For breakfast we drove down to the local bakery only to find that even at 0945 all the croissants had been sold, which was a shame so Noel had a Croque Monsuir and Jennifer an our friend had a very nice pastry with a couple cups of coffee.
We returned to the house and Noel packed the car ready for a departure at at bout 11.00 as today we are driving to see the Millay bridge and the journey will take a couple of hours, maybe more and subject to traffic. However there was hardly any cars anywhere until we got to the outskirts of Rodez which is quite a large and bustling town but then the Satnav ferried us around the outside of the main town to avoid the main traffic. At around 1.30 pm we were beginning to feel a little peckish and so we came across a parking area where we could stop and and eat our previously prepared cold salmon baguette which were excellent.
As we got nearer to Millau there were signs to lookouts for viewing the bridge but we ignored for a while but Millau was a very busy town with the roads and people walking in to the street and not making life easy for driving. Should be a law against it!!
We arrived at the Hotel called Chateau De Creissels just on the outskirts of the town with a view overlooking the Tarn Valley and of course five pillars of the famous Millau Viaduct. Our room overlooked the swimming pool but we were both a little tired and decided to have a rest for s short while and then Noel caught up on some office stuff. In the evening we went to the restaurant with a choice of in or outside and we chose the latter and had a nice dinner where the staff went out of their way to ensure I would have no food problems but my own fault I tried some white whine, not Chardonnay, and it later gave me a difficult time leading in tot eh next day travel unfortunately.
After dinner we walked along a parapet of the castle which dates back to see following info
Hotel Millau : a place full of history
In the heart of the History of Creissels
Converted into a hotel in 1960, enlarged in 1972, the Château de Creissels has a rich history. It is the oldest hotel in Millau and could tell many stories if its walls could tell what they have seen. The castle goes back to a high antiquity, an act of 801 making mention of it. But it was Henri II who built the castle in the 12th century in order to live in it. Then, great families of France succeeded one another among the owners. The 1st Viscount of Creissels, Raimond de Roquefeuil is none other than an ancestor of the rich Rockefeller. The Château was owned by the French Crown from 1589 (the accession of Henri IV, known as "The Great") until 1628, when King Louis XIII, known as "The Just", donated it to private individuals.
Since then, this residence has often been passed on by women. Over the centuries, the building has undergone many transformations. However, the living room, the library, the reception, the restaurant rooms (former guard rooms) and the parapet walk constitute the oldest parts of the castle dating from the 12th century. The square tower was built in the 19th century, after the fire of 1814, which destroyed two thirds of the building. The ramparts were built on the terrace to hide the ruins of the part affected by the fire. Throughout these years, the Château welcomed many personalities, including two bishops who, in the 19th century, had their family home there, and whose eponymous room has been preserved with its period furniture. More recently, the great lyric artist Emma Calvé stayed there and left many memories.
Noel took a couple of sundown shots of the bridge .We would certainly stay here again should we visit the area.
