SORèZE TO ST.FéLIX
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."
