Aude

Of all the 97 different Departments of France, in our opinion, the Aude Department is the most special.  One of the things which pleases us and never fails to surprise us is the natural beauty of the Aude Valley, coupled with something which we'd almost forgotten about when we lived in England - Seasons. One of the beauties of this area of France is that you really do get 4 different seasons of climate here. 

The summer is the most glorious, with temperatures up to the high 30C's and a special light which people travel from all over the world to paint with.  The colours here really are so much more vibrant, which brings me on to autumn.  Our personal favourite season here purely and simply because the magnificent view from the front of the house enables us to watch the colours on the mountain change day by day from pale golds to screaming reds.  Usually the autumn is quite dry and the warmth can continue through well into October. 

Winter really is winter, we can normally guarantee to have snow around Christmas time and the skiing nearby is particularly good (and less expensive than the pistes of the Alps).  Until you've seen the early morning snow on the mountain opposite the house you haven't lived! 

In spring the butterflies for which the Aude valley is famous start to appear, including several quite rare and beautiful species.  It can be fairly varied temperature wise but 25 or 26C is not uncommon.  Much as we love the winter here, to see the spring flowers and the bright sunshine once again always lifts the spirits.

The French in general have a varied reputation for friendliness and there's no doubt in our minds that one of the things which stood out about the Aude is just how charming and friendly most of the local people are.  The Aude is a place to make friends and return year after year.  This, coupled with the enormous choice of places to go and things to do really makes not only a fantastic place for you to visit on holiday but a truly wonderful place for us to live.