Aude Ariege France

Les Grands Chemins

2009-10-22T09:32:18-04:00

22nd October 2009

From 22 October and 4 November 2009 Les Grands Chemins, the established showcase of the Minervois, is preparing its annual fortnight-long festival of the senses - art, culture and fabulous food – all designed to introduce you to the delights of the region.

An astonishing range of activities, from the creative arts, food and wine tastings, evenings of music ranging from jazz to the classics, strolls through the vineyards, cinema including the films of Agnes Varda, theatre paying tribute to PierrePaul Riquet with Guy Vassal’s play “The Madman of the Canal”,
a cabaret evening dining to the poetry of Charles Trenet….

You can choose to follow an exciting and varied programme of events; alternatively you are welcome to organise your own tour around the region where a profusion of historic sites, workshops and exhibitions await you.

http://www.les-grands-chemins.com/

Thirty artists are exhibiting this year in different places in the area.
http://www.les-grands-chemins.com/lesartistes.php

The Aude on QYPE

2009-10-19T10:58:32-04:00

Am I the only person to have not known about QYPE? (For the North Americans among us QYPE is a review site similar to YELP.) I have to admit that I'm new to review sites and wish I'd known about them earlier. They offer me a place to add or comment on my favourite places - or my least favourite places.

If you own a business in the Aude you can add it to Qype and add details and information to help people looking for the service you offer. The web is such a huge place it helps me to have a way to narrow things down. Reading the comments and ratings helps me to decide who to contact or where to go for whatever it is that I'm looking for.

I added Aude France Property - shameless plug, I know. If you search for estate agent Aude you'll find us. Feel Free to add a review!

If you're also new to the idea of review sites spend some time looking around QYPE for the Aude. You'll find some old favourites and some new businesses to try. Review your favourites, business owners will appreciate it.

Guest post by Sam Mooney

L'Odalisque

2009-10-12T11:00:05-04:00

12th October 2009

L'Odalisque is a relatively new restaurant in Limoux. It opened in April of this year and in a fairly unlikely situation. It's in Rue des Cordeliers, a narrow street just behind the Place de la République.

There are three separate dining areas: the first small room which seats about 20 people, a larger, more formal room for up to 25 and a cellar which can take up to 40 people.

It's all been beautifully renovated with exposed stone walls and original features but the tableware and furnishings are strikingly modern.

There is a three-course weekday lunchtime menu at 15 euros and the evening menus range from four courses at 26 euros through to a gastronomic menu at 50 euros.

I've only been once so far but it was superb - and everyone else I've come across who's been has thought so too!

www.odalisque11.fr

Concerts at Castelreng

2009-06-20T10:38:19-04:00

20th June 2009

From 17th to 22nd July in the church at Castelreng and in Limoux, there will be a series of concerts by young and promising musicians.

For details of the programmes, have a look at http://www.youngvirtuosi.com/

The coffee lady at Bram market

2009-06-04T08:17:13-04:00

4th June 2009

There are some very fashionable markets around here - Mirepoix and Limoux, for example - where you buy a few vegetables but the main point is to meet friends in a café on the square for a coffee. And there's nothing wrong with that.

But Bram market seems more old-style French. The object of the exercise is to stock up for the week with the freshest of produce - of which there is an abundance - and, if you bump into friends along the way, so much the better.

And the best coffee I've ever drunk comes from a lovely lady who has a van she brings every week. (She also does Castelnaudary market on Monday mornings.) She opens up at some unearthly hour of the morning and you can smell her coffee all around the market.

She opens the side of the van and puts some stools outside and it's very difficult to walk past without stopping to buy. She also has a wide range of coffees she'll grind up freshly for you.

Not sure why I've just blogged this. I certainly don't want to attract any more people to Bram market!

Property of the week!

2009-06-02T11:05:49-04:00

2nd June 2009

I seem to have been a bit quiet on the blog front of late. I could blame a number of factors - which I won't bore you with - but certainly one of them has been that things have suddenly got a lot busier on the house-selling front.

So I've decided that, from time to time, I ought to blog any particularly good properties we might have taken on.

This house and gîtes are just 5 minutes out of Limoux and have stunning views of the Pyrenees.

You can see the main house in this picture and to the right of the swimming pool is a building which can either be one three-bedroomed house or two holiday gîtes.

Ideal for someone looking for a ready-made business to run or equally for an extended family who'd like two houses on the same piece of land.

It's priced at 585 000 euros and details can be seen on this link: http://www.aude-ariege-property.com/property_517.htm

Jazz au Caveau

2009-04-21T06:10:27-04:00

21st April 2009

Bit late finding this, really... However, there's a lovely series of jazz evenings taking place in the cellars of the Abbaye de Caunes-Minervois.

A tray of copious tapas, large glass of wine and concert - all for 20 euros!

We went last Friday night to see a band called Trio Bergin. They were excellent and sang in a variety of styles from jazz and swing to the French traditional chansonnier.

All the tables were decorated with flowers and candles and the atmosphere is just lovely in the vaults of the abbey cellar.

The next event is on Friday 15th May when the band are Gospel Bayou Brothers who play a mix of soul and afro-american blues. Places are limited so it's best to book at the Office de Tourisme in Caunes-Minervois: 0468 78 09 44 e-mail: otsi@caunesminervois.com