We hated the place where you pay for views of the bridge and any inadvertent views were blocked with bamboo matting.
We found a great view at the top of a hill just before you go down into St Georges de Luzenac. There's a little parking space (& doubtless a couple of camper vans). The aire on the A75 just north of the bridge has good views and an exhibition ... all for free (as long as you pay to cross the bridge).
If you're at Mostuejouls it's worth your while to got 15 miles further & see the bearded vultures they have just released into the wild outside Meyrueis.
The LPO (French RSPB) have some experts with long lenses at Camping La Cascade until the end of August (between 3& 6 p.m every day I think. You don't have to be part of the campsite to go & have a look. It was marvellous to see them fly... they have a wingspan of 2.7 metres!
Here are picturesof when they released the baby vultures into the wild.
L
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Well, we're here. Uneventful trip down, day 2 on site and everything set up bar the event shelter. We have riverside pitches and it's an absolutely beautiful area (like you all said).
Today we did a supermarket run to Millau, got a few views of the viaduct. Will do it properly another day. Sat nav took us a scary way back to campsite up over the mountain, lots of hairpin bends.
Tomorrow, hubby and teens are off kayaking so me and the dog will have some peace chilling here. Site is lovely, restaurant does good food and the sun is shining, although rain still forecast for weekend.
My lit have eaten dessert and I have a bottle of white chilling in fridge for later to sit out with.
I can't get over how wonderful this place is.
------------- July 2012 ~ Vallon Pont d
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We arrived home on Thursday evening, unloaded big camping stuff into shed and the tubs, bedding and clothing into dining room.
Only yesterday I had chance (and the weather) to start sorting out to put everything back into its usual storage space. Have made a start on catching up on all my washing though.
We all had a fabulous time. I can't thank you all enough for talking about this place in other threads to give me the spark to go.
The gorges are absolutely awesome, we took a drive to Meyrueis and over the Causse Mejean to Ste Enimie then back to the site following the road next to the river. Hubby and the kids had kayaked this part previously so were keen to show me where they'd been.
We've eaten well, far too much Aligot for my waistline but too good to refuse. I think my son has lived off duck with aligot this holiday
Also did the Roquefort caves, which I found interesting. Took turns dogsitting as he wasn't allowed in. My daughter was allowed in the second time free once we explained that I was dog sitting and would like company doing the tour. The second tour was only in French, my hubby and dd had the last English tour that day, so dd translated for me although I was given information sheets beforehand to read (very handy).
Did do other things like the Templar villages and a run over to Belcastel (Rodez was a nightmare with its traffic) and also the Viaduct which was the whole reason for going to this area but mostly we chilled out and relaxed.
The weather was a bit hit and miss, not wall to wall days of sun, we had thunder and lightening the first weekend then cloud and wind, couple of days of sunshine then cloudy again. The last few days we were there was forecast rain which somehow skipped over us which was fortunate as I needed to pack up. We don't do well in constant blazing sun so for us a few days of cooler weather suited.
Can definitely see us going back again one day although the last few days all I kept thinking was how on earth was I going to find somewhere to top or even come close to matching this place.
Welcome home and glad you had a lovely time. It is a stunning area and I'm with you on trying to find somewhere to top it. I really really want to go back. Maybe next year (she says, wistfully).
Aligot: thank you, I'd forgotten the name of the stuff. Naughty but nice.
------------- Camping - emotional resilience in action, a triumph of hope over adversity and antidote to virtual reality.
Welcome home, and thank you so much for your posts. It's so nice for all those who contribute to read how much someone has enjoyed somewhere which has been recommended!
We went back again in May, for the umpteenth time! I think it was this thread which sparked us off again. And yet again, we found more undiscovered things to do - this time we found an area where there were loads of the beautiful carline thistles growing - previously we've only ever seen one or two, we saw birds we've never seen - another type of vulure - and we found the przewalski horses (primitive horses, reintroduced on the causse). We also took the canoe out again on the Tarn and this time we're going back with a waterproof camera so we can take some photographs whilst on the river.
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Glad you had a lovely time there, coastal path. It's a really nice place, isn't it?
There are regular vultures up in the causses, Val. There are a lot & they're fantastic to watch. Or you might have been lucky & seen a bearded vulture. There are now seven in the Grands Causses.
As from May 20th two bearded vultures (numbers 6 & 7)were released near Meyruis, and they fledged on June 20th. We were lucky enough to arrive a week later and they are truly magnificent.
We also saw the prz...what you said horses but it was raining so we need to go back and investigate. I loved it so much up on the tops of the causses. Almost more than in the valleys.
Hi Lizex, yes, we've seen the vultures lots of times - they must have bee bearded vultures this time with a different shaped tail. I knew they were different to the 'normal' ones we see every time we're there. I remember watching a film in the 1980's at Val de Cantobre about the reintroductions of Griffon and Black Vultures, and at that time the vulture centre in the Jonte was just a small building, and not the centre which is there now!
At one time the farmers were paid to put out their carcasses on the Causse(s)- I'm not sure if this still happens up there, but I imagine so since the vultures are doing so well.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Tarn Gorge area
