Winter breaks, ski and sight-seeing.:
Being in town and near Carcassonne airport, the Maison de Lali is very suitable for winter breaks. The sun shines here throughout much of the year - we have known it to be 24° centigrade in the January. There is a full sized golf course (with an excellent bistro and top-class restaurant) less than half an hours' drive away on the Limoux side of Carcassonne. The nearest ski slope is at Camurac about 1 hour away, with Les Angles, Pyrenees 2000 and Andorra easily accessible for a day's skiing. The Cathar castles are wonderful at any time of year, and a visit to the Mediterranean sea is always stimulating. There are good art galleries in Toulouse, Ceret and Sigean, and the famous carnival of Limoux lasts for 13 weeks staring in january. Of course, there is always the wine of the region to sample, and especially Blanquette of Limoux, the 'original' champagne.
Bird Watching in the Aude:
Jonathan is a keen bird-watcher and a member of the steering committee of the League de Protection d'Oiseaux de L'Aude. He is happy to give advice as to local spotting, and will also accompany groups if available. The Aude is very rich in avifaun, mainly because of the multiplicity of variation in habitat, ranging from the coastal wetlands to the high mountains, with moorland, river valleys and forests in between. There are about 200 nesting species recorded in the Aude, with some very special rarities amongst them; Egyptian Vulture, lesser Grey Shrike, Eagle Owl, just to name a few that could be of interest to U.K. birders. The coastal wetland at Gruissan is the migration corridor of France, with birds funnelled between the Mediterranean sea and the high mountains of the Pyrenees. There were over 27000 raptors recorded in 2007, and it is also interesting for overwintering species.
Guests comments.:
'your home is amazing and has everything we needed to make for an incredibly comfortable and relaxing vacation. We can't express enough how much your generosity meant to us. Indeed, you helped make our trip very memorable!!' B.&C.Love, Saratoga Springs N.Y.
'You have obviously worked hard to restore this lovely building, retaining its' character for future generations. The setting is stunning......' C.&P.Dickenson, Hereford, U.K.
'Staying here is like living in a painting. The building itself, so rich in history and strength of character, provides a feeliong of peace and tranqulility'. B.Jackson, Texas.
'Angèle and Jonathan - what an amazing experience we have had staying in your home by the river. Full of stories and so much history! Thank you for your warm welcome and interesting conversations'. Family Trussell, Sydney Australia.
Other Activities:
Bird watching, wine tasting, golf, caving, hill walking, visiting abbeys and Cathar castles
