We were lucky as the sun shone incessantly, our hotel had a pool and our room a terrace overhung with wisteria, and it just so happened to be the national Fête de la Musique, so double lucky!
Albi, like Toulouse, is built of slim rose toned bricks and has a very distinctive architecture as a result. A friend commented 'Game of Thrones' and I think this is rather apt.
Any settlement that's over two thousand years old and has witnessed pestilence, famine, war, revolution, bloodshed, political intrigue and religous slaughter is bound to have a bit of character.
On a quiet morning before the bustle begins, weaving along the narrow cobbled streets in search of an almond brioche (or two) is almost like time travelling.
I enjoyed the history...
the Toulouse-Lautrec museum..
..and the architecture.
I did also enjoy the Saturday morning brocante, but was a bit taken aback at the touristic prices - the by word is 'nice to look, nice to hold but certainly don't consider anything sold'!
Alex was very happy to be immersed in all manner of music for three days...
It still amazes us to buy a drink from a specially set up street bar, wander around with wine glass in hand along with thousands of others, watch bands and DJs perform to all ages from 2 to 100 and not catch even a glimpse of a policeman or security - the whole event is trouble free. Very impressive.
Albi was very appealing, the only thing missing for us was its distance from the coast. We shall, however, return whenever we need a World Heritage fix. And we'll certainly stay again in the cheap and chic, very well endowed 2 star Hôtel Laperouse www.hotel-laperouse.com!
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