On the Road Again, Part 2b—The Chaos de Montpellier & that Viaduct

 

This is the third and final part of our trip to the causses and the Viaduct of Millau.

After congratulating ourselves for spending the night (first night away from home in over a year!) we discussed our plans over breakfast. I was keen on seeing a formation called Le Chaos de Montpellier-le-Vieux, not the least because it bore the name of our adopted home town. But the description of a natural area of rocky pinnacles was certainly appealing.

 

A view of Millau and the Viaduct from half-way up the causse.

Ah, Spring! Green hills and fields around Millau.

Our route led us across the Tarn and up—and up and up—onto the adjacent causse. We stopped often on the way to take in the incredible scenery: the town, the viaduct (not so distant now!), and the ever-so-green hills. Eventually the road leveled out and we drove among mature pines, with the occasional lush meadow stretching into the distance, dense with tiny yellow flowers.

 

Kate gets up close and personal with the meadow flowers.

And, so do we!

After about a half-hour we reached our objective, only to find it closed. Well, rather, with newly-installed gates across the road. It seems that, probably this year for the first time, a fee will be charged to access the car park further on. Whatever. We left the car on the edge of the road (there were few other cars on this Sunday morning) and started hiking.

 

The rather uninspiring parking lot (now closed, soon to be open for a fee).

The very unexpected view from that uninspiring parking lot! See that cliff jutting out mid-right? That's the lookout point we hiked to.

The parking lot proper was on the edge of a cliff with great views out over the Chaos. But poking around we soon realized that this was only the beginning: the area below, the Chaos itself, is a labyrinth of hiking trails! We certainly were not prepared for a day of hiking in a labyrinth, but we thought we’d at least get a little taste. So, we started down the trail.

 

A rock formation know as The Camel, for some reason.

View of the Chaos from the overlook.

It was fantastic. Wide, open paths between massive natural stone walls infused with brush and trees. We wound along the path and eventually made it to a high, prominent overlook. And I realized the guide book description of the chaos was ‘way understated! We quickly understood how these columns of rock rising from the trees and bushes may well have appeared as a ruined city (the origin of the title “Chaos”) to the Midlevel shepherds who brought their flocks here. And, clearly, it could well be the home of the Devil, as they suspected.

 

Paula, on the trail.

Another view from the lookout.

Clearly, this was a whole day’s adventure, for which we were not prepared! Perhaps another time we will come with a more serious intent; but we’d seen enough for now, and once more headed back to the car, passing several more groups of people arriving to hike.

 

Our intention was to explore the causse more fully by driving on the windy roads leading east from Millau. Soon, though, we passed a sign with a dire warning about narrow turns, not suitable for trailers or trucks! We kept going, but I was eyeing the fuel gauge—we’d failed to get gas in Millau, and I was very aware of my own internal fuel gauge: lunchtime was once more approaching, as it does, and once more we were not prepared!

 

A final shot of the Chaos of Montpellier-le-Vieux.

The road was narrow enough to make a U-turn difficult, even with no fear of on-coming traffic. But we were glad we’d made the effort as we wound up the road, and back to Millau. We re-fueled at a station attached to a major supermarket, but by the time we were ready to get some food, the market was closed. Dang! We always forget, stuff is closed here on Sunday! Well, we can survive on low fuel better than the car, so with a comfortably full tank we headed off to the east, on the road passing right under that fabulous viaduct. 

And just outside of town there was a huge boulangerie, right on the side of the road! We gratefully stopped and loaded up on some small quiches, hot coffee, pastries for dessert, and, of course, some bread. Then we drove a few kilometers further and stopped at the overlook directly under the bridge.

 

Driving under the Viaduct.

The wind was howling outside, so we were content to dine in the car, gazing across the wide valley with the tall, narrow bridge pylons reaching to the sky, topped by the roadbed far, far above.

 

The Viaduct, from down bleow.

After getting our fill of both lunch and the view we continued on the wide thoroughfare for a few minutes before turning off on yet another narrow winding road that climbed to the town of Roquefort, home of the famous cheese. 

I’d often heard of the limestone caves in the town from which the soft cheese, made of ewe’s milk and veined with a mold that gives it its distinctive flavor, takes its name. Each round of cheese spends several months aging in these caves under the town, as has been done for hundreds of years. The town itself was not much. Deserted on a Sunday (of course!), its huge stone buildings looked like industrial warehouses from the 1800s (which, I assume, they were!). 

We continued up to yet another causse, this one flat and rather bleak except for the small green meadows broken by the rugged gray stone outcroppings. Pleasant now in the spring, I bet this place is miserable, hot and dry, in the summer (and, of course, cold and windy in the winter). 

But we’d had enough of driving, and stopping, and looking, and were happy to get on the high-speed Autoroute and blast home. 

While it had been threating to rain all day, we felt nary a drop. We left the car at the rental return, and walked the short distance home. That night, though… the heavens opened! Thunder, lightning, wind, and buckets of rain. We were ever so grateful to be tucked into our own beds, warm and dry!

We're off on another adventure. You'll hear all about it soon!