Albi, another city in the Languedoc, was a great side trip from Carcassonne. Early one morning, before any other tourists were in sight, we walked through the hushed medieval streets of La Cité to the Narbonne Gate and boarded a minibus for the 80-mile drive to Albi, a city of 40,000 located on the Tarn River. Along the way, we were surrounded by the luscious landscape of vineyards, poppies, and fields bursting with the dazzling golden color of sunflowers and rapeseed. Most of the farms in this area are small and family-run. Wine has been produced here for over 2000 years. The local wine is considered “table wine,” which is sold domestically for 3-4 Euros per bottle.
By the time we arrived in Albi, the morning clouds had parted, the sky was a radiant blue, and the sun was shining in full force, illuminating the color of the red brick buildings in the medieval city center. Brick construction is not common in France, and our local guide told us that Albi is the only French city dominated by this type of architecture. She pointed out several half-timbered brick buildings, including one house that dates back to the 16th century.
Like the houses, Albi’s Sainte-Cécile cathedral was also built of red brick. Toulouse, around 40 miles away, is the only other French city with a brick cathedral; the cathedral in Albi is the larger of the two. It was built during the 13th-15th centuries in the Romanesque style. Its fortress-like features reflect the determination of the Church to assert its dominance after the crusade to crush the Cathar heresy. The interior walls are covered with large colorful murals of Biblical scenes. A depiction of The Last Judgment occupies one entire wall.
We strolled through a modern covered market, where I gazed longingly at the mouth-watering displays of cheese, charcuterie, breads, pastries, and fresh fish.
Because Albi isn’t overrun with tourists, it was a delightful place for a leisurely walk. With the sun beating down, our group was grateful for a few moments of shade in the 13th century gallery of the Cloister of St. Salvi.
And while I fully appreciate the educational aspects of travel, I was delighted for a bit of free time to shop along a pedestrian street in Albi’s old town. I’ve become an expert at lightning fast shopping and I successfully added to my wardrobe of warm weather clothes in record time.
I was excited to visit the Musée Toulouse-Lautrec, which is located in the former bishop’s palace, an impressive red brick building that dates back to the 13th century.
The post-Impressionist artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was born in Albi in 1864 into a wealthy family. His parents were first cousins, which may account for the physical deformities that afflicted him. Toulouse-Lautrec spent his adult years in Paris and became known for his non-romanticized paintings of Parisian life. Like many other artists of his time, he was attracted to brothels and made many paintings of prostitutes.
Toulouse-Lautrec is also well known for his advertising posters. His first poster, made in 1891 for the Moulin Rouge night club, was hugely popular and made his name known to a wide audience. In the 9 years that followed, he created 31 posters and 325 lithographs in his unique modern style.
Unfortunately, his notoriously dissolute lifestyle probably contributed to his death at the age of 37. A quotation attributed to him says, “I’ll drink milk when cows graze on grapes.”
The museum does a wonderful job of covering his entire artistic career, beginning with his teenage years.
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| A painting done by Toulouse-Lautrec, at the age of 17 |
Behind the palace that houses the museum are formal French gardens with two overhanging terraces that overlook the Tarn River. The bridge over the river, which is still in use, was built in 1040CE.
When we’re on the road, OAT tries to schedule pit stops in interesting places. So, on the way back to Carcassonne, while driving through the Black Mountains (elevation 3000 feet), we made a quick stop for restrooms and refreshments in the city of Castres. I’m sorry we only had half an hour or so there. It was hardly enough time to admire the colorful 17th century houses along the Agout River. They were formerly occupied by the town’s tanners, weavers, parchment-makers, and dyers, all of whom helped make Castres an important textile center. Today, its economy is tied to the military base that is located in the city. It’s also famous for its winning rugby team.
The following day, before we left the Languedoc, we stopped in Auch, a city of about 20,000 people on the Gers River. The area where it’s located was previously called Gascony. Auch is known for three things: it’s the home of d’Artagnan (of Three Musketeers fame); it’s where Armagnac, a plum brandy, is made; and it produces much of the foie gras consumed in France. Since it also lies on the route of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela (the French Way),has welcomed many pilgrims over the centuries.
In our short time in Auch, we visited the Cathedral Sainte-Marie. Construction of the cathedral, which took two centuries to complete, started in 1489. The style is described as a combination of Flamboyant Gothic (what a name!) and classical Renaissance. Particularly striking are its beautiful 16th century stained glass windows and its 17th century monumental organ.
The weather in Auch was ideal for outdoor dining. We had lunch at a restaurant on a lovely square where I enjoyed a delicious risotto with shrimp followed by moeulleux au chocolat, which turned out to be a brownie plated with raspberry sorbet and crème Chantilly.
The Languedoc is an area of France that I would love to explore further. But after a few days there, it was time to pack up and travel on to the French Basque country.
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