Mon Dieu! What a trip! My wife, her sister and husband, my brother and his wife, and my sister stayed at La Belle (and Ernst's place across the street) for two weeks last fall. Such fun! This gite is located in the oldest part of this ancient town—narrow streets, stone shuttered houses, inviting secret alleys. It's a very charming setting. The new wine and tapas bar is at the end of the block. We were fortunate enough to arrive on the night of their “closing for the season” party. The owners, employees, and other villagers made us feel so welcome. They filled us with free, amazing wine (Castigno – thank you, Marc) and tried to get us dinner reservations (patchy phone service!). We found the people of the village, and the area in general, very warm and welcoming. Our French is elementary at best, but we were never made to feel awkward. Whether getting gas or bread or asking about a dish or wine, the people were so lovely and accommodating.
The village also has a number of domaines (wineries). Be sure to schedule a tasting at Sacre Couer (with Luc) or Quatre Sous just outside of town. This is wine country, and in our travels we passed hundreds of inviting domaines throughout the area. It was harvest time, so it was a busy time for the vineyards.We saw fields filled with pickers and trailers brimming with grapes on their way to becoming wine.
The next closest larger town, St. Chinian, is an entertaining 15-minute drive away and is home to a nice supermarket, gas stations, boulangeries, cafes, boucheries, and a twice weekly outdoor market. Don't miss the markets. We would stock up on amazing food—olives, tapenades, fresh and dried fruits, nuts, magnificent cheeses, bread, and prepared food too (paella, rotisserie poultry and pork) .We found great souvenirs and gifts at the outdoor markets and at the nearby olive oil factory. We would shop in the morning, tour in the afternoon, and then retire to La Belle's rooftop terrace to watch the sun set and drink the day's wine and graze the night away. It only rained twice while we were there—we found La Belle's big oak table the perfect place to gather inside. That's where we would breakfast and plan out our day's travels.
There are plenty of great nearby destinations. Try visiting Roquebrun and its botanic gardens; then drive up the Orb Valley to the gorges of Heric; visit LaGrasse and its beautiful abbey; Olargues is perched on a hill, walk its winding medieval streets, then hike outside of town on chestnut lined