amnesia.fr Created in 1984 and situated in the south of France purpose-built club that harks back to the style of a Greek theatre in its design with an L-Acoustic sound system and multiple LED screens surrounding the club has been building up to an extra exciting summer in 2024 after purchasing the adjacent land and creating an extension to give increase its capacity the quality of guest DJs and VIP experience Armin van Buuren and Timmy Trumpet have played there this past year key nights feature electronic music headliners with much celebration and pazazz while Prestige Sundays bring hip-hop party vibes with an equal amount of joy and happiness displayed The Cap d’Agde Air Show will take place on Friday and the world-class cast is guaranteed to turn heads this is a show that will be a massive hit with all ages a market with a variety of exhibitors will be open to the public along with a host of activities that people can join in from the traveling podium sent by the French Air and Space Force The opening act will be played out by four parachutists from the 2f/2G Parachute Regiment paving the way for a demonstration by the American aircraft OV-10 Bronco Next up will be the French Air and Space Force aerobatics team a display by the Patrouille de France Alpha Jets the pilots will mingle with the crowd to chat and sign autographs We will remember your choice for a period of one year. You can change your mind at any time by clicking on "Manage cookies" in the bottom left of each page on our Website. You can find our detailed Cookies Policy here The Website and our partners use "required only" cookies in order to improve your browsing by securing your use of the Website and by optimizing its operation These cookies do not involve obtaining your consent This cookie is used by the "GDPR Cookie Consent" cookie management module to store the user’s cookie consent status This cookie is used by the "Dassault Mag" module to keep the "Dassault Mag" area user session open This cookie is used by the "Incapsula" firewall technical solution to help ensure the security of your use of the Website This cookie is used by the "Incapsula" firewall technical solution to balance the server load This cookie is used by AT Internet / Piano Analytics to store the visitor’s anonymous ID which is initiated upon the first visit to the website This cookie is used by AT Internet / Piano Analytics to store information about the tracking context This cookie is used by AT Internet / Piano Analytics to save the visitor privacy mode This cookie is used by Google reCaptcha to display personalized ads on Google sites based on recent searches and previous interactions.Cookies directly implemented by Google and not configurable by Dassault Aviation This cookie is used by Google reCaptcha to provide information about the way in which the end user uses the website and about every ad that the end user was able to see before visiting said website.Cookies directly implemented by Google and not configurable by Dassault Aviation This cookie is used by Google reCaptcha to display personalized ads on Google sites based on recent searches and previous interactions.Cookies directly implemented by Google and not configurable by Dassault Aviation This cookie is used by Google reCaptcha to prevent or discourage the sending of spam by users or spambots.Cookies directly implemented by Google and not configurable by Dassault Aviation This cookie is used by Google reCaptcha to store user preferences regarding cookies.Cookies directly implemented by Google and not configurable by Dassault Aviation The Website and our partners use “not required” cookies for collecting statistics on the use of the Website required for the operation of the “SiteImprove” tool These cookies involve obtaining your prior consent This cookie is used by SiteImprove to balance the server load This cookie is used by SiteImprove to collect statistics about Site usage Mayor charged with corruption for 'lavishing' taxpayers' money on clairvoyant who 'impersonated' his dead father The French town of Agde is known for its beautiful Mediterranean beaches year-round sun – and its reputation for "wild sex parties" But Agde is "reeling from an entirely new scandal" which has France "shaking its head in collective bemusement and amusement" has been accused of corruption after "squandering" money on the self-described medium Sophia Martinez who purported to channel his father's voice from beyond the grave From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox hypnotherapist and healer" on her Facebook page "I am a specialist in the cleansing of energy for people and places." she put the mayor and former conservative MP "in contact" with his deceased father was allegedly able to mimic d'Ettore's father's voice "with her extraordinary ventriloquist skills in order to further the con" Prosecutors allege that Martinez used the voice to convince the mayor to "hire her family members for government jobs, pay for holidays to exotic locations such as Polynesia and Thailand pay for her wedding and to renovate her home" Martinez even modified her voice with members of her family and close friends said prosecutor Raphaël Balland.  she succeeded in making them think they were talking with a supernatural being from the beyond." The mayor was "so infatuated" with Martinez that he "considered her to be his daughter", said The Telegraph He even walked her down the aisle last year at her lavish third wedding She told police that d'Ettore had been "bewitched" by the medium into embezzling council funds Police set up wiretaps and were "amazed" by Martinez's ventriloquist skills She agreed to demonstrate these during her interrogation He denies the charges. The mayor fell under the influence of a "perfectly malevolent character", said his lawyer Jean Marc Darrigade. He claims he was the "victim of a swindle".  "We had to show him this video [of Martinez's interrogation] for him to realise that he had been duped," he told Le Parisien.  Martinez is facing charges of embezzlement and tax fraud, after police reportedly found large sums of cash at her home. Both are in custody awaiting trial to prevent potential witness tampering. Martinez's husband is also under investigation. Martinez has admitted to "bewitching" the mayor of Agde, said The Times, and using her influence to get council jobs for her husband and five family members. She told police she had been "caught up in a negative spiral". But Martinez's lawyer, Luc Abratkiewicz, said that "it's not a case of manipulation" because Martinez "owned up to what she did". Her other clients, including doctors and architects, claim she had "mystical powers", he told the BBC.  Meanwhile, the mayor's lawyer has "turned into a minor celebrity overnight", said the broadcaster. "It's a crazy story," said Darrigade. "It's incredible because you have a man in politics, mayor and former MP who is very intelligent. And you discover that a man like that can be manipulated by a woman." The whole town is "stunned", said Thierry Nadal, leader of the Agde council opposition. "It's a really sad affair" and this "bizarre stuff with the clairvoyant" is "damaging our town". The lawyers may deny it, said the BBC, but locals believe "it all comes down to sex in a town with a lot of it already". A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com Harriet Marsden is a writer for The Week mostly covering UK and global news and politics she was a freelance journalist for seven years and regularly contributed articles to The Sunday Times Times Radio and “Woman’s Hour” She has a master’s in international journalism from City University and was awarded the "journalist-at-large" fellowship by the Local Trust charity in 2021.  as this diamond in the rough prepares to reveal its secrets to the public for the first time let’s take one last look before the dust is cleared… Emmanuel Laurens was a 25 year-old student practising medicine in the nearby city of Montpellier when he was unexpectedly bequeathed a gargantuan fortune from a distant cousin equivalent to approximately 110 million dollars today Sounds like the beginning of an epic novel right Well after spending a few years travelling he decided with all that coin he would build a cutting edge chateau After the mansion was complete he began living a somewhat reclusive life with his wife there have been a number of theories about what really went on behind the doors of his doomed dream palace Some speculate that Laurens was involved in the revitalization of Cathar Catharism resurfaced in the south of France around the turn of the 20th century after dying out after the 14th century The Cathars believed that one must gain enlightenment in their lifetime or be doomed to reincarnation This revival is postulated to have been brought on by the industrial revolution and the exponential progress of technology forcing people to reckon with what it means to be human Laurens had his own opium den or “fumoir d’opium” installed in the mansion where psychedelics are said to have been used by Laurens and his friends (or fellow believers) to come in contact with the spirit world The neo-Cathars thought that raising their consciousness and forming a kingdom in the spirit realm was the only way to transcend the world which would be taken over entirely by machines the halls were have said to be filled with music and poetry since the Neo-Cathars believed that music and poetry were sacred These musical moments might have been observed as parties to outsiders brandishing the palace with a reputation for indulgent society soirées Rumour also circulated that Laurens had sworn off earthly pleasures entirely in his pursuit of enlightenment The house may have contained many clues about the mystical journeys going on inside there is a stained glass window with a poem beneath it both representing Laurens personal spiritual transformation The rooms which many refer to as “the laboratory” and the servants quarters might have actually been the site of purification rituals an essential part of any serious Neo-Cathars practice exquisite mosaics of plentiful gardens and stained glass windows all hide clues in the form of symbols to the beliefs and traditions of the Neo-Cathars The first world war brought on financial troubles for Laurens but his destitution was set in stone during WWII when Nazis took the chateau There are some German murals with swastika details in one of the rooms which mark their presence drowned most of his bespoke art nouveau furniture and art in the river rather than have it be taken by the Germans Considering what was spared and the great attention to detail and care that went into crafting every inch of the chateau the destroyed interior furnishings can be considered with some certainty he was forced to sell off his properties to a friend in order to pay off his debts and was henceforth banished to only three rooms in the chateau where he lived out his final days A friend of Laurens was quoted saying he “sought here to satisfy the pleasures of the noblest senses” meaning “everything speaks to the imagination and that our intellect is constantly awakened by the charm of lines The house itself was a combination of the stylish Art Nouveau style and Moorish architecture Leaders of Art Nouveau had a direct hand in every aspect of the chateau from Eugène-Martial Simas who made the stained glass windows and tiling to Paul Arnavielhe and Léon Cauvy who fashioned all the custom furniture The chateau was not only an aesthetic masterpiece but it was also incredibly high tech It was one of the first chateaus to have central heating a bathroom and reinforced cement as well as a roof terrace Laurens died in 1959 without heirs and the house was bought by the commune of Agde in 1995 Initially planned for completion at the end of 2020, three years on and the Chateau has finally reopened for its big reveal. The next time you’re in the south of France, you can now book the guided visit Last Updated on December 29, 2023 by MessyNessy enthusiasts see it as a way to experience freedom and empowerment in their lives The south of France is an ideal place to practice naturism because it has hundreds of miles of beautiful beaches and there is a group of islands in the Mediterranean (the Hyères Islands) there is a beach called the Plage des Grottes The beach has been popular with naturists since the 1930s small island that happily takes pride in its naturism There are also a few restaurants and bars to discover The Cap d’Agde is a popular holiday resort near the town of Agde (which is further inland from the Cape). It is just south of the city of Montpellier and boasts over 22km of sandy beaches The resort has been around since the 1960s and is still bustling each summer with holidaymakers heading to the many beaches that wrap around the peninsula Part of the resort has a naturist area which is one of the best equipped in the region It’s probably best to leave the kids at home as the resort has a wild reputation the Béziers Cap d’Agde Airport handily serves the resort with an airport shuttle bus connecting the two after each flight Explore tours, trips and experiences in Montpellier here >>> A list of nudist beaches in the south of France wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Tahiti beach in St Tropez It’s in a corner of the iconic Pampelonne Beach where Allied Forces landed on 15 August 1944 nearing the end of World War II and where Brigitte Bardot made herself and St Tropez famous in the 1950s when she starred in the film And God Created Woman (1956) Up to this point people had always worn swimsuits on the beach but as part of the wider counterculture in the 1960s they began to discard their clothes here they were allowed to stay and today it is one of the most well known nudist beaches in the world There is a beach club here and a restaurant Check out tours, trips and experiences in St Tropez here >>> Just outside Perpignan you’ll find the naturist resort of Oasis Village There are lots of different sized apartments you can rent within the resort (and some you can buy) Oasis Village is family-friendly and there are activities such as windsurfing sailing (the resort has its own marina) and tennis Sign up to our newsletter to save up to $800 on our unique trips See privacy policy Discover tours trips and experiences in Perpignan here >>> Widely regarded as one of the most lovely naturist beaches in the south of France The beach is near the town of La Seyne-sur-Mer and there are places to park along the coast road (Corniche Varoise) Access to the beach is difficult – there are steep steps – but the journey is well worth the effort It will take you about 15 minutes to get down to the beach from the road so make sure you take everything you need with you Swapped a hectic life in the city of London for an easy-going southern French vibe I still work just as hard but on my own terms and on my own time and of course meeting the amazing people and seeing the wonderful things this country has to offer See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in October See & Do 10 French Theme Parks You Should Be Visiting Instead of Disney Guides & Tips This Is Europe's Ultimate Road Trip Guides & Tips Beat the Crowds with these Alternative Summer Destinations See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in Autumn Guides & Tips Scenic Road Trips to Take From Biarritz Architecture A Brutalist Architecture Tour of Marseille See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in September Guides & Tips The Best European Cities to Visit in November See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in Summer See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in July Guides & Tips The Best European Cities to Visit in December US: +1 (678) 967 4965 | UK: +44 (0)1630 35000 tripssupport@theculturetrip.com © Copyright 2025 The Culture Trip Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Text description provided by the architects. Between land and sea, between living garden, belvedere and sky, between mineral and organic: the birth of a new urban center. A+Architecture has just completed the redevelopment of a new district at the gates of Cap d’Agde. The agency has also completed two major facilities which, like two white concrete pearls, signal the renewal of this of this area, the Palais des Congrès and the Casino. © Benoit WehrléA large, gently sloping square is on the roof of the complex. Perched high above the site and on one side, a panoramic room, whose shape evokes a Solen (a bivalve shell commonly called a razor shell), offers exceptional views of the entire surrounding landscape. © Benoit WehrléIn close collaboration with A+Architecture played with the theme of the seabed in a mischievous way to design the 2,900 m2 white metal mesh sculpture that covers the two buildings of this belvedere between land You'll now receive updates based on what you follow Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors If you have done all of this and still can't find the email This latest edition includes three days of regattas in speed crossing format for kite foil Wing foiling will have its own separate ranking for the first time this year Organised by the Centre Nautique du Cap d’Agde French school of sailing this new stage will allow ENGIE Kite Tour ambassadors and experienced kiteboarders to face off after the winter break.  the ENGIE Kite Tour will take place in Cap d’Agde (Hérault department) for a weekend The event will kick off on Richelieu beach an internationally renowned boarding hotspot that is perfect for kiteboarding and wing foiling.  The French Sailing Federation (FFVoile) has delegated the organisation of an ENGIE Kite Tour stage to the Centre Nautique du Cap d’Agde for the first time This stage will not only help promote the boarding hotspot on Richelieu beach it will also help develop the sport within the club and will help reach a wider audience thanks to introductory kiteboard handling courses held every Saturday and Sunday competitors and spectators to participate or attend a wonderful celebration of board sports All the ENGIE Kite Tour ambassadors will take part in this weekend of competition Registrations are open: click here the ENGIE Foundation and the Fondation de la Mer are organising waste collection initiatives at every beach on the ENGIE Kite Tour The goal is to raise awareness among spectators and kite surfers on reducing waste on a daily basis.  Don’t miss this year’s first waste collection on Saturday 16 April starting at 10 am at the Centre Nautique du Cap d’Agde join us in this great initiative while discovering the ENGIE Kite Tour.  Click here to sign up You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience As part of the "European Commissariats" program in the Police Nationale (PN) commissariat in July 2019 I normally work on patrol duty for the Düsseldorf police The aim of the assignment was to support the French police during the main holiday period when the number of residents in Agde multiplies by carrying out joint patrols with the local police station is located in the south of France near Montpellier on the river Hérault in the department of Hérault the district of La Tamarissière and the Cap d'Agde The town is particularly known for a nude quarter in Cap d'Agde which I shared with a Spanish and a French colleague The comfortable accommodation was provided free of charge by the French police I completed my service together with a Spanish colleague from the "Polica Nacional" at the Groupe de Sécurité de Proximité (GSP) of the Commisariat d`Agde The group's tasks include maintaining a police presence carrying out exceptional operations requiring more than one operational unit and presenting suspects in court The organizational unit consists of two groups of five police officers each I was always on duty in German uniform with my own service weapon during the day from 12 noon to 8 pm or from 9 am to 5 pm I was particularly involved in missions with German tourists We also carried out driving and foot patrols through the various parts of the city There was also time to talk at length with my French colleagues about work and private matters In addition to the actual tasks of my group I was also asked several times by my colleagues to come to the police station to assist with taking reports from German victims I also had the opportunity to take part in a police ceremony who only knows a demilitarized police force I also accompanied the Patrouille de France on the beach in Agde I can look back on three outstanding missions two of which I couldn't have come close to experiencing during my service in Düsseldorf at the Mitte police station The first of these operations was a fire in the immediate vicinity of a main road I was impressed by how quickly a fire can spread through bushes fields and meadows and also by how professionally and quickly the police and firefighters responded While we were trying to guide the vehicles out of the immediate danger zone the fire department was already starting to extinguish the fire I and the nervous road users were particularly surprised by the extreme smoke development to turn around on the road and let the traffic flow away as quickly as possible After we had cleared the danger zone and cordoned off the road we were able to observe the professional work of the fire department The coordination of the firefighters from the fire department helicopter and the approach of the firefighting aircraft were new and impressive for me The second outstanding operation was a tragic fatal traffic accident in which a father ran over his 18-month-old son on a campsite My patrol and I arrived at the scene at the same time as other emergency services While my colleagues immediately took care of the child's resuscitation I looked after the father right from the start I probably wouldn't have been able to find the right words in German either when we were approached by a panicked woman who told us that her husband was in distress more than 150 meters from the beach and could not swim the lady pointed to a man in the water who was her husband As there was no rescue post in the immediate vicinity a French colleague and I went into the water to rescue the man in distress Another colleague took over the coordination of the operation with the control center It later turned out that the man in the water was not the panicked woman's husband but simply a swimmer who was swimming on the spot We then found the supposed victim on his towel on the beach we took the opportunity to show and explain our equipment to each other I was particularly impressed by the "lance grenade (MP7) and Flashball 40x46" ranged weapons which are used to fend off people at a distance with gas cartridges and rubber bullets The French colleagues were enthusiastic about the protective vest the EMS-A and the submachine gun as equipment for every patrol car and about the patrol car itself We also often discussed the legal system in France We realized that we are still a long way from a unified Europe in terms of police and criminal procedure law Through the joint patrol duty and the many conversations I was able to significantly improve my French language level we colleagues understood each other better and better We were invited to barbecues at our French colleagues' homes made me very happy and I was able to experience that the profession of police officer is something very special I hope that I can keep in touch with my French and Spanish colleagues and return some of their hospitality one day diminishing levels of groundwater in aquifers and water restriction measures put in place the 2019 summer season was marked by an exceptional drought that demonstrated the need to have a powerful and predictive water management system for the country and its inhabitants six of the twenty-seven holes of the Cap d’Agde international golf course are being watered with treated wastewater instead of drinking water The plan will be fully operational in 2020 The golf course will water its lawns from May to September1 with treated wastewater eighteen of the twenty-seven holes will receive ultra-filtered water Of the 300,000 m³ of water used every year for watering over 75% comes from the Posidonia wastewater treatment plant thereby saving 200,000 m3 of drinking water in the summer season the city of Agde has worked for many years to make preserving water resources one of its priorities: Thanks to various innovations processed by SUEZ over more than 10 years 1 million m3 of water will now be saved every year in the Agde urban area images by romain veillon emmanuel laurens was born in 1873 to a wealthy family he took an avid interest in travel but while he was out exploring the world he inherited a large fortune from a distant cousin he also inherited a plot of land in the city of agde it was in this site where château laurens would be erected emmanuel decided to draw up the plans for the villa himself taking a lot of inspiration from the new trend of art nouveau that was in vogue at the time each room is linked to one of his travels abroad artists dedicated to the art nouveau trend were enlisted to decorate and adorn the villa and even built a domed music lounge in the château to showcase her voice emmanuel had to sell the château as a life annuity in 1938 his wife and his mother then resided in an independent part of the villa where employees used to stay the building was occupied by the nazi army emmanuel decided to through all his furniture and belongings into the lake rather than let the germans seize them photography: romain veillon designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here. AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style Routes is part of the Informa Markets Division of Informa PLC With flights to Béziers Cap d’Agde from Brussels South Charleroi Airport airline Ryanair consolidates its destinations in France flights to Béziers Cap d’Agde The third most popular country in terms of departures from Brussels-Charleroi 16 towns in France will be available from today The airline Ryanair has also recently announced that it will be continuing its Brussels Charleroi – Béziers Cap D’Agde route for the 2019-2020 winter season acting Chief Executive Officer of Brussels South Charleroi Airport announces: “We are starting this high season with a new route to the South of France And it won’t be the last for the 2019 summer season Wizz Air will also be launching Kutaisi on 4 August 2019 We are continuing to diversify in winter as well with the introduction of the Brussels Charleroi – Tel Aviv line will be the ninth company active on our tarmac Despite its whiff of mass tourism, the south of France still holds a defiant allure especially when the Mediterranean sun blazes high overhead and the still air requires soporific holidaymakers to do little more than move from room to shaded beach umbrella Cap d’Agde in the Languedoc region – a stone’s throw from Narbonne – ticks all the boxes the Nakara hides its self-service studios and two- to four-room villas behind an unexpectedly austere flank of white say the architects Jacques Ferrier Architecture are meant to function as filters that insert space between the public areas and the guest-rooms which are almost Arabesque in their kinetic effect also act as giant brises soleil so that from the terraces and balconies there is a very real sense of being simultaneously inside and out the interior décor is functionally bland to a fault but that is all the more reason to spend more quality time stretched out by the all-white pool space escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox Daven Wu is the Singapore Editor at Wallpaper* he has been covering Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian region since 1999 and travel for both the magazine and website He is also the City Editor for the Phaidon Wallpaper* City Guide to Singapore Too many automated requests from this network A mayor in southern France has been arrested and accused of corruption after being tricked into hiring people and spending public money by a local ‘clairvoyant’ who modified her voice in calls to him causing him to believe the voice belonged to a ‘supernatural force’ was arrested and detained for questioning on March 21 in connection with alleged “illegal interest-taking and corruption” said the Béziers prosecutor in a statement He is being investigated for "misappropriation of funds by a person in a position of public authority illegal acquisition of interests and corruption” who describes herself as a ‘self-employed clairvoyant and healer’ has also been detained and questioned accused of deliberately tricking and corrupting the mayor who is the Agde mairie’s current technical service director has also been placed under judicial control He is suspected of "illegal interest taking misappropriation of funds by a person in a position of public authority as well as some of his family members and close friends while modifying her voice in an attempt to trick or confuse them She is suspected of using a “masculine-sounding calm and husky voice on the telephone” in an attempt to make her respondents believe that they were “in conversation with a supernatural being from beyond” This voice caused people to become “concerned about the well-being of this woman The woman said that her calls had managed to persuade the mayor to grant her several “favours” including the recruitment of five members of her family and close friends to work for the commune This included the appointment of her husband at the mairie Mr d’Ettore has admitted that the woman managed to convince him that she was “gifted with supernatural powers" and he felt so close to her that he considered her to be like a daughter He only realised he had been the victim of a scam when investigators showed him a video of the woman modifying her voice Mr d’Ettore has denied having committed any offence The investigation first began in October 2023 The Béziers public prosecutor’s office then opened a criminal investigation “against X” on January 5 Survivalist arrested over booby trap home full of bombs in France Recent power cut in Spain and Portugal is warning to holidaymakers to ensure they are prepared for worst-case scenario The resort is set to remain open to the public and not only to professionals Storms from the weekend will persist across some areas Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Every passenger that arrives at Béziers-Cap d’Agde costs French taxpayers money despite the airport’s lucrative contract with Ryanair according to a report by the Occitanie chamber of accounts Ryanair carries around 200,000 passengers per year to Béziers-Cap d’Agde which has flown to the airport for 15 years and is the only operator that flies there The choice of smaller airports to rely on low cost airlines to bring tourists to their regions and has become more difficult with fewer passenger numbers since the Covid-19 pandemic Read more: Mid-sized French airports ‘too reliant on cheap flights’, report finds a collaborative body set up between the local communes and the region of Occitanie It has been reliant on public money for some time the airport operated at an annual loss of €4.7million requiring €5.1million each year from taxpayers In the years following the Covid-19 crisis the situation is likely to have been worse It is relatively common in France for smaller airports to receive funding from the region. While €20 per passenger may seem like a lot, it pales in comparison to the €327 per passenger that Angoulême spent in 2015 the use of public money by the syndicat mixte to effectively subsidise the activity of a private company has led Air France to file a complaint against it for unfair competition which is currently being investigated by the European Commission The result of this investigation “could put the future of the airport in doubt” The European Commission has a history of rulings against Ryanair, forcing it to repay Pau and Nimes Airports a total of €9.6m of taxpayers’ money in 2017 the annual deficit and the airport’s structural debt have called on the Occitanie chamber of accounts to question the management of the airport and even go so far as question its viability in a region where there are five other airports within 100km The airport’s deal with Ryanair is described in the report as lopsided with “highly beneficial financial conditions” given to the low cost airline including the unilateral right to withdraw from the agreement with no notice the airport would need one million passengers a year Its current capacity is for 400,000 passenger transits per year the airport says on its website that it brings €65 million to the region per year and 600 jobs The Occitanie chamber of accounts acknowledges that the average tourist from the UK spends €610 but concludes that “the real economic benefits are difficult to evaluate.” Two escaped bulls delay flights at French airport for five hours Ryanair and Bordeaux airport in row as disabled woman left off flight Home - Archive - FSDG Announces Beziers Cap d’Agde Airport (LFMU) FSDG has announced on their Facebook page they were very close to releasing a previously unannounced rendition of the Beziers Cap d’Agde Airport (LFMU) The scenery was first teased with a Ouigo TGV train picture.… The scenery was first teased with a Ouigo TGV train picture The Beziers Cap d’Agde Airport (LFMU) is located along the Mediterranean Sea coast It is also a popular general aviation destination and serves as a temporary base for firefighting aircraft during summer No specific features nor pricing has been disclosed yet however the developer stated the scenery was very close to release Stay tuned on FSElite for further information regarding the FSDG Beziers ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " Email: Email Us Here Website: Visit Our Website Home - Archive - Flight Sim Development Group Releases Beziers Cap d’Agde (LFMU) Scenery developer Flight Sim Development Group (FSDG) may have just released Casablanca on X-Plane 11 but they aren’t stopping with scenery releases this week French airport Beziers Cap d’Agde (LFMU) is now ready to purchase… French airport Beziers Cap d’Agde (LFMU) is now ready to purchase and download from the FSDG website the airport is only served by Ryanair to destinations such Beauvais the airport is limited to only one 737 at any one time due to a lack of facilities at the small airport The airport also accommodates a range of GA flying for those looking to explore France at a slower pace FSDG have invested time to create a highly detailed version of Beziers Cap d’Agde airport and the surroundings it has also included animated TGV trains with authentic schedules detailed vineyards and realistic shadow and lighting The airport can be picked up from FSDG for €9.99 (excluding VAT). The TimesA teenager has been killed and another critically injured in a collision on a high-speed theme park ride in southern France The accident occurred amid strong winds in the early hours of Sunday on the Adrenaline attraction at Luna Park in Cap d’Agde on the Mediterranean Prosecutors said an investigation had been opened and four people including the theme park manager had been placed under arrest and were being questioned the state prosecutor in the nearby town of Béziers said investigators would seek to determine whether it had been appropriate to maintain the rides in high winds They will also seek to determine whether there was a mechanical failure The attraction involves winching two people The Local Europe ABVästmannagatan 43113 25 StockholmSweden The ‘Naturist Village’ at Cap d’Agde on the Mediterranean coast of southern France That means 45,000 holiday-makers coming and going every day – many of them families with children Authorities at the popular and high-end resort have gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure the safety and privacy of their lucrative visitors Among the measures taken: A full-time security team of 25 a three-man unit with a guard dog patrolling the perimeter of the private village day and night 24-hour videosurveillance on the outside of the resort and a system of electronic swipe cards to get in and out An extra step to ward of voyeurism – new arrivals to the resort can’t check in to the reception centre to get their swipe cards after 8pm Entry is prohibited,” Agde mayor Gilles d’Ettore told regional daily Midi Libre on Monday One of the results of this maximum security nudism is that for seven months during spring and summer These safety measures appear not to be over the top, either. Just last month The Local reported how a British businessman was caught and charged by police for secretly filming teen and pre-teen girls on the beach at Cap d’Agde The 41-year-old had been seen wandering through the sun bathers and regularly stopping for periods of time next to young girls Naturists became concerned and alerted the police who reportedly discovered a miniature video camera whom Midi Libre says recently left his wife and family and is set to appear in court in France in November Please log in here to leave a comment 10 (UPI) -- A cable on a slingshot-style ride at a French amusement park snapped during operation and sent a car containing two passengers crashing into a support One of the bungee cables holding the ball then snaps causing it to be pulled in the direction of the other cable and crash against one of the ride's supports Pons said in a Facebook post it took about an hour for rescuers to reach the passengers A female passenger was treated for a broken leg Luna Park blamed the accident on a "manufacturing defect" and said an investigation has been opened GM Deep Sengupta drew against the Algeria no.1 GM Bilel Bellahcene in the final round to win the tournament with an unbeaten 7.5/9 score. GM Sayantan Das also scored the same. He secured second place according to tie-breaks. This is Sayantan's second consecutive runner-up finish in France A total of 204 players including 16 GMs, 32 IMs 2 WGMs and 5 WIM took part from 18 countries across the world in this tournament The eight-day nine-round Swiss League Rating Open tournament was organized by Capechecs at Ccas Cap d'Agde Holiday Center in Cap d'Agde France from 28th October to 4th November 2023 The time control of the event was 90 minutes + 30 seconds per move starting from move no.1 Details Official site Tournament Details We have launched the ChessBase India App. Check out this amazing resource! Android for now - Download the app now Follow Tweets by @ChessbaseIndia ChessBase India is proud to be the official partner of chessbase.com reporting on events in India Like our Facebook page for more Indian chess updates The all new ChessBase Premium Account which gives you access to ten amazing online ChessBase services like PlayChess Become a part of the ever-growing ChessBase India Youtube Channel. Subscribe now and stay update with our awesome video content.  Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time Cap d'Agde is the world's largest clothing-optional beach resort.Credit: Alamy PARIS: A naturist resort on France's Mediterranean coast has seen a sharp spike in coronavirus infections and nudists have been ordered to at least wear masks and practice social distancing Tests had shown a 30 per cent infection rate in people who had visited Village Cap d'Agde - which advertises itself as a village for naturists and libertines - the Occitanie region health authority said That was more than four times higher than the 7 per cent rate recorded in other people in the area who had not visited the centre which is about 60 km down the coast from Montpellier The health authority's director general said social distancing had probably not been sufficiently respected at the centre including among people who are not libertines The message is the same for everyone: wear a mask wash your hands and practice social distancing whether you are a libertine or not a libertine," Ricordeau said the government prefect for the region ordered people to wear masks in the camp banned gatherings of more than 10 people there and scrapped exemptions on night club opening hours He also asked anyone planning to go to the village to delay their travel plans set in a huge circular modernist building by the beach is one of France's oldest and biggest naturist resorts and draws tens of thousands of visitors per day in summer France reported nearly 5,000 new coronavirus infections See also: Italian village swamped with tourists after free lodging offer See also: Are Europe's holidaymakers to blame for driving up virus numbers? The latest travel news, tips and inspiration delivered to your inbox. Sign up now PARIS: A naturist resort on France's Mediterranean coast has seen a sharp spike in coronavirus infections and nudists have been ordered to at least wear masks and practice social distancing Tests had shown a 30 per cent infection rate in people who had visited Village Cap d'Agde - which advertises itself as a village for naturists and libertines - the Occitanie region health authority said The health authority's director general is one of France's oldest and biggest naturist resorts and draws tens of thousands of visitors per day in summer "la cite au naturel." Nowhere else in the civilized world do so many wear so little From all over Europe and abroad they come here by the tens of thousands to take it off (The latter is a surprise since the French take their spoiled pets even into elegant restaurants.) Enforcing the nakedness is a beach patrol whose members wear T-shirts and shorts because they're out in the sun all day "We don't want any gawkers and voyeurs," says Claudine Tartanella a Parisian married to an Italian-American and now living in Florida For 15 years they have been coming to this gated city on the Mediterranean Sea in southwestern France "There's plenty of beach outside the nudist resort out in the 'textile world,' for people who want to have their bathing suit on," she says Women do their grocery shopping in the nude at the big chain supermakets Intermarche and Hyper U There's little need for dressing rooms in the city's many boutiques three young Englishwomen take viewers on a tour of this hedonist hideaway with its pyramid-shaped apartment buildings and other outrageous architecture that some have called the "next St Cap d'Agde's year-round population of perhaps 10,000 to 12,000 swells to about 40,000 in the summer months including those at an 85-acre campground that can accommodate 12,000 Visitors can't get in the gate unless they can show they have accommodations at the resort The "quarter naturiste," or naturist quarter is closed off from the outside world by a fence it has its own council which passes ordinances applying only to its naturist members About three-fourths of the vacationers are French After a hard day baking on the 2-mile-long beach of fine white sand there are some 50 bars where these pleasure-seekers can get oiled "A few years ago Cap d'Adge got a very bad reputation," Ms Tartanella says with her heavy French accent "They had a gay group and another group of exhibitionists that got together down on the far end of the beach and groups of people would go down there and watch." One young man who didn't want to be identified said he has come to Cap d'Agde four times "There are the dunes to the side of the campsite that are used for extra-curricular activities by gays and straights," he said "Whatever goes on there is well out of sight from the beach and for anyone not interested is easy to avoid." Tartanella says last year "they cleaned it up completely As far as their behavior they have really straightened out their act." There are some diehards who insist on eating naked The unidentified young man said he and his friends never felt embarrassed about stopping by a cafe at night for a beer or a cup of coffee in the nude Tartanella says the nightclubs "went completely overboard" four or five years ago and started requiring men to wear dress slacks and dress shoes "They won't allow you in with a pair of sneakers." own and operate the Cypress Cove Nudist Resort near Kissimmee They also book escorted tours to Cap d'Agde and other places through their business are scheduled July 10 through July 21 and July 20 through July 31 includes air fare from New York (Newark) to Paris on Air France It includes 21/2 days in Paris and seven days in a Cap d'Agde apartment with an eat-in kitchen and a balcony overlooking the Med Most of the apartments are owned by individuals who turn them over to a real estate agent to rent out has 2,524 campsites with running water and electricity 23 mobile homes and 18 luxury chalets for rent The enclosed Cap d'Agde nudist resort on the Mediterranean coast of France is self-sufficient with all the services most cities have to offer but it would be a shame if guests never ventured outside the front gate Near the resort is the ancient port city of Agde which was colonized in the 5th century B.C as the second Greek town in France after Marseille Construction of Cap d'Agde (Cape of Agde) began in 1969 Just 12 miles of open beach along a narrow spit of land between the Mediteranean and the Bassin de Thau separate Agde from the major fishing port of Sete It's in the Bassin de Thau that fisherman farm the famous Bouzigues oysters and mussels A side trip to the village of Bouzigues and the larger Meze with a canal running through the heart of the city inspired the poets Georges Brassens and Paul Valery walk down the Saint Louis Pier and watch the fishing boats and yachts vie for space It is here that the French train for the America Cup Drop into one of the many restaurants standing elbow to elbow along the canal and try the bouillabaise This Provencal-style fish stew is here made with freaky-looking sea creatures most Americans wouldn't recognize A dozen or so miles in the other direction from Cap d'Agde is Bezier the "capital" of the Languedoc wine country which produces half of all the wine in France Bezier is also one of the cities in southwestern France where they fight bulls the Spanish way the bull doesn't leave the ring alive Rising high on a hill above Bezier is the fortified cathedral of Saint Lazaire From the cathedral you can see the Pyrenees off in the distance In Bezier you can also book a ride on a luxury barge up the Canal du Midi to Toulouse and the Bordeaux wine country few American tourists venture into this part of France Maybe it's just too far off the beaten track Top A nudist relaxes at the beach club in Cap d'Agde with a pyramidal apartment building in the background The gated community is known for its ultramodern architecture Bottom Pleasure boats of all types are moored at the marina in Cap d'Agde a French city of nudists that was founded in 1969 autumn is a magical season for a canal holiday YBW's editor Stef Bottinelli hires a Le Boat vessel and cruises along the Canal du Midi It’s an early autumn as we get up at the crack of dawn to catch a two hour flight from London to Béziers in southern France where we’ll be spending a few days boating on the Canal du Midi in the Languedoc on a hired Le Boat’s Horizon boat Beziers airport is a mere 10 minutes by car from Port Cassafieres where we are picking up our boat at one of the many Le Boat bases It’s three of us in our party with only one not having any boating experience but this is no problem as Le Boat’s vessels are designed to be driven by (almost) anyone Once arrived at the base we are shown to our boat Before we set off Le Boat’s instructor Kevin takes us for a spin to teach us how to drive our craft and to show us where everything is All Le Boat’s boats have been originally created by the company and we are very pleased with the size and layout of ours which is perfect for a group of three people The flybridge allows for stunning views of the canal as you drive and the area is very sociable with a sunpad whilst aft a dining table and seats allow for eating and relaxing alfresco A barbecue and sink to port mean that meals can be cooked in the open air if the weather allows On the main deck there is the cockpit and the saloon which boasts large windows that allow for panoramic views a dining area with a roomy galley with all mod cons which we’ll use extensively in the following days when we encounter a spot of bad weather The Horizon 1 sleeps up to five with one foredeck master cabin with en-suite and a smaller cabin with twin beds to starboard The dining seats can also be turned into two beds Our first plan to head east towards the ancient town of Agde and the Thau Lake is soon scrapped due to the rainy weather forecast and poor visibility Le Pont Vieux (the old bridge) and the luscious Le Plateau des Poètes a park designed by the Bülher brothers in a typical English style From there we’ll go through the famous Fonserannes locks As we approach Bèziers we hit our first lock The good news is that on the Canal du Midi most locks are not only electrical but also manned so going through them is a doddle: one person at the helm one at the front and one at the back to throw the lines to the lock keeper As long as a safe distance is kept from any bridge one can pretty much get their poles out and moor anywhere on the banks of the canal There are also proper moorings with services along the way but with our petrol and water tanks filled up As we head towards Béziers we pass through the stunning canal viaduct which can only be described as a lush tunnel of trees The view is spectacular and despite the weather forecast the sun is shining so we decide to moor and make the most of the light and warmth and enjoy a BBQ up on the flybridge As the bright light starts turning a stunning pink Night cruising is forbidden on the Canal du Midi and we still need to reach our destination whilst visibility is good It doesn’t take long to get to Béziers but we arrive just as a storm breaks out We moor only a few minutes from Le Pont Vieux a fine example of Roman architecture on the river Orb As it’s raining heavily this is not quite the right time to explore the town so we retreat into the saloon where the excellent WiFi connection on the boat a game of cards and a bottle of local wine keep us entertained until we feel peckish again and cook up a storm in the spacious galley using the local produce we bought On our way back we take a leisurely walk and stop at the beautiful Plateau des Poètes with its grottos It’s another rainy night and with the strike still ongoing we settle in our lovely boat for a long dinner and a film The following day we realise it will take us forever to go through to the famous eight Forsarennes locks as many other boats are in a similar situation as ours so there’s a lot of congestion on the waterways We head over to see the famous locks on foot before turning the boat around and heading east towards Agde Agde is a pretty town with plenty of little lanes including St Stephen’s Cathedral and St Andrew’s church After a few hours of sightseeing it’s time to stop for a bite to eat in Place de la République a pretty square with shops and bars dotted around it the sun is shining and we enjoy our meal taking it all in As the end of our trip approaches and with an early flight back to London in the morning we stop to buy more fresh produce (and of course more wine) for our last meal on the boat before setting off on a picturesque journey back to Port Cassifières It’s late afternoon by the time we arrive back at the base There are no clouds in the sky and the temperature is warm enough for another feast of French food alfresco knowing full well that we already can’t wait to come back Le Boat has many bases around Europe including France Since the end of 2016 they’ve also added a base in Canada on the Rideau Canal sleeping up to 12 people on the Horizons vessels and up to 10 on the Vision fleet The Ownership Programme is aimed at those who enjoy boating several times a year one bathroom Horizon 1150 is priced at £170K and can be used three months a year over seven years The boat will remain as part of Le Boat charter fleet so that they can hire it out when the owner is not using it Under this scheme the company guarantees the owner a monthly income of 7% per year of the value of the boat (calculated after 20% VAT) Le Boat will also take care of the mooring Holidays can be taken on any boat of Le Boat’s charter fleet in any of their 16 European cruising regions and also Canada For more information on Le Boat Ownership Programme click here. Inland cruising offers a beautiful and peaceful alternative to coastal cruising is expanding into North America and will start offering… On paper this looks like being a day for a bunch finish but it’s not guaranteed and you don’t have to delve too far back into Tour history to discover why the final 50 kilometres or so of the stage are played out on the coast and it was a short distance to the east of here that in 2009 HTC-Columbia blew the race apart on Stage 3 into La Grande Motte by using the wind to their advantage and dominating a small front group after echelons formed setting up Mark Cavendish for the second of his six stage wins that year Bastille Day inevitably means French riders going on the attack and the racing should be frantic from the start as breaks try to get away David Moncoutié was the last home rider to win on the Fête Nationale in 2005 when he took the victory in Digne Les Bains but this seems more a day for someone like Cavendish himself the winner of a Quatorze Juillet stage in Issoudun in 2009 although sprinters will have to ensure they aren’t dropped by the main group on the Category 3 Mont Saint-Clair a little over 20km from the line Geraint Thomas says: I think it should be a big group finish but if the wind is up then it could split things up it’s definitely long enough along the coast to the finish and there’s no rest after Montpellier it’s in the wind all the way to the finish So there will be a lot of guys who will be really attentive around there and there’s a few GC guys who could miss out if it all does blow apart otherwise it will be a big old bunch kick again even if it doesn’t look like there is much distance between them on TV it’s almost impossible to bridge across because everyone is going full gas You’re doing 600 or 700 watts on the front so to jump across you’d need to be doing 800 but as soon as you try you realise you need a few guys with you to do it To find out more about the stages on this year's race check out our full 2012 Tour de France Preview with full analysis of every stage plus tips from Geraint Thomas Fantasy Cycling Tour de France Stage 13 transfer window shuts at 10.45am please consider subscribing to the site to support us directly As a subscriber you can read road.cc ad-free The revenue from adverts helps to fund our site then please consider subscribing to road.cc from as little as £1.99 Our mission is to bring you all the news that’s relevant to you as a cyclist Tony's journey in cycling media started in 1997 as production editor and then deputy editor of Total Bike acting editor of Total Mountain Bike and then seven years as editor of Cycling Plus He launched his first cycling website - the Cycling Plus Forum at the turn of the century In 2006 he left C+ to head up the launch team for Bike Radar which he edited until 2008 when he co-launched the multi-award winning road.cc - finally handing on the reins in 2021 to Jack Sexty His favourite ride is his ‘commute’ - which he does most days inc weekends and he’s been cycle-commuting since 1994 His favourite bikes are titanium and have disc brakes though he'd like to own a carbon bike one day road.cc's audience Report an advert on road.cc Privacy policy Subscribe All material © Farrelly Atkinson (F-At) Limited, Unit 7b Green Park Station BA11JB. Tel 01225 588855. © 2008–present unless otherwise stated. Terms and conditions of use Culture clash of the week: To make a French nudist blush might appear to be a mission impossible A long-simmering war between two tribes of the unclothed – "traditional" nudists and so-called "libertines" or exponents of free sex – exploded into a public protest at the town's council meeting this week Old-fashioned naturists have been complaining for years that Cap d'Agde's once-sedate nudist quarter has been disfigured by an influx of partner-swapping clubs and raunchy hotels A flurry of arson attacks on sex clubs two years ago was blamed on low-level terrorism by nudist fundamentalists Old-fashioned nudists complained that they were being confronted with "voyeurist" and "exhibitionist" behaviour the "deviant" newcomers sometimes walked about in their clothes and mocked the "real" nudists… to intervene before Cap d'Agde's "oversexed" image caused an "explosion of libertine behaviour in non-nudist areas" of the town… "We didn't invent partner-swapping or libertine behaviour in Cap d'Agde This has been a social trend for 10 years," the centre-right mayor and parliamentary deputy said "I refuse to make value judgements on the sexual habits of other people I can't put a policeman behind all 40,000 nudists." [Hat tip: John.] Get a daily brief of the most important stories and trends every weekday morning when you subscribe to Reason Roundup Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Books Editor Jesse Walker is the author of Rebels on the Air and The United States of Paranoia Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" Early reports from franceinfo on Sunday morning indicated that two individuals were aboard the ride when a component of the slingshot ride unexpectedly failed The exact cause of the malfunction remains uncertain a 17-year-old male succumbed to his injuries and could not be revived sustained multiple injuries and was immediately transported to Montpellier hospital she is reported to be in stable condition and out of immediate danger a popular attraction at many fairs and amusement parks catapults thrill-seekers into the air using a combination of powerful springs and elastic cords Passengers are strapped into a capsule positioned between two tall towers experiencing rapid acceleration and a sensation of weightlessness before descending back to the ground Investigators are exploring various possibilities as to the cause of the accident including the theory that a strong gust of wind might have hit the ride's structure causing the victims to collide with one of the towering 60-metre-high pillars to which the elastic cords are attached The ride has since been shut down and is currently sealed off for further investigation Wilkinson's wife Heather died in hospital in the week after the beef Wellington lunch.