Summer 2017 Fifth Post - France

12th July 2017 - Massiac
5002 miles

Morning hike on to the rolling plateaux to the south of Blesle, mainly looking down into wooded valleys and across to lava flow capped hills. Fortunately, the lava flows are a few million years old - so no health and safety risk. Late afternoon a slow drive along narrow lanes to the small town of Massiac, stopping at a green roadside aire next to the river. Surrounded by wooded slopes and more lava capped hills. To the north chapels on the hilltops both sides of the river valley. But a sad town as most of the old village centre is deserted, everyone now wants to live in new detached bungalows on the outskirts.

Abbey Church, Blesle

Start of morning's hike over the hills

13th July 2017 - la  Chapelle Laurent
5011 miles

A few miles, mainly uphill, on to the edge of the Plateau de Ally, at around 1000m, to stop aire at the sports field at la  Chapelle Laurent.  In the afternoon walked to the local hilltop viewpoint in the adjacent village: extensive 180 degree panorama of the volcanic area of the Auvergne - from the Puy de Dome Chain, near Clermont-Ferrand, to the north, west to the more eroded Mont Dore cones and to the south the Plomb de Cantal, the weathered remnants of the originally massive Cantal volcano.

Chapelle Laurent

Volcanoes on the horizon

14th and 15th July 2017 - Ruynes-en-Margeride
5046 miles

Mornings drive to that Alllier gorge then back up on to the plateau along a fantastic road to lunch by the lake at the aire at Vedrines-St-Loup. Then on to a large motorhome parking area, pleasantly shaded by trees at the edge of the village of Ruynes-en-Margeride. Their fireworks for Bastille Day had been on the previous evening, to celebrate the 14th it was their 33rd annual book fair. Route barre - village roads shut and centre full if stalls with authors flogging new works and dealers selling thousands of second hand books. Chilled out here for a couple of days, got no further than the castle keep, which is home to an open air museum.

Book Fair to celebrate the 14tg July at Ruynes

16th July 2017 - Pierrefort
5087 miles

Still making the circuit around Clermont-Ferrand, now more or less 100km south, back into the Parc  Naturel Regional des Volcans d'Auvergne virtually at it's southernmost point. End route, stopped off at the Lac du Barrage de Grandval, which fills the bottom of the sided wooded valley of the Truyere  for about 20 kilometres and is crossed at one point by Eiffel's impressive arched Viaduc  de Garabit. Evening walk through forests at fields from Pierrefort. At one point, l could see the high peaks of the Pyrenees, to the north of Andorra, which are about 270km to the SSW. I did the maths, from 1000m elevation you can see the top of a 3000m peak at 307km distance and 2500m mountains at 290km away. The peaks in that area are between 2800 and 3000m - somit makes sense (better take my anorak off).

Lac due Barrage de Grandval

Walking round Pierrefort - Pyrenees on the horizon

17th July 2017 - Velzic
5132 miles

Aire at Velzic - Fortunately the threatening storm didn't materialize

Some terrible roads when crossing from one valley to the next that fan out radially from Puy Mary, very narrow with an incredibly steep set of close hairpins at one point - after stalling and hand break barely holding had a ghastly smell of 'burnt' clutch for miles. Eventually, ended up at a pleasant spot at Velzic.
18th July 2016 - St Martin-Valmeroux
5180 miles

St Martin Valmeroux

After yesterday's experience kept to the roads on the valley bottoms, no more short cuts! Was going to take a look at Aurillac; but the aire was right next to busy roads in the town centre and it was bloody hot. Traveled a bit further, starting the western limb if the ' Circuit de Clermont' and stopped of at an aire right outside the campsite at St Martin Valmeroux. Pleasant walk the next morning before it got too hot, then in the afternoon went looking for a thermal spring, that promised in the Tourist Information warm water. Had visions of soaking in a warm pool. Only found a miserable dribble of tepid water!

19th July 2017 - Drugeac
5186 miles

Disappearing France - Old blue and white road signs

The weather was cooler, grey and wet in the late afternoon when l parked a few miles further north at Drugeac. A damp wander round the small village encountered an old Michelin road sign. You still see them occasionally 

20th July 2017 - Champs-sur-Tarantaine
5216 miles

Former garden used as a quiet Aire

North through Bort-des-Orgues, and its pretty poor town centre aire, where l stopped in 2014, to this great parking area and thriving village a few clicks further on.

21st July 2017 - Champeix
5253 miles

Champeix - Vieux Ville

Cut the circle below Clermont and headed east, passing the pretty hideous skiing centre of Super Bess on the southern slopes of Mont Core. Stopping the night at Champeix - interesting old part of the town with church and castle.

22nd July 2017 - la  Palisse
5350 miles

Still in the Auvergne Region, decided to have a potter around the Allier Department for a few days. First stop was la Palisse with its impressive fifteenth century castle, constructed by the Marchel of France, dominating the town 

Château due Palice -dominates la  Palisse

23rd July 2017 - Creuzier-le-Vieux
5381 miles


Stopped of to take a guided tour of the castle at Billy and ended up in an aire in the pleasant middle class suburbs of the Spa town of Vichy. Which, apart from the Napoleon lll gardens along the Allier, came over as a little rundown. Mainly late nineteenth century with none of the elegance of some of the Czech Spa towns l visited last summer  Some interesting frescoes in a Priory church on the way.

Château de Billy, near Vichy

Medieval Fresco

24th July 2016 - St Pourcain-sur-Sioule
5397 miles

Cooler and grey as l carried on to a huge aire by the river at St Pourcain-sur-Sioule. Fifty plus vans parked up. Dead weird the French seem to travel main roads (two criss here) and park up near lakes, canals and rivers. Really strange church in the town, only one side aisle and an asymmetric timber roof. Classical eighteenth century facade at the west end covering a tenth century porch behind, which could have been part of the original nave. 

French municipal street plantings are so
stylish - would be trashed by yobs at home

St. Pourcain-sur-Sioule - Church, Square and Belfry

25th July 2017 - Jaligny-sur-Besbre
5414 miles

A short drive through gently rolling large fields and woodland to a quiet riverside aire on the Besbre, the same river l was parked next to in la Palisse. A longish walk in the afternoon kept me occupied. Unfortunately, the castle was not open to the pubic. Market day the next morning blocked of the entire centre of the village and one route out, typical of France.

The aire and river at Jasigny-sur-Besbre

26th July 2017 - Diou
5480 miles

Across to the north eastern area of the Allier to end up on the banks of the Loire, which forms the eastern boundary of the Department. Free parking on pleasant hedged emplacements at the edge of the campsite, with free electric hook-up. Why bother to use the campsite; although, it was only about ten euro a night!

The Marie at Diou

27th July 2017 - Paray-le-Fresil

Still in the Allier Department a few miles north to the very quiet village surrounded by woodland and numerous lakes, which all seemed to be artificial. Why? For fish? Strange instruction from the sat-nav "Get on roundabout", as l arrived there!

The Aire at Paray-le-Fresil

28th July 2017 - Lurcy-Levis
5501 miles

Great parking spot next to a large lake, quiet popular but with loads of room. Stayed a couple of nights chilling out and walking a trail or two. Very helpful TO where they kindly offered to photocopy walking routes out of a book for me.

Lurcy-Levis - Bizarre Tourist attraction called 'Street Art' 

30th July 2017 - Limoise
5510 miles

A very small village, fortified by earthworks and yet another lakeside aire to pull in for the night. More walking at this last stop in the Allier Department before moving on to the Berry Region and its relatively flat landscape of large open wheat fields on the southern edge of the Paris Basin.

Sunset at the Aire de Limoise

31st July 2017 - Ainay-le-Vieil
5553 miles

Just into Berry, through the Foret de Troncais, to Ainay-le-Vieil, which with warm yellow limestone has the appearance of a Cotswold village. Quiet parking area at the local stade. Even the smallest French village seems to have a sports ground. The disused Berry Canal, mainly a dry ditch for most of its length, was the other side of the football field.Large château in the village as well.

Ainay-le-Vieil - The Chateau

1st August 2017 - Bourges
5596 miles

North through an amazing village, Drevant, again on the Canal de Berry, which linked the Loire to the Cher and the iron works at Montluchon, to encounter the remains of a huge Roman Theatre and Temple Sanctuary site. The theatre was noted as seating eight thousand people! Also parts of a Romanesque Priory adjacent to the church. Then Bourges, capital of the royal domains at the end of the Hundred Years War with its impressive thirteenth century Gothic cathedral. Which, without a transept, has the appearance of an enormous chancellery chapel, like Kings, Cambridge or Lancing, Sussex. Nearby, the fifteenth century palatial residence of Jean Coeur, who virtually monopolized French trade and further enhanced his wealth as Master of the Mint, can only impress by it modcons - boiler room , central heating and plumbed hot water system!

Cathedral - Bourges

Roman Theatre - Drevant

2nd August 2016 - Valencay
5660 miles

North towards the Loire Valley, but still in Berry. To check out a few Renaissance Chateaux. I visited a few in 2013, time to tick of some more! The château at Valencay is built prominently on a ridge over looking a deep river valley. There is a convenient aire behind the tourist office just about a hundred metres from the entrance to the château. 

The Chateau at Valencay

3rd August 2017 - Cheverny
5709 miles

Keeping the chateaux theme for a couple of days moved closer to Blois on the Loire to take a look at the Chateau de Cheverny, one of the few that has remained in family hands since the fifteenth century. Visit was preceded by that of the Queen Mother who was here in 1963. Great aire just outside, huge flat field with plenty of room. Met up with a Welsh couple from Caerleon and ended up staying three nights.

The Chateau - Cheverny

6th August 2017 - Montresor
5748 miles

Decided to keep away from the Loire Valley, presumably very busy in August and head south towards Limoges. First stop-over being in a really attractive village called Montresor with an impressive ruined castle and a later chateau constructed within it, quite a common site in France. Spent a couple of nights and managed some interesting walks, including sight of some Roman aqueduct tunnels and a large earthwork, dubiously called 'Caesar's Camp'.

Chateau and Village - Montresor

8th August 2017 - Le Grand Pressigny
5795 miles

Across the rolling landscape of the Tournais to yet another village dominated by the remains of a medieval castle and later renaissance chateau! Here used as a museum mainly about the paleolithic. Smashing little aire, room for about five vans next to the municipal campsite, with free electric hook-up. If you stay more than one night they ask you to use the campsite, which would work out at about 9 euro! The outdoor heated swimming pool is adjacent, and has an entry charge of 2.20euro for adults and 90 cents for kids. Hell that wouldn't pay for the parking outside the nearest swimming pool to me in Edinburgh!

Chateau - Le Grand Pressigny

Summer 2017 Fourth Post - France

13th June 2017 - Golfo Aranchi
3948 miles

Left the campsite and drove around Olbia to the coast near the ferry poet at Golfo Aranchi, before joining the ferry at 17:30. Stunning coastline, the Costa Smeralda, on the north east coast. Looks like all the rich set hang out around here! Crossing to Nice stopped off at Porto Vechio, on Corsica, to pick up more cars, then overnight to Nice. Ferry was like a cruise ship and had a comfortable 4 berth cabin to myself. Reasonable cost at 135 euro, considering the price of cross channel ferries is about 60 euro or more and the trip is about twenty times the distance!

Costa Smeralda, Sardinia

Golfo Aranchi, Sardinia

14th to 15th June 2017 - Puget-Theniers
4000 miles

Arrived at 06:00 is Nice, which made an easy drive through the town from the docks without any morning traffic jams. Headed up into the Maritime Alps to stop at an Aire at Puget-Theniers in the Durance valley. Went for a walk in the hills late morning, got totally lost on a wooded crest, with innumerable ridges. And staggered back to the van about eight hours after leaving it not a great idea when it's about 34C!
Visited some nearly villages in the van the next morning and chilled out in the shade in the afternoon.

Sigale

la Penne

16th June 2017 - Lurs
4098 miles

An early start so that I could climb to the citadel at Entrevaux, a few miles up the Durance, bfore it got too hot. And then spent ages and miles trying to find a service station with LPG, l must have been on fumes as the gas tanka took just over 30 litres! Ended up at an aire at the hill top village of Lurs, near Sisteron. When it eventually cooled down in the evening had a slow wander around.

Entrevaux

Durance Valley from the Citadel at Entrevaux

Lurs from near the Aire

17th to 18th June 2017 Villeneuve
4108 miles

Short hop to a shady aire at Villeneuve, managed an early start the second day to do a circular walk into the local hills. Got the washing done at the nearby Intermarche, where there was a laundry in the car park. 

Lurs from the hills above Villeneuve

Villeneuve

19th June 2017 Branon
4181 miles

Another very hot day, ended up driving to the top of Mont de Lure, which at about 1880m at least had a cool breeze! Then down to a nearby aire that had been closed and an unplanned detour to the aire at the village of Branon. There was should have been a charge of 4 euro a night! But no one came round in the morning to collect the cash.  

View from Mont de Lure

Branon

20th to 22nd June 2017 Montbrun-les-Bains
4201 miles
Left Branon around ten and headed towards the Drome, one if my favourite Departments in France. Parked in a shady roadside aire at the edge if the town with Mont Ventoux, which dominates the area as a backdrop. Extremely hot, especially in the afternoons, so decided to head north west towards Poitiers, where it should start to cool down a bit at some point on route.

Mont Ventoux and Montbrun Village

Aire at Montbrun, Mont Ventoux in the background

23rd June 2017 Etang de Farges, Hermant 
4455 miles

Amazing change en route, in Clermont Ferrand it was 40C while 10km to the west, just north of the Puy de Dome the temperature dropped about twenty degrees with heavy grey clouds! Stopped and found a nearby aire at a large lake used by fishermen. Met an English couple from Blandford Forum in Dorset who were spending the night there as well. They did seventeen years working for a camping guide company inspecting campsites. Cycled up to the village the next morning.

Etang de Farges Aire

24th June 2017 Crocq
4472 miles

Decided to spend some time in the Auvergne Region, as I seem to have just passed through here on previous occasions. Apparently, listed by Lonely Planet as one of the best regions of France last year. Loads of Aires around, drove a few miles through wooded hills and pastoral farming to the small hilltop town of Crocq, dominated by two towers of the ruined château. Pleasant hike the following morning along green tracks and gravel roads, before a late breakfast and heading on.

Château de Crocq

25th June 2017 Aubusson
4497 miles

After finding the town where l was going to stay heaving and full of route barre signs and diversions, due tinthe summer fete, l ended up at the ancient tapestry centre if Aubusson, sadly a little run down, as a lot of the factories built in the nineteenth century, when the industry revived seemed to have shut. However, in the church, there were two huge tapestries hanging. It was Sunday and they had to substitute for the museum which was closed.

Vieux Ville, Aubusson

Tapestry in the church at Aubusson

26th June 2017 Peyrat-le-Chateau
4529 miles

Still in the Auvergne, about forty kilometres east of Limoges, in the Parc Natural de Millevaches end Limousine. Great area with rolling hills and mainly pastoral farming of small herds of Limousin cattle, brown ones, never saw more than twenty in a herd in small fields. Everywhere is a symphony of greens! Had parked at a village aire at Royere-de-Vassiviere in the afternoon, only to find after returning an hour later that it was shut the next morning from 0700 for the weekly market. Not being keen in being woken up and asked to move at that time l moved on a few miles to another aire, below the village church, at Peyrat-le-Chateau

Church above the aire at Peyrat-le-Chateau

27th June 2017 St Junien-le-Bergere
4535 miles

A short hop north, to a pleasant parking area on the edge of the hamlet of St Junien (absolutely no idea who he was) where the church has a strangely partially complete belfry tower. Unfortunately, the weather has taken a turn for the worse, with heavy thunderstorms in the afternoon, the only benefit being that the van got cleaned!

Lake and village at Peyrat-le-Chateau

28th June 2017 Bourganeuf
4542 miles

After a few kilometres landed at the town aire at Bouganeuf, essentially just below the town wall and old castle, also next to the Tourist Office and free Wi-Fi c/o the Post Office.

Château de Borganeuf, just above the Aire

29th June 2017 Château-le-Marcheix

Writing this a couple if weeks later l really don't recall the place at all! So many places and stoo-overs! Ah yes, it was wet and miserable, but ended up in an aire at the edge of the village with open, all be it, grey views of hills and valleys.

Grey view from the Aire

30th June to 1st July 2017 Bazaiges
4637miles

Weather not so good; so a diversion to Gueret, to Lidl and a service station with GPL(LPG) to top up supplies and gas. The aire there was a landscaped motorway service area, so l drove on to Bazaiges where there was a village aire next to the local fishing pond in the Creuse valley, with numerous castles. It turned cold and wet for a few days.

Mairie de Bazaiges

2nd and 3rd July 2016 St Severe-sur-Indre
4673 miles

Having dropped down from the Massif Central the last few days to below 500m the landscape bus more if a mix of arable and pastoral. Wheat, barley, sunflowers and white Charolais cattle. Amazing his quickly the Limosin are replaced as you drop in altitude. Town aire with a huge parking area reserved for motorhomes with just me in it! Also free electricity at the service point and free, all be it, with pretty crappie bandwidth at times town wide internet. Stayed a couple of nights with a side trio to La Chatre the second day.

Pond adjacent to the huge aire at Bazaiges 

La Chatre - Memorial Garden to the novelist George Sands

4th July 2017 Montaigut
4760 miles

Well parts of rural France are really suffering from closed shops, empty houses even deserted villages and hamlets. This town had definitely seen better days. Even so pleasantly shady aire provided on the edge of the place, very desirable when it was about 35C in the afternoon. Walked up to the ruined château when it cooled off in the evening 

Lunchtime stop and walk - les Pierres Jaumatre 

Sadly repetitive in towns and villages
Abandoned and empty shops

Two monkeys and acanthus leaves - Medieval symbols of an Apothecary's shop

5th July 2017 Paugnat 2017
4793 miles

Still making a very slow circuit around Clermont Ferrand; have slipped north into Berry for a few days, now back in the Auvergne.  Having covered the west over the last few days, l ended up more or less 10km north of Clermont, a small village at the northern end of le Chaine des Puys. Made up of around twenty steep sided volcanic cones forming a north-south chain some 20km long. The aire was just below the villages eponymous Puy. Walking around and climbing it the next morning, densely wooded slopes precluded a great view south along the length of the 'chain'.

Château de Rouchers in the heat haze

6th July 2017 St Dier-d'Auvergne 
4834 miles

An afternoon drive through relatively open countryside, mainly arable and with the occasional impressive château. To a huge parking area near the stadium at St Died. Interesting, village with a fortified church, sadly no information about it available. After a walk the next morning and a lazy afternoon, the whole place was taken over by the weekly concourse des boules! Decided to move on, as a local English guy, who had been a Fire Chief for the UN in the Congo for seventeen years pointed out it would be noisy and carry on until at least 1am!

Le Chains des Puts - Puy de Dome at the extreme left

Church at St Dier d'Auvergne 

7th July 2017 Ambert
4855 miles

Stopped off at a small hilltop village to replenish water etc; would have stayed but it was really hot and no shade at all at the aire. Headed down the main valley to another aire next to the train station in Ambert.

le Monestier - resupplied and emptied at the aire 

8th and 9th July 2017 Viverols
4919 miles

Spent ages looking for somewhere shady to park up for the afternoon before returning to the aire at Viverols situated next to the Camping Municipal below the village and its ruined château. Between thunderstorms and sunshine managed a hike through open country and wooded hills the next evening.

Typical village between Ambert  and Viverols - wet and grey ... again!

Viverols from the aire

10th July 2017 Brioude
4965 miles

An ecclesiastical day! At lunchtime stooped of at la Chaise-Dieu, with its enormous Abbey. The tombs of St Robert de Turlande, the founder of the abbey, which eventually grew to have three hundred associated priories, and also that of Pope Clement VI, who was a novice here, are inside. The latter sits in the chancel surrounded by 144 fourteenth century choir stalls. Behind the choir there is a 2m high by 26m long fifteenth century  fresco depicting the Dancing Dead. Later on to Brioude, where l spent to night at an overflowing aire just below the town walls and the massive Basilica. The outside of the Basilica has polychromatic and geometric masonry work; while the very high columns of the nave  and St Michael's Chapel have extensive remnants of medieval wall paintings; some are quite abstract and have a modernist appearance. The internal architecture blends well with the very modern stained glass windows.

la  Chaise-Dieu - Section of the Dance of Death Mural

la Chaise-Dieu - Tomb effigy of Pope Clement VI

la Chaise-Dieu - The abbey church

St Julian's Basilica, Brioude

Medieval decoration in the Basilica

In contrast, modern stained glass

11th July 2017 Blesle
4988 miles

A few miles to the west of Brioude to the village of Blesle, with its two castles and churches, at the bottom of a steep sided valley cut through a plateau formed of lava flows. Now more or less south of Clermont and in the edge of the Parc Naturel des Volcans. Glimpses of the Puy de Dome and some if the other higher cones driving from Brioude this morning. Very helpful, and attractive young lady in the Tourist Office; l wanted to know if she had any information on local walks. 'Only in this book, but to save you buying it l can photocopy some pages for you', well actually in our combined franglais. I just couldn't imagine anyone offering to help like that in the UK. I bought the guide, as it was only a few euros and l planned to be here for a couple of days. But that's true customer service! Probably around more of the Auvergne for the next week or two.