Excellent day today with a drive through Languedoc-Roussillon and a visit to Minerve.


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September 17th 2017
Published: September 17th 2017
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Left the coast behind today. Not too impressed by the roads round Agde. Speed bump after bump which is not too pleasant in a Tandy.

We headed back to Beziers, ring-roaded it and then due west direction of Carcassonne.

A really scenic drive and the weather was fine and quite sunny most of the way. I suggested I’d like to visit Minerve, a fortified medieval village we had walked to when we stayed at Velieux a lot of years ago (Possibly 1993) with our good friend Lynne. As we only had a short drive to our campsite we decided to go en route as rather too far to scooter out to it.



Delighted to find that there was a good carpark above the town so slotted Tandy in to it and walked the 200m down the hill. Minerve is built atop a narrow piece of rock in the middle of a very deep gorge carved out by the River Cesse. We remember just how deep and steep sided those gorges were from when we walked there ! A bridge was built across one side of the gorge in the early 1900s with the expansion of the railways. Previously there was only one little road as access.



There was once a chateau but all that remains of that is a very tall tower.

This is Cathar country and all the little shops along the narrow streets have items for sale on that theme as well as other interesting arts and crafts.

The church is Roman style, 11th century.

We found the bar where we had quenched our thirsts after that very long and hot walk all those years ago then returned up the hill to Tandy.



Stopped for lunch a little way along with a glorious view over the scenic Languedoc-Roussillon countryside, grape vines in all directions, snow capped Pyrenees to the south and hills to the North.

Then along pretty roads, through attractive villages to our campsite at Villegly-en-Minervois, Camping Le Moulin de Saint-Anne where we also stopped one night same time last year as we were heading up from the coast. Lovely spot with a super pool and free wifi. Brilliant.



Discovered there was a little fete on at the chateau in the village so wandered down and enjoyed an hour’s stroll round the craft fair and through the chateau. Perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon and quite a sunny one at that though as has been the case almost all this trip, really chilly out of the sun.

Back at the campsite in time for a good swim before dinner.



Tomorrow we move up to the Dordogne for a couple of days.


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