Driving through Le Tarn, Midi-Pyrenees

From Lot we drove south, close to Languedoc and the mythical land of the Cathars and Knights of the Templar. Forget the guidebook. Getting lost in rural France (with a full tank of gas, of course) is pure heaven. The countryside is dotted with thousands of historical villages, each with their own character, churches, fragrant gardens, and exquisite architecture. Actually any map besides Michelin is pretty useless here (so many winding, country roads). We ended up happily lost in a village called Puycelsi, where we walked up through the rose-draped alleyways to the ancient castle that stands at the summit. God bless French organization and bureaucracy; no matter how tiny the ville, there's usually an Information booth, where we got directions to our friends' little town of Salvagnac.