Boating: on the River La Baïse in Condom.
Hire by the hour an electric boat that the children can navigate or go for a short cruise on a more serious boat, with
Gascogne Navigation at La Capitainerie
(05 62 28 46 46).
Slow-Train:
Ride for 1h30 over 13km of 1890's railway on a SNCF touristic train between Mézin and Nérac, with running commentary about the view of the
Pays d'Albret countryside from your carriage
(05 53 65 27 77).
Flying: with the local flying school at the
Aeroport du Herret or watch a balloon fair: on the first week-end of September there is a fireworks and hot hair balloon festival in Lectoure.
Corrida: the local town of Vic-Fezensac is a famous "taurin"
centre which comes to its own on the May Pentecost long week-end (05 62 06 56 55).
Theme park:
Parc Walibi (05 53 96 58 32), Roquefort near Agen (30km) is smaller than many theme parks, just fine for a family day out.
Beaches: The closest beach is Mimizan (2½
hours; 150km) or Biscarosse (170km) both south of Arcachon on the
Atlantic coast or Narbonne on the Mediterranean (3 hours, 285km)
Pilgrimage: as a former pilgrims' rest Escrimis
is an appropriate place to start for Santiago de Compostela on the
Via Podiensis) or to Lourdes (2 hours, 130km).
Woad: has recently reappeared on the scene in Gascony as "Le Bleu de Lectoure". A couple of enthusiasts in Lectoure have been growing the woad plant for some years now. When extracted, the incomparable blue dye is marketed to paint pigment manufacturers and the textile industry.
On site, you can visit the vats and follow a woad dyeing demonstration,
or browse through the lovely blue items of the factory boutique (05 62 68 78 30).
Watch a film: we have quite a few on our shelves at Escrimis-La-Chapelle, videos and DVDs. One "typically French" film features our local town of Condom: "Le Bonheur est dans le Pré" (Happiness is in the Field). The movie tells the story of a man leaving his factory job and his family after he was mistaken for another man on a TV show. He moves to live in Condom with his 'new' family which owns a "foie de canard" (duck liver) farm. The film features many ducks and happy people drinking Armagnac and eating foie gras! There is a
cinema in Condom
(05 62 28 03 50) with some films in English VO (version originale).
Aeronautics and space research are the two great technological adventures of south-western France. "With Clément Ader, Mermoz and Saint-Exupéry on the one hand and Caravelles, the Concorde and Airbus aeroplanes on the other, legendary men and aeroplanes have punctuated the history of Toulouse". At Blagnac visitors can make the most of the spectacular sight of the monumental
Airbus assembly hangar or enjoy a bus ride on the runways (Concorde, Beluga, etc.). Booking
is compulsory (05 34 39 42 00). And just off the Toulouse bypass is the
Cité de l'Espace
(0820 377 223)
where "visitors of all ages can experience the space saga through
recreational and educational methods. More of an actor than a
spectator, the visitor is invited to participate in the launching of a
rocket, to operate a meteorological station, experiment weightlessness
and discover the park and its exhibits".
Star Gazing: at the
Ferme des Etoiles (05 62 06
09 76) in Mauroux in the Gers there is an observation dome, an
inflatable planetarium, the largest binoculars in the world, several
telescopes and other astronomical vision equipment. Introductory
lessons in astronomy and courses for astronomy buffs, young and old with
even some family sessions in English.
Music festivals
(see also Jazz below):
Bandas in Condom (last May week-end),
Tempo Latino in Vic-Fezensac and
Convivencia by the river (at Le Port) in Valence sur Baïse around the middle of July. Also classical recitals in Flaran and other local churches (see daily press) as well as the singing festival
Eclats de voix.
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Jazz: Marciac
(a 1h20 drive from Escrimis) hosts an annual internationally renowned jazz festival
Jazz in Marciac in early August.
This is one of the largest music festivals in France, causing the
metamorphosis of the town from small, quiet & rural to hot, swinging, and
hosting 10,000 plus visitors. The festival has a two week programme under
cover with many well-known jazz names and a number of side shows, as well as
open air jazz in the town square, and a large outdoor market with many
stalls selling food, clothing, artefacts and local products. There is also a
Marciac jazz programme at other times of year. This is followed by
our little local "Marciac
in Fourcès" jazz festival and there is also the smaller
Jazz in Montauban festival.
Art & crafts:
BioGascogne an organic fair in Condom on the last week-end in August (29th to
30th in 2009).
Museums: There is quite a variety of museums in our local Ténarèze group of villages, from sacred art in the "Eglise-Musée du Pradau" to the eponymous "Musée du préservatif" in Condom!
