Guidebook for Ginestas

Ginestas L'Oncle Joules – open Tue(summer only), Thurs, Fri and Saturday evening. Tapas, wine, beer. A really great place to go to as especially there is frequently live music. It is getting more and more popular locally so in high season a booking is advised. Look out for concert events and expect a late night. It is my favourite and also of my previous guests. Les Trois Petits Cochons – mainly just a bar, but do a lunch time set menu. Really good value food and often a concert on a Sunday afternoon. Great fun as very informal. Casino – This is situated next to the Marie, it has returned to its former excellence and serves either on the terrace or inside the Montmatre theme interior. Also frequently live music. L'es Pratx – Châteaux used for weddings mostly and occasional concerts, I don't consider eating there good value for money. Cabezac Café - Must do Oysters if you like them on Wednesday and Friday 1730 +, sold by a vendor at the Cabezac café and shucked for you. Great experience to eat oysters at a filling station! Sometimes also Brebis (Sheep cheese) sold at the same time. La Salette – Popular place to eat, food is excellent. La Bastide – Smart restaurant at the hotel, gastronomique with prices to match. Ventenac Lou Coustellou – food cooked on wood fire, lamb is excellent. Currently closed but may re-open 2023 Grillade du Chateau – A must for a belly busting very well priced lunch. You have to try both, also very popular with my guests and my family. Chickens also assist clearing up! Le Somail L'Escale, -Next to the water tower, excellent, can't fault it! Le Comptoir Nature, used to be my favourite. L'Auberge – quite good but the service can be slow at busy times

Walking There are numerous marked walks locally, the closest is exit onto the road turning left up the hill and follow the yellow markers, when you get to the Canal du Midi you can either turn left or over the bridge then left for a longer walk via Le Somail – definitely worth a visit. The yellow markers will return you home. Most villages also have similar walks, good ones are Bize Minervous (start at the cemetry), Moussan for the Aude and Canal du Midi, Peyriac for near the coast and seafood lunch and Abbeye de Fontfroide. See my 'Day Out' for more details. Cycling: Try Mellow Vetoes rent a cycle and explore the Canal du Midi Beaches: You really are spoilt for choice here as you are close to several hundred, suggest you take a look at emailed Guest Information Activities There are numerous activities within the area, from canyoning, paragliding, parachuting, flying, canoeing, horse riding, off road and of course sailing, take your pick at emailed Guest Information Sightseeing No visit should miss out La Cité in Carcassonne, it can get ugly on a busy day in the summer and I also think a visit to Minerve is a lot more essential. emailed Guest information can be obtained by emailing me at: gitedelagarde at icloud dot com

Boulangerie: Ginestas – open every morning 6/7 and also at 5pm, closed Wednesday. Situated next to La Poste. It really is a great Boulangerie and you will love it. Otherwise the Tabac / Alimentation opposite the Mairie sell bread and croissants.
Ventenac – small cabin shop by the canal, open long hours. St. Marcel – Marcelline, close to Aldi, good bread, lousy croissants! – Intermarché, open supermarket hours, cheap bread but fairly tasteless. Canet – open usual shop hours. Pharmacie: Ginestas has its own Pharmacy, turn right at La Poste, follow road around sharp right bend and then the Pharmacy is just after the cemetery – not sure if that is significant. Supermarkets are not allowed to even sell aspirins here. Markets: Narbonne – In the market hall, large and very very good. THIS IS A MUST VISIT. In the centre of Narbonne, open all week, 9-10 on a Saturday early morning is not too busy for parking. Sunday there is also an open air market – mostly clothes though; but indoor food hall is open and busy. Monday, not all stalls are open. Olonzac – A very popular market on a Tuesday, the little side street that has the food stalls is a must visit. It is easy to miss, but turn left just after the Cafe de La Poste and it goes on forever! Lezignan Corbieres – Every Wednesday morning – plenty of choice. Ginestas – Just a few mobile vans (fruit and veg, meat) on Thursday, Roast Chicken man on Sunday morning (sometimes). Ventenac – has a small market alongside the canal on a Sunday morning. Walk, market, lunch at Lou Costellou.
Canet d’Aude – Poisonnerie on Friday morning. Car Boot sales called Vide Grenier move around the villages and are usually on a Sunday morning. Just look for boards up advertising them. Fruit and Veg: You will see numerous fruit and veg farm shops and just cabins on the side of the road. The one I tend to use (Peris) is on the right on the way to St. Marcel before the Canal du Midi bridge. Prices are better than the supermarkets. Even better however is the home grown shop open only on Wednesday and Saturday am. This is in the village just before you get to the pharmacy. Tomatoes can be had for €1 a kilo! Supermarkets: Ginestas – only has a small Alimentation (Grocery store), Opposite the Mairie but well stocked – even beer and wine if you run out. St. Marcel - Intermarché – Past Ginestas Pharmacie, turn right at fork, right at main road and continue towards St. Marcel. Intermarché is on the left after about 2 miles. Open all day and closed Sunday pm. Has 24 hour fuel (out of hours needs Credit card), Fresh Milk and everything you will need. You will need to have a bag or two with you or unload your trolley (1€ piece required ) into the car directly. Carrier bags are not free. - Aldi – usual Aldi stuff, beer good value at 27cts a can. Canet - small mini-market open also on Sunday morning so good for essentials on the way back from the airport. Also a very nice goats cheese and free range eggs stall on a Sunday. Lezignan – Intermarché, bigger than St.Marcel, follow signs to the A61. – Carrefour, nearly opposite Intermarché and a lot bigger. Narbonne – Carrefour – huge, follow signs to Narbonne Plage and it is amongst a massive shopping complex near the Péage (Narbonne Nord – NOT Sud). Wine: You cannot go far at all without finding wine but support one of my local Caves – you will not be disappointed. Take a container with you (one supplied in the Gite), and fill up. La Ginesto, in the village used to be rubbish, BUT it has made a comeback and they sell Rouge or Rose and now White but for €10/€12 per 5 Litres this Cave is now back as a front runner. Pouzols is also very good, Argeliers not so good, Ventenac OK. But they all change depending on the year. If you want a posh wine tasting then just head to Cabezac, the Cave there is just by the bridge on the right. If you really want a classy wine then Jean Pierre in Mailhac is truly excellent but you may pay €7 a bottle!! You cannot help but bump into several wine caves so Please Please do not buy bulk wine from a supermarket, you will be disappointed. Olives: You will notice the Gîte is surrounded by several productive olive trees. All my olives are processed into oil. this is on the MUST VISIT list and is situated at Cabezac (4km). You can join a tour on how olives are grown and processed as well as having a great shop for all things olive oil. This Olive Mill is award winning and a big local attraction so don't miss out. You could combine it with a trip to the Cave in Cabezac and maybe oysters on a Wednesday or Friday. Oysters: They are everywhere. But on a Wednesday and Friday they are available at the Cafe at Cabezac from about 1730 onwards supplied by a local grower. Get some to take home or just buy a pichet of wine and have them served to you. It's busy in the summer so don't get there too late. Sometimes you can also buy local sheep's cheese (Brebis) here as well. If you like good cheese you will not be disappointed. This is a strange experience, a roadside cafe, a filling station and Oysters but it is hugely popular as you know the Oysters have been harvested that day, €20 for 24 oysters!