Love at first sight
As you drive south along the D5 from the small village of Septfonds, you finally reach the “Gorges d’Aveyron”. It is a place that catches my breath each time, even now twenty years on. In the winter months the valley is shrouded in a morning mist, but in the summer the light shimmers on the river water below. The medieval village stands on the north bank of the river, the imposing architecture drawing you in. You can see the rolling green hills in the background, dotted with a few trees, and the tunnel disappearing into the gorge on the right. As you drive down a wonderful forest of oak trees surrounds you, that changes colours with the seasons. I think my favourite time of year here in this wonderful part of the world has to be autumn. The village takes on an almost magical quality, the habitual morning mist threading through the reds, golds and greens. If you are lucky enough, you will spy the village through little wispy gaps. The river is usually still and calm in these months and the sweet little bridge that goes over the river is mirrored on the water below.
It is a view that has never grown old. If you stop off at the parking area at the top of the gorge, you can have a picnic at the Cirque de Bône or just sit and enjoy the view before continuing your journey down into the gorges , towards Saint Antonin Noble Val and the Aveyron river.
Airports and travel
You might be coming here to spend a week or just a few days in one of the many “gîtes” or “chambres d’hôtes” of the region. Toulouse airport is the main international airport that has numerous flights, though there are other city airports including Bergerac in the Dordogne, Rodez in the Aveyron and Carcassonne in the Aude, which also provide reasonable fares. I do suggest however that you hire a car, particularly if you are thinking of taking in some of the sights of the local area, as public transport in this part of the French countryside is sparse. Driving on the country roads, however, is an amazing experience and the traffic is generally (though not around public holidays) limited. Remember to type in the right location into your GPS though, as we have had guests who have driven to ‘Laguepie’ near Bordeaux, hundreds of miles in the opposite direction. Not a great start to their holiday one suspects!
Food shopping
Once you arrive at Saint Antonin or one of it’s neighbouring villages, and settle into your holiday accommodation, one ofthe first questions is where to buy food? You may be fortunate to be located in one of the larger villages such as Saint Antonin, Laguepie, Varen, Parisot or Caylus which have a small shop or mini-supermarket, a bakery or even a butcher. If you are looking to do a large shop in one of the major supermarkets you will have the choice of Caussade, Albi or Villefranche de Rouergue, depending where you are located. I have to say that the French farmer’s markets are second to none, though I am (to be fair) biased! The supermarkets, especially in the summer, are open Sunday mornings though if you arrive out of season it is best to check opening times before trekking out somewhere far away. A little reminder for those people who are not Francophones, Monday is a day where a lot of commerces and services tend to shut up shop. Times are slowly changing, and in major towns and cities this isn’t so much of a problem. However, in little villages, or even small towns you will need to anticipate this. Not to mention that they’re often closed for lunch between 12 noon and 2pm!
Farmer’s Markets
Every French town (and even largish villages) has their market day. Saint Antonin Noble Val is one which has a great reputation in the department, the Tarn-et-Garonne. It is held every Sunday from 7am to 1pm through the little pedestrian alleyways in the centre of the village. In the summer it becomes the main draw for tourists from far and wide, and you can even find yourself having to park along the gorge going up the hill, grassy banks or even past the tunnel on the road to Cordes-sur-Ciel and Laguepie as the village bursts at the seams. There are the usual fruit and veg stands with the bread, meat and even exotic foods and spices. You will have small producers promoting their wine “Domaines”, beer from the local micro-brewery, speciality goods or even the summer clothes, jewellery and baskets to attract the tourists. It is definitely worth a Sunday wander. After having a tour of the market you can sit down in the main central square of ‘La Halle’ under the huge tree and people-watch whist having “un petit chocolat”, an espresso or “une glace” from the multitude of flavours on offer.
The village
Every summer my mother comes to stay, and she wanders around the boutiques in a fashion heaven of white cotton and linen fluttering in the cool breeze through the narrow medieval streets. There are numerous small shops and art galleries, and she can always stop and have a coffee somewhere, the cobbled streets being not too difficult to walk on a pleasant afternoon. The children generally leave her to it, and either potter up to the open-air swimming pool at the top of the village with their friends (where you can also play a game of tennis or partake in other sports in the sports hall), or more likely now they are teens head down to the Guinguette behind the Gendarmerie, with the other teens in the river. You can hire canoes here (there are plenty of other spots to do this) for part or the whole day. If you are lucky, in the centre of the village you will see the donkeys that give rides to the little children. They do have a normal “day” job though, providing a rubbish collection service in the sometimes inaccessible narrow windy streets. In the summer you can take part in numerous festivals such as the popular “Fête des Moissons” or “Festival Samba Al Pais” in July and “Fête des battages” or the “Course de Côte” (a well known motor race) in August. Be prepared though, they are extremely popular with tourists and locals alike, the village swelling with a huge influx of extra numbers.
History
As you walk around this picturesque village you will notice some amazing architecture and sites of historical interest including the bridge, the “lavoir” and the “Fontalès” prehistoric site. An abbey was founded in Saint Antonin Noble Val, in the eighth century, which was expanded by the Benedictine monks in the eleventh century. The town has hardly changed in eight hundred years. If you go to “La Halle” in the centre of the village “La Halle” with it’s medieval market place, and look around at the buildings, you will see the famous twelfth century Town hall with it’s belfry tower, the oldest civil building in France. Upon visiting the local tourist office you can find details of buildings of historical interest such as the Maison de l’Amour (an ancient brothel), the Maison de l’Ave Maria or the Maison Le Maréchal.
The restaurants
You will be spoilt for choice in the summer, and can enjoy the more fancy eateries or the restaurants where the local artisans come every lunchtime for their meal. I love the slightly hippy or bohemian Guingettes that are along the river, particularly “La Guinguette de La Plage” behind the local police station and “La Guinguette de Cazals” which both have music-themed evenings. In Cazals there is even a beach along the river where, on long balmy summer evenings locals have barbecues and picnics late into the night.
Rainy days
Even though it may be the holidays, there still might still be the odd rainy day. If it is just drizzly rain and no storms, then the river or tourist activities are still do-able though perhaps not terribly motivating. You can, however, take the train to Toulouse from either Caussade or Lexos train stations. Once you are at Toulouse-Matabiau, you don’t even have to leave the building. You can go straight down to the Metro, and from there it is up to you.
Maybe you don’t want to go that far afield, and you feel that you need a break from the tourism circuit. Or perhaps you just have miserable teens. Then Montauban is for you. There are hundreds of restaurants to choose from, either French, European or those from even further afield such as Chinese and Japanese. If you have smaller children you would probably go towards the southern most industrial estate (Albasud) where there is the children’s soft play centre TOHUBOHU and a trampoline park next door. If you have older teens, you might want to take in a film at Cap Cinema, eat fast-food or play Laser Games, Escape Room (ensure someone has a good level of French) or Prison Island. On a sunnier days there is even the golf club.
Author favourites
As we are about to move from the area to the Pyrénées Orientales (after 19 happy years here) I find myself sitting here reminiscing, and thinking which locations were our family favourites through the years. Apart from the summer ice-creams and the picturesque view from the Cirque de Bone, Najac is right up there. I love the medieval architecture and the castle on top of the hill. There are often little boutique shops, though obviously not as busy as the bustling Cordes-sur-Ciel. The children used to love the campsite, which is accessible to the public. There you can do “accrobranche” in the thick pines, wonderful during a heat wave. You can even do a canoeing or bike rides, and at the end of the day swimming in the river or a visit to the small swimming pool over the bridge cools off those steaming bodies.
The river Aveyron at Laguepie (the second spot near the tourist office) is a firm family favourite. It is free, has a beach, lots of shade and lifeguards (an added bonus for the overly cautious like me). There are inflatables and a pontoon in the water, where children and adults can enjoy the fun. If you have toddlers, go on the path under the bridge and there you will arrive at the children’s playground. There are shallower waters here where you can create rock sculptures or dip your toes while looking up at the castle ruins.
For a basic family meal that never disappoints in terms of value of money (and the fantastic location for people watching), La Gazpacho in Saint Antonin is a winner every time. There are other wonderful restaurants in the village that are great for romantic evenings, but it is best to wander around first and look at the menus.
Now that I have a dog, the walks near Penne in the forest of Gresigne are lovely and cool in the summer sun.
For a bit of history, elegance and class, however I do like to go a bit further to the wonderful city of Albi. There you can visit the cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Les Jardins du Palais de la Berbie. These are must as they give you a panoramic view of the river Tarn, the old river mills, the bridge “Le Pont-Vieux” and the cathedral. The architecture in the old quarter by the river and the cathedral is beautiful, and the restaurants there serve delicious food for those snug romantic evenings. You might decide to visit one of the numerous little teashops and boutiques, have a meal at La Grande Place or take the children swimming at the large indoor and outdoor swimming pool with huge slides. Meandering along the streets and alleyways, drinking in the smells of coffee and patisseries, I find myself wondering when it is time to cut up my bank card before I end up going into the red with all the wonderful boutiques.
My last-but-not-least all-time favourite is Caussade on a Monday morning, having a cup of coffee with friends in “Ô Gourmandises” and watching the world go by. Mondays is an old-fashioned “proper” market, not the hyped-up one for the tourists. There you will find granny vests and Y-fronts, original French pinnies and food wagons, bread and vegetables, and even the animal livestock down near the train station. If you are in need of “real” chickens (and not those cute fluffy ones) for your eco-lifestyle then this is the place to come. You can even try out local delicacies such as “Aligot” from the Aveyron. Sometimes I might be tempted by the delicious cakes they have for sale, though if I want to get anywhere near the class of those elegant Parisians, I think I might have to hold off on these for a while, and perhaps lose my wellies!
MidLife Crisis In France
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