The village of Lavalette has a well-stocked general store, a newsagent, post office, and an excellent butcher (and also a hairdresser and a beautician). There is also a charming little restaurant called Cote Sud which was recently opened by a local family and which has a Catalonian/Morrocan theme (good tagines, lamb, couscous and duck dishes) - but also a wide selection of pizzas and pasta dishes. The "pizzalade" (half a pizza served with chips and salad) is popular with children. Close to the airport (so less than 10 mins from the house) is the Salvaza shopping centre which is anchored by a large Geant supermarket; there are also a number of good (and by UK standards quite cheap!) clothes, shoes and other shops. Carcassonne itself has a wide range of shops and restaurants - visiting the 14th century Bastide de St Louis (the heart of the town) and, especially, the 11/13th medieval city just over the River Aude is a must. Narbonne, on the coast (about 45 mins by car) is charming; Toulouse's old town, the "pink city" (under an hour by car), is delightful, and on the outskirts there is the famous space centre; Montpellier, the capital of the region (about 2 hours by car), has one of the largest city squares in Europe and, behind it, an extensive warren of old streets with many cafes, restaurants, local and international designer stores etc.