I love the Roussillon

A new little hideaway

2012-02-07T14:21:00.001+01:00

La Cachette

Delightful two bedroom house in Ceret

http://www.ceretproperty.com/rentalfeatured.html

Come and take a peak inside

Now that's what I call a view

2012-01-27T16:22:00.000+01:00

Come and have a look at the latest addition to the family. Ceret Villa

Looking for somewhere to stay this summer?

2012-01-24T15:34:00.000+01:00

Villa Fontaine Grosse

www.villa-ceret.com

If only I had a spare 100K

2012-01-03T13:46:00.001+01:00

Not a bad view from this Traditional Catalan Home.

More Details.......

Photos from our walks at Christmas

2012-01-02T11:07:00.001+01:00

And all taken on my Mobile Phone

Happy Days and Happy New Year

Click on any image to enlarge

New for Ceret Property

2011-12-20T15:42:00.001+01:00

Ceret Property is catching up with the Android revolution, you can now follow our news campaign on your mobile.

Just visit our Long rental specialist pages and use your QR Scanner http://www.longtermrentalsinfrance.com/

Give it a go.

N.B. you will have to have downloaded a QR scanner onto your mobile.

New Properties

2011-11-30T13:25:00.002+01:00

Come and have a look at what is new.

Along with the new look website, we have 5 exciting new properties on our books this week

Ceret Property

Cheers

2011-11-19T17:31:00.000+01:00

Domaine Treloar

Traditional British Christmas Market

10am - 6pm
Sunday 27th November 2011
at Saint Jean Pla de Corts

We invite you to come and join us at the Traditional British Christmas Market at Saint Jean Pla de Corts in the Salle Polyvalente. Sunday 27th November 2011. There will be loads of exciting exhibitors including fresh English Sausages and food items such as mince pies, mulled wine, Christmas crackers, original gifts, arts and crafts, soft furnishings, English books all for sale and there will be a cafe open all day where you can sit and enjoy morning or afternoon tea or lunch. There will be Carol singers at 11am and activities for children throughout the day.

We will also be offering our 'Rose of Treloar' at a special price of €21 for six bottles. If you would like to pre-order the Rose or any of our other wines to be collected from me at the fair please email me as last year we ran out of wine at Lunch time!

Please feel free to forward this email to as many people you know in the Roussillon and we look forward to seeing you there.

Christmas is a coming...........

2011-11-16T12:53:00.000+01:00

View our latest long rental Property

2011-11-10T13:04:00.000+01:00

2 bedroom, furnished appartment, both ensuite, on the 2nd floor, with lounge, english TV, kitchen/diner. Situated on RN9, Maureillas - 10 mins from Ceret, 5 mins from Le Boulou, 15 mins from Spanish border. Read more......

Jelly?

2011-11-08T17:51:00.000+01:00

Jelly in Thuir

17th November 2011

Reminder email from FAB PO for the Jelly event in Thuir

I am just sending out the official invite and reminder for the Jelly event in Thuir on Thursday 17th November 2011

The link to booking tickets is now live - http://thuirjelly-eorg.eventbrite.com/ - places are limited and will be reserved on a first come first served basis.

If you would like to turn up for the lunch only please email contact@languedocjelly.com
or

annawalmsley@hotmail.com

ONLY 4 PLACES LEFT so be quick

ALSO FAB PO will buy everyone who turns up to the Jelly event their first tea or coffee as a way of supporting Jelly and their first time in the 66 department.

Xmas Fair 27th Sunday November

I now have a long list of exhibitors and will be meeting with Pascale Jacquot (vice president of FAB PO) and the Mairies assistant on Thursday to prepare the plan of exhibitors. At this time anyone who has not contacted me will now go on a waiting list until after the meeting.

Rachel Treloar

(Acting President of FAB PO)

Domaine Treloar
16 traverse de Thuir
Trouillas, 66300

PO Christmas Fayre

2011-10-24T12:31:00.000+02:00

Xmas Fair - Sunday 27th November 2011

The Mairie of St Jean Pla de Corts has contacted us again to assist him in organising the Xmas fair. For those that would like to apply to exhibit please email me info@domainetreloar.com

what your are proposing to sell,
whether you need an electrical socket,
whether you need wall space,
what advertising you are able to undertake for the fair email, distribution of brochures etc

The price of the stand will be the same as last year €10 per 2 metre stand but this year BUT you will need to provide your own table this year as the Mairie does not have his tables at this building anymore.

If you know of anyone else who might be interested in exhibiting please get them to email me - preference will be given to those that exhibited last year and we will try to avoid duplicate stands/stands selling the same thing.

Meeting

I would like to call a meeting on 3rd November at 6.30 pm at Domaine Treloar, 16 Traverse de Thuir, Trouillas where the a new president, secretary and tresurer positions need to be appointed - if you are interested in any of the following please email me.

We will also discuss any issues for the Xmas fair and make the list of exhibitors for the Mairie's approval.

Rachel Treloar
(Acting President of FAB PO)

Domaine Treloar
16 traverse de Thuir
Trouillas, 66300

Epidemic of gastric flu

2011-10-21T13:29:00.000+02:00

FIVE regions are affected by an outbreak of gastroenteritis, an illness causing diarrhea and vomiting.

They are all above the “epidemic” level (204 cases per 100,000 of the population).

Those concerned, according to the Sentinelles network, which monitors illness trends, are Poitou-Charentes (212), Languedoc-Roussillon (250), Centre, Alsace (371) and Limousin (700).

Elsewhere in France levels are fairly low, no more than 132 cases on average.

Also known as gastric flu, it is an inflammation of the stomach and intestine, unrelated to ordinary flu. It is usually caused by a virus.

While unpleasant, doctors say it is rarely serious apart from in babies and the elderly.

A map of areas affected by acute diarrhea, one of the main symptoms, has been released:

@ courtesy of The Connexion

Domaine Treloar

2011-10-12T17:26:00.000+02:00

A date not to be missed

October 2011

Domaine Treloar Newsletter

Bonjour

Vendredi soir je vais faire une dégustation de six vins chez la caviste Goutes et Aromes, 30 rue Jean Jaurès a Prades.

La soirée commencera vers 18:30 jusqu'à 20 :00.

Très Cordialement, Jonathan

This Friday evening Jonathan will be holding a degustation of 6 of our wines at Goutes et Aromes, 30 rue Jean Jaurès a Prades.

Starting at 6.30pm - 8pm

If you live near Prades we hope you can make it.

Please feel free to email this invitation to anyone you think may be interested in attending.

Kind regards

Jonathan

One Block Muscat

Look forward to seeing you soon

Rachel Treloar & Jonathan Hesford
16 Traverse de Thuir
66300 Trouillas
Phone: 0468 95 02 29
www.domainetreloar.com

Property privately for sale in Ceret

2011-09-09T15:02:00.000+02:00

Large 4 bedroom town house in Ceret.

Click for further details

Will this help the present drought situation?

2011-07-20T15:09:00.000+02:00

Good news for second home owners

2011-06-24T11:29:00.000+02:00

THE FRENCH government has abandoned plans to levy a controversial new tax on holiday homes owned by non-residents.

The proposed tax, announced last month, would have targeted non-residents, of all nationalities, who have second homes in France that are not rented out.

Up to 360,000 homes would have been affected from January 2012 and it was estimated that the tax would bring in €176m a year.

President Sarkozy and budget minister François Baroin met a group of UMP senators who represent French expatriates on Saturday afternoon to discuss the plan.

Transport minister Thierry Mariani, who was also present at the meeting, told reporters afterwards that the government had agreed not to pursue the proposed tax.

It has already been voted by the National Assembly and was due to be picked up by the Senate on Tuesday. It is part of a bigger finance bill that also deals with matters including the reform of wealth tax.

The proposed tax would have been at least as high as the taxe foncière in many cases, meaning an extra bill of several hundred to several thousand euros a year dependent on home size and location.

There were concerns that the proposal would be passed because of a lack of political representation for expatriates.

The government believed that second home-owners should contribute more to the national budget, to make up for infrastructure and services they use but do not fund through income tax.

However the new tax, if it had been passed, would have been scrutinised by the European Union because it risks preventing the free movement of capital.

Just over the border

2011-05-25T13:36:00.000+02:00

Another great thing about living in the Roussillon is that Spain is just a few minutes over the border. Not only are the shops cheaper but there are great sights to see, a wide and varied selection of restaurants and the beaches.........

If you happen to be in the area 10th & 11th June then why not.......

Sant Marti WINE FAIR

Saturday 10th & Sunday 11th June 2011

With much excitement we will be exhibiting again at the Emporda Wine Fair in Sant Martí d'Empúries and what a wine fair it is!

10 & 11th June from 12-3pm and then from 5-10pm - €15 each including glass.

This totally gorgeous village perched on the top of the cliff with the fair taking place beside the church surrounded by lovely restaurants adds to the atmosphere of enjoying good wine.

If you would like to reserve tickets, please contact Dom at his wine shop Celler Petit in St Martí d'Empúries and if you can't make the fair you can always visit his great wine shop which has an excellent selection of local Catalan wines.

Please come and support us as we will be the only Catalunya Nord wine producer there!

Posted on behalf of Domaine Treloar

Looking to rent, sell or buy in the Roussillon - Ceret Property

Just a little further inland

2011-05-25T13:25:00.000+02:00

If you are looking for something else to do whilst in the Roussillon area, why not visit the Cathares. starting with the ones close to Perpignan, you can travel all the way to the heart of the Cathares at Montsegur, where the

people lived in peace until in the 13 century, the Catholic Church decided it was time to root out some heretics.

Just down the road from Montsegur, there is the fascinating village of Rennes le Château, where the Abbé Sauniere suddenly became extremely rich and in the end was refused his last ritesin his death bed.

And did you know that in 2012 the world is going to end. Not sure which date but make sure you get to the Pic de Bugerach as this is said to be one of the areas to be spared the disaster. We went up there the other day to see what all the fuss is about. great day out but make sure that you choose the easier assent.

If you are visiting the area then I would recommend this lovely Chambre D’hôte in Quillan, which a great base for exploring the mountains and castles.

If you happen to be in the area at the beginning of June then why not visit The Vernissage of 10 Artists

2011-05-25T09:35:00.000+02:00

Sorry to have been away for a while. Hectic times.

Saw this on PO Life and thought it was worth putting out there.

Driving home down a country road one evening? I saw a child in a car seat on the roadside, covered with a blanket. I can not explain why, but I did not stop, even though I felt bad about it. When I arrived, I phoned the police who agreed to check it out, but explained that is was likely to be a scam.

Gangs of thieves are constantly developing new schemes to rob and mug. Some gangs work by finding ways to stop cars (especially women) on quiet roads.

One scenario:

One way is to place a car seat at the roadside, usually near a wood or fields, with a fake baby sitting in it. If a woman stops, she could well be robbed, dragged into the woods, beaten, raped. Men have also been violently beaten, and robbed.

Do not stop under any circumstances!

Call 112 as soon as possible, and give details of where and what, BUT DO NOT SLOW DOWN

Another common scenario:

If you are driving at night and eggs are thrown at your windscreen, DO NOT STOP, EVEN IF YOU CANT SEE WELL. Do not turn on your wipers either, as washer fluid or even water will make the windscreen worse when mixed with egg.

Holiday homes, long rentals and French property sales

Sunshine at last!

2011-03-18T15:50:00.000+01:00

Heavy rain has claimed 2 lives in the Pyrenees Orientales.

After 6 days of continuous rain, the sun came out today, the temperature has been up as high as 20 degrees and spring is in the air. Over the last dank days, rivers have been swollen, Fords impassable, river banks collapsing and sadly two people lost their lives in separate incidents when their cars were swept away on a river ford.

Now that the swimming pool that appeared in my garden has begun to disappear, I have been able to see everything suddenly spring to life as Printemps (I hope) has finally arrived.

2011-03-18T15:38:00.000+01:00

Catalonian Government reduces speed limit.

In an attempt to save the tax payer money, the government of Catalonia has decreed that the national speed limit on the Motorways in northern Spain will be reduced from 120kph to 110kph.

They forgot to take one tiny detail into account....There are so many road works between the French boarder and Girona that it is virtually impossible to go above the speed of 80kph.

Could this be the start of a good year?

2011-02-04T12:23:00.000+01:00

Mortgage taps are turned on

FINANCE should no longer be a problem for anyone looking to buy a new property, providing they have all their details in order.

Mortgages are becoming more freely available, despite low interest rates. Finance brokers Empruntis say it is possible to get a fixed 3.4 per cent mortgage rate over 15 years and 3.55 per cent over 20 years “with a beau dossier”.
The changes have come as the banks have started to free up credit with the easing of the financial crisis and is a welcome boost for people who had plans disrupted by the restrictions.

Empruntis spokeswoman Mael Bernier said that there was even competition between the banks again and it was possible to get a loan with just a 10 per cent deposit, or even no deposit at all, as long as their financial situation was otherwise solid.

Borrowers were also now looking to renegotiate their credit, said Cafpi finance network chief Philippe Taboré and, if they could not get what they wanted, were confident enough to take their business elsewhere.

Empruntis said 45 per cent of the demand for credit was from people looking to refinance away from high-cost loans and said anyone with a mortgage dating from 2007-09 should take financial advice.

Looking for property in the South of France

Ceret in the news again

2011-02-02T16:59:00.000+01:00

Due to the fact that local people could not believe such constructions were built by human hands, many bridges built in medieval Europe were given the name "the Devil's Bridge". This is the Devil's Bridge at Céret, Pyrénées-Orientales, France, a 14th-century bridge with a 46-metre span.

Come to Ceret

2010-12-15T13:19:00.002+01:00

If you are coming down to Ceret this Christmas, then have a lovely time. Take a moment to walk through the Medieval streets at night and take in the lovely simple Christmas lights.

Looking for something to do with the kids? The ice skating rink is back in town so hurry along and make a fool of yourself. go on you know you want to.

I wonder whether we will join the first swim of the year at Argeles sur Mer, when all commers are welcome to go for a swim in the sea.

Maybe you can go for a day out at Les Angles, I hear that the snow is already fantastic this year.

Wishing everyone a very happy Christmas

Snow in the Uk

2010-12-09T12:32:00.000+01:00

I have just been back to the UK do some work and have had to travel around to different clients. I seem to have spent more time sitting in the car than sitting in meetings and then at the end of the day I have to decide whether to stay in an hotel or trudge back home. With the weather the way it has been , you might suspect that the hotel was a no brainer but unlike our neighbours in France, the only way to stay in a decent hotel is to chop off your arm and your leg....So still spending far too much time in the car.

Here in the Roussillon, we know where to keep our snow. Flying back tomorrow and can't wait.

Speeding fines to cross EU borders

2010-12-04T13:13:00.000+01:00

DRIVERS of foreign cars will no longer be immune from the flash of speed cameras or other motoring offences.

Transport ministers from EU countries have agreed to share the details of motorists whose vehicles are caught breaking foreign driving laws.

Seven offences will be covered by the new rules; speeding, jumping red lights, drink driving, not wearing a seat belt, using a mobile phone while driving, misusing the emergency lane or hard shoulder, and driving under the influence of drugs.
The new rules will come into force before the end of 2013.

Ministers have agreed in principle to release the names and addresses of the registered vehicle owners to the police authorities of EU states where an offence was committed.

Further details on how police forces will use this information in terms of prosecution and how registered owners (who may not be the person who committed the offence) can respond , will need to be finalised.

French transport minister Thierry Mariani said France, as a major centre of tourism and a nation that borders eight other countries, would benefit from the measures.

Mr Mariani said that, on average, 25 per cent of driving offences were committed by motorists with foreign plates, a figure that rose as high as 50 per cent during the summer and 75 per cent in border areas.

EU figures reveal that, although foreign vehicles represent just five per cent of traffic across the union, they account for 15 per cent of offences

Another great weekend at Domaine Treloar

2010-11-18T10:57:00.000+01:00

The Flight of the Kiwi

at Domaine Treloar

A little reminder that this Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st November 2010 from 2pm til 7pm at Domaine Treloar we will be tasting vertical flights of our red wines from the first take-off in 2006 to the much-awaited 2008.

• Three Peaks

• Le Secret

• Tahi

Along with some Christmas treats, we will be offering the following specials:

• Rosé on sale at € 25 a carton

• 3 Peaks at the One Block Grenache price

• 15% discount on all other wines available

How to set up a gîte business

2010-11-17T13:07:00.000+01:00

WITH more than 43,000 property owners already inside the Gîtes de France network, providing 56,000 holiday homes, it has obviously been easy enough for thousands to get going, so what are your first steps?

You will already have checked whether your property is attractive enough to draw in holiday-makers and thought about marketing, etc, but the first few steps to setting up your gîte are surprisingly easy.

First, visit your mairie and let them know what you are planning, as there are hygiene and safety obligations. Although this may seem obvious advice in France, many people ignore it when starting up and it is difficult to rectify later. In addition, last December the government passed tourism legislation making it compulsory to register a meublé de tourisme with the mairie, an offence punishable by a fine of up to €450.

You should get a form Déclaration en mairie de location d’un meublé de tourisme to fill in. The two-page A4 form asks for basic identification details, the size and capacity of the gîte and when you plan to rent it out. You should get the second récépissé page back, with the mairie stamp.

Some mairies in tourist areas demand a taxe de séjour, which is intended to boost tourist facilities in the community. It is set by the mairie, but by law can only be between €0.20 and €1.50 per adult per day. Children under 12 do not pay.

The mairie may also put you in contact with the Direction départementale de l'equipement, which may run checks on safety.

The size of the operation you will be running is the deciding factor for whether you need to tangle with with French bureaucracy. It will also determine whether you are going to apply for any grants that are available. The conseil général will have information and, in certain areas, the conseil régional, too, but they will demand that the business keep going for up to 10 years.

One thing some owners have forgotten is insurance: you should get assurance responsabilité civiles tous risques. However, this will not cover any damage caused by a visitor. The tenant is responsible for any damage caused and it is recommended you insist visitors coming from abroad have travel insurance.

If you do not expect to make more than €23,000 a year and the gîte income is less than 50 per cent of your total household income, there is no need to register as a business or sign at the Chambre de Commerce. This also means you do not need to pay social charges.

If you expect to make a living out of your gîte, think again. The average annual income for the 43,000 gîte-owners in France is about €10,400 per gîte, and that includes many people who have several gîtes.

Generally, rural gîtes will be rented out for about a third of the year and the income can vary from an average across France of just over €400 in the high season to €280 out of season. These are average figures: in some strong tourist areas, high-season rental income can be double.

If you do make a success of it and make a decent amount of money, you will have to think about new business and fiscal regimes.

If your turnover goes above €23,000 a year, you must register at the Chambre de Commerce. You can set up as a Micro-BIC (bénéfices industriels et commerciaux), which has an upper limit on turnover of €76,300, but also comes with allowances of 71 per cent of costs associated with the gîtes.

Gîtes de France says it gets about 2,500 new rural gîtes a year and the average investment is e58,400.

While there is no legal definition of a gîte rurale, Gîtes de France see them as rural homes that can host a family holiday or for weekends.

Fitting into their environment, they are houses or stand-alone buildings with outside space, and should have what a family would need for its stay.

Expats who have bought a house with a couple of outbuildings that could be turned into holiday properties often see them as an ideal way of making some money. However, some areas have become overloaded with gîtes.

Here you need something to make your gîte stand out; whether it is something simple like a hammock, barbecue, boules court or access to woods, or something more expensive such as a swimming pool (make sure you abide by the safety rules).

Marketing is the key and the image you put across to the customer is what attracts them to come and stay.

A website is essential, either your own that of groups such as Gîtes de France, which you pay to join. You can check how popular the sites are by doing a Google search (just as your customer would) and find the highest ranked sites.

You should also contact your local tourist office to be put on to their local listings – charges will vary – but you may also get on their accommodation website for the area.

If you are looking to start renting or creating a gites business in the Languedoc -Roussillon area, then get in touch with the property specialists at Ceret Property

Connexion edition: October 2010

Christmas is a coming

2010-11-16T10:14:00.000+01:00

Please help get the word around by passing on the message

Ceret Property Sales, long and short term rentals vacations france

2010-11-04T11:05:00.000+01:00

Ceret Property Sales, long and short term rentals vacations france

France: new home of bull-fighting?

2010-10-21T12:06:00.000+02:00

France is on its way towards replacing Spain as the home of bull-fighting. While Catalonia recently voted to outlaw the sport in the region, the corrida is going from strength to strength on this side of the Pyrenees.

This is despite bull-fighting being illegal under article 521-1 of the penal code, which bans "cruel acts and serious ill-treatment towards animals". However, there is an exception for bullfights in areas of "uninterrupted local tradition", which largely means the south-west of the country, where it takes place in 11 departments. Only the Ariège is corrida-free.

The mayor of one bullfighting town, Béziers, and the director of its arena, even say they want to offer their venue to Barcelona’s bullfighters and bullfighting fans should a final ban be introduced in the Catalonian capital in 2012.

More French towns are opting to put on bullfights despite vigorous opposition from the likes of the Nîmes-based Alliance Anti-Corrida which has organised a protest march on September 11.

Founder Claire Starozinski says that an Ipsos survey found 71% of people in the Gard were against corrida. Perhaps, but Nîmes has gone from five corridas a year in 1980 to 20 now.
It is a completely different picture from Spain, where audiences for bullfights have been tumbling. Hard economics are to blame: many smaller rings can no longer make bullfights pay so they are held in big cities and people generally do not travel outside their local area for a fight.

In France, on the other hand, fans will travel to all the nearby events. André Viard, president of the Observatoire National des Cultures Taurines, said two million people attend corridas in France each year. These bullfights are where the bull is always the loser, where the fight is to the death: however, a more traditional French version leaves the bull to fight another day. This sees the bullfighter trying to grab ribbons off the horns.

A similar event is the Course Landaise where there are no weapons or red capes, just the skill of the man to provoke the animal into charging and then his agility in leaping out of the way at the last minute.

Daniel J. Valade, the adjoint to the mayor of Nîmes and spokesman on culture and bullfighting, said people were entitled to their opinions but regional politicians in Catalonia had taken bullfighting hostage in its quarrels with the Madrid government.

He said the support of politicians who respected the culture of bullfighting or tauromachie would "guarantee the freedom of expression in our country".

Politicians such as Prime Minister François Fillon, health minister Roselyne Bachelot, ex- presidential challenger Ségolène Royal and leading socialist Dominique Strauss-Kahn are corrida fans, as is President Sarkozy, but they are rarely seen at events.

Mr Sarkozy’s adviser, Pierre Giacometti, says pressure from the anti-bullfighting lobby meant he and other politicians are "limiting appearances at corridas in France and [Mr Sarkozy] is only doing so in Spain".

Alpes-Maritimes MP Muriel Marland-Militello has challenged her UMP leaders with a proposal to change the law to ban bullfighting and said the Catalan ban "should inspire the French Parliament and remind the UMP of its responsibilities".

She said that MPs should start debating the rights and wrongs of bullfighting as the Catalans had done and added: "This way the UMP can show it is a modern party, ready to lead the way with humane advances for civilisation."

Brigitte Bardot said the ban was a "victory for dignity over cruelty". She said she thought that it was unhealthy to encourage crowds of people towards blood and cruelty as it was "violence that is destroying our society. France must follow the example."

Britons' French dream is alive

2010-10-16T12:15:00.000+02:00

WHILE the "French dream" of a relaxed lifestyle in rural France still appeals to some Britons, there are new tastes emerging, including a search for more modern properties and city living, property experts say. Home sales to Britons are picking up this year as we emerge from the financial crisis.

Last year, Britons bought a third as many homes in France as they did in 2007, according to notaires' figures, and, while Britons remained the biggest foreign buyers, notaires say they bought just 17% of non-new-build homes sold to foreigners, compared to 40% in 2004.

Though 2010 figures are not yet available, there are encouraging signs that the British are on the way back. However, they are not always looking for the same as before.

Notaire Patrick Lotthé, from Bailleul, Nord, who specialises in work in the British market, said: "Though the pick-up is still a bit timid, things are better than they were last year, as the exchange rate is now far better for the British than it was."

Traditional areas such as the south-west, Normandy and Brittany, the south-east and the Alps (for skiing holiday homes) remain popular. Britons usually look for detached homes, though flats are common in ski resorts.
As before, many buyers are hoping to retire to France or are buying holiday homes and are attracted by the climate and lifestyle. "They are still often interested in homes in the countryside and seaside; however, we have noticed, for instance, British people buying flats in Lille because it is no longer that far from London and the south-east of the UK, and it's an interesting cultural city with plenty of events and exhibitions. The same goes for Paris. Thanks to the TGV and Eurostar, it's very easy to get to these areas. As prices are starting to go up again, these cities also make interesting investments."

An adviser from Paris-based international property consultants Eden Way, Nicolas Verastegui, said sourcing apartments in Paris was their top request from British buyers, who are about 40% of their customers and are their biggest client group after Italians.

This was followed in rough order by requests for properties in the Luberon, the Riviera, the south-west and on the north-west coast.

"The culture, Eurostar and the lower euro, these are all an incentive in Paris," he said. Britons buying in Paris prefer apartments in typically Parisian old buildings in cut stone, he said, such as those from the period of Baron Haussmann. Areas such as the Marais or Saint-Germain-des-Près are much sought-after.

"There are two main things that interest them: a primary residence for those who will be working in the city, and a pied-à-terre to be occupied a few times during the year by the buyer and rented out temporarily the remaining of the time."

Estate agent Charles Gillooley of Immobilier Causses et Vézère in Montignac, Dordogne, said traditionally there have been certain French areas where Britons rushed to buy because of cheap prices, though this was now not the case.

The last hotspot was the Creuse, said Mr Gillooley, who is vice-president of the estate agents' federation FNAIM in Aquitaine.

"Everybody has less money and they are all trying to find something cheaper, but there are not that many new cheap areas. The Creuse was a disaster, though not for the locals, who managed to offload unwanted farmhouses and ruined barns and to fleece the British. It is a pleasant enough but nondescript rural area which was unheard of and therefore very cheap.

"People expected to buy properties for next to nothing, spend a fortune doing them up and then sell them for a fortune. But the reason the Creuse was unheard of was that no one else wanted to go there, and no one wanted to buy the expensive done-up properties.

"I am sure there still are some areas in rural France that are very cheap, but they will be so far off the radar no one knows where they are."

Mr Gillooley said that, on the whole, Britons still wanted the same kind of properties as before and were "back in the market now". However they are still hoping to pay less than before, especially as UK property prices have gone down and they have less to spend if they have sold up at home. Fortunately, French prices are mainly also lower than they were a few years ago, he said.

"Things are busier now than this time last year. It is looking up a little, but buyers are very realistic, and are pickier and choosier. There are still not enough buyers, so vendors must still make sure their properties are realistically priced to sell."

Mr Gillooley said that, in the popular areas of the Dordogne, the old trend of Britons buying to renovate no longer applied, because there were no old properties to renovate left. "Some fringe areas in the north have a few, but in the heart of the Dordogne Valley there has been nothing left for about 15 years," he said. "Also, the cost of renovation has gone up and up, while the value of properties has gone down, so it is no longer good value to do it. Renovating is an escalating cost: when you start you never know how much it will endup costing, so it is much better to buy one that is already done up.

"Once upon a time, when people said they wanted to renovate, we were talking about roofs, windows, floors, electricity, extensions. Now it means putting in a new sink unit, a new kitchen maybe a new bathroom. To some extent, that is a good thing."

Mr Gillooley said holiday home sales were slower than in the past in the south-west because people had less money and it was a luxury, but those who wanted to make a permanent move were still doing so. "Priorities include access to transport, such as low-cost airports and all the other things they wanted 30 years ago – old stone, independent but close to the shops etc. However, they have to put up with what they can get. "There are houses half an hour from an airport or in villages with shops, but most of our villages are an hour from an airport and haven't got shops. But it is still an area where many Britons buy."

International unit manager for mortgage brokers Cafpi, Kathleen MacKinnon, said those buying in France today were "quality buyers, people who know what they are doing rather than dreamers". In the past, she said, there were a lot of inquiries and few people completing. Now a higher percentage complete compared to last year. They are still buying in such areas as the Riviera and south-west, she said.

A manager for RHF International, which specialises in Riviera properties, Jeroen Zaat, said that they had seen a revival, especially for luxury properties. "On the whole, especially in the higher budgets, there are quite a few sales being done. In the lower budgets, there is more hesitancy," he said. "People in times of uncertainty flock back to well-known areas. The more obscure areas are now less interesting. "It's the well-known coastal towns, such as Antibes or Cannes, or some well-known villages such as Mougins and Valbonne that attract a lot of British buyers now."

In their business, about 70% of homes sold as holiday properties, he said, which was comparable to the past. However, he has noticed some change: "There has been a shift towards more modern properties. In the past, it was the old Provençal bastides with exposed beams. There are still some hardcore aficionados of that style, but now clients often either want ultra-modern design or new-build with a touch of the old.

"It should be light and airy with lots of space. Typical styles that sell are characterised by wooden floors and glass and chrome or stainless steel contrasts in combination with, for example, black slate or white stone."

He said clients wanted the perfect location: quiet, close to the sea and the airport, but it was not always easy to find all their requirements in one home and in budget. A director of currency transfer specialists HiFX, Mark Bodega, said their data showed interest remained high in established areas such as Normandy and Brittany.

"For many people, ease of getting to their property is an important consideration, especially if they want to let it as a holiday home or expect to use it regularly at weekends, not to mention the impact this has on its future sale value.
"Mid-French regions such as the Poitou-Charentes and Limousin remain popular. Located in easy reach of airports served by low-cost airlines, they are ideal for visitors or for seeing family and friends back home."
HiFX says the value of sterling hit a 19-month high after the British general election and appears to have stabilised: a plus for Britons buying in France compared to last year.

None the less, Mr Bodega said sudden changes remain possible (eg. the amount you can get for your pounds changed 13.5% between March and June this year).
This is one reason why some clients negotiating to buy French homes fix a rate for a future completion date.
"You would never agree to buy a property in the UK if you did not know what it would cost you," he said.

Property in Languedoc Roussillon

So glad to be living near Spain

2010-10-16T11:55:00.000+02:00

Reserves opened to stop fuel panic

RESERVE fuel supplies have been opened up after strikes closed down all French oil refineries and fears of petrol shortages have sparked panic buying. Demand for fuel has risen 50 per cent in the past two days.

The strikes, against the planned changes to the retirement age, have been made worse by an 18-day dockers’ strike at the giant oil terminal at Fos-Lavéra (Bouches-du-Rhône).

At the moment there are more than 70 ships standing off Marseille loaded with crude oil destined for French refineries but all of the country’s 12 refineries have been hit by strikes.

Some petrol stations have put up notices warning of shortages but, so far, only about 50 have faced actual shortages. There have been reports of stations limiting purchases to €40 or €50.

The main areas affected by shortages are the south of France, Alsace and Brittany.

Transport secretary Dominique Bussereau ordered that reserve stocks of fuel held by oil firms be opened for use, which would give about 10 days’ supply. Police were then used to open the depot at Fos-sur-Mer in Bouches-du-Rhône.

However, so-called strategic supplies still remain off-limits. These are only intended to be used in the event of an international crisis and were last opened in 2005 after hurricane Katrina ravaged oil distilleries in the southern United States and cut off supplies.

The 17 million tonnes of refined and crude oil in the strategic supply represent 98 days’ consumption.

Fuel supplies have been ordered from elsewhere in Europe and Mr Bussereau has also lifted the ban on larger 44-tonne oil tankers being used to transport fuel. He has also lifted the restrictions on tankers running on Sundays.

Tomorrow is due to see the latest in the series of rolling protests over the retirement age which follow the strikes in the transport and energy sectors. Demonstrations are expected in major cities.

Another national strike is planned for October 19.

On a brighter note - Property Hot spot - Ceret

2010-10-13T16:38:00.001+02:00

Ceret is the kind of town one falls in love with at first sight, and that was certainly the case for me when I was extensively touring the Pyrenees Orientales region to decide where to make my new French home. Approaching Ceret from the east towards the three parallel bridges crossing the pretty River Tech, you can really appreciate the stunning backdrop of the Pyreneen foothills and cherry orchards surrounding the town. The town’s attractive centre encapsulates what many foreign buyers think of as the French dream – cobbled streets lined by pastel coloured town houses, a pretty square with al fresco eating for much of the year and plane tree-lined shady streets with plenty of cafés and one off shops – a far cry from your average British high street with its ubiquitous chain stores.

The town’s beauty has been a magnet for artists in the past, the most famous being Picasso, who is reputed to have founded the Cubism movement when he lived here. This artistic heritage is celebrated in the Museum of Modern Art, situated next to the Mairie, which has some permanent works by the master himself and also exhibits other impressive names from the art world, especially considering the small size of the town.

The climate here is a major attraction too – the town sits in the southernmost valley in France, a stone’s throw from the Spanish border and enjoys long summers and short, relatively mild winters. It is rarely cold enough to snow and boasts 300 days of sunshine a year, which means lots of bright blue skies throughout the winter months, even when the temperatures do drop. With both the Mediterranean coast and ski resorts accessible, there is plenty to do all year round.

Officially, of course, Ceret is in France, however, the locals see themselves as Catalan and the Catalan influences in the town are strong. Most surprising to many visitors is the existence of a bullring, which plays host to a 3 day long bullfighting festival, the Ceret de Toros, during Bastille Day celebrations when the town also stages a mini running of the bulls (à la Pamplona) accompanied by live music and much merriment in the evenings.

If you’re visiting the town, there are some great places to stay. Make sure you factor a Saturday into your visit so you can sample the weekly market which is a feast for all the senses combining stalls selling everything from clothes and handmade toys, to vats of steaming paella, roasted chickens and delicious local cheeses.

You will not be the first foreigner to be seduced by Ceret’s charms - there is a sizeable expatriate community not only in Ceret itself, but all along the Tech Valley, made up not just of Brits, but also Germans, Dutch and Scandinavians. Although many of our clients say they want to avoid this at all costs, not only is it increasingly hard to do so anywhere in France, but it is easy to underestimate the cultural impact of moving to a foreign country, and the benefits of having like-minded fellow countrymen to chat to.

If you do decide to buy a home here, whether as a permanent resident, or for holidays, be warned - prices are not cheap. This is one of the two property hotspots of the Pyrenees Orientales (the other being the seaside town of Collioure) and prices have rocketed over the last few years, fuelled largely by foreign buyers. That said, the market has levelled off in the last year or so after the folly of previous years. Many vendors are stuck in the past and have unrealistic expectations with regards to price, so there is often quite significant room for negotiation, especially at the higher end of the market. This is also a good location for the buy-to-let market, with good quality rental properties in high demand from locals who can’t afford to get on to the property ladder.

If you want to be in the very centre of town, your choice is largely limited to a typical French townhouse or apartment, with no outside space or, at best, a roof terrace or small courtyard. These are rare on to the market, and change hands quickly, often privately. Prices start at €150,000s. Further out from the centre, larger houses and villas with small gardens can be found from upwards of about €280,000 , and at the luxury end of the market you are looking at anything from €500,000 upwards for villas with a large garden and all mod cons. You need to go further out of town still to find the traditional stone properties which are so coveted by us Brits, and you will pay the price for these as there are relatively few of them.

If your budget doesn’t stretch to Ceret prices, it is worth considering neighbouring towns and villages, such as Maureillas, Amelie-les-Bains, Llauro, Arles sur Tech, St Jean pla des Corts or Vives where prices are lower but you still have Ceret’s delights on your doorstep.

© Louise Sayers, Medandmountain

With thanks to Frenchentree

Dr Foster, Gloucester and the rest

2010-10-11T17:33:00.000+02:00

WORST RAIN STORM SINCE THE WAR (1940)

SCHOOL has been cancelled today for many pupils in the Pyrénées-Orientales, because of torrential rain and strong winds.

Météo France has issued an "orange" weather alert for six departments in the Languedoc-Roussillon and parts of the Midi-Pyrénées.

The Pyrénées-Orientales is the worst-hit, where 25cm of rain has fallen since Saturday afternoon, the equivalent of four months' rainfall.

As a precautionary measure, the department is not running any school transport, except in Perpignan.

Other affected departments are the Hérault, Tarn, Haute-Garonne, Ariège and Aude. The storm alert is in place until at least 16.00 today.

As well as heavy rain, there are waves of up to seven metres along the Mediterranean coast, fanned by winds of up to 100kph.

Météo France is calling for vigilance. Localised flooding is possible and several small roads are cut off. Power cuts are also likely.

The orange alert has been lifted for three other departments: the Gers, Pyrénées-Atlantiques and Hautes-Pyrénées.

Buying, Selling, Renting, Landlord, Property Services?

2010-10-08T13:27:00.000+02:00

Looking for a long term rental or looking to rent your home out over the winter or longer - then look no further. With the widest selection of long term lets throughout the Roussillon area Ceret Property can look after all your needs throughout the region.

Maybe you just want to rent you property out for the summer or are looking for that place to relax in the sun. Here at Ceret Property we have a selection of cherry picked properties, where we know the owners and setails of the properties, so you can book and rent with confidence.

Do you have a house to sell or are you looking to buy. Then look no further Ceret Property have just linked up with new Estate agency Real Estates to offer a wide range of properties with Character and Charm throughout the Pyrenees Orientales. This is a really exciting new link up as we now have offices in the Market town of Ceret.

Property services as well. Whether you are looking for property management, maintenance, renovation or want to propemote your property with our web design service, then look no further. Once you are here, we can even help you with all your English tv needs and even find someone to get you hooked up onto the internet (even if it has to be by satellite)

New kid on the block

2010-08-23T14:48:00.000+02:00

New Immobilier in Ceret, specialising in Character Properties from around the Roussillon region.

Located at 1 Place de la Republique in Ceret, this is a new proactive agency, where the doors are open to vendors and buyers alike, 7 days a week.

We are not only looking after the French market but also aiming at the International scene, with clients from all over the world on our books.

Now, is also a good time to buy or sell as, after a disappointing 2009 properties are beginning to move again. Partly due to the £ making a bit of a recovery but also due to prices having come down. Some of the properties on our books are at a very attractive price.

There has also been a strong return from northern Europe, with the Scandinavian countries, Belgium and the Netherlands leading the way.

Here are some of our properties:

Spacious Village House with Roof Terrace in St Laurent de Cerdans -
€189 000

Charming Stone-Built Mas Close to Céret - €369 000

Recent Villa set in a Large Garden with Pool and Views near Céret - €395 000

Tastefully Restored Stone Mas with Panoramic Views - €795 000

Attractive modern Villa with pool and far reaching views towards the mediterranean sea - €495 000

If your thinking of selling or want to buy in the Roussillon, then contact us on:
peter@real-estates.fr
0033 (0)6 49 23 15 40
http://www.real-estates.fr/

2010-08-03T21:22:00.000+02:00

FOIRE des Créateurs - Sunday 8th August 2010 from 11am until 6pm

Domaine Treloar will be hosting the 'Foire des Créateurs' in their courtyard and winery with www.tousdescreateurs66.over-blog.com and other local artisans on Sunday 8th August 2010 from 11am until 6pm.
We invite you come and enjoy a great day out for all the family, friends, neighbours and gite guests with pottery for children, local crafts such as jewellery, pottery, wood carvings all for sale, local artisan breads, fruit juice and local beer.

Cancer Support France 66 will be doing an afternoon tea à l'anglaise style which you will be able to enjoy at any time during the day with a local fruit juice, beer or wine.

In French:

Bijoux, sculpture sur bois, tableaux, artisanat divers.

Dégustation et vente de vin, de bière artisanale, de fromage et des autres produits locaux.

Ateliers de poterie et activités pour les enfants

Please feel free to email this to friends, family, gite guests and neighbours as this will be much appreciated.

If you would like to exhibit please email us.
Kind regards & thanks.
Rachel Treloar

Are you legal?

2010-06-25T12:29:00.000+02:00

Here is some information for any of you out there who are either running a gite complex or just renting your house out for the occassional week.

The clock is ticking for owners of holiday homes and gites in France to register their property with the local mairie before 1 July 2010 deadline – homeowners could face a fine from €45 to €450 if they fail to do so.

Following the introduction of a tourism law, which was passed in July last year, anyone who runs a gite or a furnished holiday let in France must make a declaration to the maire in the commune where the property is situated. Also, if you are planning on running a holiday rental, you should register before commencing business.

Complete the two page form – Déclaration en mairie de location d’un meublé de tourisme – Cerfa 14004-01 (pdf download).

The form needs to be sent to the mairie in the commune where your property is located who should sign, stamp it and return it to you.

What if you don’t register?

The speculation is that in addition to fines, anyone running a gite/accommodation not registered with the Marie could be closed down. It’s very simple for the tax authorities to search online French holiday rental portals to check who has conformed. Is it worth the risk?

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

I love rock and roll

2010-06-22T10:14:00.001+02:00

I always think that this is the week that the summer season really begins. I say this of course just one day before midsummer's day.
Well tell me when the summer weather arrives, because we are now ready for it.

Yesterday just about the whole of Ceret came out to play. It was La Fete de la Musique, which started at about 20:00hrs though of course did not really start until about 22:00hrs.

There was the usual mix of the local talent doing Karaoke outside a cafe, a keyboard player playing musac in La Place des neuf jet and then a good selection of serious rock bands dotted around the town. There was a great atmosphere as classics from Bowie, U2 and Nick Kershaw! boomed out across town.

For those who prefer a gentler form of melody, there was a local flamenco troop wandering through town and various impromptu classical concerts outside private houses.

So I say bring on the summer, La fete de St Jean and the Feria

If you need accommodation for any of the up and coming celebrations then come and visit us at Ceret Property

I chose the wrong week to go to the UK

2010-06-09T16:37:00.000+02:00

This is a rare opportunity for you lucky ones who will be around, so rather begrudgingly, Ceret Property are delighted to support our friends at Domaine Treloar.

Next Monday morning the editor of Decanter online UK will be visiting the winery, something we are really excited about and we will be opening a lot of our wines from vintages which have now sold out using our private library of stock along with the latest vintages for him to taste.

Although the old vintages are no longer for sale we thought it would be an amazing opportunity for you to taste these wines – some 3 years in a row. This may not happen again for some time.

We would therefore like to invite you to a private tasting of our wines anytime from Monday afternoon from 2pm onwards and all day Tuesday at our winery. If you would like to bring a friend or family who are not clients already of Domaine Treloar there will be a €5 charge for them.

You are more than welcome to bring a picnic and buy wine from us to drink in the winery grounds.

We are also extremely pleased to be rated in Jancis Robinson’s favorite 30 wineries in the Languedoc Roussillon in the FT this week and to have received excellent reviews for all our wines on Janicis’s website. The article is only available to her Purple Pages subscribers but you can read her reviews http://www.domainetreloar.com/reviews.htm.

Maybe I should pull a sicky

Can Vicens

2010-06-09T11:52:00.000+02:00

Had a great evening, kindly hosted by our friend Jonathon and Rachel at Domaine Treloar and the new owners of Can Vicens (Bar a Vins) in St Jean pla de Corts.

The bar has recently opened, giving a new exciting option to our dining needs in the area. This is the first wine bar to open in the Ceret area and also compliments the wines with tapas style assiettes catalanes.

We spent the evening matching the lovely wines from Treloar with selected dishes from Can Vicens.

Round 1.
Choice of the new Rose of Treloar 2009, Vin de pays des Cotes Catalanes or Muscat de Rivsaltes 2006 AOC Muscat de Rivsaltes.
This was accompanied by a selection of Charcuteries.

Round 2.
One Block Muscat 2008 Vin de pays des Cotes Catalanes
Accompanied by a delicious Crab tapas

Round 3.
Le Ciel Vide 2008 AOC Cotes du Roussillon
Accompanied by Pan Tomate and delicately sliced Serrano Ham

Round 4 (and still standing)
Motus 2007 AOC Cotes du Roussillon
Accompanied by a platter of manchego and local goats cheese

Round 5.
Muscat de Rivesaltes 2006 AOC Muscat de Rivsaltes
Accompanied by a delightful dessert of fresh fruit salad, ice cream and a red fruit coulis.

The food presentation and quality was a joy to find and a little different to the usual run of the mill. The Bar a Vins is a real find and we are delighted to have found somewhere new with its vaulted ceiling, fun decor and selection of local produce. The Ceret Property team recommends you visit this Bar a Vins

The wines were as usual absolutely delicious. We have yet again ordered a few cases.

A little more info about the wines

Muscat de Rivesaltes
A late-harvested, fortified sweet aperitif and/or dessert wine. It has a beautiful floral aroma and a rich honeyed palate with dried fruits and nuts.

Rose of Treloar
Made from 100% Syrah, this off-dry, fruity wine is made for easy-drinking with friends in the sun. I don't believe in complicated Rosé!

Le Ciel Vide

Named after a Bruce Springsteen song about September 11th, this unoaked red is made from Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre and Carignan. It is the most approachable of all our red wines with crunchy forest fruits and an earthy, smoky character from the Aspres terroir. Drinkable upon release for up to 5 years.

Motus

A Mourvedre-dominated red wine aged in oak barrels for 2 years. It has a distinctive leathery, almost animal, aroma, great fruit concentration, structure and aging potential for a further 10 years. Probably our most popular wine among wine-afficianados.

One Block Muscat

One Block is so named because living one block from the World Trade Center on 9/11/01 was the catalyst that caused us to change our lives. Dry, aromatic white wine made from 100% Muscat a Petits Grains. It has aromas of white blossom and limes and a long silky palate with peach flavours and a mineral edge.

All in all this was a Knock out evening, with thanks to all at Ceret Property

Watch out Watch out there's a ......... about

2010-06-08T11:52:00.002+02:00

Found a few scams for you to watch out for over here in sunny old France.

1. Fool's Gold; France

If you're walking the streets of Paris and someone appears to have found a gold ring at your feet, congratulate them and keep on walking. The ring is a plant and the person who pretends to have found it will use just about any sob story to get you to buy it off them.

2. Tourist Scam in Nice,France

We visited Nice in May 2010 and were returning back from Gare SNCF Nice Ville(Main Train Station) to our hotel. We took the tram from the Gare Theirs(nearby tram station) and noticed some two 'grubby' looking guys following us at a distance.

After alighting from the tram we decided to stop at a bank branch to withdraw money.Unfortunately(or fortunately) the ATM did not accept our card. Very soon one of the guys came in and started shouting at us. I have heard about the scam and shouted "police" and "thief". The bank staff came to our help. He was telling them we had picked his pocket! Of course, the bank security sent him in his way. We however waited a little longer. Then, his colleague came, but had to beat a hasty retreat. Advice- Avoid areas near station. Trams are very crowded in Nice. Use buses they are cheap, frequent and not crowded.If taking taxis to/from Nice airport tell the driverbeforehand u need a receipt with his taxi number, (the 4 digit number written on roof next to word "Taxi"), they won't overcharge.

3. The flat tyre trick

How it happens
Cruising along on the motorway, a helpful soul in another car gestures to your back tyre to tell you it's gone flat. When you pull on to the hard shoulder to take a look, they draw up behind you to offer you help with the tyre, which seemed all right before you pulled into the last service station. They might rid you of the puncture, but while you are struggling with the jack, their accomplice will also relieve you of any valuables in the front of your car.
Variations: Some thieves don't even bother with the tyre charade but simply wait for you to slow down at traffic lights and open your car door, seizing any bags they can grab. Where: The south of France, Spain and anywhere your car - your own or rented - marks you out as a tourist.

4. Travel Scam #1 - £109 for an All-Inclusive Trip to Spain or Southern France

This sounds too good to be true right? Well of course it is. What happens when you call to book the trip? Nothing will be available on the dates you want at the magic price point, but for another £300 pounds you can get the hotel you want at the date you want.

Similar scams often offer extremely low prices which are then increased, excessively, with hidden fees.

Travel Scam #2 - Free Vacation to the South of France or Spain

A free vacation is a lot better than a £109 vacation, right? Well be sceptical again. Behind these "free" vacations are tough, high pressure sales presentations for timeshare properties. The worst part about timeshares is they are virtually impossible to get rid of once you buy one and as a result.

5. One for the owners

Had a phone call this afternoon from a nice chap telling me that he was looking for a rental property in our area to add to his list of adverts for army and police personnel looking for holidays. I pointed out that I don't rent my property, I am a B&B, he said "never mind we take them as well" obviously had done his homework! My first question is of course how much will it cost, the answer £149 and bookings were guaranteed. I asked what was their guarantee which turns out that if you don't get an enquiry via them they will give you next years advert free.

Personally I never commit on this sort of thing over the phone so I asked him to email me details (I am still waiting). I then go and do some research. Well strangely enough when you start typing their name in to google it tries to second guess what your looking for and gives you suggestions, top of the list was 'Force Travel Club Scam' which immediately sets the old alarm bells ringing. Further investigation reveals that the company behind this has set up several versions in the past all of which have gone bankrupt.

I'm not going to bore you with all the stuff I found, you can see for yourselves by simply following this google link force travel club scam

Needless to say its a scam of some sort so if you get a phone call from them I suggest you put the phone down and definitely don't part with any money.

By the way they told me that they found my details through Visit France and sort of implied they were something to do with them. I phoned Visit France who categorically denied any link and were rather annoyed (putting it mildly) that they had used their website to contact people and in implying a link. Their website does indeed exist and does have properties on it but then it would do because they tell you the website name so you can go and have a look to see who else is advertised in your region and what the website and adverts look like.

Keep safe this summer

Six of the best

2010-06-07T12:20:00.000+02:00

Ceret Property is delighted to introduce 6 new properties that have arrived on our books this month.

L' Avenue, for this summer only

House on the outskirts of Ceret with garden, above ground swimming pool and jacuzzi.

Cellarmasters House, Available all year

Village house situated on the edge of Trouillas village with it's own garden and parking. Trouillas is a lively village with a fantastic bakery, chemist, village store, 2 doctors, pizzeria, cafe bar, small Tuesday morning market

La Petite Maison, looking for a winter let

Delightful 3 bedroom house, set within a large farmhouse with mature gardens and swimming pool

Boulevard Arago 1, Available all year

Completely renovated apartment in the historic town of Céret.

Boulevard Arago 2, Available all Year

Pretty 1 bedroom apartment in the centre of Ceret

Arles House, Here for the summer and a little of the winter

Refurbished with Roof Terrace Set in the Medieval Quarter of Popular Village
Ideal for Mediterranean Beaches, Skiing, Walking, Cycling and Horse Riding
Sleeps 8 (4 Bedrooms)

Ceret Property, more than just rentals

I say that's just not Cricket

2010-06-05T12:30:00.001+02:00

Cricket and the English summer, Lords and the birth of this great game..........

Rubbish........I was somewhat nonplussed when I came across this poster.

I found this on Wikipedia.

Early years

One of the many theories about the origin of cricket is that France could be a possible birthplace of the game. A mention of a bat and ball game called "criquet" in a village of the Pas-de-Calais occurs in a French manuscript of 1478, and the word "criquet" is an old French word meaning "post" or "wicket"^[3]. However, it is equally possible that this could be an early variant of croquet. It must be remembered that most of France during the 14th and 15th centuries was under English occupation in the Hundred Years War and so any cricket references in France at this time are probably due to the game having been introduced to France by the English occupiers ^[4].

Horace Walpole, son of former British Prime Minister Robert Walpole mentioned seeing cricket in Paris in 1766.^[3]

The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) were due to make the first ever international cricket tour of France, in 1789, however this was cancelled due to theFrench Revolution. This match was finally played in 1989, as part of the bicentennial celebrations of the revolution, with France beating the MCC by 7 wickets. ^[5]

The first documented match took place in the Bois de Boulogne between Paris Cricket Club and Warwickshire Knickerbockers in 1864. Paris Cricket Club published a book explaining the game the following year ^[3].

Promoting the Roussillon

2010-06-03T18:18:00.000+02:00

Well not quite....You know how we at Ceret Property like to help promote things that are going on in the roussillon.
Well this time I am going to promote the sale of my car (cheeky)

For Sale – 1997 Land Rover Discovery 3.9 turbo

Left Hand Drive
Petrol
3.9 litre engine
210 000 km
European set up
7 Seats
Air Conditioning
UK Plates
UK registration 1997

Priced for quick sale €3950.00

Good condition throughout.

For further information, call 06 31 97 09 04 or email peter_woollard@yahoo.com

She's a bit thirsty its true but you try to find a 4x4 for under €5000 in france

2010-05-12T15:47:00.009+02:00

Here at Ceret Property we are always keen to help promote events that are going on in the area.

Especially when food and wine are involved

Two Local Events
Deux Jours pour la Terre - Port Argeles
Bar Vicens Soirée - St Jean Pla des Corts

Deux Jours pout La Terre, Port Argeles,May 15th - 16th 9:00-18:00

Les Enfants de la Mer are organising two days of entertainment, information and produce on the theme of Ecological Sustainability at Port Argeles.

On the Saturday there are talks and "animations" on biodiversity, including childrens activities and the WWF school.

On the Sunday there is a Local Producers' Market and a gourmet lunch organised by restaurant Le Clos des Lys. Also a workshop on edible plants and a Discovery Farm with over 300 animals, rare breeds and endagered species. We will be exhibiting at the Producers Market and you'll be able to buy our wines to accompany the lunch at normal retail prices.

It is situated in the market place and southern end of the promenade off Avenue du Grau, between Port Argeles and Argeles Plage.

For more information see the Enfants de la Mer website

Soirée Gourmande, Can Vincens Bar a Vins , June 8th, 19:30 - late

19 rue de la Mairie, St Jean Pla des Corts 04 68 54 50 65

A wonderfully chic wine and tapas bar has opened recently in the old village of St Jean. Serving diverse tapas dishes made from the best quality local ingredients and the finest wines of the region.

We are holding a wine and food pairing evening at the bar on the 8th June. Tickets cost 25€ per head and include all the wines and a matching range of tapas dishes. Please phone the bar directly to reserve places, limited to 40.

For more news on what is happening visit our website http://www.domainetreloar.com/news.htm of become a fan of Domaine Treloar on Facebook, of follow us on Twitter.

Kind regards

Rachel & Jonathan

Need accommodation? Visit Ceret Property to find your holiday rental or B&B

Shhh - Don't tell anyone

2010-05-04T14:03:00.000+02:00

Make sure that you don't tell anyone about this film, staring Omar Sherrif, set in the beautiful surroundings of the Roussillon.

Marie is a young woman without a past or future. Having been released from prison, she heads for the south of France, hoping to find seasonal work there. It is here that she meets Baptiste, an old man who was once a cycling champion but who now occupies himself as a painter. The two become close friends, thanks to their common interest in art. It is through Baptiste that Marie discovers her true identity, the identity she thought she had lost...

Ceret - This Weekend

2010-05-04T09:43:00.000+02:00

This weekend, in Ceret, La Cerisaie theatre association will be putting on their début play

Au Bahut

(French slang for at college)

Ticket for sale on the door

Everyone is welcome though not suitable for under 8 yrs

Where is Mas Nogarede

aye aye captain

2010-04-19T14:21:00.000+02:00

Managed to get away from the Volcanic ash for a couple of days to help Tom and Chris take the Yacht from Empurius to Barcelona.
The three intrepid explorers set off at a leisurely pace, as we slipped out of the port al was good and calm for the first half an hour, until we were well and truly in the middle of the Bay of Rosas. If anyone offers you a trip across this bay, the day after a Tramontana. I think I would have felt better in a dish washer.

Leaving the detail out, we finally made it out of the bay, past Franco's folly and on down the coast towards St Feliu de Guixols,a pretty little port where we were able to use the yacht club facilities to shower and warm up, followed by tapas and wine in a pleasant restaurant.

Early to bed means early to rise, which we also managed.

We set off the next morning in altogether far better weather, there was a soft breeze and the sun was shining. We had to motor for a good part of the day as we had a dead line to reach Barcelona by mid afternoon but as the wind picked up to force 4, we could not resist and has a few hours excellent sailing. Now this is what it as all about.

Tom's boat is a Bavaria 38 and we spent the day following another boat which seemed to be on the same course. We were delighted to find out that it was a 53 and we had managed to keep up with it all day.

On entering the port of Barcelona, we were ready for a rest and to make our onward journey, only to be pulled over by the Gardia Civil. When you are called over be gun toting spanish guys, it is generally a good idea to do as they say. Anyway nothing found papers in order and no strip search (much to Chris's disappointment) we made it into harbour, after a great couple of days on the ocean waves.

What to do in the Roussillon during the spring holidays

2010-04-07T16:15:00.000+02:00

11 Carcassonne: What's On

· All current/future Carcassonne events on AngloINFO Languedoc-Roussillon
· External Carcassonne events website

EVENTS & FESTIVALS

Concert and Dance for Alzheimers

From: Tuesday 6 April 2010 To: Wednesday 7 April 2010

An evening to raise money and awareness in the fight against Alzheimers with a concert with 800 choristers on the 6th at 14:00 and a performance by the Ballet de Vienne at 20:30. Tel: 06 09 13 85 58.

More Info...

PUB & CAFÉ ENTERTAINMENT

Open Mic Night

From: Sunday 28 February 2010 To: Sunday 26 December 2010

Open mic night for singers, musicians, comedians and storytellers at The Celt Pub on the last Sunday of every month. Sign up at 20:00 and the entertainment starts at 21:00. Telephone: 04 68 10 96 44.

More Info...

11 Caunes Minervois: What's On

· All current/future Caunes Minervois events on AngloINFO Languedoc-Roussillon

ART & EXHIBITIONS

Guy Fredericq

From: Thursday 1 April 2010 To: Friday 30 April 2010

An exhibition by artist-sculptor Guy Fredericq in the cloisters at the Abbaye, open everyday from 10:00-12:00 & 14:00-18:00. Tel: 04 68 78 03 88.

More Info...

11 Lézignan-Corbières: What's On

· All current/future Lézignan-Corbières events on AngloINFO Languedoc-Roussillon
· External Lézignan-Corbières events website

ART & EXHIBITIONS

Exhibition

From: Thursday 11 March 2010 To: Saturday 24 April 2010

Exhibition by painter William Vella, photographers Jean-Claude Sorel and Claudine Capdeville and installations by Anne Figuet at Espace Gibert. Open Tuesday to Friday from 10:00-12:00 & 14:00-18:00 and Saturday from 14:00-18:00 (closed on Saturdays 13th & 20th for the French elections). Tel: 04 68 27 30 32.

More Info...

11 Limoux: What's On

· All current/future Limoux events on AngloINFO Languedoc-Roussillon
· External Limoux events website

SPORTS & SAILING

SportBicycle riding

Every Sun, Wed, Sat

Outings organised by the club, Varied excursions (Wednesday afternoons, Saturday afternoons, Sunday mornings) Tel: 04 68 31 85 01

More Info...

11 Narbonne: What's On

· All current/future Narbonne events on AngloINFO Languedoc-Roussillon
· External Narbonne events website

ART & EXHIBITIONS

Armelle Caron

From: Thursday 18 March 2010 To: Sunday 30 May 2010

An exhibition by artist Armelle Caron at the Chapelle des Pénitents Bleus. Open 10:00-12:00 & 14:00-18:00. Tel: 04 68 65 15 60.

More Info...

Salon des Paysages en Narbonnais

From: Friday 5 March 2010 To: Friday 30 April 2010

Amateur and professional artists present works on the theme of the Narbonnais landscape, at La Poudrière, rue Ancienne Porte-neuve. The exhibition is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00-12:00 & 14:00-18:00 until the 31st March and in April everyday except Tuesday from 10:00-12:00 & 14:00-17:00. Tel: 04 68 90 30 53.

11 Salleles d'Aude: What's On

· All current/future Salleles d'Aude events on AngloINFO Languedoc-Roussillon

ART & EXHIBITIONS

Exhibition

From: Monday 1 March 2010 To: Saturday 15 May 2010

Exhibition 'Dans la Ville' by Daniel Keo and friends and sculptures in iron by Carmona Alexia, at the Centre Européen des Etoffes et du Patchwork, 32 quai de Lorraine. Open everyday from 10:30-12:30 & 14:30-19:00. Entry €3, €2 for students & fee for accompanied under 18's. Tel: 04 68 46 02 47.

More Info...

30 Alès: What's On

· All current/future Alès events on AngloINFO Languedoc-Roussillon
· External Alès events website

ART & EXHIBITIONS

Hommage aux Mineurs

From: Tuesday 16 February 2010 To: Sunday 16 May 2010

A painting exhibition by Pierre Chapon at Espace culturel de Rochebelle. Tel: 04 66 52 32 15.

Bernadette Lafont: Portraits en Métamorphoses

Every Sun, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat From: Monday 1 March 2010 To: Sunday 30 May 2010

An exhibition of photographs on the 1950s actress Bernadette Lafont, at the Musée PAB Rochebelle, rue de Brouzen. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 14:00-18:00. Tel: 04 66 86 98 69.

More Info...

30 Beaucaire: What's On

· All current/future Beaucaire events on AngloINFO Languedoc-Roussillon
· External Beaucaire events website

ANTIQUES & VIDE GRENIERS

Flea Market

Every Wed

Brocante, every Wednesday morning in Parking des Arènes, Champ des Foire. 06:30-13:00. Tel: 06 22 35 06 69.

30 Gaujac: What's On

· All current/future Gaujac events on AngloINFO Languedoc-Roussillon

ART & EXHIBITIONS

Paradise People

From: Saturday 5 December 2009 To: Tuesday 15 June 2010

Collective exhibition by Dominique Vangilbergen at galerie arthé, rue du puits. Everyday by appointment at 04 66 50 03 08.

30 Uzès: What's On

· All current/future Uzès events on AngloINFO Languedoc-Roussillon
· External Uzès events website

WALKS & VISITS

Avril en Balade

From: Saturday 3 April 2010 To: Sunday 2 May 2010

A number of different walks planned throughout the Spring holidays by the Uzès and Pont du Gard Tourist Offices include balades in English and German, carriage rides and evening walks. Telephone for information and inscriptions: 04 66 37 80 20.

More Info...

34 Agde: What's On

· All current/future Agde events on AngloINFO Languedoc-Roussillon
· External Agde events website

ANTIQUES & VIDE GRENIERS

Brocante de la Promenade

Every Wed From: Wednesday 3 March 2010 To: Wednesday 29 December 2010

Brocante at Les Promenades in the town centre, every Wednesday from 06:00-18:00.

ART & EXHIBITIONS

Brocante

Every Wed From: Monday 19 October 2009 To: Thursday 27 October 2011

Art & craft, collection and paintings on Wednesdays on the Promenade 06:00-18:00

Lionel Catanzano Painting Exhibition

Every Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat From: Saturday 13 March 2010 To: Thursday 8 April 2010

Exhibition of paintings by local self-taught artist Lionel Catanzano at Espace Molière, 1 place Molière. The exhibition is open everyday except Sundays and bank holidays from 10:00-12:00 & 15:00-19:00. Tel: 04 67 94 29 68.

34 Berlou: What's On

· All current/future Berlou events on AngloINFO Languedoc-Roussillon

ART & EXHIBITIONS

Les fleurs sauvages du Languedoc

From: Sunday 14 March 2010 To: Tuesday 20 April 2010

Exhibition of photographies by Mike Sibthorp at the galerie d'Eglantine, cave du coteaux de Berlou. Open every day 10:00-12:00 and 14:30-18:00. More information tel: 04 67 89 58 58.

More Info...

34 Béziers: What's On

· All current/future Béziers events on AngloINFO Languedoc-Roussillon
· External Béziers events website

ANTIQUES & VIDE GRENIERS

Brocante & Vide Grenier

Every Wed

Brocante and vide grenier, every Wednesday at the Parking de la Cave Co-opérative from 06:00-17:00.

CHILDREN'S EVENTS

Wednesday Workshops

Every Wed

The Musée des Beaux Arts offer different workshops every week from 10:00-12:00 for 7-9 year olds and 14:00-16:00 for 10-15 year olds. Rendez-vous at the Ecole des Beaux Arts at the Maison de la Vie Associative, 15 rue Général Marguerite. Tel: 04 67 28 22 98.

MUSIC: JAZZ, BLUES & SOUL

Macéo Parker

On: Wednesday 7 April 2010

American saxophonist Macéo Parker is in concert at Zinga Zanga at 20:30. Tickets are available at usual outlets. Tel: 04 67 36 82 82.

More Info...

WALKS & VISITS

Audio Guided Visits

From: Sunday 1 November 2009 To: Friday 31 December 2010

English audio guided visits to sites and monuments in the town are available throughout the year. Individual visits are possible using MP3, walkmans, mobiles or via download from the internet. Ask at the Office de Tourisme for full details: 04 67 76 84 00.

34 Clermont l'Hérault: What's On

· All current/future Clermont l'Hérault events on AngloINFO Languedoc-Roussillon
· External Clermont l'Hérault events website

MUSIC: CLASSICAL & OPERA

Festival Musiques et Passions

From: Friday 5 February 2010 To: Sunday 17 October 2010

Concerts on duo at the Théâtre and Eglise Saint Paul including on the 2nd March, pianist Conrad Wilkinson and violinist Paul O'Hanlon. Telephone: 04 67 44 01 13 or consult the website for full programme details.

More Info...

34 Le Cap-d'Agde: What's On

· All current/future Le Cap-d'Agde events on AngloINFO Languedoc-Roussillon

EVENTS & FESTIVALS

Semaine du Développement Durable

From: Thursday 1 April 2010 To: Wednesday 7 April 2010

A week of events centred on the environment includes films, lectures, exhibitions, workshops, demonstrations and markets. Telephone: 04 67 94 67 00.

Poker Tournament

From: Saturday 3 April 2010 To: Sunday 11 April 2010

The Open de Poker de la Ville d'Agde is open to amateurs and professionals and takes place at the Casino, Ile des Loisirs. Tel: 04 67 26 82 82.

Easter Games

From: Sunday 4 April 2010 To: Sunday 18 April 2010

Two weeks of open-air Easter family games and workshops in the Quais du Centre Port, Quai Beaupré and Place du Barbecue. Full prrogramme details are available from the Office de Tourisme: 04 67 01 04 04.

34 Montpellier: What's On

· All current/future Montpellier events on AngloINFO Languedoc-Roussillon
· External Montpellier events website

ANTIQUES & VIDE GRENIERS

Broc Art, Book Market & Brocante

Every Wed

Held every Wednesday at Cours Gambetta, Plan Cabanes from 08:00-18:00.

ART & EXHIBITIONS

Le Vin. Génie des Hommes. Nectar des Dieux

From: Saturday 5 December 2009 To: Sunday 27 June 2010

An exhibition tracing the ancient history of wine, the different methods of consumption and the rituals associated with it. At the Musée Archéologique de Montpellier Agglomération at Lattes. Tel: 04 67 13 60 00.

Tutankhamun: La Découverte, la Tombe, le Trésor

From: Saturday 3 April 2010 To: Sunday 18 April 2010

An exceptional exhibition of over 1000 replicas of the treasures of Tutankhamun including a reconstruction of the tomb and an exhibition on the archeologist Howard Carter. At the The Parc des Expositions from 10:00-19:00. Entry €12, €9 for under 18's, €6 for under 12's & free for children under 6. Tel: 04 67 17 67 17.

More Info...

CHILDREN'S EVENTS

Children’s story reading

Every Wed From: Wednesday 7 April 2010 To: Thursday 29 April 2010

Children’s story reading with a native English speaker. From 16:00 to 16:30 it is for ages 3-5 and from 16:30 to 17:00 for ages 5-7. At Le Bookshop, 8 rue du bras de fer.

More Info...

EXPOS & TRADE FAIRS

S.A.P. Expo

On: Wednesday 7 April 2010

The Salon des Services à la Personne is dedicated to offering information on employment and training in the fields of home help, services for the elderly, child care and and other services. At the Corum from 09:30-17:30. Entry is free. See the website for full details.

More Info...

MUSIC: CLASSICAL & OPERA

Amahl and The Night Visitors

On Tue, Wed, Fri From: Tuesday 6 April 2010 To: Friday 9 April 2010

The American opera Amahl and The Night Visitors by Gian Carlo Menotti, is on at the Opéra Comédie on the 6th at 14:30 and the 7th & 9th at 20:00. Tarifs from €8-€25. Tel: 04 67 60 19 80.

More Info...

MUSIC: ROCK, POP & COUNTRY

The Cranberries

On: Wednesday 7 April 2010

Irish band The Cranberries are in concert at Le Zénith at 20:00. Tickets are from €45.50-€62, available from usual outlets, telephone: 08 92 69 21 92 or 08 92 39 01 00 or 04 67 92 23 53.

More Info...

Duels Rock 2010

On: Wednesday 7 April 2010

32 rock groups battle it out in the 12th edition of Duels Rock at Rockstore, 20 rue de Verdun. Entry is free. Tel: 04 67 06 80 00.

More Info...

34 Sauvian: What's On

· All current/future Sauvian events on AngloINFO Languedoc-Roussillon

ANTIQUES & VIDE GRENIERS

Vide Grenier and Brocante

Every Wed, Sat

Vide grenier and brocante from 07:00 to 21:00 next to the bowling alley.

34 Serignan: What's On

· All current/future Serignan events on AngloINFO Languedoc-Roussillon
· External Serignan events website

ART & EXHIBITIONS

Cocktail Designers

Every Sun, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat From: Sunday 14 February 2010 To: Sunday 6 June 2010

The collective Cocktail Designers exhibit an aesthetic cocktail of English influenced graphic design, Swiss abstraction, minimalism and formalism in 500m² of floor space at the Musée Regional d'Art Contemporain, 146 avenue de la Plage. The exhibition is open Tuesday to Friday from 10:00-18:00 and at the week-end from 13:00-18:00. Tel: 04 67 32 33 05.

CHILDREN'S EVENTS

English Storytime

Every Wed From: Wednesday 18 November 2009 To: Wednesday 19 May 2010

Lisa Le Mentec reads stories in English for children aged five and over, at the Médiatheque every third Wednesday of the month from November to May, between 10:30-11:30. Tel: 04 67 32 42 21.

34 Sète: What's On

· All current/future Sète events on AngloINFO Languedoc-Roussillon
· External Sète events website

ART & EXHIBITIONS

Exhibition

Every Sun, Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat From: Friday 12 February 2010 To: Sunday 25 April 2010

Exhibition by three artists - 'Drink in Park' by Florence Paradeis, 'Lighting Dark' by Sylvain Rousseau and 'Soul to Soul' by Chourouk Hriech. At the Centre Régional d'Art Contemporain. The Centre is open everyday except Tuesday, on week-days from 12:30-19:00 and14:00-19:00 at the weekend. There is a free one-hour guided visit on Saturdays and Sundays at 16:00. Tel: 04 67 74 94 37.

More Info...

SOCIAL & COMMUNITY EVENTS

Rétro Dancing

Every Sun, Mon, Wed

Dancing at the Madison Club, 24 rue Romain Rolland, every Wednesday, Sunday and Monday at 15:00 and 19:00. Tel: 06 12 03 44 29.

48 Florac: What's On

· All current/future Florac events on AngloINFO Languedoc-Roussillon
· External Florac events website

WALKS & VISITS

National Botanical Collection of Tulips

Every Wed, Sat From: Saturday 27 March 2010 To: Saturday 8 May 2010

A collection of over 400 varieties of tulips can be seen at La Tière on Wednesdays and Saturdays and guided visits possible by appointment. Entry €3. Telephone: 09 60 47 78 48 or see the website for further details.

More Info...

48 Mende: What's On

· All current/future Mende events on AngloINFO Languedoc-Roussillon

ART & EXHIBITIONS

Marion Lamy Exhibition

Every Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri From: Thursday 4 February 2010 To: Saturday 15 May 2010

Exhibition of paper and painting sculptures by Marion Lamy at the Hôtel du Département, rue de la Rovère. The exhibition can be seen Monday to Friday from 08:00-12:00 & 13:30-17:30. Tel: 04 66 94 00 23.

More Info...

EVENTS & FESTIVALS

Foire de Mende

On: Wednesday 7 April 2010

The annual fair is on in the town centre in Place Urbain V, place du Foirail and place Chaptal from 09:00-17:00. Tel: 04 66 94 00 23.

66 Céret: What's On

· All current/future Céret events on AngloINFO Languedoc-Roussillon
· External Céret events website

ART & EXHIBITIONS

Retrospective Exhibition: Franck Burty Haviland

From: Saturday 5 December 2009 To: Monday 31 May 2010

Les années céretanes... La période cubiste: 1909 -1914. An exhibition of the works of Franco-American artist Franck Burty Haviland, at the Musée d'art moderne de Céret. Tel: 04 68 87 27 76.

More Info...

LOCAL LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON MARKETS TAKING PLACE TODAY

11 Narbonne (website)

Narbonne Market

Every day

Food and flower market in the morning in the covered Halles de Narbonne on boulevard Docteur Ferroul.

Marché aux Fleurs et Marché Tous Produits

Every day

Every day at le Quai Vallière, flower market offering all kinds of scents and parfumes. Another market offering all kinds of products except food, again all day, can be found at les Cours Mirabeau et de la République. Continues every Sunday morning.

11 Quillan (website)

Quillan craft market

Every Wed

Clothes, home ware and local handicraft market on all day in the Allées Jean Bourrel and Jean Jaurès.

Quillan food market

Every Wed

Regional food market in the morning in Place de la République.

30 Aigues Mortes (website)

Aigues Mortes Market

Every Sun, Wed

General market every Wednesday and Sunday morning in the centre of the village.

30 Bagnols-sur-cèze

Bagnols-sur-cèze Market

Every Wed, Sat

General market open Wednesday and Saturday mornings only.

30 Nîmes (website)

Food Market

Every Wed

Market selling regional fruit and vegetables and general goods. At the Place Debussy. Open mornings only 07:30 - 13:00.

Nîmes Food Market

Every day

General food market in the morning in the covered Halles.

Markets

Every day

Food market with fish, poultry, cheese, olives, charcuterie, fruit and vegetables, bread and more. Monday to Sunday 06:30–13:00. Les Halles de Nîmes (covered market), Rue Général Perrier, Nimes (30).

Farmers' Market

Every Wed

Wednesday 7:00 – 13:00 Nîmes Ouest Debussy Farmers' market, all kinds of stalls.

30 Quissac

Quissac market

Every Wed

General market held in the morning in the centre of the village.

30 Uzès (website)

Uzès market

Every Wed

Food market in the morning in the Place aux Herbes.

34 Agde (website)

Agde Market

Every Sun, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat

Covered market featuring food items. Mornings. Tuesday-Sunday. Place Gambetta. Tel: 04 67 94 29 68.

34 Beaulieu

Beaulieu Market

Every Wed, Sat

General market held in the mornings in the village.

34 Capestang (website)

Capestang Market

Every Sun, Wed

Market featuring food, clothing and household goods. Wednesday and Sunday mornings. Place Jean Jaures, Catestang. Tel: 04 67 93 34 23.

34 Castelnau le Lez

Castelnau le Lez Market

Every Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat

General market in the morning in Place Joseph Doumergue.

34 Montpellier (website)

Montpellier market

Every day

Covered food and clothes market held in the morning in the Halles Paillade on avenue de Heidelberg.

34 Sète (website)

Marche regional

Every day

Every morning at the Halles Centrales, rue Gambetta 06:00-14:00. Local products, fish, shells, flowers.

66 Amélie-les-Bains (website)

Food Market

Every day

Fruit and vegetable market every morning in Place de la République.

66 Arles sur Tech (website)

Arles sur Tech market

Every Wed

General market in the morning in the Place du village.

66 Elne

Elne market

Every Mon, Wed, Fri

General market in the morning in place de la République.

66 Ille sur Têt

Ille sur Têt market

Every Wed, Fri

General market held in the morning in place de la République.

66 Perpignan (website)

Perpignan Market

Every day

General market held place Cassanyes, boulevard Anatole France 07:30-13:30 with 80 to 140 retailers (food, clothes, cosmetics, shoes).

Marché de la République

Every Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat

General market on from 07:00-12:30 and 16:30-19:30 in Place de la République.

Marché St Martin

Every Wed, Sat

General market on from 07:30-13:00 in Place Vaillant Couturier.

Marché du Haut Vernet

Every day

General market on from 07:30-12:30 on ave de l’Aérodrome.

Marché du Moulin à Vent

Every Wed

General market in the morning in Place de Montbolo.

Marché St Louis

Every day

General market from 07:00 to 12:30 on ave Joffre.

With thanks to AngloINFO

VINART 2010

2010-03-30T19:33:00.000+02:00

Ceret Property is delighted to support
Sunday 4th and Monday 5th April 2010

from 2pm to 6pmVINARTAre you or your guests looking for something to do over the Easter weekend?

Join us in celebrating our 3rd year of VINart on Easter Sunday and Monday.

Bring your children, friends and neighbours and enjoy an afternoon of live wood sculpturing, children's pottery, view the Art on display - all for sale, meet the artists and taste our newly released wines which include the 'Rose of Treloar' and an unoaked Red - 'Ciel Vide'. Further details

Sunday 4th and Monday 5th April 2010
from 2pm to 6pm

We are also proud to support Cancer Support France 66
www.cancersupportfrance.info with profits from the wine tastings going to support this charity.

See our website for directions:http://www.domainetreloar.com/directions.htm

That's more like it

2010-03-30T16:46:00.002+02:00

I am delighted to announce that normal service seems to have been resumed.

The sun has come out and last Saturday, the streets of Ceret hummed to the beat of a spring market. In the afternoon, USAP took on the power of Paris in the rugby and a band of brothers forced a few thirst quenching beers past their dry cracked lips. USAP smashed Paris and came out victorious. After a couple of hours watching the rugby outside, I turned a beautiful radiant pinky/red colour. Crack open the sun cream.

Roussillon in Pictures

2010-03-11T15:57:00.002+01:00

Fancy a day at the beach?

How about watching USAP train during the week

Anyone fancy a swim?

Put another sausage on the barbie

Pass the sun cream

Worse than brass monkeys

Just a great photo

Collioure in spring

South of France in March!

2010-03-08T11:00:00.003+01:00

I could not resist this one. On Friday is was very lucky to be invited to a friends yacht in Spain for the day. There was a fair breeze and a hot sun and fun was had by all. On Saturday, it was Carnival day in Ceret. The weather again was lovely, the youth of Ceret came out in droves and all had a merry old time. The thing that really struck me was the fact that us old people are happy to give over the town to the youth of Ceret to go mad and have some fun and that the afore said youth spend all their free time leading up to the carnival building the most amazing floats, which are then pulled by tractor through town, with music blaring, kids shouting, silly string and foam flying everywhere and beer being consumed.

The weather was great and everyone had a really good time.

The reason for bringing these points up is not just to reiterate what a great place the Roussillon is but also to point out the fabulous weather.......So imagine my surprise, when I awoke this morning to find 10cm of snow on the ground. Spring has sprung, the grass has riz....yeh yeh yeh put another log on the fire.

Is Collioure the king of LR wines?

2010-02-26T11:50:00.000+01:00

A really big thank you to Rachel and Jon from Domaine Treloar, who hosted a wine club evening last night. The subjects for this occasion were 13 wines from Collioure. I won't go through all the wines that we sampled last night as you had to be there to enjoy them.
Enjoy them, did we? The overall concensus was that Collioure wines are generally overpriced, with starting prices for very basic wine being around the €7 mark, it was felt that this was a lot to pay for a great view. I wonder if the wines would hold the same prices if they came from the outskirts of Perpignan??. Having said that, a couple of the wines that were priced at around €13 were very nice. Quite an expensive mistake to make if you get it wrong.

Favourite for the evening was a 2007 Collioure Barral, Domaine Berta Maillol, AC Collioure 13.5% €13.50

One of the guest from the evening (M. anonyme) who spent 68 days at the governments pleasure in Perpignan gaol, after a Union Manifestation, was given 68 bottles 0f 1998 Domaine La Tour vielle, Collioure Puig Ambeille, upon his release. He kindly shared his last bottle with the assembled group last night. Merci.

Although Languedoc Roussillon wines are not the most celebrated french wines, I was interested to hear that Domaine du Mas Blanc, Cuvee Docteur Parce, Is available in more Michelin star restaurants around the world than any other wine. Even than the big boys from Bordeaux.

Rachel and Jon are available for visits all year round at Domaine Treloar so why not pay them a visit.

Where to go this spring?

2010-02-22T14:52:00.000+01:00

Beach Holiday
OK so it might be a bit nippy in the water but even in spring time there are a few people sunning themselves on the beach. If that doesn't excite you too much, then you could choose a destination like Collioure, which is rich with cafes, restaurants, Chateau de Collioure, unique church and much much more. You can fly easily to Perpignan or Girona and train or drive to this hitoric port.

Cultural Holiday
Ceret, is located in little further inland and is a perfect base for the wine tour, visiting ancient Pyrenees Orientales or art museums. Maybe you want to be closer to the city of Perpignan with its multitude of shops, restaurants, cafes cinemas etc.... You can even pop over the Spanish Border to sample the delights of another culture.

Ski Holiday
This is looking to be a great year for the Pyrenean ski slopes. you may have noticed that there has been quite a lot of snow over the past few months and the slopes of the Pyrenees have been no strange to the white stuff. The great this about skiing in the Pyrenees is that you can choose to ski from three countries. Andorra, France and Spain. You can even book a holiday within an hour of the slopes and just go for a day...or two.

Get away from it all.
There is nowhere better to visit if you just want to embrace the beauty and surroundings of the Pyrenees Orientales. Book a Mas (Catalan Farmhouse) and just while away the days. Take a property in the foothills of the Pyrenees and enjoy long walks and trecks, miles from anywhere. At this time of the year, as the Mimosa arrives with its splash of green and yellow and the plant world awakes, there truly is no place more lovely.

Clever Bit
So your not really sure which type of Spring Holiday you want. Should you visit the 25+ Kilometres of beaches and their chateaux. Do you do the wine tour or visit the ski slopes. Just want a quiet couple of weeks in the sun or want to experience the delights of northern spain.

If you visit the Roussillon, you can do them all, so what are you waiting for, come and visit us now.

Roll up Roll up Roll up

2010-01-27T12:12:00.001+01:00

Saw this article and thought it was worth passing on.

The French are missing us. Of course, they're not going to say so, any more than they'd admit to impotence. But it's true. In 2009, we took a look, saw that a plunging pound wouldn't buy a potato chip and stayed away. The number of British visitors to French hotels dipped by more than 20 per cent.

Restaurants suffered similarly. "Our English clientele is down by a third," a restaurateur in Montreuil told me recently. "Survival is at stake." So, you bet they want us back. And they are making efforts. Recently, in the centre of Bordeaux, I had decent restaurants falling over themselves to feed me three courses for around £13 (£11.80). A mid-range hotel fit for my wife (it's not easy) came at £72 (£65.50) for a double room.

Over the past 12 months, I've bumped into equivalent prices across France. I have also, incidentally, hiked mountains, swum in lakes, sailed rivers and canals, and lounged on beaches both Mediterranean and Atlantic. I have driven through grand landscapes convinced that I was the only person on Earth. I've visited more chateaux than Richard the Lionheart, and more village festivals than I can count.

I've eaten brilliantly, whether from the village butcher and baker or a Michelin-starred chef. And afterwards I've wandered into midnight city centres for coffee and cognac. Nowhere have I been inconvenienced by excited young people showing their buttocks.

I mention all this to underline that, if the French have missed the British, it's possible that the British have also missed France. If so, it's time to return. You won't need me to tell you about Paris, the Riviera and the Dordogne. So, here is my pick of some lesser-known destinations where you will be more welcomed than ever in 2010.

FOR BEACHES: LANGUEDOC

Curving around the Med from the Rhône delta to Spain, Languedoc is scarcely unknown. But it's less well known than the Côte d'Azur or the Spanish coast – which is a pity, especially for families.

When our children were of an age, we took them regularly to the beaches to the east of the region. These are sandy, flat, safe and endless enough to accommodate most of Europe's towels. They loved it, and we learnt the three golden rules for successful family Med-beach times: (a) take enough bislangucuits (b) insist that Mr and Mrs Crab will be more content where they are than being brought home in a bucket and (c) don't tackle the Germans at volleyball.

The resorts are a mixed bunch. Some (Carnon, Palavas) expanded quickly in the mid-20th century, inspired by a speculator's eye for aesthetics. In others (Le Grau-du-Roi, Sète), port activity retains the upper hand over sea-sidery. Meanwhile, La Grande-Motte's extraordinary collection of pyramids and curvy apartment blocks makes for the weirdest-looking spot on the Med.

But all have a vast range of appropriate accommodation. (The region may be the world's camping HQ; Argelès alone has 56 sites.) And all are as lively and happy as can be, with restaurants up and down the scale, music bars, bull-running, funfairs and that buoyant sense of impermanence that tells you you're on holiday.

Beyond Sète, going west, the Cap d'Agde is summer fun central, not least for nudists. Agde itself, and particularly its black-stone cathedral, is a venerable reminder that the seaside wasn't always for thongs and tanning. And, between the built-up bits, the Languedoc coast can still grow unkempt and stirring. The writ of contemporary France apparently runs out around the untamed tangle of land and lagoons south of Gruissan. A short detour inland, and an excellent day trip from the coast, is the medieval city of Carcassonne.

And so to Roussillon, or French Catalonia. Here, the coast suddenly sprouts hills, cliffs and coves as it bangs into the final descent of the Pyrenees. This, the Côte Vermeille, is the region's prettiest stretch – and older resorts like Collioure and Banyuls know it. There's a self-conscious superiority about their charms. I prefer the more raucous Argelès, which crams everything into summer. The range of activities – either seaborne or in the mountains behind – is huge, the sun strong and the place full of families who like to be beside the seaside.

Thanks to the Telegraph.

Recession, what recession!

2010-01-08T08:59:00.002+01:00

I have to say that I have been surprised and delighted at the same time at the amount of serious enquiries, so early in the year. I thought there was a recession in the UK?

We are only 1 week into the new year and we are already run off our feet at Ceret Property . Interesting enough, the enquiries coming through are not only for the lovely villa with its swimming pool, for the two week summer holiday but also a sudden increase in the number of people looking for long term rentals. We are receiving anything from a month in the autumn sun to the full French 3yr rental....

Now I thought the pound had collapsed against the Euro, that the UK was stuck in 1st gear as it tries to shake off the recession and on top of that, people don't usually make these sort of decisions, especially the longer term rentals, this close to a general election.

Hey ho...roll up roll up before all the good properties have gone.