Stretching along the Mediterranean coast from the Camargue in the East to the Spanish border in the west, and between 60 and 100 km inland, Languedoc-Roussillon comprises an area of 27,376 sq.km.

It is clearly impossible from one location to cover this vast area in any depth, so I specialize in properties in the department of the Hérault, centred around the capital city of the region,Montpellier. This extends over an area of 6100 sq.km and has a wide variety of landscape and climatic regions.

There is a very extensive range of properties of all types for sale,including apartments on the coast,new villas,town and village houses, and older country houses although these are less frequently available.

Most people mention the weather as a reason for living here, and it does make a difference. To wake up every morning to sunshine and blue skies from early May until mid-August, as was the case last year, when the weather finally broke, is hugely uplifting to the spirit. It also means you can plan lunches (and barbecues if you must) outside, and be certain they will not be rained off. It does get cold and wet sometimes, but one never has those endless weeks of cold damp grey that seems to pervade in England during the winter. Here if it is bad to-day there is always the prospect of sun tomorrow. I have had lunch on the terrace in mid-February.

Before I moved down here I had not realised how much living in magnificent countryside really means to me. The huge advantage of the Languedoc is that it has just about everything. The coast has miles and miles of beaches, actually rather boring for swimming to my mind, but clean and very safe for children, and perfect for walks in the spring, autumn and winter.

Inland you have the vines and villages, often located on the high ground which rises above the plain. Further inland you have the foothills and finally the mountains with deep and beautiful valleys, and countless rivers rushing or idling their way to the sea. I have the good fortune to live in the Orb valley a little known corner of paradise. Just 40minutes north of here the temperature drops 10°C and you could be in Sweden, with lakes and pine forests and completely different architecture. To cycle down the Orb valley on a fine morning with the sun shining on the craggy peaks of the mountains that tower above you is memorable way to spend a day. There is a huge variety of landscape in the Hérault from the beaches and flat coastal plain to the foothills and the mountains of the Cevennes. Most regions of course are heavily planted with vines which testify to the seasons. In winter they stick out from the ground like old gnarled hands, in spring they burst almost overnight into fresh green sprigs, in summer they are heavy with the delicious grapes, and in autumn they turn gold and crimson, providing wonderful colours on every hillside.

The Hérault is also blessed with many rivers which can be explored both on foot and by canoe. Inland from the coast the waters are crystal clear and they provide welcome relief in the heat of summer.

I have a theory that most British people come to live here because it is like a half- remembered idyll from their childhood of a country that probably never existed, where villages are populated by people who live and work there, that are alive with children and old people living in harmony, where life is slower and gentler.

Of course most villages have at least one baker, many two or three, and there is an abundance of local produce that can be bought locally. Every village throughout the summer has some kind of festivity centred on local produce or activities, and some have several. These are usually very informal and low-key and everyone is welcome. Needless to say, in this area wine is the focus for many of them, and is never absent from any gathering.

Driving is a pleasure down here, the roads being well maintained and free of traffic for most of the year, apart from the summer near the coast. To jump into an open car on a fine summer morning and drive through the hills and vineyards with magnificent landscape on all sides is a great pleasure that never palls, for me at least. I don’t go along with the theory that the French are bad drivers. Once you get your head around the fact that no red blooded Frenchman can bear to have a car in front of him, even if he is turning off 200 yards down the road, you will find that driving here is easy and relaxing!

One of the great pleasures of living in rural France is that there are still any number of local artisans, whether they be bakers, charcutiers, vignerons, carpenters ,shopkeepers or whatever, who still take a pride in their job.

Very few shops in the local town will be part of a chain, but of course they exist (see Other Stuff under supermarkets),and shopping is a delight, bearing in mind that if the shopkeeper is a friend, a little local gossip is sure to slow down proceedings, but why are you in a hurry? You soon get to know who makes the best honey, the best goat’s cheese, etc.

One of the reasons why I moved to this region is the fact that I would be within striking distance of Montpellier, surely one of the finest cities in France. It is, and I hardly ever go there so completely have I taken to rural life. But if you want it you can find excellent bookshops and restaurants, very good opera and ballet and endless concerts featuring internationally recognised artists.

Furthermore Montpellier is the perfect example of what can be done to an ancient city to accommodate the motor car and all the requirements of modern life. There is a superb tram service throughout the city and underground car parks that allow you drive right into the centre and walk throughout the old town without encountering any cars or lorries. And of course the wonderful weather encourages a vibrant café life on the pavements.

People often ask me, especially those who live in London and cannot imagine life anywhere else, what do you do all day? That is a hard question to answer as the days seem to pass and there never seem to be too many moments when there is not something to do, even if it is just climbing the local gorges to get an even better view of the valley.

Of course the local markets are an endless source of fascination and pleasure, and there is one within 5 miles every day of the week. A stroll round the market, a coffee or a beer in the sun, a quick glance at a local or English paper, the main ones being on sale locally every morning the same day as they are published in England, can easily take up a morning. Also if you are furnishing a house local “brocantes”or antique fairs can be enjoyable and time consuming.

You can of course spend a lifetime or two exploring the local vineyards. The quality of wine being produced in the Languedoc has improved out of all recognition over the past 20 years and prices are embarrassingly low. There are always new ones to try and you will soon get to know your favourites. There are of course wonderful walks ,mountains to climb if you are so inclined, rivers to canoe or swim in, trout fishing, golf, masses of historic villages and towns to visit, and of course my own particular passion that I have taken up again after 50 years, cycling. The old railway track that used to run down the Orb valley has been ripped up and turned into a walking and cycling track and you can cycle down the valley for 3 hours hardly meeting a soul with no traffic and thankfully no hills!

Throughout the year there are endless local events, whether they be a village dinner, an informal concert by local musicians, a celebration of the wine harvest (a lot of these!), or really almost any other excuse for a party. It is also somewhat surprising how many writers, musicians and painters make their homes in this region, so cultural life is not neglected.

And as mentioned above, Montpellier has art galleries, museums, opera, concert halls, and the buzz of city life if you can’t wean yourself off it, but in fact I find that most people settle down to a gentle bucolic life and rarely visit the city. Having it there is however a great comfort particularly as it houses some of the best medical facilities and expertise in Europe.

I love the sea and having been brought up by it have always been drawn to it. Indeed it was one of the reasons for choosing this area. It must be admitted that the beaches are a bit of a disappointment, at least to me. I say beaches, but what we are really almost talking about is one long beach from here to Spain .It is a great stretch of sand , mostly clean and uncluttered with litter, and safe and fun for children. However to me it is rather boring although of course there are rocks and coves to be found if you know where to look. There are also, near Montpellier, the “Berkeley on the beach” establishments with sun loungers, staff serving drinks, a restaurant, showers etc .which offer comfort if at some considerable expense. And of course in high summer the crowds and cars are considerable. But the beach is there and maybe I am being a bit too critical.

Once you settle down here the desire to leave quickly wanes. However there are many reasons why one may have to, and we are blessed with excellent communications, both by road, rail, and by air. The area is served by Montpellier, the nearest airport, but flights can be taken from Toulouse, Nimes, Carcassonne, Perpignan, and even Gerona. The TGV takes you to Paris in just over three hours, and the motorway system runs right through the Languedoc. To know that you can jump into the car and be in Barcelona in just over three hours (all motorway) is enjoyable. You can also zip across to the Riviera if you feel so inclined or go on into Italy.

Well where does one start? The bread, the cheese, the fruit, the vegetables, the charcuterie, the honey, the olives, the………….. The main thing about all these is that they are real, not pre-packaged and pasteurised, grown locally and of course seasonally, or made on the premises. This means that flavours are intense, often complicated and profound. It is as if your taste buds have just arisen from a long sleep.

Being somewhat overweight to say the least, it may be that the pleasures of the table figure too large in my life, but maybe that is one reason why I feel so at home in France. In that respect I am in tune with the local population. On enquiring of my neighbour where the best baker was in the vicinity, her reply was ”Well that depends upon your taste”.

Having consumed good bad and indifferent wine in largish quantities throughout my life, I thought at last I would really get to know a wine growing area such as this really well and become an expert in the local wines .I should have started many years ago! Within two miles of my house there are no less than 30 domaines and within 10 miles several hundred, so that particular ambition is beyond me. You can of course get guidance from friends and neighbours, but wine is a matter of your own taste, and it matters very little what particular variety of g rape it contains, what fermentation process was used etc, etc. The only thing is, does it taste good to you? If it does, buy it and enjoy it. The life of a vigneron is hard and backbreaking. Nor is it lucrative. But as the wife of one vigneron said to me “It is a passion-he knows nothing else” To spend a couple of hours with François Guy, the doyen of local winemakers at the Chateau Coujan, as he recounts the history of his domain and the story of his wines as you taste them, is something to be treasured.