Back in France…

March (yes, I know—waaay behind on writing!) is still considered the off-season in Pézenas, a charming little town tucked away in the Languedoc region of southern France. This part of the country is completely new to us, which makes the adventure even more exciting. And the cherry on top? We’ve been lucky enough to have a beautiful home to ourselves for three weeks, all thanks to generous friends who split their time here. We’re so grateful!

What is Pézenas known for? It turns out quite a bit! The famous French playwright Molière spent time here in the 1600s, and his presence still lingers. You’ll spot references to him all over town—statues, plaques, even entire festivals in his honour.

While I’ve heard of Molière, I wasn’t familiar with his works. In fact, I had to Google him. He’s like a French Shakespeare but with more sass and less tragedy. One of his works is The School for Wives, a satire about a man trying to mould the “perfect” wife. LOL, Spoiler: It doesn’t go as planned.

Pézenas is also a haven for artists and traditional craftspeople. You can wander through its narrow streets and find all types of tiny workshops selling handmade jewelry, wrought iron, pottery, and more. And if it’s art you’re after, you won’t be disappointed—there’s plenty.

I fell in love with the photography of Romain Thiery during my visit to his studio (pictured below). While I wasn’t able to purchase one of his larger pieces this time, I did leave with a couple of smaller signed prints that I can’t wait to hang. He’s an incredibly talented artist—definitely check out his website!

Wandering Pézenas

It’s such a photogenic town—every building has its own story and history, which I absolutely love.

Every Saturday, a fabulous market offers an impressive array of local cheeses, fresh produce, olives, tapenades, pastries, and wines, creating a total sensory overload- in the best way. Also, the roast chicken and BBQ ribs are to die for!

Shopping

For a small town, there is an incredible number of antique shops and vintage finds specializing in everything from Baccarat crystal to garden accessories. It’s dangerous territory if you live here: “This would be perfect for the villa if I had one!”

Road trips

The weather can be unpredictable in March, and unfortunately, we had quite a few chilly, rainy days. So when the forecast promised sunshine—or even just “no rain today”—we took the opportunity to explore the Languedoc region.

Our closest major city was Montpellier, which I’ll write more about in a separate post. In the meantime, we took a few day trips to Mèze, Béziers, Carcassonne, and a centuries-old Abbey.

Mèze

Lunch in a cute little seaside town, very pretty and has several options for lunch.

Bézier

Cathédrale Saint-Nazaire, which has views of the countryside, is a definite highlight.

Around the corner from the cathedral, we enjoyed a delicious lunch at Les Bons Amis.

Abbaye de Valmagne

We found the Abbaye de Valmagne totally by fluke; we saw “wine tasting,” but it was so much more!

Languedoc Wine Region

Paul Mas and several other well-known vineyards are located in the Languedoc region — be sure to check opening times before visiting, especially during off-season.

Carcassonne

If you’re into medieval, nowhere is there anything quite like the castle in Carcassonne! Despite the wind and cold, wandering through history was fascinating.

Special Birthday Lunch

Someone had a birthday…ahem, Roberto! We were recommended Le Pré St Jean, and it didn’t disappoint—the food, atmosphere, and service were fabulous!

Where did the time go?

We really enjoyed our time in Pézenas and loved exploring the surrounding towns. There’s so much to see and do — and while the weather wasn’t always on our side, we still managed to pack in a lot. Next time, with a bit more sunshine, we’ll dive in even deeper.

Next stop, Rome…

Ciao!