Travel - Land of Plenty

By Shelley-Maree Cassidy

Basking in the mid-summer warmth, rows and rows of vibrant sunflowers are standing in their fields; bright battalions massed at the sides of the road as we drive past. Some of them are standing straight – heads held up high – others seem to be leaning over as if asleep, but all are facing the same direction: east… like pilgrims at prayer.

Sun worship is their religion. In a field of blooming sunflowers, most flower heads are turned towards the east, where the sun rises each morning. Yet when the plant is still in bud, it actually follows the movement of the sun across the horizon as it moves from east to west. This tracking motion is driven by a flexible segment of the stem just below the bud. When the blooming stage is reached, that stem locks, so that when the flower opens into vivid yellow petals it faces east for the rest of its short but colourful life.

In French, their name is tournesol, and its translation is literal – ‘turn with the sun’. Spread out like a quilt of ochre and green, sunflowers are a symbol of the radiant light here in the Lauragais, in the southwest of France. Sun seekers in the know track here from all points of the compass, turning to the warmth and comfort of the Hotel Cuq en Terrasses.

Once a presbytery, the 18th century building is now rejuvenated as a truly charming hilltop hotel in the hamlet of Cuq le Château. It is well positioned in the heart of the ancient Pays de Cocagne – now the region of Tarn – in the centre of a triangle formed by the cities and towns of Toulouse, Carcassonne and Albi, and close to several of the loveliest villages in France.

Simply and well restored, the old house is much larger than it looks from its front entrance on the main street of what is almost like a film set of a tiny ‘time has stood still here’ French village. The backdrop from one window in the library/living room is the village church; at the other is a scene of golden fields, green valleys and distant blue hills.

Once arrived, you’ll go upstairs to your room or down to the dining room and out onto the wide terracotta-tiled terrace: the heart of the hotel. From here, there are still more layers in this multi-levelled location: gardens shaded by spreading mulberry trees, a swimming pool and a separate, secluded tower suite. The bedrooms are all handsomely designed and fitted out in traditional midi style. None are alike, so you can return here at least seven times before you will have stayed in them all.

Dinner is by request here, but it seems to be well in demand; such is the reputation and standard of cooking. Chef Andonis Vassalos creates the food, bringing extra flavours to the French cuisine from his native Greece, while partner Philippe Gallice complements the menu from the wine cellar. As many dream of doing, they left the city and moved to the country where they discovered this special place to live.

Sitting out on the terrace, savouring a glass of velvety red or crisp cool white in the late afternoon sun, scenting delicious aromas in the air as dinner is being prepared, you will start to fantasise about making your own escape to somewhere as idyllic. That’s when most people decide to book in again.

Yellow is a predominant colour in this golden landscape, and blue is a part of it too, woven into its history. Pays de Cocagne was the early name given to this area, when it was discovered that a rich blue pigment – cocagne or woad – could be extracted from a local plant. It became a very valuable commodity – much in demand for fabrics and art – and the region prospered.

Many intriguing destinations are within easy driving distance of the hotel. One is the city of Albi, at its centre the 15th century Saint Cécile Cathedral. This fortress-cathedral is a masterpiece of southern gothic architecture and the largest brick building in the world.

But its most amazing feature is only on show from the inside. Painted with blue pastel by Italian painters from Bologna in 1312 to 1509, the frescoes on the cathedral’s arched ceiling form the largest work of Italian renaissance painting to be found anywhere in France. It is a visual biblical encyclopaedia – an evocation of heaven played out on a blue and gold background – and just as they were when painted over five centuries ago.

The frescoes have never been restored; their colours still vivid and lustrous in the low light. The spectacular scale, nearly 100m long by 28m wide, and sheer magnificence of the work makes it a most memorable sight. A gigantic and graphic mural of The Last Judgement surrounds the church altar; no doubt a reminder to the congregation of what could lie ahead.

Rich in history and scenery, as well as its many food and wine assets, the region has also been described as a ‘land of plenty; a smiling country,’ where everything is found in abundance: bright yellow fields of sunflowers, groves of oak trees, chequered hues of cultivated fields, warm clear light and friendly people. You can see and experience all of this, and turn your head to follow the sun, relaxing at the Hotel Cuq en Terrasses. Three stars is its appellation but its surroundings make it so much more.

Hotel Cuq en Terrasses

Cuq-Toulza

France

E: info@cuqenterrasses.com

W: www.cuqenterrasses.com