Languedoc-Roussillon, Cassaignes, Espéraza, Rennes-le-Chateau, 13-15.6.2025: Closed Churches and Breakfast Oysters

Church of Mary Magdalene, Rennes-le-Chateau Languedoc-Roussillon

And now our final day in Cassaignes arrives: I’m writing on the 16th, before W. and K. drive us after lunch to Toulouse, from which we’ll fly early tomorrow to Paris and then from Paris to Atlanta. On Friday (the 13th), we spent the day at home in Cassaignes, since W. and K. expected his cousin M. and wife K. for an evening meal and spent part of the day preparing that meal. W.'s grandmother and M.'s grandmother were sisters in Alsace, with M.'s grandmother marrying and going to Paris and W.'s marrying and going to Frankfurt — so that there are both German and French branches of their family now. 

Languedoc-Roussillon, Cassaignes, Espéraza, Coustaussa, Leucate, 11-12.6.2025: Cathar Ruins and Mediterranean Seafood

Château d'Arques, Languedoc-Roussillon, France

I’m writing now on the 13th. On the 11th in the morning, W. took us with him on a shopping expedition to the village of Espéraza, where there’s a butcher he and K. especially like. He has planned to make a lamb shank dish, lamb marinated in red wine and herbs, this evening and wanted to buy the lamb from the butcher in Espéraza.

Languedoc-Roussillon, Cassaignes and Limoux, 10.6.2025: Spring Water and Charcuterie Galore

Crémeux de canard, Prunier brand, E. Leclerc supermarket, Limoux, Languedoc-Roussillon 

(Writing on the 11th): A long and rather tiring day yesterday, in part, because it’s very hot here right now. W. and K. take a morning walk up the mountain from Cassaignes at 8 A.M. daily, and we accompanied them on that. Then to fill bottles with water at a springhouse in a village whose name I didn’t catch, possibly Rennes-les-Bains, at the bottom of the mountain and not far from Cassaignes. There are a number of spigots and sinks underneath a roof in an open-sided stone building, and anyone can take water from there. It comes from a spring or springs high in the mountains.

Languedoc-Roussillon, Carcassonne and Cassaignes, 9.6.2025: Sweet Gorse and Cathedral Windows

And so we’ve arrived at Cassaignes (I’m writing this on the 10th). We drove yesterday from Saint-Jean-du-Gard, a fairly easy drive in comparison to some of the ones we made in the days before, a drive that took us south and west in Languedoc-Cassaignes, past Montpelier. K. and W. took back roads instead of the interstate for most of the trip, and it was wonderful to see the countryside, which soon changed from the heavily wooded countryside of the Cévennes to vineyard following vineyard as the climate seemed to become hotter and drier the further south and west we drove. The plantings of Russian sage I first saw in Provence are everywhere in southern France, too, and in Languedoc-Roussillon, beautiful roses in many gardens and, in one village we drove through, framing a doorway and blooming so profusely that at first they seemed artificial.

Languedoc-Roussillon, Saint-Jean-du-Gard, 8.6.2025: Silkworms and Church Organs

Stevenson Fountain, Saint-Jean-du-Gard, Languedoc-Roussillon

Maison Rouge, Saint-Jean-du-Gard, Languedoc-Roussillon

Today (the 8th) was a day of visiting two more places in the region, St.-Jean-du-Gard itself and then Anduze. Both were very interesting, though I have to say that after the long, long drive on the 6th, when I had excruciating pain in my legs from sitting so long in the cramped back seat, I find myself more than a little tired, so that I didn’t pay as much attention as I should have done to what we saw.

Provence, Orange, and Languedoc-Roussillon, Saint-Jean-du-Gard, 7.6.2025: Huguenot Museums and Cassis Sorbet

Roman amphitheater, Orange, Provence, France

(Again, writing on the 8th): We started the day on the 6th with petit déjeuner outside at Les Buisses. It’s out in the countryside with a little pond and swimming pool, and with outside seating at tables for breakfast — which consisted of croissants, baguettes, butter, jam, yoghurt, coffee, and orange juice.