Route du Michel

Today dawned beautifully – a perfect autumn day – so we decided to do the Tour de Michel. This name needs an explanation. When we were last here (2007) we asked our friend Michel Canac to recommend the best all-day drive he knew, knowing that he and Ani spend a lot of time exploring the region by foot and by car, and of course were both born nearby (in Millau). Without hesitation he wrote out an itinerary for us that took us into the Gorges du Tarn, and included a visit to one of the most famous caves in Europe if not the world, plusa close-up look at the Viaduc de Millau from ground level. We did it last time and were blown away so decided we should share it with Kit & Den. (I have posted separate blogs with more photos of the Gorge and the Viaduc)

It is difficult to put in words how spectacularly beautiful this particular part of the world is. The photos below go part of the way in telling the story but this is something that must be seen and experienced personally. The highlights of this very long (12 hour day) were the villages of St Etienne and xxxxxxx, the view from Point Sublime, the ground up inspection of the Viaduc, and the Aven Armand (cave) that is in a word stunning. The cave consists of one giant cavern, large enough in volume to accommodate the whole of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, that had only one small opening directly over the cavern, that was first explored in the 1890’s. The display of stalactites and stalagmites is extraordinary, some of them 35 metres tall and yet still 15-20 metres from the roof. The base of the cave looks like a petrified forest and can be explored in detail by foot. This tour is very strongly recommended to anyone visiting this region.