Narbonne is a leafy and well-appointed town, initially founded by the Romans in 118 BCE, when it was known then as Narbo. Once a very prosperous port and a major city due to its strategic location, it was in fact Rome’s first colony in Gaul.

Tucked away off the coast road, half way between Port Vendres and Banyuls-sur-Mer, lies the bay of Paulilles, three beaches (Bernardi, del Mitg and Fourat) separated by rocky headlands, surrounded by steep and endless vineyards, and rugged mountains.

It’s all go! Migrant birds are returning from their winter homes and mammals are getting frisky; reptiles are emerging and bugs are flying. There are territories to be claimed and defended, mates to attract, nests to build, setts to clean, burrows to renovate, young to feed. And the backdrop to this frenetic activity is a landscape transformed into countless shades of green.