Being a tourist in cities can be difficult as it is easy to be overwhelmed by their noise and speed. Barcelona is no exception, but as with most cities there are spaces and areas that are quieter. Often sounds are a better reflection of the true life of different parts of a city. The following three areas are such places; they are "Beyond the Ramblas".

The Born is an area bounded by Via Laietana and the park containing the zoo, and this was was where I first became aware of ryhthms, created I thought at first on bells. The clear metallic sound actually came from gas bottles being beaten, informing clients up above of the vendors. Mostly they seem to be Indians, and each has a different ryhthm, some just bang the bottles, whilst others create intricate ryhthms, reminisent of the tabla. These narrow sreets are home to young creatives, older Catalans, and immigrants, giving a wonderful colour and vibrancy to the shops and restaurants of this area. Some of my favourite shops are: Bubo the best cake shop in Barcelona? 8 Carrer des Les Caputxes. Casa Gispert is an old-fashioned grocery store in 23 Carrer Dels Sombrerers. Arlequi Mascares, a mask shop, 5 Carrer De La Princesa. Yahoo Gallery bags made fom the advertising banners of Barcelona, 8 Carrer dels Cotoners.

Discordant whistles, produced from a plastic pan pipe, probably bought from a penny store, tells the butchers and others that the knife sharpening service has arrived. On the back of the moped, powered by the 50cc engine, is the round carburundum stone; next to this is a large wooden box containing all the other accoutrements of the trade. This is Gracia, which lies above the Born, and above the Diagonal, an area of squares, some set around churches, recalling old villages with tree lined steets. There are too many small fashion shops to mention, but try chilling out in a bar on Placa de la Virreina, or Placa de Sol, and watch the world go by, before heading to lunch at La Llesca, 6 Carrer de Terol, a traditional barbecue restaurant. Lunch is €7.50, but don't drink the house wine, move up a grade to a whole €6 or so.

All over Barcelona at 17.30 there is a cacophony, as children leave their schools, to play in the park, on the squares, and eat donuts. In St Gervasi this is particularly noticeable, as it is home to families some, mostly rich, some poor, but all noisy. This noise in some way sums up Barcelona for me; it's in the open , it's gregarious, it's youthful and capricious. Some of my favourite shops in St Gervasi are (take subway 7 to El Putxet) Casa Pepe, 375 Balmes, a deli come wine bar, and a local institution. Acanto, a flower shop, 54 Carrer de St Gervasi de Cassoles. Almost next door at number 60 is Dona Petra, an artisan weaver and producer. Wonderful products! At 103 on the same street is restaurant Bonanova, authentic Catalan cuisine, served in lovely surroundings. Finally for chocolates and cake try Canal, 566 Carrer de Muntaner. After the cake you could walk to Sarria, and take in some of the most expensive real estate in Barcelona.

It's asparagus season in France and there are plentiful supplies of both green and white in the markets. We love asparagus with, well almost anything, and like birds before migration we shall eat a lot of it over the next few weeks as the season is short. Simply with good olive oil, balsamico and parmesan, classicly with butter, and of course with eggs.

Breakfast, grilled with two fried eggs cooked in olive oil on top, bacon optional, then pour the hot oil over the tips. Welcome morning, all is well!

Lunch, just the tips cooked in an omellette served with a salad, oh look the sun is shining!

Dinner, flan de pointes d'asperges au pesto, something we had whilst overlooking the harbour in Marseilles, what a sight!

Asparagus is so versatile, we hope that you enjoy it as much as we shall.

Sorèze, a little village nestling at the foot of the Black Mountains is our starting point for exploring some of the old pilgrims' route. The interior of the village hasn't changed much in the past few hundred years; its architectural integrity is intact. The Abbaye Ecole, a grand edifice sits above the village; some of it is currently being totally restored, the rest has become an hotel which is reasonable in price, though a little monastic in feel. When in Sorèze we eat in the Brasserie St. Martin, a good value bistro that sometimes has jazz evenings.

The charming little market town of Revel is famous for its furniture production, and has lately been featured in the TV series featuring the chef John Burton Race. Our copper workshop, run by Monsieur Semenou, isn't far away, so we visit him regularly to plan new product lines together. His company has been producing traditional copper articles for a a few hundred years now, but he is happy to work with us to create unique new ranges of lighting, not only from copper, but also from zinc. 

After Revel the pilgrims' route runs through St. Felix de Lauragais where in the 12th century the cathars held a council. The ruins of their castle still remain in an unassailable hilltop position and have wonderful views of the Pyrenees. These majestic mountains must have looked insurmountable to the pilgrims; no wonder they carried on west. The Lauragais is the name for this entire region, its most famous product being cassoulet, a dish which is appreciated all over France and beyond. There are constant arguments about who makes the best cassoulet, Castelnaudary or Toulouse. Some of the nuances may well be lost on an outsider, but are of supreme importance to the locals. Is the addition of tomatoes permissible, does it really make such a difference? Does one use lamb instead of goose or duck, and or the traditional sausage from Toulouse? The following quote from The Matchmaker of Perigord, by Julia Stuart, sums this up for us. 

"Monsieur Moreau", she began, "forgive me but it is a matter of utmost importance, and a true Frenchman such as yourself will know the definitive answer. Should a cassoulet have tomatoes in it or not?" Monsieur Moreau was so startled by her sudden appearance and line of questioning that he could think of nothing but the truth: "The correct method of making cassoulet is always a source of contention. Personally I prefer it without tomatoes as my mother made it, but for God's sake don't tell the wife."

Heading toward Le Puy on a recent trip we found the snow getting heavier and heavier with snow-ploughs behind us and oncoming cars covered in thick snow. We figured that soon the road would be impassable. There was nothing for it, but to turn around and flee towards the slightly warmer climes of Montpelier a few hundred kilometres south.

The discovery of the Hotel du Parc in the centre of Montpelier, a town mostly ruined by recent construction, particularly the almost Disney town shopping centre (not what we seek out), lightened our spirits. It is our kind of place, family-run with care. The hotel is in an old eighteenth century house with a courtyard, and whilst the rooms are small, they are decorated individually it all costs a very reasonable 65 Euros. Breakfast also went beyond the expected, and tea was nicely served with the tea bag already in the teapot (and not as is common in France by the side of the pot with the water having gone off the boil a long time ago). We took this pleasant respite with gusto as the unexpected diversion, had added another day to our expedition to meet with potters in the Drome Provencal. More about that soon.

On our way South recently, we stopped at Troyes south of Paris. In spite of our regular extensive travel through France we had previously ignored it. What an oversight!  It's certainly a town that we shall visit again. The centre is a historic gem, a complete town of colombage, or timber framed buildings, from the 16th and 17th centuries, rebuilt after the fire of 1524. Stunningly intact, it gives a glimpse into the lives of the mercantile classes, as Troyes was a large trading centre at this time.

Troyes also has several churches dating from the 13th and 14th centuries, the most important being the cathedral, which has a wonderful stained glass window. During the 13th century the Knights Templars were based here, and local rumour has it that buried treasure from the crusades is hidden here; the Ark of the Covenant perhaps? In an alleyway by the side of the cathedral is the Museum of Modern Art which contains works by Picasso, Braque, and Modigliani, to name just a few of the hundreds of works.

La Maison de Rhodes, named after the Knights Templars whose home it was in the 13th and 14th centuries, is an hotel whose ambiance allows a full enjoyment of this historic town. It's a trifle on the expensive side for France, but the building has been sensitively and tastefully restored and our room exuded an understated elegance.  The restaurant we thought too expensive and so avoided; the usual Continental breakfast was also expensive, but altogether it was a very pleasant experience.

We highly recommend a visit to Troyes.

La Maison de Rhodes

18 rue Linard Gonthier

10000 Troyes

Tel.: ++33/(0)3 25 43 11 11

 www.maisonderhodes.com 

On route D117 from Perpignan to Quillan, just before St. Paul de Fenouilles at Maury (famous for its wine) you turn right to Château de Quéribus. This outpost of the cathars, sits on a 790 metre peak, and then rises imperiously for another 30 metres or so. Its form is so much part of the hill that it looks as though it has been carved, or maybe placed there by a giant hand. The 360 degree views are utterly magnificient, with both the Pyrenees and the Montagnes Noires visible, whilst Peyrepertuse the old border castle of the counts of Aragon who ruled this region until 1659 is almost within touching reach, seperated only by the valley of Cucugnan. This deserted land carries so many cries from our collective past, containing so much history and dramatic scenery, while remaining relatively unaffected by tourism.

Amongst its other attractions are:

The Gorges of Galamus (really not good for caravans or camper vans)

Tautavel, where the oldest skull in Europe has been found; 450,000 years old!

Latour-de France, and Belesta, both bastide villages.

This area is becoming rightly famous for its wine making. Try the following:

Clot de l'Oum ( Eric Monne) or Domaine de la Pertuisane (Mark Hoddy) or Domaine Pauderoux (Robert Pouderoux), to name a few.

Restaurants:

At Maury, Pascal Borrell. In Cucugnan, Auberge de Vigneron, and Auberge de Cucugnan.

What better way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon, than to go to a "vide grenier". This emptying of the lofts is a French tradition, which almost every village has. The events are well publicised by bill posters and flyers left on cars on market day. They are an opportunity to divest oneself of all the years' accumulated clutter, or to add some more.

They are a haven also for brocanteurs selling the left-overs from house clearances, but you never know you just might find.............

Bordeaux is probably one of France's most bourgeois cities, having built its wealth on trading and wine. For many years its beautiful sandstone buildings had become neglected and grey and there was an air of stuffiness and snobbery about the place. All that has been thoroughly dusted down and transformed of late, a good example of how cites can be revived. Now there is a new tramway sytem, a cool river front and students using the many bicycle paths. Behind the recently restored Bourse is an area of streets and squares; a world away from the Hermes and Dior shops of the main street, l'Intendance. It's an altogether more interesting mix of small boutiques, cafes and bistros with terraces to sit and eat outside. The rythm here is one of late starts, so don't arrive before 11.00. Check out the following:

1)Au Denicheur Antique shop  This little treasure trove is a wonderful mix (see picture below)

2)Toscane 6 Rue Du Cancera  05 56 01 12 18. If you enjoy traditional Italian Degustazione menus you will just love this place,

3)La Fromentine Rue du Pas Saint Georges, a very individual creperie!

On our way west we stopped here, drawn by the oldest university in Spain. This rash of learning that swept through Europe in the 13th and 14th centuries left behind more than weighty volumes. Architecture that truly inspires, streets hot with heretical thoughts. All this still exists today in Salamanca, particularly at night, when the Spanish come out to play, and the lights enliven the architecture that needs no enlivening, and the warmth encourages this cauldron of activity. Truly a beautiful city that you to should visit or to which you could send your student offspring on an Erasmus year.

Saturday seems to be wedding day at the stunning cathedral, and couples literally line up for their turn. We found ourselves in the midst of all this colour, elegantly dressed wedding parties, confetti cannons going off, brides in Ferraris.

Onwards to have some tapas at a very good modern wine bar, Vinodiario where we were introduced to a prosciutto-style ham made from goat, called cecina, which comes from nearby Leon and is astonishingly good. There was also a dish of salt cod with a conserve of peppers and olives, an Iberian hot dog, a nice traditional sausage, with a red fruit ketchup and excellent wine by the glass.

We stayed at the Melia las Claras Hotel, opposite our wine bar, but would probably have preferred the NH Hotel by the cathedral.

Vinodiario

Plaza Basilios no.1

Tel.: ++34/923 614 0438