Fortnight in France: Our sun-soaked
sojourn in the Dordogne, Languedoc
and Provence
sojourn in the Dordogne, Languedoc
and Provence
Languedoc
June 6/7
“It looks like a mini-van meets a Mini Cooper!”
That was Allie’s reaction upon seeing our rented car for the first time. The
Peugot 1007 would be our home on the road for the next 2 weeks, and it
would be a cozy home indeed.
We had arrived on time at Nice airport (after making our connection for the
first time in three years!), and it was time to get our show on the road. The
young lady at the Hertz counter had warned us that the Peugot would be a
little small for all three of us and our luggage…but with the next available
automatic costing 60E per day more, Chris stated flatly “We’ll make it fit.”
The flight over on United had been uneventful, thankfully. In Munich we had
just 50 minutes for immigration control, security and to hit an ATM before
catching our Lufthansa flight to Nice, but that was plenty of time (thank
goodness for German efficiency!).
After picking up the car and leaving Nice airport, we immediately looked for
signs to the Autoroute…and promptly missed our first turn. Not an
auspicious start. We had to sit in a left-turn lane for a good, long time in
midday Nice traffic before we finally got out of that situation.
Once on the tollway, it was a four-hour drive to Pezenas in the Languedoc.
We had told the owners of the hotel to expect us around 5 pm, and sure
enough…we pulled up in front of their place at 5:10…thanks to the very
specific directions provided by the hotel. Unfortunately, after unloading the
bags on the sidewalk, neither of us could figure out how to restart the car.
We were blocking the narrow city street, causing a small backup, and
finally had to put it into neutral as Chris pushed the car around the corner.
Soon afterward, we figured out that you have to step on the break while
turning the ignition. Nice to know.
Driving into Pezenas, one of the first things you see is McDonalds…but it
gets much better than that, trust us! Toward the city’s center, the streets
were so narrow that we had to pull in the mirrors to fit. We were glad we
had the very small car.
The Hotel Vigniamont is a real find. Renovated in 2003, it embodies a
relaxed, old-world charm and character with all of the modern
conveniences. Owners Tracy and Rob go out of their way to make you feel
right at home. We had the Grand Vigniamont suite, which was very nicely
furnished with plenty of antiques, high ceilings and a fold-out bed for Allie.
The bathroom was terrific, with good bath products and lots of hot water.
The view overlooks an attractive old municipal building and school.
The Old Town of Pezenas is a warren of old, narrow streets, stone
buildings, interesting, sophisticated boutiques, restaurants and cafes. It is
welcoming but not touristy, with a laid-back ‘chill’ atmosphere
predominating. It is one of those places where the general experience of
roaming the streets surpasses the sum of parts.
After a quick look about town, we returned to the hotel for Happy Hour on
the terrace with our hosts and fellow guests. This is a nightly ritual at the
Vigniamont, and one of our favorite things about the place. Tracy is a rather
accomplished cook (having stidied at the Cordon Bleu), and Robert is
happy and duly proud to dole out the local wines. Allie was offered some,
but refused.
For dinner that evening, we tried the outside terrace Le Vieux Coq in the
heart of the Old Town. Marisa had a nice goat cheese salad and salmon
with sausage, while Chris enjoyed a rich seafood cassoulette. Salad plus
three entrees and wine for 58E, a fairly good value. Ambience and
atmosphere were relaxing and comfortable, if the service was a tad
lackluster.
We slept reasonably well that night and were up at 8 the next morning.
June 8
Breakfast at the Hotel Vigniamont is everything you could hope for: an
excellent assortment of fresh fruits, plus cereals, croissants, pastries
meats/cheeses, and eggs made to order.
We drove to Abbaye de Fontfroide, having gotten the hang of operating the
car. This area is in the heart of Cathar country, and there are plenty of
reminders around and ruined castles looming on the hilltops.
The Abbey was an enclave of Cistercian monks marooned in epicenter of
Cathar heresy. It is surrounded by beautiful, rugged country and lots of
vineyards. Lots. We chose not to pay for the tour of Abbey, but we did walk
all around it to soak in the atmosphere and enjoy the views.
Next we drove to Carcassonne. We parked in large car park outside main
gate (4.5E) and immediately encountered a throng of tourists. We veered
off right away to look for lunch somewhere that didn’t seem to be
overcrowded or overpriced. Settled for ‘not overcrowded.’ Actually had very
good lunch of pizza and a tagliatelle Bolognese with wine for only 23E at
Chez Marcel Pizzeria.
Inside the city walls, we spent a good half of our time there walking in,
around and through the old city ramparts. The town itself was chock-full of
tourist souvenir shops and such. But old-time charm of the town does still
shine through. It is possible to get away from the crowds at times, if you
are so inclined. We did not take tour of the castle keep because the next
English-language tour didn’t start until 4:30. Instead, we walked to the old
bridge for excellent views looking back La Cite.
In the heart of the city, we found a bookstore and bought Allie an interesting
novel set during the heyday of the Cathars; she devoured half of it in the
first day.
One of the most notable aspects of our visit to Carcassonne was the wind.
It was very strong, and very steady…and we were led to believe that it was
like that for much of the year.
After returning to Pezenas, Chris and Marisa explored the lovely municipal
park called Sans Souci. Once again, we enjoyed Happy Hour on the
terrace of our hotel, followed by dinner at one of Pezenas’ fine dining
establishments, Les Palmiers. It is an intriguing location, situated
between two buildings, with awnings instead of a proper roof. Good food
with rather creative presentations…but prehaps reaching a bit beyond its
grasp. 75E for one entrée and three main courses, with wine.
We returned home with the intention to play Uno (our vacation ritual for
years), but ended up reviewing photos and trip notes while Allie read her
book.
Marisa (who left work with many projects in play) decided to check emails
using the hotel's computer. Shock, surprise - 250+ new emails (20-25
would be a busy day). Turns out we'd had a Webshots album chosen as a
daily feature, and our mailbox was filled with nice messages. But the bad
news...with almost two weeks to go of limited Internet access and a load of
work waiting at home, there would be no way to respond to all of those.
Next > Dordogne - 1
See all of our photos on Webshots
our travels
home
contact us
June 6/7
“It looks like a mini-van meets a Mini Cooper!”
That was Allie’s reaction upon seeing our rented car for the first time. The
Peugot 1007 would be our home on the road for the next 2 weeks, and it
would be a cozy home indeed.
We had arrived on time at Nice airport (after making our connection for the
first time in three years!), and it was time to get our show on the road. The
young lady at the Hertz counter had warned us that the Peugot would be a
little small for all three of us and our luggage…but with the next available
automatic costing 60E per day more, Chris stated flatly “We’ll make it fit.”
The flight over on United had been uneventful, thankfully. In Munich we had
just 50 minutes for immigration control, security and to hit an ATM before
catching our Lufthansa flight to Nice, but that was plenty of time (thank
goodness for German efficiency!).
After picking up the car and leaving Nice airport, we immediately looked for
signs to the Autoroute…and promptly missed our first turn. Not an
auspicious start. We had to sit in a left-turn lane for a good, long time in
midday Nice traffic before we finally got out of that situation.
Once on the tollway, it was a four-hour drive to Pezenas in the Languedoc.
We had told the owners of the hotel to expect us around 5 pm, and sure
enough…we pulled up in front of their place at 5:10…thanks to the very
specific directions provided by the hotel. Unfortunately, after unloading the
bags on the sidewalk, neither of us could figure out how to restart the car.
We were blocking the narrow city street, causing a small backup, and
finally had to put it into neutral as Chris pushed the car around the corner.
Soon afterward, we figured out that you have to step on the break while
turning the ignition. Nice to know.
Driving into Pezenas, one of the first things you see is McDonalds…but it
gets much better than that, trust us! Toward the city’s center, the streets
were so narrow that we had to pull in the mirrors to fit. We were glad we
had the very small car.
The Hotel Vigniamont is a real find. Renovated in 2003, it embodies a
relaxed, old-world charm and character with all of the modern
conveniences. Owners Tracy and Rob go out of their way to make you feel
right at home. We had the Grand Vigniamont suite, which was very nicely
furnished with plenty of antiques, high ceilings and a fold-out bed for Allie.
The bathroom was terrific, with good bath products and lots of hot water.
The view overlooks an attractive old municipal building and school.
The Old Town of Pezenas is a warren of old, narrow streets, stone
buildings, interesting, sophisticated boutiques, restaurants and cafes. It is
welcoming but not touristy, with a laid-back ‘chill’ atmosphere
predominating. It is one of those places where the general experience of
roaming the streets surpasses the sum of parts.
After a quick look about town, we returned to the hotel for Happy Hour on
the terrace with our hosts and fellow guests. This is a nightly ritual at the
Vigniamont, and one of our favorite things about the place. Tracy is a rather
accomplished cook (having stidied at the Cordon Bleu), and Robert is
happy and duly proud to dole out the local wines. Allie was offered some,
but refused.
For dinner that evening, we tried the outside terrace Le Vieux Coq in the
heart of the Old Town. Marisa had a nice goat cheese salad and salmon
with sausage, while Chris enjoyed a rich seafood cassoulette. Salad plus
three entrees and wine for 58E, a fairly good value. Ambience and
atmosphere were relaxing and comfortable, if the service was a tad
lackluster.
We slept reasonably well that night and were up at 8 the next morning.
June 8
Breakfast at the Hotel Vigniamont is everything you could hope for: an
excellent assortment of fresh fruits, plus cereals, croissants, pastries
meats/cheeses, and eggs made to order.
We drove to Abbaye de Fontfroide, having gotten the hang of operating the
car. This area is in the heart of Cathar country, and there are plenty of
reminders around and ruined castles looming on the hilltops.
The Abbey was an enclave of Cistercian monks marooned in epicenter of
Cathar heresy. It is surrounded by beautiful, rugged country and lots of
vineyards. Lots. We chose not to pay for the tour of Abbey, but we did walk
all around it to soak in the atmosphere and enjoy the views.
Next we drove to Carcassonne. We parked in large car park outside main
gate (4.5E) and immediately encountered a throng of tourists. We veered
off right away to look for lunch somewhere that didn’t seem to be
overcrowded or overpriced. Settled for ‘not overcrowded.’ Actually had very
good lunch of pizza and a tagliatelle Bolognese with wine for only 23E at
Chez Marcel Pizzeria.
Inside the city walls, we spent a good half of our time there walking in,
around and through the old city ramparts. The town itself was chock-full of
tourist souvenir shops and such. But old-time charm of the town does still
shine through. It is possible to get away from the crowds at times, if you
are so inclined. We did not take tour of the castle keep because the next
English-language tour didn’t start until 4:30. Instead, we walked to the old
bridge for excellent views looking back La Cite.
In the heart of the city, we found a bookstore and bought Allie an interesting
novel set during the heyday of the Cathars; she devoured half of it in the
first day.
One of the most notable aspects of our visit to Carcassonne was the wind.
It was very strong, and very steady…and we were led to believe that it was
like that for much of the year.
After returning to Pezenas, Chris and Marisa explored the lovely municipal
park called Sans Souci. Once again, we enjoyed Happy Hour on the
terrace of our hotel, followed by dinner at one of Pezenas’ fine dining
establishments, Les Palmiers. It is an intriguing location, situated
between two buildings, with awnings instead of a proper roof. Good food
with rather creative presentations…but prehaps reaching a bit beyond its
grasp. 75E for one entrée and three main courses, with wine.
We returned home with the intention to play Uno (our vacation ritual for
years), but ended up reviewing photos and trip notes while Allie read her
book.
Marisa (who left work with many projects in play) decided to check emails
using the hotel's computer. Shock, surprise - 250+ new emails (20-25
would be a busy day). Turns out we'd had a Webshots album chosen as a
daily feature, and our mailbox was filled with nice messages. But the bad
news...with almost two weeks to go of limited Internet access and a load of
work waiting at home, there would be no way to respond to all of those.
Next > Dordogne - 1
See all of our photos on Webshots
our travels
home
contact us
Pezenas at night
Pezenas
Pezenas
Abbaye de Fontfroide
Abbaye de Fontfroide
Carcassone
Breakfast at the Hotel de Vigniamont
