Our area is not particularly famous for its food. Marseille has its bouillabaisse, the South West has confit de canard, cassoulet, foie gras, Lyon is the gastronomic center of France. We have fresh figs, apricots, melons, almonds …. and the local speciality of brandade de morue – salt cod paste, which tastes much better than it sounds.
Restaurants range from guinguettes next to the river (serving steak, sausages, chips and beer and wine) to some truly exceptional cuisine. If you are on a budget, go to a good restaurant at lunchtime during the week – most of them serve a set menu for a fraction of the price in the evening.
Kirsty, a fantastic cook, can offer meals, as well as teaching people how to make simple, but delicious dishes, ranging from canapés through to desserts.
The Languedoc (or Occitanie as it is now known) is one of the largest wine areas in the world. In the past, it had a (deservedly) poor reputation for piquette (bad wine) but, in the last 30 years, the quality has rocketed. The immediate area around us has a large number of excellent vineyards, most of which will let you come and taste with no obligation to buy. The Duché d’Uzès appellation ensures a high level of quality and Chateauneuf du Pape is only 3/4 hour away.
In addition, Ben is a wine buff and can offer tastings in his vaulted cellar, as well as light wine courses, ranging from the history of wine to discovering the local grape varieties, to appropriate food pairings. He is not an expert and believes that the best wine is the one that you prefer, not what others tell you is the best. He considers that the wines in this area are possibly the best value wines in the world (quality vs price).
We are located right on the edge of a huge forest. You can walk to the Pierre Planté, a menhir, just 6 km away; to Goudargues through some lovely woods; to the Concluses, Lussan, even all the way to the Ardèche. Three of the four directions you can take when leaving the house almost immediately take you away from cars and other people.
Other than our 12 m swimming pool, there are numerous rivers where you can swim. La Bastide, near Goudargues (7 km from us) takes you down to the Cèze. The Pont du Gard is a lovely spot for swimming – the deep waters there ensure that the temperature remains cool even during the hottest days of the summer. The Ardèche is a very wide river, ensuring that it, too, remains very pleasantly cool all summer.
This area is wonderful for keen cyclists, both off-road and on-road. In the forest there are a large number of trails and car drivers are respectful of cyclists.
There are a large number of circuits which we can show you, ranging from 15 km upwards.
Mont Bouquet is a fairly steep climb and Mont Ventoux is not too far away.
There are three major rivers down which you can canoe, each of which have different distances you can canoe.
The closest (and prettiest in our opinion) is the Cèze. Cèze Canoë is where we hire from. in Gourdargues.
The Ardèche is another lovely river. There are many companies in Vallon Pont d’Arc.
The Gardon finishes by going under the Pont du Gard – a truly spectacular sight. There are a number of companies in Collias.
La Ballade Val de Cèze (4 km from us) offers a variety of excursions on horseback, from a couple of hours to a couple of days ….
A typical excursion might take you through the Cèze river, a joy in itself.
They have ponies for children as well.
