Lautrec, France

I fell in love with this bastide instantly. The architecture was gorgeous, the people charming and the streets quaint. It’s classified as “one of the most beautiful villages in France” and it lives up to its reputation. Just down the hill from the centre is the most amazing little bed and breakfast. You do need a car to get from here back up to Lautrec centre, but it’s well worth it. The woman who owns and runs the place, a converted house, is precious. She makes all of the meals and adds such magic to the house. The rooms are all decorated in matching colours and themes and there’s a huge dining area and library. Outside is surrounded by yellow fields, an old chapel and an old pigeon’s house. The name of the B&B is “Chambres d’Hotes de Cadalen.” To be honest, I’m not sure if the woman speaks English or not but it’s worth looking up if you want to stay in this lovely area. She serves the most amazing lavender juice that I can’t seem to find anywhere and she might even give you some pink garlic that the area is famous for!
Above Photo: Architecture in Lautrec


Photo: One of the salons at the "Chambres d'hotes de Cadalen"

Castres, France

This lovely small city was pleasant and charming. The city centre is cut in two by the Agout River and the old tanner and weaver’s houses line up along it. The big ticket attraction here is the Musée Goya, the largest collection of Spanish paintings other than the Louvre. It’s fairly large and contains an extensive and remarkable variety of pieces.

Photo: Castres city centre along the Agout River

Castelnau de Montmiral, France

Another small village in the same area (near Albi). This one was mostly closed down when I went, not many people out and about and the weather pretty dismal. It’s too bad, as the commune had beautiful architecture and a real village-y feel. I don’t have much more to say about it other than it looked like it would be a lovely place with a touch of sunshine and people bustling about.

Photo: Main square of Castelnau de Montmiral

Puycelsi, France

This is classified as “one of the most beautiful villages of France.” Created around the year 1000 by monks, it overlooks the Vère Valley and has retained some of its medieval streets. They snake around and lead you to beautiful houses and buildings. A charming small village.

Photo: A house in Puycelsi

Château de Mauriac, France

Located in tiny Senouillac, the Château has been lovingly restored for more than 45 years. The place is huge and each room is decorated in a theme: the baroque room, the oriental room, etc. Gorgeous detailing and exquisite furnishings (see photo). It feels like a big castle out in the middle of nowhere to wander around in and get lost. They also rent it out for functions, holding up to 500 people. How divine would that be?

Photo: The Baroque Room

Cordes-sur-Ciel, France

This tiny commune is a lovely flash back to days gone by. Built in 1222, it’s now famous for its outdoor market. Tourists love spending the day here, although because of the rainy day that I went on, there was hardly a soul in the streets. There’s nothing better than walking the ancient streets alone (well, with my guide), as if transformed back to the 13th century. Lots of gothic architecture survives from the 13th and 14th centuries and the storefronts are so quaint. As Albert Camus said: “In Cordes, everything is beautiful, even regret”.

Photo: Quaint shopfront in Cordes-sur-Ciel

Gaillac, France

This small commune in the Tarn Department is a short drive west of Albi. I didn’t stay long but fell in love with the wine. I was at Labastide de Levis, the largest producer in the area, and had a tour of the facilities. It was neat to see how wine is made, the machines and the charming staff, as well as taste some superb varieties. The gentleman who took me around decided that I needed to take a couple of bottles home as a gift (I was on a writing assignment, so free stuff is the norm!). I wasn’t sure how easy it would be to transport it on the flight back home so I decided to accept only one. I went with an award winning red, the 2004 Rouge, which received the Médaille d’Or in 2006. When I got home and opened the bottle with a girlfriend, I was instantly "amoureuse". The best bottle I had ever had in my life. Of course, I can’t find any wine from Gaillac in Vancouver, so I know I’ll have to go back. Hey, it’s as good an excuse as any!

Photo: Labastide de Levis