July 11, 2017

A test that will reinvent your holidays in France

It’s eight in the morning, the kids have already come in and jumped up and down on your bed, your eyes are still itchy and you have no idea of where you’re going to go out for the day. Don’t worry about it! Today’s going to be “keep calm and canoe” day! From 10 o’clock, the Thau lagoon (situated between Montpellier and Cap d’Adge) organises out-of-the-ordinary canoe trips for all the family so you can meet the lagoon’s oyster farmers. Because, in case you didn’t know, oysters are also produced in the Mediterranean. Squeeze up the children (there’s a maximum of two adults and two children per boat) and go for a jaunt across this small inland sea criss-crossed by oyster beds. Take a break at one of the oyster farms, where they’ll take the time to tell you all about the different methods for raising oysters, including the subterfuges used for replicating the tides and fooling the little creatures. The tasting will, inevitably, be accompanied by a small glass of local wine, Frontignan or Mireval muscat, Picpoul de Pinet or Grès de Montpellier. On the way back, give the paddles to the kids… then, maybe, they’ll wake up a bit later tomorrow… or maybe not.

Info and reservations

In Villeveyrac, 25 minutes northwest of Sète, this vineyard restaurant and inn belongs to the Domaine de l’Abbaye. The produce is picked from the estate’s organic kitchen garden and the supply chain for the meats and cheeses is short. They serve simple, modern food that does just the trick in a superb environment.

Four kilometres from Saint-Pargoire, and 12 km from Pézenas, this “Little Versailles in the Hérault” boasts five guest rooms and six gîtes (for 2 to 8 people) housed in an 18th century building. The setting is exceptional, with a park of 2.5 hectares and vineyards of 30 hectares. The amenities are very good: two outdoor pools (including one for nude bathing), a barbecue, communal lounge, pool table, table football and bicycles.

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