Exploring the Midi Pyrenees
- Raff
- Aug 9, 2019
- 3 min read
We have driven over the Millau viaduct many times but had never given thought to the bridge's namesake, the ancient medieval town of Millau. On our travels further south to Spain, Millau seemed like a sensible place to stop for a few days and we were quite surprised at how much this beautiful town has to offer. The town is a maze of winding cobbled alleyways lined with tapas restaurants, bars and small shops selling everything from lace to artwork, local cheese and flowers. It is reminiscent of old town Girona or the backstreets of Barcelona and when we were on our walking tour, it was vibrant, full of life and had a very friendly atmosphere.
The camping aire in the town has been one of the busiest we have stayed at and it is no surprise why - Millau has a lot to offer and is a handy spot for people to stop at on the way north or south. We arrived at 4pm after a long journey from the Limousin and choices were limited - a few spaces by the entrance and not many, if any, electric points available. We found a good spot by the water emptying and filling point which has been useful.
We hooked up to the electric point on the service bollard, the bliss of being able to use the air conditioning given the temperatures have risen to almost 40c again in this area.
Our site features two friendly hens and they soon spotted a soft touch when we arrived. I raided our fridge for lettuce and cucumber which I diced up for them to enjoy. We used to keep hens a long time ago and they are such characters! Audrey glared at them from the lounge window - she wasn't in a hurry to become friends!
Another surprise, aside from the hens, was the arrival of an alpaca outside our motorhome on the first morning. After I woke, I came into the lounge to open the blinds and watch the happenings of the aire, which is now part of my morning ritual, and I was surprised to spot an alpaca eyeing our motorhome. He was having a wonderful time looking around and watching people as they also woke and came outside for breakfast. The alpaca was soon joined by a lady who had some rope and a handful of treats, presumably to take him home! The alpaca was not having any of it and they both did several laps of the aire before she was able to take him home!
During our stay, we were very keen to visit the beautiful town of Roquefort, home to the blue cheese that we adore! It was a pleasant 30 minute drive from Millau and took in some breathtaking scenery, quite reminiscent of the Lebanese landscape, very mountainous and lush.
We soon arrived and parked at the bottom of the town and enjoyed a slow walk up to Societie Roquefort. In 2012 we visited the caves and enjoyed a guided tour and we were keen to relive this experience. You are taken through the caves, which are are naturally maintained at very cool 10c due to cracks in the mountains caused by the collapse of the Combalou plateau millions of years ago. These cracks are called Fleurines and they allow air to circulate from outside into the caves.
The tour is absolutely fascinating and you learn about the process of how the cheese is made, from the milk to the maturing and dispatch.
There is also information about the particular penicillin grown on a specific type of sour dough which creates the unique flavour of the cheese and the veining. Interestingly only 4 grams of the penicillin are added to each 5,000 litres of sheep's milk.
After the tour, you are treated to a tasting session and it was a delight! We took the opportunity to enjoy some of the wonderful cheese and also purchased quite a lot of it!
Our time in Millau is coming to an end, for now. We are heading south to meet up with friends who live by the canal du midi, which we are looking forward to very much.
Millau has been quite a surprise, with a really nice and vibrant atmosphere. From a distance it looks sleepy and quiet, but once you start exploring the town you will find lots happening. One to return to we hope!
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