Road Trip

Explore Armagnac country on a gentle westward journey through undiscovered market towns and tranquil landscapes

- Howard Johnson

One of the many joys of living in France is that it is impossible to discover all the pleasures of such a vast and beautiful country in one lifetime. So it is with a real sense of excitement that my wife and I begin our two-day road trip in Montauban, north of Toulouse.

Despite living less than 80 kilometres from the capital of Tarn-etGaronne, this is our first visit. Our plan is to head west and discover the treasures of the Tarn-etGaronne, Gers and Landes départements.

Before leaving, we have coffee in the lovely central square of one of the oldest and best preserved towns in the region. Daniel Cohn-Bendit, a prominent student leader during the May 1968 revolt, was born in Montauban. But there does not seem to be much radical activity in the air as we finish our drinks, take in the traditional rose colours of the impressive buildings one last time and head out on the highway.

First stop along the lazily winding D928 is Montech. We had not planned to look around, but were drawn to the impressive church, Notre-Dame de la Visitation. Sitting on two canals, the Canal Latéral à la Garonne and the Canal de Montech, this is the kind of French town we love to stumble across, all old-world charm and sleepiness. But there is no time for dawdling; not if we want to make our lunchtime destination in time for some sightseeing.

Beaumont-de-Lomagne is just over 20 kilometres away, and it is somewhere we have pinpointed. The rich soils of the area produce the famous white garlic, and fêtes celebrate this culinary marvel during the summer.