Millau Travel Articles & Travelogues

FRANCE TRAVEL ARTICLES

MILLAU September 1992

We had travelled through some gorgeous scenery to reach the small town of Millau which is situated on the River Tarn. Before long we had booked into the Grand Hotel Moderne, which was situated on one of the main streets close to the town centre. It was a lovely old hotel, very nicely furnished. Our room was one of the nicest we have had anywhere. The hotel was very quiet, but the town was quite lively. Millau is the centre of the leather trade in France and there were lots of shops selling gloves, handbags and other leather items.

We had a very good meal that evening in a restaurant called Au Bec Fin. The place was quite busy and the food was really good and not expensive. We (or at least Norman) began talking to some people at the next table. They wanted to know why so many English people were buying properties in France. We didn’t realise until they were leaving that they had a dog with them. It had remained quietly beneath the table whilst they were eating.

The following day we went down to the market in the square beneath Millau’s old tower. It was a good little market and everyone was offering us tastes of cheese and fruit as we wandered around. We could have eaten a meal there for absolutely nothing! We liked the town. It had a population of about 25,000 but so many more shops and restaurants than a town of a similar size in the UK.

That evening we returned to Au Bec Fin. We had intended to try a more expensive menu, but noticed a couple of people at a nearby table. They were obviously local, a mother and son. They looked like the peasants in a painting by Millet, with their round rosy faces. The fish soup they were enjoying looked great and this was on a cheaper menu than the one we had tried the previous night.

We had a great meal. The four course meal with wine and coffee cost 268 francs – about £30 at that time. We were leaving the next morning but decided that, should we return to Millau, we might even try the cheapest menu next time!

MILLAU April 1997

We had returned to Millau after almost five years. It was 14th April and the weather was beautiful. Unfortunately, Hotel Moderne had closed its doors and we had to stay at the International Hotel, a larger new hotel without the atmosphere of the Moderne.

Millau seemed much the same as before and we set off to eat at La Marmite du Pêcheur. I had a lovely fish soup with the most wonderful mayonnaise. It was very rich and a deep orange colour. We had a pleasant meal for around £32, including wine. Unfortunately, we discovered the restaurant was about to change hands, so we don’t know what the quality will be if we ever go there again.

The following day, the weather was glorious and we decided to visit Montpellier-le-Vieux, a large national park area with lovely walks and views and spectacular rock formations. We couldn’t have chosen a better day for the visit. The sky was blue, the sun was shining and we could see for miles.
We spent quite a long time in the park, walking through the woods and among the rocks. There were other tourists there too, but the place was huge and it was easy to imagine there was no-one else within miles most of the time.

Back in Millau, we had a coffee near to the market square and then returned to the hotel. That evening we intended to return to Au Bec Fin.
This was the second disappointment of our visit, because the restaurant had changed hands. The food wasn’t a patch on what it had been before. Norman made a bad choice and didn’t like the dish he had ordered at all, but that wasn’t the only problem. The meal was cheap enough, though not brilliant, but the atmosphere was different. And we discovered that the new proprietor had also bought La Marmite du Pêcheur. Who ever said there’s no going back?