France faces strikes and protests over pension reform. Transport, schools and hospitals are expected to be severely disrupted as French unions begin a day of nationwide strikes and demonstrations to protest against government plans to overhaul the country’s pension system.
Fire-fighters trying to overcome A wildfire that has already scorched 2,000 hectares of land north of Montpellier (Hérault).
The United Nations has strongly condemned France’s recent deportations of hundreds of Roma.
The organisation’s anti-racism panel also hit out at Iran for discriminating against minorities.
Both countries were among a dozen being investigated for alleged racism.
Nazanin Sadri reports.
The internet is truly a wonderful place.
We have lived in a small village in the South of France for a number of years, our local town is Narbonne. We’ve visited Narbonne town centre more times than I can remember, but we never realised that there was a shop there that sold a wide selection of delicious international beers, and which also has a micro brewery.
A month or so ago while I was surfing around the World Wide Web I ended up on
the L’Echoppe Médiéval website. I have no idea how I came to this website. I was not searching for beer – honest! It was just a random link clicking episode that resulted in a mouthwatering destination. I was very happy to land on the website when I realised that it was a beer shop based in Narbonne, because being from England beer is a vital part of my dietary needs. 
Friday was the first day that it was possible for me to head into Narbonne town centre to do some shopping. Having once been a Boy Scout, I made sure to take my wine carrier with me. 
It holds 9 bottles, so a good way for me to limit how much I purchase. 
Entering the shop was like stepping into a beer lovers vision of heaven. Shelves jam packed full of specialist beers from around the word. L’Echoppe Médiéval also brew their own beer which you can purchase by the bottle, or by the barrel with a rented beer tap.
A very tempting idea would be to purchase a barrel at the beginning of the Summer and have beer on tap at home – but I’d never get anything done as I’d spend most of my time prostrate, mouth open wide, underneath the tap!
Now I have the enviable task of drinking the 9 bottles of beer and writing up tasting notes.
It’s a tough life being a blogger – Cheers!
L’Echoppe médiéval
Rue Hector Berlioz
11100 Narbonne, France
Tel:04 68 49 59 47
Yesterday it was the village Fete du Vin. The morning started with a Vide Grenier (car boot/flea market) and right outside our front door no less. It was listed on the programme as starting at 6am but in true Corbieres style the first stall was not set up until 6.15am which made me rather happy, as I had visions of stall holders arriving at 5am and banging on the door demanding fresh coffee and croissants. I would have had to tell them that
because I’m from England there is a Royal Edict that means I can only start the day with a Full English Breakfast (fry up) and that it is illegal for me to have croissants in the house.
The missus and I had a quick mooch round the stalls and just like normal returned home empty handed. This is a good thing, because we really do not need any more clutter in the house collecting dust (my wife is allergic to housework!)
At 11am we ventured out again, this time to have a look round Cave Pilote and the old wine making equipment they have on display. As well as the old pieces of machinery there were also lots of photographs, old black and white and newer colour images, documenting life in the vines and the village from as far back as 1948, but there didn’t seem to be any of my photos, maybe it is because I go to work on a Kings breakfast?
Never being one to turn down a free drink, a side visit to the 
tasting room was also very much in order. I have mastered the art of holding a glass of wine in one hand, and never spilling a single drop, whilst taking photos with the camera in my other hand, at the same time – who says men can’t multitask? It’s taken me years to perfect this technique, and I keep it a closely guarded secret for the sole reason that if there are other keen photographers taking photos they will not be draining the reserves of grape juice – which means there will be more wine for me.
The wander round Cave Pilote, with a delicious glass of locally produced red wine in hand, was followed by speeches and awards from the ‘Chevaliers du Fitou’ in the front of Cave Pilote. The Chevaliers du Fitou, who where all dressed in full ceremonial garb, gave several local wine folk merited awards which were greeted by applause from the gathered crowd.
Standing in the warmth of the August sun watching the award ceremony I came to the conclusion that I 
also deserved a reward, so once the speeches were over it was back into the tasting room for a refreshing glass of Fitou wine to restore vigour and get me in the mood for lunch, not that I ever need an excuse for wine.
There was lunch on offer at the village hall, but desiring a little ‘home’ time to relax, and start this blog post, we strolled back across the river Sabari to our house.
The event packed morning had taken its toll on me, so after lunch I crashed out on the sofa to recharge my energy levels. That is the beauty of having a day long fete in your own village, you can dip in and out of it at will.
At 4.30pm, full of energy and eager to stretch the legs, we headed to the centre of the village to have a look at the little food and craft market. We were a bit early so decided that the only sensible thing to do would be to walk back home, but we’re not sensible and we like to live life on the edge so we popped to the village cafe/restaurant Le Corbierou, for a refreshing cold beer which we drank whilst sitting outside watching villagers and holiday makers promenade. Palate cleansed we then ambled over to Cave Pilote for a glass or two of wine in the tasting room, and for a final look round the exhibits.
Unfortunately Cave Pilote is only open to the public for one day a year, which seems like a real missed
opportunity because it is a very attractive old stone faced building, there is ample parking, and I’m sure local people and tourists alike would find the artifacts and the history of the place would make an interesting stop on a day out in the Corbieres countryside. Obviously Mont Tauch, who own the cave, do not share this opinion, as they appear to be concentrating solely on the cave in Tuchan and it’s new and modern visitors centre, which is also very impressive, but regrettably it is not located directly opposite our house.
Apart from wine related entertainment there were also activities to keep the nippers (children) amused; pony rides around the vines and a train with carriages made from old wine barrels which was drawn by a tractor around the quaint village streets which was very popular with young and old alike!
To summerise this years fete du vin we thought it was the best one to date by far, we had a thoroughly wine-derful day and eagerly await next years fete.
Further photos can be seen here: Fete du Vin Photos.
Video of the Wine Fete.
All of my photos can be found on
Free Image Library~ Royalty Free Photos
All my videos and be found on my YouTube channel
Cucugnan
Recently I went out on a photo and video safari to Chateau de Queribus, and on the way I stopped off at the village of Cucugnan which sits in the valley below Chateau de Queribus.
I arrived in Cucugnan just after 8 am and as it was still early the Summer sun had not warmed up yet, unfortunately it was cloudy and there was a freezing wind howling around the village, so I did not stay long but I returned on the way back from Queribus when the weather had warmed up a little and the clouds had broken up a bit.
I can’t tolerate being cold, in fact the weather can never be too hot for me, and one of the 
reasons I moved from England to the South of France was for the long hot dry Summers, although this one hasn’t been as hot as I’d like. Being a true Summer lover I always go out in shorts despite my nobbly knees. so I was pleased that the temperature had risen by the time I returned to Cucugnan, and so were my bare legs.
The main attraction in Cucugnan is the windmill which was first recorded in 1692 it belonged to the Lords of Cucugnan until the French Revolution. Being in the middle of Cathar country 
(castles and monuments) Cucugnan is very geared towards tourists and there are lots of places to stay in the village, including hotels, guests houses, and gites, there are also a good selection of restaurants. The village is also a popular base for many artists whose artworks can be seen displayed in public spaces throughout the the village.
If you are planning to holiday in the Corbieres and want to visit lots of the local sights, 
Cucugnan would make an excellent base from which to explore the delights of this region.
My main reason for visiting Cucugnan, apart for taking a few photos and a bit of video, was to buy some bread and wine, and I managed to purchase both. I picked up a fresh crusty baguette from the village shop, but not before I’d made my most important purchase – the wine. For 
my wine I headed to Domaine du Trillol which is owned by MAISON SICHEL where I grabbed a bottle of the 2004 Corbieres, Grenache/Syrah blend wine, and then I drove to the village cave Co-op ~ Les vignerons de Cucugnan where I bought a couple of bottles of their finest offering (wine reviews to follow later).
Like my old gran used to say, ‘wine before bread or you will live in dread’ or did I just make that up?
Further info can be found on: http://www.queribus.fr
Video of Cucugnan
All of my photos can be found on
Chateau de Queribus
It was a bright and sunny morning on Friday, so I set off at 7.30 am from Villeneuve les Corbieres and headed towards Chateau de Queribus. As it was still early the castle was not yet open, so I stopped in the village of Cucugnan for a stroll round. During my drive inland the weather had deteriorated and it was cloudy and a freezing wind was blowing. So much for Summer in the South of France. I made my stroll a short
one and rushed back to the car to get warm.
I was in two minds whether to continue up to Chateau de Queribus. The idea of turning around and heading back to the sunshine and warmth was very appealing to say the least. But as there were a few encouraging patches of blue in the sky I thought I’d risk it.
I was pleased I had decided to continue on to Chateau de Queribus because by the time I had reached the car park the sky was showing more promise and the temperature was a little warmer. I paid my 5€ entrance fee and climbed up to the castle. The wind was still showing off, and I was now up on the side of a mountain it was not very pleasant that’s for sure, but the reward of making it into the castle was well worth while. Chateau de Queribus affords stunning
views over the Corbieres, Fenouilléd and the Roussillon Plains, but with the weather being on the moody side it was not great for taking photos or shooting video, but the low level clouds added character to the stunning vista.
The walk up from the car park to the castle was an easy and short stroll, unlike getting up to Chateau de Peyrepertuse which feels like you should have Sherpa Tenzing with you. This meant that after my visit to the castle I was still full of energy, so I headed back down to Cucugnan in search of bread and wine – not necessarily in that order.
The castle was first mentioned in 1020AD in a testament of Bernard Taillefer, the Count of Besalu. The castle was a Cathar stronghold under Pierre de Cucugnan who gave food and shelter to the Cathars in the 13th century, and it was the last castle to fall in the Crusade against the Albigensiansin in 1255. The castle remained a strategic stronghold until the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659 which saw the border with Spain moved back to the Pyrenees mountains.
Video of Chateau de Queribus
Further info can be found here: http://www.payscathare.org & http://www.queribus.fr/
All of my photos can be found on
Truth be told it is ‘Yesterdays Photo’ because by the time I returned home from Chateau de Queribus & Cucugan I was far to tired to get and of the photos or videos edited and online. This photo is of the view from Chateau de Queribus.
All of my photos can be found on
It was a pleasant morning, so I decided to head out of Villeneuve les Corbieres and up into the vines and get some much needed exercise and to enjoy nature and the beauty of the Corbieres.
The weather has been very overcast this last week so I’ve not been out and about taking photos, so I used this morning for an excuse to dust of the camera and get a few more images for my Free Image Library~ Royalty Free Photos.
All of my photos can be found on
Yesterday at lunchtime we headed down to Tuchan for the annual Fete du Vin. When we arrived it was already in full swing, a band was belting out some tunes, and the complimentary wine was flowing. It was very complimentary, it told me I looked gorgeous – but that could just have been the drink talking. While heading towards the vino we met a ‘Facebook’ friend who happens to own a holiday home in Tuchan. We stood nattering for a while and imbibing the local wine, well I was doing the imbibing because my wonderful wife was the designated 
driver so she had to make do with water.
Several glasses of wine later there was a break for lunch, so we decided to have a look round the market as we hadn’t planned to eat in Tuchan because our lunch was sitting in the fridge at home. The market consisted of a mix of stalls selling new stuff and also a vide grenier (car boot/flea market), plus a couple of stalls selling food, crepes etc. After looking round the market stalls for a while, and as usual coming away empty handed, we went to 
check out the band who were playing in the school courtyard. Needless to say there was more wine on offer and not wanting to be rude I helped the bottles on their way to the recycling bin. While enjoying the music and wine we got talking to an English guy who lives in Durban Corbieres and works at the Castelmaure winery . Despite us all living here for about 10 years we’ve have never bumped into each other before.
Wanting a symbiotic relationship with Tuchan we headed to the Mont Tauch winery where I purchased a
bottle of wine. I thought it was only fair given how much of their wine I had just drank for free. My wife also got a reward, she purchased a ‘Fete du Wine ~ Festa del Vin’ t-shirt, which was slightly ironic considering that she was not drinking anything stronger than water.
Deciding that man can not live by wine alone (a big fat lie ) we stopped off at the café for a beer and a coke. Guess who got the beer?
We didn’t want to stay for the evenings festivities which included a meal, live music and of course lots more delicious wine, so we headed off home for a very very late lunch.
