SLOW TOURISM ❘ TARN
Take it slow in TSlow OURISM
TARN
In the second instalment of his guides to relaxing breaks in southern Occitanie, Justin Postlethwaite is in the Tarn, home to Gaillac wines and a plethora of beautiful villages
lovely department east of Toulouse.
I glimpse two fawn on a jolly jaunt through the long grass down in the main fi eld, as my host Brigitte Lasage emerges to welcome me to her prestigious chambre d’hôtes, in the family for generations. We are a mere stone’s throw from both the local winemaking hub, Gaillac (vineyards drape the rolling fi elds all around), and the departmental capital and pink-hued gem, Albi (for cultural fi xes, from the Toulouse-Lautrec museum to the majestic cathedral). However, this Tarn mini-break will be strictly rural – out in the sticks where the living is slow and measured, the produce exceptional and the villages as beaux as can be.
A
After an apéro and supper platter of local goodies par excellence – dried ham, cheeses and early-season strawberries – I set about plotting the next day’s escapades. Three hilltop wonders proudly boasting the Plus Beaux Villages label (a guarantee of top-notch aesthetics and amenities) – Cordes-sur-
70 ❘ FRANCE TODAY Jun/Jul 2023
rriving at the magnifi cent Domaine du Buc in Tarn on a warm, sunny evening represents French bucolic heaven. Nothing tantalises like the crunch of tyre on gravel along the snaking approach to this supremely elegant hideaway, the base for a ‘slow tourism’ sojourn in this
Ciel, Puycelsi and Castelnau-de-Montmiral – are on my visit list, plus the spectacular Château de Penne, a precariously placed lookout and former garrison currently in the throes of a major renovation to former glory thanks to a local architect’s passion and deep pockets.
After breakfast on Saturday morning, I wind my way towards
the fi rst of my medieval marvels, Cordes-sur-Ciel. Spied from the panoramic viewpoint on an opposing hill, the village’s cloud-piercing majesty on a promontory is quite breathtaking, and unsurprisingly it is one of the most photographed sights in all of France. Arriving in town, after taking advantage of free parking for market day, I head to le marché in the lower section, which presents all manner of locally produced treats to browse, taste and snap up, from jams to breads and other delicious comestibles, plus fl owers, clothing and much more. A small train takes visitors uphill on a guided tour (English translation available) but I choose to explore the fortifi ed gates, ramparts and sculpted Gothic façades of the ancient upper reaches by foot. First, I pop into the cute and beautifully decorated La Capelette, a 16th-century chapel featuring spirited paintings from the 1940s that evoke Cordes’ status as an important Way of St James pilgrimage waymarker. Carefully treading the steep cobblestone alleys (Cordes by foot requires
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