This post picks up from where we left New York, we spent a quick 1.5 days in England before heading off for the South of France for James and Mezh’s wedding. Our feet barely touched the floor in England and we were soon off to Gatwick at 5am to catch our flight to Toulouse. Luckily Clair's Mum woke us up that morning as our alarm didn't go off as it was set for 4.30pm, not am and since we still had jet lag from the US, we would have slept all morning, if we'd have had the chance! It's amazing how quickly you can get out the door when you need to! We arrived at Gatwick with plenty of time to spare, but typically we ended up sitting on the tarmac for 2 extra hours with an Easyjet delay.
On arrival in France we hired our car and set off to find the wedding location which was a 1.5 hour drive away, and what a spectacular place it was. Nestled on a hill in the countryside surrounded by sunflower fields was Castelnau des Fieumarcon. A 13th Century fortified town which steeps in history, charm and character, the perfect setting to spend 3 days celebrating an unbelievable wedding. Many drinks were shared, much food was consumed and lots of dancing long into the night was the order of the weekend and enjoyed by over 60 guests; made up of close family and friends. Thank you so much to James and Mezh, what an extraordinary show of generosity you showed us all!
On arrival in France we hired our car and set off to find the wedding location which was a 1.5 hour drive away, and what a spectacular place it was. Nestled on a hill in the countryside surrounded by sunflower fields was Castelnau des Fieumarcon. A 13th Century fortified town which steeps in history, charm and character, the perfect setting to spend 3 days celebrating an unbelievable wedding. Many drinks were shared, much food was consumed and lots of dancing long into the night was the order of the weekend and enjoyed by over 60 guests; made up of close family and friends. Thank you so much to James and Mezh, what an extraordinary show of generosity you showed us all!
After the amazing but exhausting wedding weekend we needed a break!
Our next stop was the tiny town of Roquebrun which was situated a 4 hour drive east. We fell in love with this sleepy riverside village immediately and enjoyed our time here immensely. Visiting the nearby local towns was easy and a pleasure to walk around and explore, but the best day trip within the local area was a wine tasting tour.
We hiked through the vineyards of St Chinian Winery guided by 2 sisters of the family who own and run the estate. They explained the ages of the different vines (some were 100 years old) the different grape varietals they had planted and why and how the soil makes a huge difference to what they plant. They also showed us the pressing and fermentation rooms, which were basically century old stone buildings right in the middle of the vineyards, explained how they harvested and processed the grapes and of course let us taste straight from the barrels.
They then walked us back to the village, laid on some nibbles and supplied us with even more wine, all for FREE! Naturally we had to buy a bottle or 3, as the wine was excellent, and at 8 Euro’s per bottle who could really say no!? Oh forgot to mention, they also had an olive grove and pressed their own oil, which was also delicious!
Our next stop was the tiny town of Roquebrun which was situated a 4 hour drive east. We fell in love with this sleepy riverside village immediately and enjoyed our time here immensely. Visiting the nearby local towns was easy and a pleasure to walk around and explore, but the best day trip within the local area was a wine tasting tour.
We hiked through the vineyards of St Chinian Winery guided by 2 sisters of the family who own and run the estate. They explained the ages of the different vines (some were 100 years old) the different grape varietals they had planted and why and how the soil makes a huge difference to what they plant. They also showed us the pressing and fermentation rooms, which were basically century old stone buildings right in the middle of the vineyards, explained how they harvested and processed the grapes and of course let us taste straight from the barrels.
They then walked us back to the village, laid on some nibbles and supplied us with even more wine, all for FREE! Naturally we had to buy a bottle or 3, as the wine was excellent, and at 8 Euro’s per bottle who could really say no!? Oh forgot to mention, they also had an olive grove and pressed their own oil, which was also delicious!
 The tiny town of Ceps where the winery is based.  |  Lauren ready for harvest.  Our guides explaining their work. |
Taking the path less travelled.
