Cassagne is a small village located about 65 kilometers outside Toulousse, more of the South-western part of France. As it is not a tourist destination, as anyone visiting the town of Lourdes further south will just pass-by the village, stopping in Saint Gaudens, the nearest town. From here, accessing the hiking trails in the distant mountains will be easier than from Cassagne itself.
So, what could be a better reason to enjoy South of France than having to visit families and close friends getting to experience living like the locals, most especially taste home-made french cuisine? Throw in a mix of original Filipino food and no one will want to leave (for any Filipino of course!).
A friend lives here with her husband's family, so for a few times now we have been visiting them, more so when there is a family gathering that we get invited to attend. France from UK is very accessible with a few local airports from London, the nearest is Toulouse, less than an hour away by train.
Living a couple of miles outside the village, from their house we can see the church' spire and it sort of gives us a sense of direction whenever my friend and i go walking as the hills are undulating and can totally make us disoriented to which directions to take when going back . So far we haven't been lost as most times we aren't that far as we tend to be just eating berries and plums, picked alongside the road.
Going to the village, what we love to do is take the long road to a pub for a drink then take a shortcut in going home. Going around the village doesn't take long but one to not miss is the town's church. It's a typical old french church, its' history noticeable from entering the courtyard. It's small but it's story can be noted from its' pews, walls, ceiling and the altar.
Perhaps one of my best memory was walking the hills in the rain, our singing joining the thunderstorm...giggling and laughing without a care in the world. Our excitement coupled with a faint bit of fear probably was from the thought of being hit by a lightning. Well, what are the chances of that coming true and what a way to die if that's the case.
There are choices of hiking trails nearby, a short drive away. Other things to do can be a visit to the other quaint french villages and towns around the area. People go to Toulouse for shopping and a visit to the museum, this can just be a day out if one wants to do that. Pilgrimage to Lourdes is also possible as it's more than an hour away from Cassagne. We went wine-shopping in Spain for the family gathering, as apparently it's cheaper there.
The distant mountains that can be seen from Cassagne is the boundary of France and Spain. There's a story where during the revolution, french people traversed those mountains to reach Spain. During our hike, I was shown a trail that can bring anyone to the other side, I forgot how long that would take but all I saw were mountain peaks.
Coffee by the pool anyone?
It's the milder climate that draws people to South of France, but for my friend and I, Cassagne is home. As nice as the French people are, make sure to eat everything you have been offered or you will be told off. It doesn't matter if you don't understand French. Aren't they lovely?
Allonsy?!!
For the more adventurous, further away in Lourdes is the gateway to the Pyrenees where Catholic pilgrims around the world love to go, especially in the month of October. If skiing is what one wants, Cauterets is the place to be, it is accessible from Lourdes by a bus. A quaint and quieter town in these parts will be Carcassonne, it's where most Americans go to, a 30 minutes by train from Toulouse. Also, if travelling to Spain is what one wants, same trainline can bring anyone to Barcelona. Further North-east will be Marseille, Nice or Côte d' Azur.
I definitey recommend backpacking around South of France for a couple of weeks at least. Take your time and stay a couple of days in one place, most times, 2 or 3 days is not even enough. Longer when with families and friends as it will be difficult to leave.
All images were taken during my travel to Cassagne in 2016.
