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Hidden treasure of Southern France
Fancy a cup of cappuccino fish? Brian Needham took some French leave in the Languedoc-Rousillon
The delights of Southern France have been thoroughly explored by the British.
Provence? We've been there, done up the house, written the book, annoyed the locals. Celebrity chef Keith Floyd slurped his way through the Rhone (and if I remember right, quite a bit of the Burgundy), followed more recently by high priest of the langoustine Rick Stein.
Stein it was who dropped in on the beautifully preserved medieval town of Pzenas, which was to be the starting point for my own tour of Languedoc-Rousillon. The seafood supremo lauded the town's speciality, petits pts – small savoury pastries, shaped appropriately like a chef's hat. They were introduced here in the 18th century by the Indian chefs travelling with Clive of India, who came to France to recuperate from illness.
Pzenas, west of Marseilles and about a 90-minute drive from Montpellier airport, has a wealth of listed architectural gems, about 50, including many h'tels peculiers, or private mansions, arranged along winding narrow streets reminiscent of a sun-drenched York. These rich nobles' homes, some dating from the 16th century, have ornate doorways, wrought iron balconies and internal vaulting of medieval monastic quality. They rise several storeys around a courtyard originally housing a well.
A particularly fine example of the h'tels peculiers was our first night's base, the 17th century Hotel de Vigniamont, impressively restored by a British couple, Tracy McVeigh, a former resident of Ilkley, and her partner Robert. Guest rooms open onto an airy courtyard with striking stone arches, and the majestic stone staircase leads to a sunny roof terrace.
Pzenas was the adopted home of Molire and his Illustre Theatre in the 17th century and still retains its cultural traditions, as we saw in a tour of the route des antiquaires, which draws bargain hunters and antique collectors to numerous cavernous outlets.
The brocantes (second-hand dealers) and antiquaires (antique dealers) are led by Claude Flanquart, who entertained us over lunch and an excellent local wine, telling of the time he found a Bruegel in an attic and
the deal with an American that led to a French church being dismantled brick by brick, shipped overseas and reassembled.
A short drive followed through dry scrubland – known here as the garrigue – interspersed with vineyards, to the region known as the Gard and another beautiful and ancient town, this one with a more Florentine feel. Uzs, with its red-tiled roofs and warm, pinkish stone, is dominated by four medieval towers, including La Fenestrelle, the tower-of-Pisa lookalike belltower that is the only surviving part of the town's destroyed 12th century romanesque church. The historic area, known as le Duch, includes the castle of the Dukes of Uzs and the Bermonde tower,
a rectangular tower built in the 11th century. I took in the view from the "medieval" garden, actually a creation from the 1990s, featuring the plants used
in the Middle Ages.
On a pleasantly warm mid-May morning, amid the scent of fresh mint and garlic, crowds wandered round the colourful market, squeezed between the town's squares. The produce on sale is spectacular. Come towards the end of January and you might even find truffles – at 500 euros (340) a kilo.
Next on the itinerary was a step back in time to one of the world's most spectacular monuments. The Roman Pont Du Gard – a World Heritage Site – supplied water to Nemasus (Nmes) 30 miles away. It was a rare privilege, courtesy of a friendly guide, to take the 900ft walk through the aqueduct at the top of the monument, 130 feet above the River Gardon. A short hop to Nmes took in the best-preserved amphitheatre in the Roman world, still used for bullfights and theatre, its circular covered walkway reminiscent of the old Wembley Stadium, and La Maison Care, the wonderfully complete shell of a Roman temple.
On the way back to Montpellier airport we stopped off at a quiet beach – remarkably only minutes from the runways – and the perfect place to contemplate a region well worth discovering. I suggest you hire a car, get touring, and don't forget the corkscrew.
Unlike Rick Stein and his petits pts, I found it hard to select a single culinary highlight from my stay in the region, but I know the most unusual dish – a tasty seafood bisque in a Pzenas restaurant, served in a coffee cup with frothy cream on top. It was intriguingly described by a waiter as "cappuccino fish". Rick, you would have loved it.
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Tuesday 22 May 2012
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