The Languedoc-Roussillon
	Languedoc-Roussillon comprises the departments of the Aude, Gard, Herault, Lozere and Pyrenees Orientales. The Languedoc is a region of incomparable natural features, stretching from the Garonne to the Rhone. In the north are the rounded green hills of the Auvergne. With the coming of snow this all changes and becomes a region frequented by cross-country skiers searching for peace and isolation
The region known as the Languedoc was incorporated into France during the 13th Century although it had existed as a political region long before that. Because of its language it continued to be administered largely independent for many years after its incorporation, and although now firmly a part of France there is still a strong feeling of being different, but none more so than in the department of the Pyrenees-Orientals, where there is a very strong feeling of being Catalan. Traveling south brings you to the deep valleys of the Tarn, before rising up again on to the plateau of the Larzac, a largely inhospitable and rocky landscape, devoid of water, cold in the winter but baked by the summer sun.
The Larzac leads east towards the Cevennes a region of rugged mountains and river gorges that hold raging torrents during times of rain. Many caves and underground rivers are to be found in the area. The slopes of the mountains are covered in Pine, beech and chestnut trees and is an area which until recently was inaccessible.
Before getting to the Mediterranean plain we pass through the Garrigues, limestone hills, burnt white with the sun, whose slopes are covered in lush aromatic plants such as thyme, rosemary and broom. There are often olive and almond trees and low French oak completes the vegetation. This is a land popular with hunters. Talk of the Garrigue (the natural low undergrowth of the midi) and we think of the one thing most visitors associate with the heat of the summer - les Cigales (cicadas). These insects live in larvae form 40cm below ground for 4 years and then fight their way to the surface when the ground warms. At this stage they are at their most vulnerable. After hatching they can be seen clinging to the bark of trees or walls, to dry from their initial pale green colour, to eventual dark brown. Their ear splitting call is the distinctive sound of the South during the summer months. After four or five weeks of life they die, but not before laying about 400 eggs. The area of Garrigue has reduced over the years because of cultivation, but there still remain several large unspoilt areas where the scent of the gorse and natural herbs such as Rosemary, Thyme and Fennel can at times be almost overpowering. Birds and butterflies of various species find this sort of terrain particularly inviting. Despite the story that most birds passing over the Mediterranean Countries have been eradicated by shooting, they are still plentiful in the Languedoc, and it is still possible to see eagles soaring overhead. Other common birds are swifts, black redstarts who give a red flash of their tail when they take off in flight, the multi coloured bee-eaters, hoopoes with their large crest, owls and often partridges, seen running in the undergrowth. Foxes are comparatively rare, but rabbits and hares are frequently visible. Snakes are seen frequently, but fortunately they are not poisonous to man. Lizards are common but look out for the less frequently seen large green lizard. One of the big pleasures of walking in the Garrigue is to smell the herbs that grow naturally in the area such a thyme, rosemary, sage, mint and fennel. Olive and almond trees are dotted around the landscape and it is possible to find capers. Sandwiched between the Garrigues and the Mediterranean coast with its long golden beaches is the Coastal Plain. Covered almost in its entirety by vines, it produces a third of all the wine in France.
The Department of Herault in the Languedoc region of France takes its name from one of the two major rivers that pass through it, the second being the Orb. The Departments of the Gard to the east, the Aveyron to the North, the Aude and the Pyrenees to the South West with the Mediterranean Sea form its boundary. The Department has two characteristic features - the coastal plain, flat and covered in vines and the mountainous north, famous for cherries and chestnuts. Since the 1960s, because of Government assistance, the Department has seen many changes along the coastal strip, but in many ways the interior has remained the same for the past two centuries.
The climate has long been famous for its hot summers and mild winters, but equally well known are its winds. The Tramontane, blowing from the land, and the Marin blowing in off the sea. In summer the Tramontane brings clear blue skies and the warmth of the sun, whilst in the winter it brings the cold air from the North. The Marin is warm throughout the year but brings humidity and sea mist that can be dense on the coastal plain. The Department is a vast mixture of changes in landscape, from the golden sands of Valras, Agde, Palavas and La Grand Motte via the fertile plain to the Cevennes Mountains behind. The two extinct volcanoes of Agde and Sete are two obvious signs that this land has seen many geological changes that have made it one of the most interesting and varied areas in France. Continuing inland we find a mixture of Garrigue and vines, before arriving at the valleys and gorges of the Cevennes, with their many lakes, pine forests, and grazing land. The vines form an important part of the ecology, and can produce some surprising and interesting aspects to the eye, especially during the autumn when the leaves are changing colour. The golds and reds are spectacular. Amongst the vines you will see olive, peach and apricot trees. Olives were an important crop, with several oil mills in the area. There remain just two, one in Clermont l’Herault, and the other in Bize. Planting fruit trees was a practical thing to do. It not only provided fruit for the family, but also provided shade for the vignerons during his labours under the sun. Stretching along the coast like a string of pearls are the salt-water lakes known as etangs. These lakes were formed by silt being washed down the Rhone, and then deposited along the Languedoc coast by the tide. These lakes have formed their own economy in fishing and tourism. To the southwest lie the Corbiere hills that connect the Pyrenees through the Montagne Noire and the Monts de l’Espinouse to the Cevennes, thus forming a semi circle separating the Atlantic from the Mediterranean climate. The Corbieres are lushly vegetated limestone hills with deep gorges and large areas of vines, that produce some very good red wines.
The Pyrenees form a natural frontier between France and Spain. These are very high and rugged mountains with many long box valleys on their slopes that are cut off in the winter months. This has resulted in the survival of local customs and ways of life, as if each valley were miniature countries of their own.
The Pyrenees rise from the Mediterranean and continue past Canigou (alt 2784m) to the high mountains that form the independent State of Andorra. On the French side of the Pyrenees is the Department of Roussillon, a region that could easily be confused by the visitor as being Spanish. The Catalan flag flies here as often as the French Tricolor, and during local fetes the Catalan dance called the Sardanya is performed. Because of its mild climate and fertile soil this is an area producing large amounts of fruit, potatoes and salad. The coast here is unlike that of the flat but sandy Herault, with rocky coves and high cliffs.