The Tarn river basin is one of the most attractive routes to take a trip through the French southwest. It crosses eight provinces of the Midi-Pyrénées region; but which, on this occasion, for a weekend trip, we have reduced to two: Tarn and Tarn-et-Garonne. This way we will have more time to recreate ourselves in its landscapes; enjoy the mildness of its climate; visit its famous museums; and also -unavoidable-, since we are in the realm of ‘fatty’ delicacies, that is: foie gras, confit and magret, delight ourselves with the gastronomic inventions of one of its Michelin-starred restaurants.
Toulouse, which is an hour’s flight from Madrid or Barcelona, is the starting point. From the same airport (Blagnac) we head north on the A20 motorway. In 30 minutes we reach Montauban (), the red brick city overlooking the Tarn river. A welcoming city where there are any, and proof of this is that it was the town that welcomed the majority of refugees from the Spanish Civil War, including Manuel Azaña (president of the Second Spanish Republic), where he died and wanted to be buried; in Montauban, days of homage to his memory are held every November ().
The city will transport us to the Middle Ages when we visit the so-called Black Prince room of the Episcopal Palace (with torture rack included), the fortress that houses the Ingres Museum (), which has the largest collection of drawings by this great painter and several of his best known oil paintings The sculptor Bourdelle also has his best works there, and it is an opportunity to admire the monumental bronzes of this artist from Montalba, so little known to the general public.
The tourist tour of the city ends in the National Square, located in the heart of the old town, a harmonious set of brickwork fronts and vaulted arches that hide medieval courtyards with stairs, passageways and wrought ironwork. They are tenement houses, but you can enter some of them, the locals are already accustomed to tourists prying past the entrance gate. When the last rays of sun intensify the reddish color of the bricks on the facades, it is time to have dinner, return to the hotel and prepare for the new day.
We drive through the Aveyron Gorges on country roads, admiring its landscapes and perceiving in the wind everything that smells of nature without preservatives, until we reach Cordes-sur-Ciel (), one of the most beautiful villages in France -the prettier… say the locals-, and one of the oldest ‘bastidas’ (fortified town) in the country. Founded in 1222, and built on top of a mountain during the crusade against the Cathars, the town preserves numerous Gothic houses and dream corners. If it weren’t for the 21st century motor vehicles circulating, parking and bothering visitors, little would seem to have changed in 700 years. Unlike Montauban, here everything is stone. Stone and wood. And yellow flowers that are born from between the stones.
From its viewpoint, we understand the air of power that the 6,000 inhabitants (now there are less than a thousand) who populated it in the 13th century, and who used their time working with leather, weaving wool and making cordage, must have had. Centuries later, it became the home of painters and sculptors, who, led by Paul Belmondo (father of actor Jean Paul Belmondo), promoted artistic activity and breathed a poetic halo into the place… to this day. Not surprisingly, in summer the Poetry Festival of the Miediathèque du Pays Cordais is held, where texts are read and contemporary poetry is discussed. Pity about cars that distract your reverie in some romantic corners!
After the visit to Cordes, half an hour awaits us on secondary roads to cover the 26 km. that are distant to Albi (), another city of red brick, also called the pink city. We will need a full day to get to know (just a little) the treasures of this beautiful city that stirs our most contemplative spirit. The trilogy of unavoidable visits focuses on the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum (), which exhibits the most important public collection of the Albigensian painter; the cathedral-fortress of Santa Cecilia, a Gothic masterpiece and monumental testimony of the Christian faith after the alleged Cathar heresy; and the Pont Vieux, the ‘oldest’ bridge in France and a World Heritage Site.
Later, while we explore the city, we discover the palaces of the rich and some medieval houses. And you have to set aside time to see the windows, have a beer at the Le Pontié café, visit the covered market, shop and think about a place to dine… and that we should not miss the opportunity to discover: L’Esprit du Vin (), the restaurant run by chef David Enjalran who has been boasting his well-deserved Michelin star for 9 years. Let yourself be advised on the menu as he sifts through a series of tempting amusebouche, designer appetizers designed to amuse the palate, awaiting filet de lieu (haddock) and pesto cockles on a bed of zucchini. A spectacular creation for an unforgettable dinner.
We are staying in Albi, since this long weekend (two nights/three days) will give us much more.
We are in lands of traditional winemaking, and a tasting visit to one of the wineries with the Gaillac Designation of Origin () is also something not to be missed. The Gaillac area brings together a hundred wineries that produce wines from the four native grapes. One of these wineries is that of Robert Plageoles (), who decided ten years ago to recover a series of forgotten grapes, such as mauzac, prunelart, or hard, with which fresh and pearly wines are made, sparkling wines (similar to our cavas ), reds and whites.
To highlight a 100% muscadelle grape gaillac doux from 2010, which paired perfectly with the sophisticated desserts on the menu of the restaurant “Salettes”, another Michelin star restaurant, located in one of the most elegant places on the trip: Le Château de Salettes, in Cahuzac -sur-Vère, where we would have liked to spend another day, since its hotel facilities combine comfort and minimalism perfectly in a charming environment, but there were 75 kilometers of motorway -the A68- to get back to Toulouse airport …and go home.
How to go
Several companies (Iberia, Vueling, Air France, easyJet) operate daily flights from Madrid or Barcelona to Toulouse. One hour flight.
Accommodation
Montauban: L’Abbaye des Capucins ()
Albi: Hostellerie du Grad Saint Antoine
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Gaillac: Chateau de Salettes
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