Beverly2022年7月

What can I say about our vacation experience in the Languedoc? Probably enough to write a really, really good book. After weeks of procrastinating, contemplating, and asking my family for the ‘nth’ time for their opinions on several properties, I bit the bullet and hit the button on Domaine De at Saint-Nazaire-d'Aude. Why? Because it seemed to offer everything I needed as a mum traveling with two older teenagers. Wifi, a pool, table tennis, and proximity to all of the historic buildings and landmarks they were interested in seeing (something I’m abundantly grateful for!). From the first time I entered into correspondence with the owners, Philippe and Veronique, I knew we were going to have a wonderful holiday, and this was cemented when Philippe and his cheerful smile came striding over to welcome us after a very long journey, followed by Veronique shortly thereafter. A quick tour of the property (in our case, a three bed, two bath ‘apartment’…which it couldn’t have been farther from my concept of an apartment), an overview of the basic house rules, an interesting explanation of the things to do and see in the region, and we were off to the races. So, the accommodation itself is ten apartments within a spectacularly beautiful ‘Maison de Maitre’, a winegrowers house that was, historically, the ‘chateau’ of the village of St Nazaire d'Aude. It’s been beautifully renovated and updated, but shows absolute respect for the property as it was centuries ago - history perfectly matched with modern convenience, if you will. A full kitchen, with washing machine, oven, fridge-freezer and microwave, an en-suite with a really great shower, and a family bath and downstairs loo. A super cozy living room with a TV (which never actually got switched on), a formal dining area, plus an outside dining area set in stunning architect-designed landscaping, rounded out the offering. The property’s welcoming environment was actually enhanced by a wonderful dinner with all of the families staying at the Domaine. Catered by a local chef, who specializes in pastry (the dessert attested to that), we had one of the most memorable on-the-spot dinner parties I can remember. Wonderful hosts in Philippe’s and Veronique, and opportunities to get to know other French and German families in a truly convivial experience. The Domaine is well situated for history buffs (Narbonne, the first Roman city in France, with a notable, enormous collection at Narbo Via, the Norman Foster + Co designed museum of Roman artifacts, and home to the “most beautiful market in France), Carcassonne (any picture of the Chateau doesn’t do it justice…book online and get there early to beat the crowds)), and literally every village you drive through en route, where medieval bridges, towers, and chateaus are around every corner. Wine tasting galore - too many vineyards to mention, and the wine is really, really good! It’s really come up as a best-in-class region after playing the underdog to Provencal vineyards for decades. Beaches are less than 30 minutes away at Gruissan, which offers five-kilometer stretches on either side of pure white sand and the warm Mediterranean Sea. Brilliant for kite-boarding/windsurfing! They can get super crowded in the main French holiday season, but thankfully our hosts gave us the ‘local’s tip’ and we made for a smaller beach further south, which was still as good but less crowded. Further south still, my recommendation is a day in Leucate, with an on-the-beach dinner at one of the coolest restaurants I’ve ever been to. Le Poulpe was again a recommendation from our hosts, and we enjoyed exceptionally well-cooked beef and fish over hot coals literally on the beach. For all you 40-something’s, the music is full on 80’s and 90’s Manchester melodics - best night ever, even with some polite eye-rolling from the teenagers (note: there was substantial use of Shazam after lots of “wow, this is actually a really good song…”). Enter mum’s smug, all-knowing expression. I do wish I’d know about this beach sooner - it’s an hour south, but well worth the visit. Of course, the Canal du Midi runs throughout the entire region, and it’s a great spot to run, bike, or just watch the world go by ‘en bateau’. We actually had a great time watching three German families navigate the locks while eating pastries and drinking amazing coffee for breakfast at Villeneuve-les-Beziers, on our way to Beziers airport, our last stop before heading back to the States (Ryanair, to Paris CDG). To round out this review, I would say that of all my AirBnB/Vrbo experiences, this was an 11+ in terms of getting exactly what you hope for when you take a chance on photos, descriptions, and other holiday makers’ reviews. We had the best time, with super thoughtful hosts; one that made for wonderful memories and set the benchmark for other stays in years to come. We will be back!