Day 30 Travel from Des Gorges du Tarn to St Izaire.

Day 30 Travel from Des Gorges du Tarn to St Izaire.

Today Peter, Janet, Alison and John headed for home.  Leaving around 10.30 am they planned on getting as close to Calais as possible with a passage back on the train (Eurostar) booked for Wednesday midday.

The three remaining cars headed west but before leaving the valley we visited the vulture sanctuary - Belvedere des Vautours.  This is a very interesting exhibition with displays and information on the native vultures to this region.  Then we viewed the birds via telescopes from the viewing platform.  It was a thrill to see the birds (including 2 young birds - 1 approximately 3 months old and the 2nd 4 months in the nests) in their native habitat on the sheer cliff faces going about their daily business.  This bird group is proactively re-introducing the birds back into the wild.  They had disappeared  from the area back in the early 1980's.

We then headed  off and our route took us this time over the Millau bridge.  This is the bridge we drove under 3 days ago.  After paying a 7 euro toll we stopped at the bridge information station and walked up the steep climb to the observation area.  The view is quite spectacular – with the bridge cabling looking like massive sails across the valley.

We then travelled via Saint Affrica then westward to St Izaire.

The country side changes quite dramatically from the rocky gorges to wide undulating green hills.  This is clearly wide open farming area with wheat or hay type crops.    

Staying in a country farm house run by a charming Dutch couple - Hans and Nellaka who have been running this B&B since the late 1980’s.  Unusually this stay also included dinner and as is European (Dutch) custom Sunday dinner is the most important meal of the week.  All guests gathered for pre dinner drinks in the very tastefully converted barn with greetings and introductions all round.  The meal involved 5 separate courses all cooked from local produce.  Starting with a shrimp mornay, stuffed and rolled chicken breast, cheese platter which included the local Roquefort blue followed by a trio of tastes for dessert.  Nellaka is a terrific in the kitchen.