Goats Cheese...yum

This Sunday, just gone, that would be the 22nd May 2011 took us to the "Le Mas Rolland" in the stunning hamlet of Montesquieu for the annual festival of all things goat and goats cheese.

The farm has 80 goats which have a pretty brilliant life. Raised in the most natural of country side with views down to the sea, no wonder they produce such fantastic cheese.

The village comes alive with food and wine stalls, giant games for children and craft workshops for children and adults.

But the main event is, of course, lunch. Our good french friends had secured their tables by 11.30 and were tucking into the delicious offerings before 12.00. Needless to say, we should have been more organised. Our hopes were shattered when we queued for the mouth watering plate of apéritif delights - verrines, tapenades, charcuterie and a delicat, lightly dressed salad - only to be told we should have ordered in advance. Not to be defeated, I headed off with the children to fetch generous plates of moules, fresh and sea tasting, some goats cheese salad and a kilo of plump, ripe cherries. Darren meanwhile, had found fresh boudin sausage (black pudding) and an array of little goats cheeses. We found a shady spot on some steps and drank chilled rosé kindly supplied by our lovely friends Isla and Paul from Sarabande wines, and watched the world go by.

Opposite us, in a more civilised manner sat a group of locals who took a good 3 hours over their lunch - each time I glanced over, more bread was being cut, more wine was being poured.

Then for the jazz..some local farmers and their gruff voiced leader got us dancing and whooping for more!
A hot sunny day in the company of friends and little ones with fresh cheeses, all kinds of wonderful foody delights and of course some pretty splendid rosé - no better way to spend a Sunday.

Visiting Minerve - some Cathar history

My curiosity for all things Cathar is taking hold. I'm reaching the end of the book Labyrinth by Kate Mosse which timed nicely with our trip to Minerve, just an hour or so to the west of us.

The weather wasn't great, but this helped us go back to the dark days of the 13th century when in 1210 the village was besieged by Simon de Montfort and his army from Northern France. A group of Cathars had sought refuge in Minerve after the massacre of Beziers. After six weeks Viscount Guilhem of Minerve surrendered saving the villagers and himself. Some 140 loyal Cathars refused to give up their faith and met their deaths on 22 July. Such is one of the many horrific stories of the Albigensian Crusade that stormed the Languedoc region. Of all of the original fortifications in Minerve, only a slender octagonal tower, known locally as the Candela, survives.

Wandering around the town now it is easy to see why Minerve is noted as one of the most beautiful villages in France. You will find restaurants with dramatic views, galleries and a fabulously-curious book shop/cafe. A museum dedicated to paleontology took my son's interest - not bad considering on the drive up his comments were "I want to go home, it's just a load of old rocks here". He was soon in the swing of it all - sneeking around the cobbled ramparts and down stone stairway to check out the replica catapult that changed the village's history.

Don't be put off by the chilling history of these crusades. There too are many stories of the Cathars' courage and faithful determination to hold their villages, castles and cities. When we look at today's news, things really aren't that different are they?