kerouac

While the A75 autoroute is both spectacular and free, a lot of us like to wander around on the little country roads of France without a GPS telling us what to do, because we don't know where we are going in the first place and are going on a journey of discovery.

While I knew that I was starting the day in Sète and ending it in Millau, it would have taken me less than two hours to get there if I hadn't wanted to see more along the way. I took about six hours instead and loved every minute of it.

Here are some of the things I saw along the way, plus relatively full coverage of the town of Millau itself: http://tinyurl.com/millau2011

kerouac

The computer misfired and I wasn't able to tag this as "France" - I hope that the admins will correct this.

klondiketoo

Thanks, kerouac! Brings back great memories.

That super store is fantastic. I bought some educational books there and still have the free shopping bag they gave me that came in its own little sac.

Just down the road from there is the turnoff to La Couvertoide. If you didn't make it there this trip, take note for your next. It is very impressive as well.

JulieVikmanis

Thanks Kerouac, enjoyed your report, as usual. We were in Millau on our recent trip across France (Bordeaux to Lyon) and were lucky enough to catch the covered market open and a market in full swing throughout much of the town. Sure adds color. We got most of our pix of the bridge from nearby Peyre (some good views) but none as good as yours of the piers up close and personal. Thanks for sharing. I hope to have a report with pictures up on this sight soon, but I've said that before.

Nlingenfel

Thank you made my morning. We stayed in a castle built in the 1300, that had it's own small chapel arriving from the south. Lovely place, with a great view. Paintings showed it before the town was built, just the river flowing below. Your pictures and posts are always enjoyed.

ira

Hi K,

Thanks for posting.

The little roads are always much more interesting than the big highways.

RJD

Great shots. Haven't been to this part of France in twenty years and your photos bring back the memories.

Coquelicot

Our friend's son went to a Buddhist scout camp somewhere in France.

I think a simple church is best. I find most church interiors too ornate. If IKEA did churches, they'd probably suit me (and think of all the storage).

Elizabeth_S

Great pics - we were there in February and disappointed a bit in the Salut tour.

If you have a chance head to Bel Castel - one of the "beautiful villages" and it is indeed - link to our blog pics

http://lizandrichardsa.typepad.com/p...lcastel-i.html

http://lizandrichardsa.typepad.com/p...lcastel-2.html

YankyGal

Lovely - so serene in many spots.

I almost went to Millau a couple years ago, but that was the day our Citroën rental broke down. Ah well. Thanks for taking me there, kerouac.

I have had several fine, simple lunches over the years at some of those rest stops.

Elizabeth_S

Oops - meant the Societe tour

uhoh_busted

We went to Millau last November, from our base near Perpignan, purely so we could drive across the Millau viaduct. I thought the tourist info site there was quite extraordinary, touting all the options for a stay in the area, from Dordogne down to the beaches along the Med.

Your pictures of a virtually empty Millau surprised me. In mid-November when we visited it was somewhat bustling with people. The people we saw clearly were not tourists. We stopped in a great bar for a couple of beers, and enjoyed "people watching" as it was a chilly and windy day and people clearly had a windblown look as they piled in to this place from the blustery street.

joannyc

Great photos! Thanks for taking us along with you!

di2315

Great photos, as usual K! It's a pity that you missed the Monument des Morts in Lodeve - one of the most moving stone sculptures that I have ever seen. The grieving family truly illustrates the impact of a lost family member.

From memory, it's at the end of the main town square, not far from the large church you photographed.
So if you ever return . . . that's one suggestion. Di

MaineGG

Your photos, again, are so interesting. We were wandering around this same area in 2000 during a stay in an apartment north of Pézenas. You were quite near St. Guilhem-le-Désert and Cirque-de-Navacelles, two of the more memorable places we happened upon. We never made it to Millau. A75 was not complete through the area, and construction on the viaduct had not begun. Hope to see it someday.

denisea

always fun to travel with you...I am so surprised that you didn't open up that manhole in the stream to see where it went...I will expect you to be more thorough next time
I would probably still be in Roquefort devouring the bleu cheese, if I had gone!

kerouac

One thing that I learned about Roquefort is that you will not see any cheese being aged between July and November. (I saw some of the very last cheese in production in the early days of July.) I think that I read that the Société tour puts plastic cheese on display for the tours through the summer until November.

greenerpastures

Thanks kerouac, good to see your photo's capture the feel of the town and not just the usual touristy pics. I have 3 nights in Millau exploring the region in my up and coming trip; may I confirm the location of the lookout looking down on the town?(there is a gent in a white shirt and pants in the bottom of the pic with one of his hands on the fixed binocular)

kerouac

There is more than one place like that coming into the valley. Even along the A75, there is a special panoramic lookout for people to stop and admire the viaduct.

greenerpastures

Thanks kerouac!