Local Area
Just over a kilometre away is the local village of Brassac home to a C XIII Chateau . The nearest villages which have local shops selling bread, meat and general provisions are Castelsagrat and Bourg de Visa (both about 4km away). At Montaigu de Quercy is a medium sized supermarket selling fresh meat, cheese and fruit & vegetables, frozen foods and tinned & packet goods. Moissac and Valence d'Agen (both about 16km away) offer most food and drink requirements; supermarkets; restaurants; cafes and a wide range of clothing shops. Hypermarket sized food outlets are available at Agen and Villneuve-sur-lot. Markets can be found throughout the area on most days of the week.
Picturesque and historic towns are plentiful in the region, a selection of details are available in the gite to speed up the planning process once you arrive, but worth a mention are; Montjoi, Beauville, Lauzerte and Montcuq all within easy striking distance of your base.
Water sports, swimming and fishing are all available at nearby lakes and rivers. More details are available on the Sport & Activity page.
Boutique and department store shopping is best achieved in Toulouse and Bordeaux, although many nearer towns offer a reasonable selection with independent shops and those which form part of chains; these again are found at Agen, Villeneuve-sur-lot and Montauban.
For gourmands, the heart of Fois Gras territory is in this area and pate, terrines or fresh produce is plentiful and comparatively cheap. Prunes are especially good locally; being both grown and dried in the area. Honey likewise is excellent quality and found for sale on pretty much all markets. Further south into the department of Gers are to be found delicacies such as Floc aperitif wine; free-range chicken and Armagnac.
Those seeking culture will be fully occupied with the Chateau at Brassac; Moissac Abbey and Cloisters; Toulouse's architecture featuring the Mairie's stunning interiors; Bordeaux's beautiful buildings and wide boulevards or the Bastide towns. Further afield on a day trip you have a selection of; Carcassonne - seat of the cathars; Millau - home to the world's highest viaduct designed by Sir Norman Foster and home to wonderful leather goods; or simply humble village churches and individual town houses at every turn. During December and January the heart of Truffle country is an hour away in Lalbanque and this presence influences dishes throughout the year.
The walkers amongst you may know that France is criss-crossed by marked trails, known as Randonnees. These routes can be found on the Series Bleue 1:25,000 series of maps found in most tabacs or bookshops here in France. The more popular routes are marked using yellow and red lines painted on the back of signposts, bridges, buildings etc and these will guide you for kilometer after kilometer. They are for the use of pedestrians but also often cyclists, quads and horse-riders all of whom observe a code of conduct such that everyone enjoys their outing peacefully and without incident. The most famous of all randonnees is probably the GR65 which ends at Santiago de Compostelle having originated in one of 5 diverse locations from Italy to Denmark, and which passes through Lauzerte and Moissac as it wends its way from Central France towards the Pyrenees.
A well illustrated website with video and slide footage of the Midi-Pyrenees region can be found at: Grand Sites This provides an insight into a number of towns and surrounding areas through stunning photography and supporting tourist information.
Wine drinkers, collectors and connoisseurs will all have their own hidden agenda; however whatever the motive for buying wine whilst you are here there are numerous opportunities; from simply picking up enough to last the duration of your stay to sampling wines at a Cave or vineyard, tasting is very much an acceptable and encouraged past-time here in France. For those not bringing their cars all is not lost; many sell into the UK and many more will ship to the UK!