Le Pehau

The Pyrenees make a stunning backdrop for any artist. The views are wonderful, the light quite stunning and the colours superb. Autumn is a particular favourite, with warm days and a beautiful variety of colours.

The south west of France is famous for its hearty robust flavours. Savour the delights of duck and foie gras, enjoy the local piperade, wonder at the delightful fish and enjoy the local dessert of gateaux basque.

On a fine day, it is great fun to dine at the harbour front, choose between the informal Le Corsaire or the more upmarket Chez Albert.

Lourdes – Le Magret offers regional specialities, with 3 fixed price menus (€13, €26 and €33). (Michelin Red Guide – ‘local cuisine without pretension).

If the relaxing pace of Le Pehau gets too much, how about some white water rafting or cayaking on the river at Sauveterre de Bearn (3.5km). Check www.aboste.com for whats on offer. English is spoken, but Martin and Helen can help with any reservations.

The south west region is famous for its hospitality. This generous spirit demonstrated brilliantly during the fête season, which lasts from March to September (some villages also hold winter fêtes!). Most villages have a fête (Osserain fête is held at the end of July, and involves three days of merriment in and around the school and fronton). Larger towns hold much bigger events.

Salies de Bearn
As a larger town, with an active Office of Tourism, you will find an event on during most weekends throughout the summer. The calendar for 2008 of the main events is as follows

Salon des Antiquaires - Easter weekend
Les Casetas - 11/7/08 - 13/7/08
Salies a Peindre - 11/7/08 - 14/7/08
Piperadère - 15/8/08
Fete du Sel - 13/9/08 - 14/9/08

Le Pehau entered its first team in the Piperadère fête in 2003 - the Le Pehau Osserain Cricketers. The Piperadère is an all day event for the team members, and the objective is to cook a piperade for 20 people from the ingredients given by the organiser. A piperade is a local speciality of peppers, tomatoes, and garlic, served with Bayonne ham. The team managed media coverage in both newspaper and local television, but finished just out of the placings, in 4th position. We thought our Piperade was excellent, but as our secret ingredient was West Indian hot chilli sauce, the judges thought we had veered a little too far off the traitional recipe. Salies de Bearn devotes the day to partying, markets, cricket matches between teams (see Le Pehau Cricketers teaching the Mad Monks how to play cricket) and a grand repas in the evening where ove 800 people enjoy the piperade and the music!

Pamplona

Starting every 7th of July, and lasting for 7 days and 7 long nights, the Basque town of Pamplona is en fête every year. Dress up in red and white, along with all the other visitors, and witness the running of the bulls first thing in the morning, the spectacle of the bull ring during the afternoon, or just enjoy the carnival atmosphere throughout the town. Pamplona is the biggest street carnival after Rio - a sight not to be missed.

Saint Palais
Saint Palais and its surrounding villages have a host of fêtes throughout the year. Please check the website for the Office of Tourism as www.tourisme-saintpalais.com . The highlight is a weekend in July where for three nights, a different cause is celebrated each night. The town fills with markets and bandas (local marching bands who play lively basque music), but don't turn up too early, as the fun starts late and goes on well into the night!

At the end of August, Saint Palais hosts the annual Basque - a strong man competiton with many local villages entering teams. Most of the events are based around strength and the team's attempts to move some incredibly heavy piece of farm equipment - from a sack of flour to an anvil! The highlight is the tug of war competition.

The Gave d’Oloron and Gave de Saison are both less than 2km’s from Le Pehau, and offer a wealth of fishing potential, particularly in brown trout and salmon. Indeed the French heat of the World Fishing Championship is held in Sauveterre de Bearn. Licences to fish can be arranged through Martin and Helen.

There are 15 golf courses within one hours drive from Le Pehau. We are equidistant from the courses surrounding Biarritz on the coast and the three at and around Pau. Pau GC is the oldest in mainland Europe and was built by the British army in 1856. Salies de Bearn has a twelve hole golf course.

www.touradour.com/golf/pagolf.asp

This area of France is steeped in history. Famous as the home of D’artagnon (Gascony), the whole department will be of interest whether you have 10 minutes or 10 days of your holiday to spend researching. During the Hundred Years’ War, citadels and castles defended almost every pass and hill in Aquitaine. Later, in the 13th century, the English and French defended the front lines with new towns, called ‘bastides’. Usually set on hills, bastides have squares with arcades, covered markets and fortified churches.

On 12 April 1462 a meeting was held near Sauveterre de Bearn, at the junction of the territories ruled over by France, Navarre and Bearn, between Louis XI, Jean II of Aragon and Navarre, and Gaston de Foix-Bearn. For a sum of 300,000 ecus in gold, and with the comtes of Roussillon and Cerdagne as collateral, the King of France agreed to put 700 combat units of six cavalrymen with attendant foot soldiers at the disposal of the King of Aragon to help crush a revolt in Catalonia. A treaty was signed in Bayonne on 9 May 1462. The money was never paid, so Louis XI seized the two provinces put up as security, although they did not become an integral part of France until two centuries later.

There are horse riding clubs at St Palais (11km) Salies de Bearn (13km) and Pau (62km). Ask Martin and Helen for any specific requirements you might have.

St Palais (11km) has a heated Lido, a great place for the children on holiday to make friends and burn off some excess energy. There is also a childrens playground next door to the Lido.

Sauveterre de Bearn and Salies de Bearn play a good standard of rugby. They are both well supported and are an enjoyable way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Sauveterre de Bearn (3.5km) has numerous butchers, bakers and a small supermarket.

Salies de Bearn, (13km) known locally as the ‘Venice of Bearn’, begun life in the Bronze age. Local history recounts the curative powers of the salt water. Salies de Bearn is a charming town, but it’s thermal baths add a new dimension to the ‘feel good factor’ you will encounter on your holiday in this area. Les Thermes de Salies de Bearn were established in 1857. The waters are rich in sodium chloride and are claimed to bring true benefits in many fields. Treatments at the Thermes include both therapeutic and relaxation.

The surfing on the Atlantic coast is amongst the best in Europe and numerous championships are held in Biarritz throughout the year.

Indeed the whole coastline is of appeal to surfers – the same deep water chasm (le Gouf) which makes Capbreton one of the safest swimming beaches on the coast, makes Hossegor the uncontested capital of surf in France. International competitions are held in Hossegor, Biarritz and Lacanau every August.

There are courts available for hire in Sauveterre de Bearn (3.5km) and St Palais (11km). It is also possible to play short tennis in the grounds of Le Pehau. In addition you can use the pelota court in Osserain for practice against the pelota wall.

Le Pehau is situated on the Saint Jacques de Compostela pilgrim’s route. We are in the foothills of the Pyrenees, and less than one hour from the Spanish border and the Ronceval Pass.

There are numerous local wines, appealing to all tastes.