My First Experience in Auvergne

Last Tuesday (August 13) about 6:30 Pascale and I arrived in Ceyrat, next to Clermont Ferrand in the Auvergne region, to spend four nights with Pascale’s father, Jean Francois. Her brother Eric was there as well. Her father has a variety of fruit trees, and right now there is an abundance of purple and pale green plums, cassis (I thought they were blueberries-although a bit tart), and red currants (groseille). Regrettably about ten days ago there was a big hail storm, so he lost about 90% of the plums.

Over dinner he asked Pascale what she planned to show me, and she responded. However, he told her WHAT I should see….So Tuesday morning, the three of us were off to a huge market in Murol; there was a variety of regional foods as well as clothing, household items, etc. Then we stopped nearby and climbed up and through cow fields and up and up to overlook Chambon sur Lac. Pascale commented how much she liked to hear the bells on the cows; this was another new experience for me! (We had taken our suits, but it was really too cool to swim!) A tasty lunch of ham and St. Nectaire (soft) cheese on a baguette and peach gave me enough energy to head down.

(My recent practice walking up the hills in Suresnes, as well as near the beach in Seattle helped, but this exceeded my normal walking experience!) It was a spectacular day weather-wise-maybe highs 60’s-mid 70’s, so my sweater went on and off. It seemed to take about 1 ½ hours going up and 45 minutes on return. It was great fun!!
And, okay, I did feel like I was channeling the Von Traps in "The Sound of  Music" a little!

Next we visited a sweet little church in the mountains in the town of Vessiere. Apparently a miracle had taken place there long ago. A Catholic man was going to church, but this Protestant man wouldn’t go with him. He became blind, but when he later went to church with his Catholic friend, he regained his sight.

Next stop was Lac Pavin, which is a crater lake, surrounded by what one of the books described as “the fine network of trails”. We walked down and met her dad. There is no swimming in this lake, but people can rent paddle boats. There was an excellent display all about the lake at the bottom of the trails, which many people had stopped to read. It was surprising how many people were there, but clearly it is for all these trails, as one could walk around the lake, as

well as what we walked down.

Next stop was the little middle age town of Besse or Besse-en-Chandesse . Super Besse has a ski resort, but we didn’t stop there. There was good signage in both French and English. One sign described the fact that the butcher was on a fairly steep hill, and that all the animals were killed in the streets, so the blood, etc. would easily flow downhill. (It didn’t say what was there to catch the remains!)

Besse center

INTERESTING garden display in Besse

!

Next stop was Saint-Nectaire, which has a very famous 12^th century church by the same name, as well as the cheese we had for lunch. On the way, we came across a Dolman from some 3000 years BC! The Roman style church was much more impressive on the inside to me.

I came home very fatigued!! However, it was a fascinating day-one that few Americans experience, because this is not a part of France where many Americans go. I appreciate very much the wonderful tour Pascale and her father provided me!!