Albi, France -A Trip Worth the Time

We didn't realize that it was going to be winter temperatures when we rented the car in Toulouse to begin our journey toward the southern part of France.  We were truly counting on warmth by the 23rd of May, but the low temperature on the 23rd of May in Albi was 41 degrees F with a wind chill of 37.  It's a good thing we had jackets and lots of layers.

The hotel room in Albi at Hotel les Pasteliers was small, but comfortable enough and the owners were very friendly, helpful, and spoke enough English for us to get by with Dan speaking enough French for them to understand as well.

In fact, everyone we have encountered in France so far has been very friendly and accommodating.   I had heard stories about the French not being friendly, but we had only good experiences with them. 

Tiny hotel room, but still OK

We arrived in Albi around 3 PM and had not had lunch, but luckily, there was a patisserie right around the corner.  We have eaten more pastries in the past ten days than in the past year I'm sure.   I hope that my pants will still fit by the end of this trip.

This pastry was filled with different cheeses and warmed before we ate it. 

Where is Albi, France?

Albi is a commune in southern France that is located on the River Tarn and  85 km northeast of Toulouse.   A little history:   After the Roman conquest of Gaul, in 51 BC, the town became the territory of the Albigeois, Albiga. Archeological digs have not revealed any traces of Roman buildings, which seems to indicate that Albi was a modest Roman settlement.

In 1040, Albi expanded and constructed the Pont Vieux (Old Bridge).  We came to Albi not knowing about what there was to see, but only as a stop on the way to the south part of France.

Boy, were we ever surprised to find such amazing, historical, and beautiful sights. 


The most challenging part of our visit was trying to bear up with the cold.  Last night was truly uncomfortable even with layers, scarves, jackets, hats, and resolve to be tough.   Patrice, the owner of
Hotel les Pasteliers, where we stayed, told us about the Pont Vieux, the cathedral, The Toulouse Lautrec Museum, and the restuarant Auberge du Pont Vieux.  

We were going to take the 20 minute walk to the Pont Vieux, but turned around after about 3 minutes because the wind chill was unbearable.  Patrice didn't think we would find a place to park near the bridge, but we got lucky.  We had no idea what we were in store for as we were walking down the street and I heard some water running-like a waterfall... 

                                                                                                                                    

The cathedral in the distance was on our list of places to see in the morning, but we were enjoying the beauty of the bridge over the river Tarn at the base of the town of Albi.

We are on the Pont Vieux right next to the restaurant where we will eat called Auberge du Pont Vieux.

Augerge du Pont Vieux-owned by a couple, Emilie and Eric in Albi, France

The restaurant building was built in the 15 century and is really interesting.

The food was great.  I had sea bass and vegetables.

Dan had roast duck and a pastry that was stuffed with vegetables.  Very Good.

This wine is incredible. 

What do you mean impaired?  I'm not impaired. 

Emilie, the owner, was quite knowledgeable about wines in the region and I took full advantage of her extensive knowledge.

I had cheese for dessert instead of sweets.  HA!

Emilie, the owner of Auberge du Pont Vieux and lovely person. 

Doesn't quite capture the beauty at night.  You'll have to go there and discover it for yourself.