How Languedoc celebrates 'Le 14 Juillet' Bastille day with fireworks!

14th of July celebration - the perfect opportunity to see the true South of France and its wonderful welcoming people.

The 14th of July is the annual celebration of Bastille Day. Each town and village in the country celebrates this day although festivities vary according to location. In Paris for instance, there are large military parades every year accompanied by the impressive “Patrouille de France” aircraft aerobatics.

In the South of France it is a more humble, social and community-orientated event. Central squares and village plazas are filled with tables and chairs in preparation for the feast.


The festive menu is distributed a couple of days before the event and usually consists of a large paella or hog roast. Traditionally villagers also bring taboulets, salads, patés and homemade dips. Neighbours and friends eat and drink together, as volunteers help to serve the food. Traditionally you’ll find locals behind a make-shift bar selling beers, sangria and regional wines.

The older generation of women (a.k.a “les mammies du village”) take the lead in bringing everyone to the dance floor. French disco tunes and old classics always manage to dominate the playlist, however it is not complete without the national anthem and a couple of “chansons paillardes”*.

The climax of the evening is of course the midnight fireworks. The French (well known for being proud!), strive to have the most fantastic spectacle in the area. Fourteenth of July fireworks never disappoint.

If the village fête doesn’t sound quite right for you, try to find a slightly higher viewpoint on a hill where you can sit, relax, maybe enjoy a bottle of wine and watch as surrounding villages’ fireworks go off simultaneously. It really is breath taking!


*Chanson Paillarde (loosely translated from the French Wikipedia page):


A popular song chanted among friends in a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Generally the lyrics are crude and filled with innuendos, most commonly sung when inebriated at some form of festivity.

How to get tickets for the community meal:

Its very simple, just go to the local Mairie in the town or village you’d like to spend the evening and ask their secretary for tickets to the feast.

Why you Should Book your Holidays in the South of France

Head off to the Languedoc, Provence or Cote D'Azure for a perfect getaway. Why not combine your hobby with a holiday and have the best of both worlds?

If you are into cycling the amazing Tour de France you will will be passing close to many properties that are on offer from us - the buzz of the "Caravanne" heading through before the race leaders and the Peloton is a sight to see and sets you up for the awesome blur of riders speeding to the next destination.

For those who like to pursue their creativity and improve their culinary skills why not join a Cooking Course on offer from "Cooking in Provence" - to accommodate you the Owner has two properties Mas St Sylvestre (VU011A) and Mas St Ambroise (VU012A) on the doorstep.

Mas St Sylvestre and Mas St Ambroise

In the Languedoc a fabulous opportunity awaits you - a Gastronomic Experience with the Chef and Owner of Restaurant O Bontemps in Magalas not far from Beziers, who offers Cookery Days - create and eat what a great combination! You can stay at South France Villas property HE084A Villa Kharbashi and walk home!

Olivier Bontemps

To entice you further, the sights and smells of shopping in the traditional French Markets will whet your appetite - starting in the Spring with delicious Green Asparagus, followed by an array of soft fruits - mouthwatering Cherries, juicy Strawberries, flavoursome Apricots - for the inevitable jam making - and sweet tasting Melons, not forgetting the aromatic garlic and sweet onions.

If all this is too much like hard work a tour of a local vineyard for that wine tasting session  or a day out at the Jousting Tournament in Sete would fit the bill on the leisure front!

Fun in the sun is what holidays are all about - why wait?

Christmas Present List: Book a South of France Holiday in Languedoc

Traditional Festivities do, of course, vary from country to country and France is no exception, like some of its European counterparts the French have their main celebration on Christmas Eve - Le Réveillon de Noël - when the family gathers together for an evening of Gastronomic delights - often an enormous seafood platter to start, ending up with a Büche de Noël - followed by Midnight Mass.  

Expectant children leave their shoes in front of the fire for Père Noël!

Seafood Platter

Büche de Noel

Christmas Day too is a very important "foodie" event and will often include a more traditional menu perhaps rabbit or coq au vin.

Conversation throughout the day invariably turns to the memories of heady Summer Holidays spent on the coast and the planning of the next one, which for the French is usually in August.  So why not take advantage of this and come and enjoy the Mediterranean and its fabulous beaches in May and June when you can have them to yourself!

In particular, access to the undiscovered jewel of the south, the Languedoc region, around Beziers and Montpellier, has been made so much easier with the advent of No-Frills airlines. 

The airport at Beziers makes onward journey times short to get to South France Villas  rental properties near the beach where the sea is shallow, ideal for young families.  Starting from only £140 per person per week - great value for money - you can have the pick!

 Beachfront location (HE067A)

Room with a view

Right on the beach is Villa St Pierre (HE067A) in a family orientated resort, sleeps 8 and is as the French would say "pieds dans l'eau", with amazing views.

Or perhaps "la piece de resistance", the fantastic Les Rocailles (HE044A), which has the best of both worlds - direct access to the beach AND a heated pool!

HE044A Les Rocailles on the beach near Beziers

The Languedoc certainly has it all, sun, sea, sand 

and sensible prices - Happy Holidays!

Autumn in the South of France - Orange Vineyards, Céret Cherries & Truffle Markets

The seasons are changing in the Languedoc and although we are reluctant to say goodbye to the glorious summer sun and long balmy evenings there is another delightful season approaching. Autumns in the South of France are dramatic. 

The vineyards that cover the rolling landscape turn to varying shades of vivid orange. Its a season of bright skies, fresh air and some tasty gastronomic delights...

With Halloween on the horizon, and Toussaint (All Saints day) to follow, the kids will soon be filling up on sugary treats. More exciting than boiled sweets and foil-wrapped chocolate are the sweet and natural treats that the Languedoc has to offer.

Cherries from Céret -The region around Céret in the Pyrénées-Orientales is a major fruit producer, well know for its cherries. It is a Local tradition that the first harvest of cherries be sent to the President of France. Céret hosts a cherry festival each year with such oddities as cherry beer and a cherry stone spitting competition. A delicious treat for an Autumn evening would be a Cherry clafoutis, a delicious, baked French dessert made with a thick flan-like batter.

Quinces - or in French 'Coings' These fruits flourish in the warm Mediterranean climate and are just coming in to season. They are a fruit not dissimilar to a pear can often have hard flesh and tough skin. They have a wonderful sweet flavour and are best made into jellies and compotes!

Chestnuts - the Fêtes du Marron or Fêtes du Châtaignes take place throughout the Languedoc. These sweet and nutty treats are eaten roasted, made into chestnut paste, delicious cakes or even fudge! Orlagues, in the Herault,  has a Fête du Marron and Vin Nouveau in October.

And it's not just the sugary delicacies that are worth tasting but the savoury produce too...Autumn and Winter see the return of the mushroom picking season so Ceps and Truffles will be abundant throughout the markets. Uzès, in the Gard department, is famous for its Truffle Markets! 

www.discover-uzes.com Mushroom pickers who go in search of the fragrant and highly sought after Cep can take their mushrooms into the pharmacy for checking to make sure that they are edible.The grape harvest of late summer means that it is nearly time for the 'Vin Primeur', the first wine of the new harvest.

In Provence the First Côtes du Rhône festival takes place in Avignon on the third Thursday of November.

Equally tasty - and the perfect locations for delving into the local delicacies - are South France Villas delightful holiday rentals. We have a handful of properties that are new on our site 

Les Combes HE082A is a beautiful, renovated old wine cave with stunning hillside view, close to the market town of Saint-Chinian - where you can buy fabulous local produce.

La Grange HE083A

La Grange  is an large, elegant Provençal farmhouse with stylish but traditional furnishings in the beautiful town of Roquebrun.

Villa St Jean VR010A

Villa St Jean VR010A is in between Fréjus and Cannes and has stunning views over the Esterel valley.

Autumnal Vineyards and the Carcassonne Cité

The Famous 5 Day Feria in Beziers & Much Much More

Once the Languedocien stronghold of Catharism, the modern day Beziers offers you festivals, history, the Canal du Midi and Mediterranean beaches just 6kms from the town, what more could you want!  

Peyrepertuse Cathar Castle

(Our property La Garenne ( HE029A) is ideally placed to explore all of this and more).

The Cathedal in the centre of Beziers - Sainte-Nazaire rises above the cobbled streets the panoramic view over the Orb River is stunning and the town boasts boutiques galore and a plethora of restaurants including the L’Ambassade, which recently got a good review in the local Anglo/French Magazine – the Herault Times.

Cathedral at Beziers

This region is also a prolific wine producing area offering a vast array of wonderful wines for you to enjoy - Check out: www.languedoc-wines.com 

People come from far afield for the famous 5 day Feria of Beziers held around 15th August every year – bull fighting may not be to everyone’s taste, but the spectacle is amazing and the street party atmosphere with open air bodegas and live music is enthralling and definitely worth a visit - www.ville-beziers.fr

Beziers Feria

History and Art in Arles - Van Gogh, International Photography Festival & Roman Architecture

Arles is a great destination for art-lovers. Vincent Van Gogh was famously a resident in Arles. He may have only spent about a year in the town, but it had a profound effect on him. 

 During his time here, he produced over 300 paintings and drawings - and it was here that he established the distinct post-impressionist style for which he is known. What was it about Arles that attracted Van Gogh? He loved the local landscape and the people who lived there and the vibrant colours produced by the bright Provencal sunlight.

You can visit many sites around Arles which actually inspired Van Gogh. There are 10 easels placed at the same vantage point of his original works. You can get a map at the Tourist Information office showing you where each easel is located -- or you could turn it into a bit of a scavenger hunt and try to find all 12 on your own!



You can also visit the Cafe which he frequented. It may be slightly over-priced, but it's worth it to grab a coffee and bask in the atmosphere which drew Van Gogh to the establishment.



There's more to Art in Arles than the legacy of Van Gogh, however! 

The city is also famous for a fantastic international Photography Festival which has run every summer since 1971. The Festival is opening this weekend (Saturday, July 3rd, 2010) and running until mid-September. You can find out more at this website (available in English - click the British Flag at the top of the main page). There are also several museums which are worth a visit. The Arles Folk Museum is particularly interesting, providing an insight into the tradiitons and culture of the region.

As well as being a cultural centre, Arles is also an important historical city. The Roman architecture is beautiful and many of them have now been World Heritage Listed. In many cases these remains have been well preserved. In fact, even after 2,000 years, the amphitheatre is still in use today! During the summer months it hosts bullfights, and it is open for tours all year. The bullfights are definitely a must-see. They often have Provençal-style bullfights at the arena -- those who are uneasy at the idea of a bullfight might prefer this style. In the Provençal-style, the bull isn't killed. Rather, a team of athletic men attempt to remove a tassle from the bull's horn without getting injured.



A nice day trip from Arles would be to visit the Camargue. You can read more about this enchanting region in one of our earlier blog posts.

For a range of beautiful, charming and luxurious villas near to Arles and elsewhere in the south of France visit our website www.southfrancevillas.com