Surroundings
The name MIREPEISSET literally means 'the place to see fish' - no doubt due to the proximity of a (dammed) lake, a river, the Rigole canal (which feeds the Canal du Midi) and the Canal du Midi itself... all within minutes walk from the house. The river Cesse and the Canal 'cross' each other by means of the famous Pont Canal at the Porte Minervoise - also a delightful and picturesque 15 minutes stroll from our house.
"A good place in all seasons... "
SPRINGTIME is ideal for waterside picnics, and cycling or hiking in nearby gorges.. And how could one possibly resist all that fabulous new-season produce on display in the colourful openair markets? The pretty neighbouring village of Le Somail (a wonderful 40-minute walk along the Canal du Midi from us) has cafe's, restaurants and art galleries as well as a floating 'epicerie' and a must-visit bookshop of ancient books..
In SUMMER you can SWIM behind the house in the sparkling clean river (La Cesse) or in its dammed lake La Garenne. The village also has TENNIS courts, PETANQUE (boules) and HORSE-RIDING facilities, and since we're right beside the Canal du Midi, you can walk, cycle or cruise in the dappled shade of the plane trees that line the towpaths and waterways - bicycles, horses, little and larger boats are for hire locally. The SEA and BEACHES are within 30 minutes'drive and have kite- and windsurfing.
AUTUMN in this part of the world means HARVEST time - everyone is involved and the heady smell of fermenting wine is in the air everywhere. It's also a good time to visit CATHAR STRONGHOLDS, ancient MONASTERIES and MEDIEVAL towns, or, if SHOPPING and SIGHTSEEING tickle your fancy the cosmopolitan cities of NARBONNE and BEZIERS are within 15 minutes' drive while MONTPELLIER, PERPIGNAN and CARCASSONNE are about 1 hour by car. An hour's drive will also get you to quaint fishing villages (think COLLIOURE, AGDE, SETE) or the Parc National de Languedoc with its wild gorges and garrigue mountainsides.
On the ARTISTIC side there is also plenty to keep you busy: there are impressive modern art galleries in Bages, Narbonne, Olonzac and Lezignan... Also Narbonne's ultra modern theatre offers a daily-changing list of events ranging from classic and experimental plays to concerts by artists from all around the world.
FOODIE matters.... There are two restaurants in Mirepeisset within walking distance - La Taverna (almost nextdoor) which serves excellent food and sells the best Minervois wines, and La Garenne (a jolly place which overlooks the river). A further 12 good restaurants are within 5 minutes' drive, and Beziers has two Michelin-starred restaurants where one can still have a three-course lunch for 30 euros...
We are also surrounded by interesting foodie destinations most of which welcome visitors for guided tours, tastings and demonstrations. There are two old olive presses which are still active, and two award-winning, exquisitely located, goatscheese farms where you can see the goats being milked and cheeses being made and two passionate beekeepers nearby where you can taste 12 completely unique honeys. We even have a snail breeder in our village and the saltpans of Gruissan are absolutely worth a visit, if only to have a seabass or duckbreast cooked in a saltcrust. Naturally, because we're in the heart of the MINERVOIS, the area is littered with many dedicated winemakers that still make their wines by hand, and Narbonne's daily foodmarket rivals the Boqueria in Barcelona. BOUZIGUES is the home of the oyster (and you can eat plenty of them overlooking the Bassin de Thau) and nearby MARSEILLAN is the home of the famous Noilly Prat Vermouth - indispensable ingredient for a perfect risotto or beurre blanc...
