4 Day trip to Castigno Chateau Hotel for David's Birthday , September 4th 2019

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This gem was located some half hour's drive north of Narbonne - 7+ hours from Moraira

Our 'junior suite' hardly had a sitting area, but did possess wondrous views over the countryside & pools- so we declined the upgrade to a viewless suite!
The pools and surrounds were bliss- like overlooking an African landscape! And the village was enchanting with its mauves, reds & purples
The birthday boy had Chateau Castigno Rose Champagne in the Petite Table restaurant in the square, with a pleasant dinner, albeit on the chilly side, both us & the food!
One dessert to die for! Breakfast, 300 metres walk from our Maison d'Amis, was sumptuous, but my, we needed those blankets!

We felt we were living in a film set. From the square, we walked down to the church, past the inhospitable, cavernous Wine Shop, the only

place to get their incredibly useless Wifi! Then to the roundabout and left to the Maison d'Amis. Then a good half hour walk to reach their
ultra modern Winery, coated entirely with cork - of which more later

The Highlight of the place was their one starred Michelin Restaurant, La Table

We were booked there for Thursday lunch & Friday dinner, but managed to wheedle a booking for Saturday lunch too- my, it was heaven!
Although the Boyzz were a bit worried about the interior wall of flattened bear skins!! - but posing with one of the chefs made up for that!

We left this heaven for a few hours on the Friday and ventured to Chinian and then Capestang, with its impressive Collegiate Church
Then on to the Oppidum d'Esserune, an ancient hill-town (or oppidum) located between Béziers and Narbonne, dating from 6th C BC. The Etang Montady was a fantastic engineering feat; in the 13th C wedge shaped fields were separated by irrigation ditches, converging in the centre

.

And finally an unplanned canal trip at Colombiers, through the seventeenth century tunnel:

a trip down memory lane, washed down with a glass of wine and an interesting chat with the lady captain.

Then on the Saturday afternoon, we walked back to the Winery and participated in a french speaking tour of it
Shaped like a bottle- as the aerial photo confirms- money no object in establishing it!