May in the Languedoc region of France is fantastic. The weather is ideal, and the days are longer. Béziers is known for founding the enigmatic Canal du Midi, which runs from the Atlantic Ocean at Bordeaux, through a series of canals and locks to Mediterranean Sea at Sète.
The Orb River runs through the city of Béziers and makes for a picturesque setting with the Pont Vieux in the foreground and the Catedral de Saint-Nazaire de Béziers towering above.
The canals and locks of Canal du Midi were the brainchild of Pierre-Paul Riquet, a resident of Béziers. The intricate system is vast engineering feat with canals, locks, and even an aqueduct bridge. The Fonseranes Locks are a series of 8 locks and 9 gates that allow boats to defy gravity.
The Allées Paul Riquet has a fantastic Saturday market that has an amazing selection of quirky antiques, vintage clothes, and a farmer's market of fruit and vegetable. The market is mixed in with cafe terraces making it a great place to hang out for hours under a shady canopy of trees.
Bouzigues is a beautiful fishing village on the Etang de Thau near Sète, which happens to be a saltwater lake that produces more oysters than imaginable. The seafood is fresh and of exceptional quality.
The waterfront of Bouzigues has an abundance of seafood restaurants, some that serve mostly raw seafood. Chez La Tchèpe is a local's favorite which serves raw seafood, as well as cooked food with fixed-price menu or a la carte. They also have an ice cream and crêpe/galette shop.
Pézenas is a beautiful town known for its connection with the 17th century actor and playwright, Molière. The old town center has beautiful art galleries, shops, cafes, and rustic Provencial architecture.