Aigne, Minervois - near Minerve
View of the Aude river valley near Saint Abdon's Oak Tree near Aigne, near Minerve, in Languedoc, South France.
View of the Aude river valley near Saint Abdon's Oak Tree near Aigne, near Minerve, in Languedoc, South France.
Restaurant Lo Cagarol
Aigne
Near the village
of Minerve, off the main road, between La Caunette and Aigues Vives
is
the quiet village of Aigne. A village holding its beauty hidden. Park
your car in the public parking lot, and walk across the square, with
central
tree, and men sitting under. Hold back your temptation to go into the
restaurant till after exploring.
Go across and under
a low archway and enter into streets shaped like a snail, winding to a
center.
There is an old dark
church with sound that raises the most secular of spirits, and a central
square, where a snail shaped garden has been loving been created.
Visit the
artists there - the studios of Francoise
Jatteau (close to the church) and Pascal Cossin (to the right as
you come through the first archway). She, a seer and artist who creates
icons of potency and he a wood and stone carver, sculptor, that makes wood live with
his love of form and essence of wood.
The homes
of this village are full of deep history, - almost behind the church is
a house originally of a Moslem, complete with arabic designs. In the hills
around were built Roman villas, now only broken rocks among the myriad
vines. Breathe in the scent of thyme, and other wild herbs evocative of
older times.
For an evocative taste of the Minervois, drink deep the wine of Yves Bru at Domaine Sainte Luchaire (the cave is almost next to the restaurant) - Clos de Mathieu (2005) is especially inviting and potent in its richness. (Tel 04 68 91 34 93)
Go swim and
walk where the locals go, in the hidden valley
of the Cessiére ....go to Aigues-Vives, take the road to Paguignan, and thence onto
Cailhol.