Miladiou is a traditional Occitan exclamation — a softened oath from the region, roughly equivalent to “good lord!” or “blimey!” — impossible to translate perfectly, but the spirit is one of passionate exclamation!
Because we love sharing what we love, you’re about to discover the Aubrac — our home. Northern Aveyron, Lozère, Cantal — we all have our souls forged by this harsh yet abundantly rich plateau: the Aubrac!
The Aubrac means winters where snow blankets everything — often, right up through the 1990s, you couldn’t go anywhere until the snowplough had come through. The hotels in Saint-Flour would fill up with “tourists” waiting for the Col de la Fageole pass to reopen — long before the motorway existed. Then comes spring, when everything awakens: narcissus bloom in the meadows, the summer pastures await the cows that will “come up” from the valley for the transhumance around May 20th. But don’t be fooled! The Aubrac is unpredictable — just look: it snowed this weekend, and next week temperatures of 77F are expected! We’ve already driven the cows up through snow before. And once they’re up on the high pastures, with the cantalès — we have a surprise planned for Friday the 22nd, the eve of the transhumance! — they feel right at home, feasting on the flowering grasslands, while down in the valley we make hay. Our cows are happy, and their fragrant milk goes off to the cooperative or to independent producers.
Summer is full of surprises — hot and dry, then suddenly, around August 15th, the storms roll in! The cold hits you out of nowhere, with pilgrims trotting along under the rain. Every summer, for us, means the trip up to the buron — the mountain hut where you savour aligot— and the whole family goes, just like every other family in the region. And then there’s the fishing: the Bès river is as slippery as an ice rink, best avoided in waders — better to fish from the bank. Not to mention all the little streams and other rivers like the Tuyère — paradise for wild, ravenous brown trout, quick as lightning.
Then everything starts to turn russet and autumn arrives: we bring the cows back down, go out to hear the stags bellow, hunt for mushrooms, and light the fire every single day. The tourists leave, and we stay — with one quiet wish in our hearts: for the snow to start falling, so we can go skiing! In Laguiole, in Brameloup — for those learning to ski downhill, or for the cross-country skiers gliding along the trails through the woods.
In short, the Aubrac — here in Northern Aveyron — we love it more than anything in the world! So there you have it, for those who don’t yet know it: you’re going to fall in love with it. Just don’t all come at once! We need to stay a little wild — Miladiou!
And if you ever come and want to go eat at Le Suquet Sébastien Bras, please book in advance! But there are plenty of other restaurants, our favorite is Chez Remise à Saint Urcize !
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