Craft beer fever is sweeping the globe and La France is not immune. Numbers of artisanal brasseries have almost tripled in a few short years. Here in the Pyrenees, young skilful brewers are discovering our cool crisp water is the perfect ingredient.

Three new words which may eventually end up in the French dictionary were given the most ‘likes’ in a Facebook survey. Escargoter , coming from the good old French snail and meaning ‘to take one’s time’,

In 1860 Abbé Rous, the new Curé at the Chapelle de la Rectorie, first tasted the naturally sweet wine of Banyuls and found it so good that he decided, through his network of Catholic contacts, to make it the communion wine of France.