Au Clair du Sud
Learning... a pleasure. Learn the language... live the life
Area- Countryside
Stretching from the edge of the Camargue to the Pyrenees, between the sea and the mountains, the beauty of the Languedoc Roussillon is made up of 200km of Mediterranean coastline of fine sandy beaches, the biggest vineyard area in the world (110,000 hectares), numerous mountains, lakes, olive groves, all basked, for most of the year, in warm sunshine.
So don't forget your sunglasses! (Au Clair du Sud means 'in the light of the South')
- History
The Languedoc Roussillon's history is a very tumultuous and rich one. Greeks, Romans, Cathars, Templars, builders of monasteries, all came to this region and left impressive and very well preserved remains, many of which are now classified as 'World Heritage' sites by UNESCO (Pont du Gard, St Guilhem-le-désert).
- Gastronomy and wines
Privileged by its location, the local gastronomy mixes produce from the land as well as the sea: fish and shellfish, meat, vegetables and fruit ripened by the sunshine of the south, aromatic herbs from the Garrigue; all the ingredients for delicious dishes which you will never forget. You may want to start with a melon with Muscat (natural sweet wine), then try the "tielle" in Sète (a delicious spicy seafood pie) or have a seafood platter from the "Etang de Thau" where the most delicious oysters and mussels grow, then taste a Pelardon (goat cheese) or the famous Roquefort (ewe's cheese) and finish with fresh roasted figs with Noilly Prats - whilst drinking some "côteau du languedoc" from a chateau worthy of an AOC!
- Local culture and traditions
Come and see "les joutes" in Sète, Palavas, Frontignan, Agde, Balaruc and Béziers. "Les joutes" are a traditional local nautical jousting festival where jousters are armed with a lance and perched on a platform at the end of a wooden boat. As soon as the drums and oboes sound the signal to charge, the duel begins and involves unbalancing the adversary so that he falls into the water. Or you may like a game of "tambourines" in Balaruc, and in numerous other "Hérault" villages. The game looks like tennis but instead of a racket, players use tambourines which bear no resemblance to the musical instrument except for the sound! The region is also the country of the "biou" (the Camargue bull). The bull here is not harmed in the arena. The Camargue competition is a game that consists of a "raseteur" whose aim is to collect all the rings, strings and tassels placed between the horns of the bull.
