Espéraza

Espéraza, just to the south of Couiza, is well-known for it's Sunday morning market, which is particular beloved by the English people in the region. The day I went I bumped into six of them, and two French friends too! Some people call it a hippie market . . . well, I wouldn't go that far, but it is great fun, with lots of unusual products and people.

It is also of course a classic village of the region, situated on the river Aude.

On a Sunday lunch-time, you must eat. After the market the parties begin! There are two bars that serve snack lunches and the "Cathar Café" which has about four tables inside and two outside, so is very exclusive but less expensive than anywhere else, maybe because it is vegetarian, as the Cathars were reputed to be. Or you might like to drive out of town towards St. Ferriol to find a most unusual venue called the Poulet Bicyclette!

Unfortunately, someone had stolen the head of the chicken, it was a headless chicken! The restaurant is most unusual, started by a couple of guys who were so impressed by a holiday in Hawaii that they re-landscaped their domain to look like Hawaii and started serving Hawaiian food.
I had to go round the lake nearly to the waterfall to get these photos!