Ilouvre. There is a massive quarry on the way into the town and the distinctive red and white St Pons marble is everywhere, used for pavements, facing buildings old and new and appearing on monuments both interior and exterior. For all this lavishness it remains a rather sad and depressing little town. With a declining population, now less than 2,000, it has its own cathedral with Romanesque features, upgraded from an abbey church in 1318 but it is run down with plants growing out of the stonework and pleas for funds to heat the massive interior of the building. Historic buildings there are a-plenty but their antiquity is hidden and they are shabby and not picturesque.
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| Cathedral. Tympanum on old west front. Saint-Pons-de-Thomières |
The fact that much of its interest lies hidden is exemplified by the source of the river Jaur, which flows fully formed from the rock face a short way behind the tourist office. Apparently there are six kilometers of caverns that have been explored including one of the largest underground lakes in Europe.
The whole place was quiet and the tourist office closed by workers on strike for liberté égalité and fraternité - and perhaps more money to give the whole place a face-lift.
The road wound ever upward the 21 long kilometers to La Salvetat-sur-Agout, a little town of about 1,200 inhabitants located some 700 meters above sea level, its historic centre crowning a hill round which the river Agout flows. It had been bitter cold on our last visit and we were glad for the shelter of La Pergola. Today we were able to take our coffee outside and then admire the improvements that had been made in resurfacing the streets and providing seats along the terraces overlooking the lower town.There was an informative series of plaques giving a tour of the historic centre and our interest was engaged by a community library which styled itself "Le livre voyageur".
The appearance of the town from the ramparts was a contrast to those on the other side of the Espinousse, gone were the red tiles, large slabs of slate were used for roofing and hung on end walls to give protection from the elements.
The 26 magnificent kilometers back across the Espinousse, started through the upland meadows with cattle grazing. A deer sprang across the road in front of us. Hairpin bends winding down the hillsides brought us back to the valley of the Jaur and the village of Olargues, long a member of the exclusive group of the "plus beaux villages de France". With a population of about 700 it packed more liveliness than Saint Pons with craft shops and purveyors of local foodstuffs catering for the summer tourists.
The medieval Devil's Bridge, now pedestrianised, crosses the river below the castle, which can be approached through the village centre up a covered stone stairway which passes the little museum.
Beyond the chapel a path winds up to the ruins of the castle, of which only the church tower remains intact, although the outlines of the rooms are cut into the solid rock. From the castle are views up and down the valley towards the Devil's Bridge and the disused railway, now a cycle path.
Saturday 11 May 2019
Today we decided on a walk through the vineyards and the garrigue above Saint-Chinian. Parking the car just below the windmill that looks over the town, we set out, discovering capitelles (the dry stone shelters built for workers or livestock) old wells, views over neighbouring villages - and dodging the odd mountain biker who leaped down the rough tracks at a hair-brained rate, skidding from side to side of the stony paths.
We returned to find we had a companion waiting on the terrace to share the glass of wine that we felt we had earned from our walk.
Sunday 12 May 2019
At the Sunday market in St Chinian there was an international bustle - English, Dutch, German, American voices could all be heard. We purchased a retro plate stand for Kate's kitchen and the young man who sold it saw our badges and expressed regret for the Brexit situation. "Please don't leave us", he said - none of the English he had met were in favour, we suppose understandably so, because many of them had homes in and around St Chinian. We also purchased Morrocan flat bread from a charming Arab couple, the woman in a headscarf and both busy preparing bread, tagines and other culinary delights on the stand. The bread was delicious and served to accompany our coffee at Les Balcons, to sustain us before our walk and as an amuse-bouche with taramasalata and wine before our evening meal.
So we drove up the Orb valley to the Gorges d'Héric. It was not our first visit, nor were we the first Devonians to visit. More than a century earlier Sabine Baring-Gould had written:
"But the finest excursion of all is to the gorge of Héric. For this it is advisable to take the train to Colombières and walk thence, or drive from Lamalou. The station of Trivalle is close to the entrance of the gorge, but from that side it can rarely be ascended, as the path built up against the precipice is often broken down and not repaired. But from the other side the ascent is easily made. The view up the ravine to the needle rocks of granite above is hardly to be surpassed for beauty of colour or form. The sides are precipitous for 900 feet. By the path one can reach the village of Héric, lost at the extremity of this tremendous ravine, and this is its only means of communication with the outside world ; and so dangerous is the path that there is a saying in the country that no inhabitant of Héric dies in his bed. What I have said before I repeat here. None of the gorges in the Cevennes resemble one another ; they have not even a family likeness, for the Caroux, from which the stream descends, and into the bowels of which this gorge is cleft, is of granite ; and what resemblance can there be between granite and basalt or dolomitic limestone? When I visited the ravine, snow powdered the silvery-grey needles at the head and lay in the laps. So seen, the picture of that ravine is indelibly impressed on my memory as one of surpassing savage beauty."
A book of the Cevennes (London: John Long, 1907), page 279.
Access may have changed but the splendours remain. While the railway no longer passes the foot of the gorges, there is a route for a car park with a fee of 3.50 Euros to maintain the facilities. The length of the well-maintained path is 5 Kilometers and it rises 315 meters (more than 1,000 feet). The little buvette at the top was open. This time the son and granddaughter were serving, grandma limiting her activities to supervising. The photographs speak for themselves better than we ever could.
As we climbed the dwarf oaks gave way to chestnut trees, which once provided a livelihood for the inhabitants of the little hamlet, but in recent years they had fallen prey to disease. The way down was very much easier than the way up!
Tuesday 14 May 2019
We finally managed to arrange a visit to our friend Christine, a former Exonian who we had met on our first visit in 2005. She had been recently widowed and had put much soul-searching into whether to stay or remain. She had visited family in England and had an enjoyable time there but felt that her heart had moved to France where she had become very much part of the local community. Certainly she needed to downsize. The lovely house had a swimming pool and extensive lands stretching through woodlands down to the river which her husband had kept under control but she had already sold it with an agreement that she could rent it until the house she was having built on a nearby development was completed. We visited the building site and had lunch in nearby Herepian during a happy visit tinged with sadness. Brits who have moved abroad face a range of problems, many made worse by Brexit, but Christine is more resilient than most and we wished her well for the future.
Wednesday 15 May 2019
Today was spent packing for our departure. We went out for fuel and decided to continue in the direct of Minerve. We got no further than Agel where we were approached in the car park asking whether we were there for the wedding in the castle. We contemplated gate-crashing but were not well enough attired so contented ourselves with looking around the village on the river Cesse - well named as it was not exactly overflowing its banks.
We later learned that, because of the limestone rocks, the middle course of the Cesse river often ran entirely underground, although floods were not entirely unknown. Armed with a leaflet guide we explored the outside of impressive castle, climbed up to the stump of a windmill, looked at the church and wandered the streets of the old central area.
We returned to our haven in Ambre for a final evening glass of wine on the terrace before moving on after almost two pleasantly relaxing weeks, courtesy of the friends who let us use their home. Thank you both once again.
