Sérignan Days 6-23 Part Six – a ride around La Maïre and farewell to Sérignan (for now)...

After quite a lot of relaxing at the beach, it was Mrs B who suggested we get the folders ready and have a ride around the local nature reserve we were situated in – Les Orpellières – a massive 150 hectare ‘site naturel protégé. It’s very easy to access via the cycle path that runs from the campsite into Sérignan, where it runs along the meandering river Orb (cue Fluffy Little Clouds playing in the background…) 

The ride is an easy one, in that it’s one of those compacted tarmac surfaces to begin with and is level. Surrounded by birdsong, our only potential hazard was the odd bit of bamboo that had leaned precariously close to head height as we bowled along.

All along this first stage that hugs the Orb, our anticipation of gazing across to look at the river was thwarted by these enormous stands of bamboo. It's very easy to see how there is so much bamboo washed up on the beaches around here, when you see how much of it grows along the rivers! But luckily there were a few patches where it was possible to pull over and enjoy the cool breeze coming off the water…

Before long we arrived at the ‘Maison des Orpellières’ where our Google map had told us there was an information centre. Which indeed there was – but as we are not quite yet in the French summer season, it was closed, so its delights, which include the local tourist office and information on guided tours, will have to wait for another visit.

What was open however, was the magnificent Belvedere – a huge tower that was built with the sole purpose of enabling visitors to climb to the top for the views across the site…

… as well as providing a nesting box for a resident ‘chouette dame blanche,’ a much more interesting name for Barn Owl, and, some very helpful information boards…

Who knows, this may well be Mr B’s elusive owl that he could hear from the edge of the campsite...

After the excitement of the tower, Mrs B took it to another level by suggesting that we took the folders for a proper off-road test that would take us out into the interior and away from the bank of the river…

...where we discovered huge amounts of salicorne which, when we see it in Blighty (samphire) we love as a salty addition to fish dishes and salads – so we had to partake in a little bit of mindful, respectful, but no doubt frowned upon, foraging! 

We were running out of time to explore further west to see if the ferry boat to Valras was operating, so we completed our circular route, accompanied by dive bombing swallows (maybe some from our site?) and loads of skylarks – a pleasing reminder of the Sussex Downs and not at all expected! With extra time we could also have watched for more of the large variety of birdlife, which includes Hoopoes, Kingfishers and Flamingos – the latter of which we had seen in flight heading towards the lagoon area from our pitch one evening.

We have had a truly relaxing and enjoyable time here, again, but after 18 nights on the campsite we realised that we were ready to head off for a bit more exploring. We were both keen to explore the nearby city of Béziers properly, as the best we had managed in the past was a view from the Canal du Midi, when we did a very long and hot ride along the canal in 2019 as far as the famous old locks, Les 9 Écluses de Fonseranes.

We are sure we will be back again, as the climate is perfect for us most of the time and there is always loads to do without having to trouble Evie for a lift. The jury is still out on whether we will return to Beauséjour, with the changes to the sanitaires and the impact on those Hirondelles, but luckily there are always other choices of campsite offering the excellent ACSI discount…

With one last late night farewell to the beach, we are off in the morning. Merci Sérignan – a l’année prochaine!

S&J 09.06.26