Interested in Golf?:
South West France, with its undulating countryside, is well endowed with golf courses. Golf d'Embats is the excellent 18 hole golf course at Auch, the capital of Gascony, and is only a short distance from Berdoge. Green fees average 35 euros. There is also a very good restaurant. Golf de Pallane, now an 18 hole course, is built around the grounds of the Chateau at Tillac. Again, you will find an excellent restaurant. Less demanding are the smaller 9 hole courses at Masseube and Lannemezan. There is plenty of variety and the courses tend not to be too crowded. Further afield there is a really good course at Eauze-Golf de Guinlet-and a further course near Toulouse.
Round and About:
There is plenty to see & do locally. Auch is a really beautiful old city & well worth a visit. The Bastides including Bassouses, Larresengle, & Fources should not be missed. And of course there are many more besides these. You will find activity lakes at Seissan and Marciac. Thermal baths at Castera Verduzan and Lectoure. Village fetes, & 'vide greniers' can be found most weekends in one village or another, and if your visit co-incides with one of the festivals, you are in for a treat! The Country Music festival in Mirande over 4 days in July is enormous fun, as well as the Tempo Latino at the end of July in Vic Fezensac. The Jazz at Marciac in August is now world renowned. The Pyrenees 50 miles away, offer paragliding, rafting, canoeing, salmon fishing amongst other outdoor pursuits. Lourdes is within a reasonable distance. The autoroute takes you to the Atlantic coast at Biarritz to surf. There is a new water park in Mirande-Ludina, just off the route de Tarbes in Mirande.
Local Information:
The local markets are very colourful and active, and full of local organic produce. Mirande on Mondays is a great meeting place, and one could spend hours in the Halles there. The local wine is Madiran, and a visit to the growers there is well worth it. Those worth visiting include Bouscasse, Meinjarre, Laffitte Teston, Domaine Sergent, Chateau d'Aydie and others of course. For white wines, the dry Jurancon is good value. Armagnac is to be found everywhere. At Bassoues try Floc de Gascogne and Armagnac at Domaine de Bile run by the Della Vedove family. Pousse Rapiere is an armagnac based local aperitif. Duck and foie gras are local specialities and you will find them in different forms on many menus-all delicious. At Montesquiou is to be found an excellent epicerie and boulangerie.
This is a paradise for walkers, cyclists and those loving nature in all its forms.
Full Information booklet, which includes information of restaurants of every description, at the house.
marks the location of the property in Midi-Pyrenees
