Writing in La Redorte (France)

Over the past week, Gilles and I called La Redorte our home. This sleepy town in the southern Minervois region of France is situated near the Canal du Midi. We stayed in La Batisse, an 18th century winery restored to a luxury holiday apartment with courtyard, swimming pool, sauna and restaurant. The trip offered the perfect opportunity to mentally catch up on my new novel. I love writing in new places. The novelty clears my thoughts. So whenever I am blocked with my writing, I seek out new destinations. In La Redorte, I worked before breakfast when the world was still asleep. The rest of the day we meandered off to surrounding cities and geological sites until it was time to return and rest.

Having just started a new novel, I couldn't help but keep story and characters in the back of my head for the duration of the trip. A one-day visit to the Spanish village of Cadaqués, right across the border, influenced the setting, events and characters in the book.

The best place to jot down new ideas was near the gorge of the river Verdouble, hidden away in the Corbières mountain range. Here, the clear turquoise water flows through a series of waterfalls, pools and small natural lakes hollowed out by a rock.

Meanwhile, life has returned back to normal, to writing in bed with my cat. The weather is a lot cooler here in Belgium than it was in the South of France and I've already switched on the heater. I can't wait to see what the new novel will finally turn into.