Visiting Southern France in Winter, Episode 148
Join Us in France Travel Podcast My guest today is Christine Hegerty from Australia, and she joins me today to talk about visiting Southern France in winter. They started their trip in Nice and exited via the Basque Country, so they really went all the way across.
What is it like in France in the winter? Are the weather conditions good enough for touring? Aren't most attractions closed? Christine answers all my questions and brings a lot of zest and astute observations about France in the winter.
Places Mentioned in this Episode: Nice, Toulouse, Aix-en-Provence, Marseille, Nîmes, Pont du Gard, Uzès, Montpellier, Carcassonne, Mirepoix, Forges de Pyrène, Grotte de Niaux, Foix, Camon (09), Rennes-le-Château, Carla-Bayle, Grotte du Mas d'Asil, Toulouse, Albi and the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum, Cordes-sur-Ciel, Moissac, Bordeaux, San-Sebastian, New Caledonia
Episode Highlights with Timestamps [7'15] Why did you choose to come to France in the winter? [8'50] What sort of weather did you encounter? [10'30] Flying into Nice instead of Paris [12'30] Finding accommodations where we could park a car + using a car elevator in Toulouse [15'] A lovely cooking class in Nice [22'] Panisse and Socca, food specialties from Nice [23'] Aix-en-Provence and Marseille by Regional Bus [24'] Cours Mirabeau, Les Deux Garçons, and the Christmas Market in Aix-en-Provence [24'45] A day in Marseille: Musée d'Histoire de Marseille, great street for restaurants, rue Sainte, lunch at Les Echevins (best steak ever says John!), [28'30] Walking tour with a volunteer greeter, meeting on Quai des Belges in Marseille, a look at the Mirror Pavilion by Foster [30'] Musée Archéologique de Marseille in Le Panier [31'45] Marseille City Greeters [33'06] Lovely Tea House called Cup of Tea, tea shop and book shop [34'] Great food in Marseille, and not just Bouillabaisse! [35'] The realities of planing a trip from home vs. taking the trip: cutting things out [36'] Worries about leaving luggage in the car and Annie's recommendation about that [37'48] Two nights in Nîmes and what they loved about it: les Arênes de Nîme, la Maison Carrée [39'] Carré d'Art by Norman Foster in Nîmes, a great place for photography, among other things [40'] Stumbling Upon a light show projected on the Maison Carrée in Nîmes. This happens a lot around Christmas, not just in Nîmes, but in other French cities too. [42'] Around Christmas is busy for people, but tourist attractions are empty. [43'] Pont du Gard and getting lost looking for it. Don't set your GPS to the village called Vers-Pont-du-Gard. Set your GPS to either the attraction called Pont du Gard OR the village of Remoulins or Collias. [46'] Lunch at Uzès on Place Aux Herbes, great place to spend a couple of hours. [47'] Tour Magne, Le Jardin de la Fontaine, le Temple de Diane in Nîmes [48'] Montpellier, a large and charming city. Air B&B apartment that used to be a butcher's shop for one night. [50'] Musée du Vieux Montpellier, running into churches with Crêches and Santons, and [50'30] More podcast listeners eating at L'Entrecôte, they should sponsor the show! [52'] What's nearby? Sète, Camargue [53'30] Daylight hours are shorter in winter, fewer hours for touring. [53'47] Christmas in Carcassonne, lunch at the Michelin Star at the Hôtel de la Cité, La Barbacane. [57'39] Carcassonne is not busy and crowded in the winter, and certainly not on Christmas Day! [58'33] The Christmas Market in Carcassonne. [62'] Staying in Mirepoix for one week. [65'] New Year's Even in Mirepoix, le Réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre with a group of all-French people who didn't speak English! <--Funny [68'] Typical New Year's Eve celebrations in France [72'] Attractions near Mirepoix: Montsegur (Cathat, hike), Les Forges de Pyrène (demonstrations of old techniques), Grotte de Niaux (painted caves), Foix (hike). [78'] Most Beautiful Villages in France: Camon. Beautiful but completely empty this time of year. This is an obvious problem with visiting southern France in winter: many things are closed! [80'] The Arriège is a part of France that doesn't get a lot of tourists any time of the year, and in the middle of the winter, you have to find ways to keep busy. [81'] Market Day in Mirepoix is Monday, the town comes to life. Visiting Rennes-le-Château, must read-up on the conspiracy theories. Pack a picnic! [83'] Even in a remote part of France that is not very touristy, the food is quite good. [84'] Visiting Carla-Bayle and the Grotte du Mas d'Asil on the way to Toulouse. Don't go in the middle of the winter, it's empty! [86'] Toulouse is like a small little Paris, a lot of life, even in the middle of the winter. [88'] Going to Albi and the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum, Cordes-sur-Ciel (Cordes is also dead in the winter!) [89'] Museums in Toulouse: Natural History Museum, Musée Saint-Raymond, Basilique Saint-Sernin, Musée des Augustins, Musée des...
Artigat, beautiful village in Frane near Toulouse and The Pyrenees
Artigat, beautiful village in Frane near Toulouse and The Pyrenees
Artigat,village,France,Toulouse,The Pyrenees,the white emir,buildings, green, history, monuments, square,nature, traffic, car, train, station, architecture, prosperity, trade, commerce estonia, business, goods, infrastructure, shops, town, warmth, friendliness, hospitality, vacation, stay,access, interpretation, presentation, guide, city, wall,
city wall, villages, schools, hospitals, city hall, theater,
best, good, wonderful, fantastic, tour, forest, park, residence
, hotel, restaurant, hospitality, vacation, holiday, destination,
service, access, interpretation, presentation, guide, city, wall,
city wall, villages, schools, hospitals, city hall, theater,
measure, amenities, mass, materials, civil, potters, priests, blacksmiths, teachers, civil servants, senior, trade route, homes,
inhabited, settlement, forest, moor, heath, avenues, single, ring, pattern
, boulevard, manufacturing, production engineering, housing, cultural heritage, heritage, culture, cultural, planning, economics,
city economy, future, graffiti, art, urban art, sculpture, public, public space, election, lobby, county, kingdom, law, justice,
logistics, port, seaport, capital, stimulation, economic sector, mines, industry, industrial heritage, factories, migration, hygiene, pollution, solution, developing, elite, elite circles, expensive cars, metropolis, urban area, Agglomeration · Downtown · Mayor · town · Parish · Parish · Municipal Archivist · Municipality (government) · City Hall · City Council · Capital · Metropolis · Satellite City · Ships · City State · City State · City Hall · Borough · District Council · City Law · City State · Town · Urbanization · Councillor · Quarter · Sister Parish, love women love, beautiful building, monument, beautiful monument, women live, dresses, in 2016, women in 2016, fisheries, agricultural technology, irrigation, shops,
adventure, center, cosiness, warmth, beach, beach resort, beach resort, port, sculpture art,
charm, bus station, bus, beautiful, expressive, radiant, churches, mosque,
leisure, office, architect, landmark, landmark,
music, beautiful women, beautiful women, city women, women in the city, rooms, student, students, college, university city, education city,
Antiterrorist units are engaged in a major operation in the southern French town of Artigat, the residence of the jihadists leader Olivier Corel. When the action involved dozens of agents, French media report. Also, police helicopters circling above the village.
It is unclear whether there is a direct reason for the operation in Artigat. Corel has so far not directly linked to the attack ten days ago in Paris. What is known is that he is friends with Fabien Clain, which has been associated with the attacks.
Corel, which has been nicknamed the white emir, founded in the late 80th Artigat a strict Islamic community where people can attend lectures and religious lessons. Some of his followers grew into terrorist. Among them was Mohammed Merah, who killed seven people in 2012 in Toulouse.
The French justice Corel already trying to address for years. After the act of Merah he was stuck, but he was released after a short time.