In the latest in our series of Gite owners interviews, we meet Julian Rothera of Les Gites de Carlux, close to Sarlat in the Dordogne.

Q: How long have you lived / owned your gite in France?
I moved out to the Dordogne in 1992, this summer will be my 22nd season

Q: What do you love about France?
The beauty of this region, the friendliness of the people and the relaxed way of life.

Q: What made you choose the region in which you have settled?
It is the perfect holiday destination, warm weather, natural scenery, historical sites, chateaux, caves, activities for all ages and the finest cuisine in France.  What more could you want!

Q: Tell us three things you like best about your Gite
The location; we are within 40 minutes of all the principal sites of both the Dordogne and the Lot.  The Gites, there are 12 of them and they are light and airy and have everything that you need for a relaxing holiday.  Our site, we are situated on one and half hectares with stunning views of one of the prettiest villages in the Dordogne.  To sit on the terrace in the evening with the barbecue going, a glass of wine and to gaze at the view of Carlux is near to perfection.

Q: What one thing would your previous guests say about your Gite?
Many of our guests say the same thing; that the pictures they see of the Gites and of the view on our website are actual reality.  I think they respect us for being honest and I think that it gets their holiday off to a positive start.  Around 40% of the guests staying with us are regular guests, many returning year on year.  It tells us that we are doing something right!

Q: What is your favourite attraction near to your Gite?
In a land of a thousand chateaux it is hard to identify only one.  I will cheat and choose two, one from prehistory and one from medieval history!  The prehistoric fort and troglodyte city of La Roque St Christophe near Les Eyzies is incredible, the visit takes you back over the thousands of years that the site has been occupied.  The Jardins de Marqueyssac are stunning, you walk along the cliff top and see the Dordogne river below you and the great chateaux of Beynac and Castelnaud in the distance.  The village of La Roque Gageac is just below and the bastide town of Domme is in the sky opposite you.

Q: What’s the oddest thing about the French culture that you’ve experienced?
After coming from the intensity of the UK it is hard to come to terms with the lack of urgency in France.  The people are so polite, they wait their turn, nobody rushes you.  A Doctor’s appointment lasts until you are finished, it doesn’t matter if the waiting room is full, people are happy to wait because they know that when their turn comes they will receive similar care.  It is a refreshing approach to modern life!

Q: Which do you prefer and why – Entrecote Frites, Fish ‘n’ Chips or a good curry?
Fish and Chips!  Coming from Yorkshire it is one of the few things that you cannot get in France!

Thanks Julian. Find out more at http://www.lesgitesdecarlux.com/

The Palace of Versailles is a monument to the Sun King, Louis XIV. More like a town than a château, Versailles was the seat of French power for more than 100 years and kept members of the royal family safely cushioned from their subjects in Paris until the invasion of the bloodthirsty revolutionary mob.

It’s ambitious to try to see everything in one visit so you may prefer to limit yourself to the majestic, fountain-filled gardens and the Grands Appartements, which include the Appartement du Roi (King’s State Apartment), the Galerie des Glaces (Hall of Mirrors) and the Appartement de la Reine (Queen’s Apartment). The Hall of Mirrors, 73m long, was designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart.

The Treaty of Versailles was ratified here in 1919, ending World War I. More than 350 mirrors catch the light pouring in through the huge arched windows, which in turn give spectacular views of the gardens and canal. The gardens were tamed by the king’s preferred landscape architect, André Le Nôtre, and form part of the largest palace grounds in Europe, at 247 acres. The fountains are renowned, and it is a pity that on most days they remain still. To catch them in full flow, visit during one of the Grandes Eaux Musicales. Louis XIV sailed a flotilla of ships and gondolas on the 1 mile Grand Canal, nowadays, you can hire rowing boats.

If you have more time, other parts to visit include the Petits Appartements, the Grand Trianon and Petit Trianon, and the Chambre du Roi.

Versailles had relatively humble beginnings, as a hunting lodge for Louis XIII. In 1661, Louis XIV decided to move his court to the deserted swamp, 12.5 miles southwest of Paris, an astute way of isolating the nobility and his ministers while keeping an eye on his not-too-distant capital. Building work continued right up to his death in 1715. The smaller palaces of the Grand Trianon and the Petit Trianon were later created as a royal love-nest.

The building project put a severe strain on France’s finances but the palace remained the seat of power until 1789, when a revolutionary mob seized Louis XVI and forced him to return to Paris.

Tip: The busiest days at Versailles are Tuesdays, Sundays, and holiday weekends. A Carte Musées-Monuments or a combined rail/palace passeport allows you to avoid some of the queues.

The medieval Cité of Carcassone is the largest fortified town in Europe and never fails to amaze. Thanks to its elevated position, if you visit late in the day, the walls and turrets are often bathed in the soft, red glow of the setting sun.

More than 3 million visitors a year pass through the city’s gates. Once inside, many visitors are content to stroll the narrow lanes lined with souvenir shops interspersed with boutiques selling high-quality gifts and local produce. In the bars and restaurants around Place Marcou the prices are not as high as you might expect. The more energetic can explore the Château Comtal and the inner western ramparts.

In July and August, jousting displays are sometimes held in the Lices Hautes, the grassy area between the inner and outer ramparts The Romanesque and Gothic St-Nazaire basilica has beautiful stained-glass windows and statues, and is the venue for occasional concerts. The lower town, the Ville Basse or Bastide St-Louis, has a partly pedestrianized area, fine town houses and excellent small shops. Its central square, Place Carnot, is the main meeting place and has been the site of the market (Tue, Thu, Sat mornings) since the Middle Ages.

To base yourself nearby, try these Gites near Carcassone, Languedoc.

Route Two. Languedoc, Midi-Pyrenees, Northern Spain and Catalonia.

The second of our two-day routes through to the south of France, may be new to you, mainly because it takes you close to Paris, and if you are not heading for the French capital, you will want to give the whole area a wide berth, except that not only is the route through the centre of Paris just as convenient to reach the south of France and Northern Spain, but there is also so much to see.

Day One – Calais to Peronne
Leaving Calais is not difficult, all routes are well signposted and for this route you need to follow signs for the A26 to Reims and Paris. Go past Arras and take the A1 towards the capital and exit at sortie 13.1 for Peronne. Peronne is not only a convenient place to stop for lunch on your journey, but it may provide you with an interesting insight into life in a French town post war, we are in the Somme. Peronne was pretty badly hit in the 1st World war and its story is told in the museum within the castle; if you have time it is well worth a visit. The town has a couple of good restaurants that can be recommended, Hostellerie des Remparts on the Rue Beaubois and the Auberge La Quenouille which is further out of the town on the A17 towards to Arras.

Day One – Peronne to Bourges
Back on the Autoroute and heading towards Paris. As already mentioned this route takes you past Paris, not through, so here is how. As you approach Paris you will begin to see signs for Bordeaux, stick to Bordeaux throughout and you will arrive on the southern side of Paris in 45mins, depending on traffic of course!  Keep following the signs to Bordeaux until you reach Orleans and then follow signs to the A71 towards Bourges and Clermont-Ferrand.

You will shortly be coming up to Vierzon, here you can choose to divert to the Dordogne, Midi-Pyrenees or Toulouse area by following signs to Limoges and stopping the night in a pretty village called Argenton-sur-Creuse. Recommendations include staying at the former Posthouse, renamed Le Cheval Noir. Double rooms are available from £45.

If you are heading to Languedoc and beyond, stay on the A71 until sortie 7 and head to Bourges. Bourges is one of the most charming towns in all of France. During the 100 Year’s war, Charles VII was based here and much of its history is still etched into the very fabric of this town, with its half-timbered buildings and architecture. Ensure you visit St Etienne cathedral and Jacques Coeur palace by day and by night – take an illuminated walk around alleys and courtyards.

A great place to spend the night is Best Western Hotel d’Angleterre on the Place de Quatre Piliers or try Les Bonnets Rouges off Rue Bourbonnoux, where you will also find the restaurant D’Antan Sancerrois. All these and more can be found on the Bourges official tourism office www.bourgestourisme.com.

Day Two: Bourges to Aumont-Aubrac
Heading south from Bourges towards Clermont-Ferrand and the expanse of land called the Massif Central is our next destination. Soon you will reach Lozere, where you will be driving at altitudes higher than any peak in England or Wales.

I was in awe of the motorway stretch south of Lyon, but here it is even better, you literally feel like you are on top of the world. The village of Aumont-Aubrac, 200 miles south of Bourges, is a charming stone village, which unlike a few others around, has a great restaurant at Hotel Grand Prouheze.

Day Two: Aumont-Aubrac to Collioure
You are approximately 2 to 4 hours from your destination in the south of France, longer if you are heading into Northern Spain and Barcelona. Around 1h 30 mins south of Aumont you will come across the Tarn Valley on the edge of the Cevennes National Park, and the Millau Viaduct which spans the valley beautifully, some believe it spoils the landscape, but judge for yourselves.  The best place to see this magnificent structure is from the town below that gave the viaduct its name.

As you head down towards Languedoc, you pass vast plains that are home to sheep, whose milk produce Roquefort Cheese. Depending on where in Languedoc you are going to, you should begin to plan your own route, the road from here heads to Beziers and further south to Collioure, Argeles sur Mer and to the border with Spain. I leave the journey here with a little known fact, Languedoc produces more wine each year that Australia.

Drive Safely.

Driving Route to the South of France One can be read here

Jill Kirby, owner of a fantastic chambre d’hôte in the Pyrenees, tells us about life in France, the Pyrenees, and buying meat from her neighbours.

Q: How long have you lived / owned your gite in France?
This is our second year here. I have lived and worked in France for over four years whilst looking for the perfect place and we have finally found it.

Q: What do you love about France?
Mainly the glorious weather and the relaxed way of life we now lead but I also adore the food, wine, lack of traffic on the roads and not forgetting the most picturesque countryside.

Q: What made you choose the region in which you have settled?
Originally I was looking in another area but I came to the Gers with work and instantly fell in love with the scenery. We have horses and it is perfect riding country with hardly ever the need to go on a road. From a practical point of view we are an hour from both the Pyrenees and also the coast, and we have no less than five airports within two hours.

Q: Tell us three things you like best about your Gite
The first has to be the views, we are in an elevated position and have views of the Pyrenees to the south and beautiful countryside as far as the eye can see to the west.

The second thing is that we have no neighbours to speak of so it is extremely peaceful, and the third is our land and being able to have our horses at home – something we could never do in the UK.

Q: What one thing would your previous guests say about your Gite?
We have had so many positive comments but one thing that keeps being mentioned is the warm welcome and generous hospitality you will find here.

Q: What is your favourite attraction near to your Gite?
Wine tasting at Chateau Viella is not to be missed, especially as you can explore the gardens around the chateau. A bit further afield are the Pyrenees so you are spoilt for choice – thermal spas, cable cars up the mountains, Lourdes cathedral…..

Q: What’s the oddest thing about the French culture that you’ve experienced?
Fetes always start really late and then carry on all through the night – the same goes for weddings, village meals etc. Sometimes you don’t start eating until 11pm!

Q: Which do you prefer and why – Entrecote Frites, Fish ‘n’ Chips or a good curry?
Easy – entrecote frites. We buy our meat direct from the farmer next to the house and the steaks are the best I’ve tasted anywhere.

Thanks Jill. Visit the website at: FrenchActivityHolidays.com.

Normandy’s capital is a city of cobbled streets, tall timbered houses and Gothic churches, captured by the painter Monet in his Rouen Cathedral series. Joan of Arc was executed here, and the heart of Richard Coeur de Lion is held in the cathedral’s crypt.

The Romans established a settlement on the site of today’s Rouen in the 1st century ad, calling it Rotomagus. In the Middle Ages, Rouen became the seat of the Dukes of Normandy, who won the English throne in 1066. Later, it was at the heart of the Hundred Years War between the French and the English. One of the most famous episodes of the war took place in May 1431, when Joan of Arc, after reviving French fortunes in the siege of Orléans, was burnt at the stake at the instigation of the English. Merchant trade has been key to Rouen’s development over the centuries, funding many of the timbered and gabled tradesmen’s houses in the city. The city was heavily bombed during World War II and many historic buildings needed meticulous renovation. Today, Rouen has the fourth largest port in France, despite being so far inland. The city sits on the Seine, 86km from the estuary at Le Havre. The contrast between the working docks along the river and the Gothic spires and quaint old streets of the city heart is amazing.

Any trip should begin opposite the cathedral with a visit to the tourist office, housed in Rouen’s oldest Renaissance building, the former tax collector’s office, dating from 1509. Cathédrale de Notre-dame, Rouen’s cathedral is one of the great churches of France, known across the world thanks to painter Claude Monet. Monet worked on the paintings from the second floor of what is now the tourist office. The cathedral’s Gothic architecture spans 400 years, from the mid-12th to early 16th centuries. No visit to Rouen is complete without a stroll under the 14th century Gros Horloge, a huge, one-handed, ornamental clock mounted on a sumptuously carved arch straddling the road of the same name. Once part of a nearby belfry, the remarkable timepiece was moved to its present position in the 16th century, after locals complained that it was impossible to see the clockface in the narrow streets.

As mentioned above Rouen is also the city of Joan of Arc, and the tales surrounding France’s greatest folk heroine would alone be lure enough for visitors. On the place du Vieux Marché, a short stroll from the Gros Horloge, a large cross marks the spot where Joan of Arc was executed. The nearby Église Jeanne-d’Arc is a stunning combination of modern slate and copper work on the outside, with light from Renaissance stained-glass windows within. The windows were salvaged from the earlier church of St-Vincent, destroyed during World War II. The wonderful contemporary sculpture was inspired by the saint’s martyr’s pyre. The remains of the two towers in which Joan was imprisoned from Christmas 1430 until her execution in 1431 can be seen on rue du Donjon.

Visit Rouen during the last week in May to take part in the Joan of Arc festival, which usually coincides with the city’s main cultural festival. On the Sunday closest to 30 May local children throw flowers into the Seine from the Boïeldieu Bridge, the spot where Joan’s ashes were scattered.

Please use this link to read more about Normandy