Le Mas du Coq - activities & excursions in the area





	ACTIVITIES & USEFUL INFO Beaches The best beaches are to be found down on the Camargue, which is about 40 minutes away. In high season, we would suggest going early in the day. It is worth exploring but Le Grau du Roi www.legrauduroi-portcamargue-tourisme.info/ and Les Espigettes are safe and sandy. Les Espigettes is generally regarded as one of the best beaches in France and is worth a visit. It is reasonably unspoilt. Also recommended is the beach at Maguelene south of Montpellier reached via Palavas-les-Flots. Nature reserves The whole area is rich in wildlife and popular with birdwatchers. For flamingoes, kingfishers etc and horses go to the Camargue, east of Les Espigettes and follow the signs. Golf The following golf clubs are within an hour's drive: Golf de Nimes Campagne, Golf de Nimes Vacquerolles, Golf de Coulondres, Golf d'Uzes, Golf de Montpellier Massane. Contact details are in the Book of the House, available by request or on arrival. Tennis At Anduze and Quissac Cycling and scooters These can be hired from JLR Motos Cycles, Z.I. Route de St. Jean du Card, Anduze 30140 Tel: 0466605679. Go to the center of Anduze and take the St. Jean du Card road out of town. JLR can be found a mile or so down on the left at the back of an industrial estate. Look for Peugeot garage on left. JLR is around the back, fronting onto the road but approached from the road running behind the Peugeot garage. Canoeing This is enormous fun. www.canoe-france.com/en/gardon/index.html For local canoeing go to Collias which is just outside Uzes. You can canoe 8 km down to Remoulin, going under the Pont du Gard, and then be bussed back. Wonderful scenery, wildlife and very tranquil. Allow 3 hours. Try the 11 km trip from S. Nicholas which is even more spectacular. There is canoeing at Ganges through the beautiful gorges of the Herault. Canoeing is probably best in May/June/July although the season runs from March-October. Check there is enough water and take change of clothes etc. Treetop Adventure Park. Very near to Anduze www.parcparfumdaventure.com Riding Centre Equestre des Abeilles at Clairan (about 10 mins by car on the Sommieres road). Accompanied hacking at about E15 per hour. Run by a charming Frenchman and his wife and they also sell honey. There is an equestrian centre outside Ledignan. Direction Ales and then take the Vezenobres turning to the right and the equestrian centre is on the right. Markets Sunday am Anduze flea market Lunel: Large general market, the place to go for Provencal prints: loads of stalls Tuesday am: St. Jean du Gard. Excellent market: go there by steam train from Anduze. Robert Louis Stevenson finished his donkey ride through the Cevennes here. Wednesday am: Quissac: general but worth a visit pm: Sommieres: general (summer only) Thursday am: Anduze: brilliant market..our favourite Friday am: Nimes: general Saturday am Uzès: general but outstanding: go EARLY Church On the first Sunday of the month (normally – check) there is a very welcoming Protestant church service in English held at the pretty rustic temple (signposted) in Boisset, to the right off the road between Anduze and Alès. Phone our close friend the Rev Jenny Deverill for details (00 33 (0) 466251763). Being France, wine and canapés are served for some time after the service! Restaurants We have put various cards for restaurants in the house. All restaurants have a day off, often Tuesday, but are a law unto themselves. Auberge Les 3 Barbus Tel: 0466617212 Excellent for Sunday lunch and you have use of the pool afterwards. On the road between Generagues and Mialet Ferme de Cornadel: Generagues Tel: 0466617944 A real favourite of ours. Le Clos du Murier, Generargues, just the other side of Anduze. Everything cooked on a grill outside, good omelettes, v good value, open lunch and dinner 7/7 (check 0466618228) La Rocaille, Anduze market square. Unbelievable value for a big no-nonsense multi-course meal served at top speed. We call it (unfairly) the Happy Eater. Open most of the time in summer, weekends out of season. 0466617323 Restaurant Le Triboulet Tel: 0466616500 Anduze Le Potager, Durfort Tel: 0466774908 Excellent food. It is essential to book as it is only open on Friday and Saturday evenings and the day before Bank Holidays If you visit Nîmes, have lunch or coffee/tea in the Pâtisserie Courtois, a real jewel of a bygone age. 0466672009, 8 Place du Marché. La Cour, St. Mathieu de Treviers which is near Claret. Drive through Quissac and take the D45 to Corconne (famous scene of massacre during Wars of Religion) Excellent restaurant but on the expensive side Cafe Restaurant du Midi Tel: 0466830055 Lezan Secrets de Celine Tel: 0466830352 Lezan Vignerons There are numerous wine co-operatives in the area, notably at Tornac and Massaillargues. Excellent wine and worth taking home! Le Grand Chemin vineyard at Savignargues just SW of Lédignan and the vineyard at Baruel off the D982 south of Tornac have some quality wines and are very hospitable, with tasting. Beyond Quissac there are several good vignerons whom you should telephone before you visit. Foulaquier: Just outside Claret. Ring for directions Tel: 0467599694 Chateau de Lancyre, Valflaunes, Ring for directions Tel: 0467552228 Chateau Valcyre Tel: 0467552203 EXCURSIONS Wonderful walks, starting from outside the house. If you stroll down and cross the D35 road below the house, technically you are walking in the Cevennes. A good one for your postcards if you are feeling lazy………. Anduze is the Gateway to the Cevennes and is a good starting point for many a beautiful walk. There is a selection of flyers and brochures in the house. Towards Anduze Pop into La Madeleine (best pottery shop in the area). The parking lot for the Super U supermarket is turned into a fleamarket on Sunday mornings which is well worth a visit. From the railway station in Anduze part of the old industrial railway has been preserved and small trains, either steam or diesel, wind up through tunnels and over gorges to the little market town of St Jean du Gard. It is very scenic, and particularly good on Tuesdays which is market day in SJDG. Arrive early in summer as it is popular. Timetable in the cupboard in the hall. www.trainvapeur.com The Bambouserie (bamboo collection) on the road towards SJDG is world-famous and well worth a visit. www.bambouseraie.com/ There are well signed-posted grottoes within 45 minutes drive. Brochures in back of book. Trebuc just north of Anduze is easy and highly recommended. www.grottes-de-france.com/trades.html Uzès This is a beautiful old town/bastide, steeped in history and is the first Duchy of France. Go early on a Saturday morning for excellent market shopping. There are lots of shops, bars and restaurants. The produce on the stalls is truly local and top quality – vegetables, fish, oils, herbs and spices, fabrics. Take time to people-watch, the very smart mingle with, well, the rest of us. On our first visit to a local antique shop Jean-Paul Gaultier swished in in his kilt and we realized why the prices were so high! Only 35 minutes away. Take the main road towards Nimes and you will see signs off for Uzes. You can also take in the Haribo sweet museum just outside Uzès to the SE on the road to the Pont du Gard. Fun (and nostalgia) for all ages. Sauve Sauve is a charming medieval hill town/bastide. It is a home to artists and writers and is rather bohemian. Well worth a visit to explore alleyways, little arts and crafts shops and restaurants. Sommieres This is a Roman town with a famous bridge built by Tiberius and an historic fort/tower on the top of the hill. There is an excellent bar overhanging the river to the right of the bridge. There are many little shops, restaurants and a market on Saturday morning and Wednesday evening during the summer. Home to the late Lawrence Durrell and there is a plethora of alleyways to explore. Takes about 30 minutes. Quissac A small market town on the river Vidourle about 10 minutes away, which is well worth a visit on Wednesday when there is a market from early morning to midday. Nîmes Super city for young and old dating back from Roman times with Roman temple (La Maison Carre) in main square and Les Arènes on the edge. Check out shopping, good boutiques, art-gallery/library designed by Norman Foster, sightseeing and culture. Thursday evenings in summer are not to be missed, as there are markets, street entertainers, lots of good street musicians and concerts in the old Roman Arena. Wonderful restaurants, bars and good night life. See later under restaurants for a lunch with a difference (Pâtisserie Courtois). There are interesting shops in the back street behind the Maison Carre, Rue L'Aspic etc. On the right road just outside the town, on the road to Avignon you will find the Ville Active and find shops such as Costorama, Carrefour supermarket and lots of other brilliant shops. When leaving Nîmes, follow the blue A9 motorway signs, which will take you out onto the ring road. Then follow signs to Alès, and then either Ledignan (via D907) or continue along the main road towards Alès and then signed Anduze. Sheet map and guidebook at back of book. Montpellier Regarded as the Hollywood of the Midi, this is a University City and has a great buzz. It is home to the oldest medical school in France. Good cultural centre (theatres etc.) a famous botanical garden, masses of shops (boutiques and precinct, the Polygon) bars, restaurants, a magnificent Grande Place, traversed by modern trams, shaded gardens and parks. The maires of Montpellier and Nimes compete with each other for the title of the smartest city in the Midi. Try the little shops behind the opera house (La Comedie) where the old quarter is situated. To get to Montpellier, go via Sommieres to Lunel, onto the A9 motorway and exit at sign to Montpellier Centre. Follow signs to Centre Ville and then look out for signs to Polygon parking, which is underground and easily missed, so drive slowly and follow signs. When leaving Montpellier try to follow the blue A motorway signs to get out of the centre and onto the ring road/motorway. Aigues; on the way to the beach, an impressive, historic walled city similar to Carcassone which becomes very crowded in high season; Aries, Aix en Provence, Orange and Avignon (for the Pope's Palace). The old fishing port/marina of Marseille in the old town (well signposted off Motorway) is pretty but avoid the main town.