APPLES and walnuts - a strange combination maybe, but that's how I'll remember the Limousin area of France that I first visited last autumn.

Limoges, the main town of the region, is famous for porcelain, but the area, like most parts of France, is very rural - full of fields and orchards and very attractive.

I was the only man in a party of six, and perhaps that's why our first stop, after arriving courtesy of Ryanair through Stansted, was a glove factory.

The Morand factory in St Junien is renowned throughout France, and the hand-made gloves make their way to couture houses such as Hermes, Dior, Saint Laurent and Lacroix.

While I could appreciate the skill and craft of making the fashion accessories, I couldn't find the enthusiasm for the garments that my colleagues felt.

Our next stop was more to my liking - a visit to Montrol-Senard, a village that has been preserved as it would have been at the turn of the last century.

We stepped into an old school with desks just as I remembered from my early days, a blacksmith's, washhouse and bakery.

The Limousin - renowned for its apples, known as Golden Limousin - is very rural, but the main town of the area, Limoges, is a wonderful place.

It may be best known for porcelain, but its timber-framed buildings, dating from the 15th century, are a delight.

The town started life as a Roman outpost on the Agrippa Way, but enjoyed a new lease of life as a centre of shoe making and porcelain production.

It appears to be at peace with itself, and it's great to sit and watch the world go by from an outdoor café table.

Nearby we sampled a walnut liqueur at the Denoix (what else! Noix is French for nut) distillery in Brive-la-Gaillarde.

Limoges is a good base from which to visit some really beautiful villages in the area.

Top of the list must be Collonges-la Rouge, an attractive town made up of pink sandstone buildings. It's an architect's dream, comprising charming manors and mansions flanked with towers and turrets - and on the outskirts are walnut plantations.

If Collonges-la Rouge is distinctive, the nearby village of Curemont is beautiful.

There can't be many villages that have three churches and three castles. Curemont also has a link with Colette, one of France's best-loved authors, who lived here during the war.

That day ended for us with another link to Colette, as we stayed at the Chateau de Castel Novel in Varetz, one of the former residences she shared with husband Henri de Jouvenel.

These days it's a hotel, owned by Chateau Relais, an association renowned in France as being rich and sumptuous. Standing in ample grounds the hotel is certainly imposing and stylish.

For those who like horses, a visit to the national stud in Pompadour is a must. We were given a tour of the chateau - and yes, the famous Madame de Pompadour, mistress of King Louis XV, did live here.

After the tour, and an understanding of Madame's life, we visited the stables of the Anglo-Arab horses.

We finished back in Limoges and visited the famous Bernaudaud porcelain factory.

The Limousin might not be the first place people think of when they consider going to France, but it has a quiet beauty that should be appreciated by those that take the trouble to go.

Factfile

  • Ryanair operates a daily service from Stansted to Limoges, from £28.99 one-way, including tax. Book flights at ryanair.com
  • For more information on Limousin, call the France Information Line on 09068 244 123 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, calls charged at 60p a minute); write to Information Department, Maison de la France, Lincoln House, 300 High Holborn, London WC1V 7JH; fax 020 7493 6594; or visit franceguide.com