Here are the most read articles in this section:-

• La Jonquera: Eldorado? - or Sodom and Gomorrah?
  La Jonquera Eldorado? - or Sodom and Gomorrah? Basil Howitt reports on the recent opening of Le Paradise. Situated in the Spanish border town of La Jonquera, it is Europe’s largest-ever maison close or brothel, with 80 rooms and up to 200 prostitutes. At weekends, the clients (...) read more...



• Carcassonne: Dream or Nightmare?
  Carcassonne: Dream or Nightmare? Basil Howitt and Clare Gallaway visit Carcassonne. It is by far the most popular heritage destination in the Languedoc-Roussillon, with 2,783,332 visits recorded at the Château comtal in 2006. "To visit the fortified town of Carcassonne is to be (...) read more...



• Maury - Sweet Wine, Chocolates Galore, and Women’s Voices
  Sweet Wine, Chocolates Galore, and Women’s Voices (Not to mention also a Michelin Star) Basil Howitt reports on the exceptionally dynamic village of Maury under its long-time mayor, the potter Charles Chivilo. If you head west on the D117 from the Catalan border town of (...) read more...



• TGV Perpignan -Barcelona: Will I live long enough?
  TGV Perpignan -Barcelona: Will I live long enough? by Basil Howitt Basil Howitt sends an update on the progress of the new TGV link between Perpignan and Barcelona. He also wonders if he will live to take a TGV train all the way from Paris to Barcelona Whilst tourists roasted on the (...) read more...



• Le Petit Train Jaune "Our Little Mountain Canary"
  "Our Little Mountain Canary" Basil Howitt falls under the spell of Le Petit Train Jaune that plies daily between Villefranche-le-Conflent and Latour-de-Carol in the Cerdagne. As well as being a top tourist attraction, this "big meccano set" is seen by locals as a powerful symbol (...) read more...



• Sex, truffles and flies
  Sex, Truffles and Flies Basil Howitt offers another snippet on the sex life of the Sun King, Louis XIV and, at the end of the local truffle season, shares his modest acquaintance with truffled dishes and truffle lore. She ravished him or at least surprised him. quoted in Antonia (...) read more...



• Train to Albi in the Tarn
  God’s largest prison: Albi and its "monstrous mountain of brick" From Rivesaltes station to Albi via Toulouse The first leg of the journey was uneventful, apart from the distant view en route of Carcassonne, bastioned and turreted "like a magical kingdom floating in the sky." (...) read more...



• The use of Catalan in the Roussillon
  The use of Catalan in the Roussillon by Basil Howitt Basil Howitt offers an overview of the use of Catalan in the Roussillon or French Catalonia. "The use of Catalan is repugnant and is contrary to the honour of the French nation." (decree of Louis XIV, April 2, 1700) "Be clean, wash (...) read more...



• Boules, Baldies and Bermuda Shorts
  Boules, Baldies and Bermuda Shorts? Basil Howitt was enthralled by the eccentricities and fanaticism of pétanque players. Une partie de pétanque Une partie de pétanque A game of pétanque Ça fait plaisir Is so much fun La boule part et se planque The boule is launched and (...) read more...



• Smelly socks - final story (we hope)
  Smelly socks - final story (we hope) Alduy, c’est Perpignan, et Perpignan, c’est Alduy. Bravo Monsieur le Maire ! (blogger Huascar: 21/06/2009 à 22h08) Basil Howitt closes Perpignan’s saga of the smelly socks. Fortunately last Sunday’s affair of the unsavoury armpits (...) read more...

---