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Category Archives: Auvergne
A Virtual Fête de la Musique
La Fête de la Musique should have taken place this weekend. For obvious reasons, many of the events won’t be happening, except online. Some public concerts are allowed by special permission, provided they respect social distancing regulations. I notice that … Continue reading
Posted in Auvergne, Aveyron, Customs, Virtual Visits
Tagged accordion, bourrée, cabrette, cornemuse, Fête de la Musique, French country music, SW France, traditional dances
8 Comments
A Virtual Visit to Cantal
I had a list of places in SW France lined up to visit and write about this year, but they have to wait for better times. Meanwhile, I invite you to accompany me on a series of virtual voyages around … Continue reading
Posted in Auvergne, Places, Virtual Visits
Tagged Auvergne, Cantal, Elancèze, La Roussière, Marcolès, Monts du Cantal, Murat, Pailherols, Thiézac, Vic-sur-Cère
20 Comments
Coming Back to Cantal
We have lost count of the number of visits we have made to the Auvergne, the mountainous region in south-central France. It’s not so spectacular as the Alps or the Pyrénées, but it has a charm and a character all … Continue reading
Posted in Auvergne, Walking in France
Tagged Auvergne, Cantal, Elancèze, le Pas de Cère, Monts du Cantal, Murat, Puy Griou, Thiézac, Vallée de la Cère, Vic-sur-Cère
4 Comments
A Mystery Tour on the Way to Cantal
Revisiting old haunts can be tinged with disappointment. I once returned to a place where I had lived 30 years before and was saddened to see how much it had changed. Happily, Cantal has never fallen into that category. This … Continue reading
Posted in Auvergne, Places
Tagged Auvergne, Cantal, Maison Carrée, Marcolès, Massif Central, Maurs, Monts du Cantal, Thiézac, Vallée de la Cère
15 Comments
Cantal le Beau
I’m never quite sure which destination appeals to me more: Cantal or Corsica. They are both mountainous and beautiful in their own way, but very different. Cantal, of course, is easier to get to, being only just over two hours’ … Continue reading
Posted in Auvergne, Customs, Walking in France
Tagged Auvergne, burons, Cantal, cantal cheese, L'Elancèze, Monts du Cantal, Plomb du Cantal, Thiézac, Walking in France
10 Comments
Cantal Revisited
I’m always torn between sharing places I love with other people and keeping them to myself. After a fierce internal tussle, the altruistic side won. The Cantal is a part of France to which we keep returning, although our last … Continue reading
Posted in Auvergne, Places
Tagged Auberge des Montagnes, Auvergne, Cantal, cantal cheese, Cère Valley, Elancèze, La Roussière, Pailherols, walking
31 Comments
A Brief History of Cheese
At the Tuesday market in Caylus, which stall has the longest queue? No contest: the cheese stall. It’s especially long in summer when the holidaymakers and second homers swell the population. But even in winter you can count on a … Continue reading
Posted in Auvergne, Food/drink/recipes, History
Tagged cheese, cheese production, dairy produce, food, France, French cheese, fromage, history of cheese
19 Comments
Captivated by Cantal 2
We spent three nights and two days in Cantal last week, which wasn’t nearly enough. But we got in two good, long walks and the weather was glorious. The countryside is superb, especially in early autumn when the trees are … Continue reading
Posted in Auvergne, French life, Places, Walking in France
Tagged Auvergne, Cantal, Monts de Cantal, Murat, Randonnée, Vallée de la Cère
7 Comments
Captivated by Cantal 1
Every year in September we try to get to the Auvergne for a short walking holiday. This is the mountainous Massif Central, formerly an area of significant volcanic activity and later gouged out by glaciers. Last year, we didn’t manage … Continue reading
Posted in Auvergne, French life, Places, Walking in France
Tagged Aurillac, Auvergne, Cantal, Elancèze, Monts de Cantal, Randonnée, Thiézac, Vallée de la Cère, walking
4 Comments
Les Chemins de Saint-Jacques de Compostelle
Happy Easter. I know it’s a bit late but I took advantage of rare and unexpected sunshine to work in the garden yesterday. The magnificent ceramic egg above, was nestling in last year’s Virginia creeper cuttings outside Catherine Smedley’s art … Continue reading
Blithe Spirits: Quirky French Apéritifs
Behind the bar in all French cafés lurks a selection of bottles with evocative names such as Byrrh or Suze. They are usually made from aromatic plants to closely-guarded recipes. You still see ancient advertisements for them stencilled onto barn walls – … Continue reading
Posted in Auvergne, Customs, Food/drink/recipes, Places
Tagged aperitifs, Auvergne, Aveze, Cantal, France, gentian roots, Gentiane liqueur, rural life, Salers, Suze, SW France
17 Comments
Awesome Auvergne
This week we made our annual short visit – almost a pilgrimage – to the Cantal Département. It is a spectacularly beautiful, mountainous area in the Auvergne Region, about two hours’ drive from us. It offers excellent walking: the peaks … Continue reading
Posted in Auvergne, Nature, Places, Walking in France
Tagged Auvergne, Cantal, cantal cheese, France, L'Elancèze, Monts de Cantal, rural life, Thiézac, walking
12 Comments
French country novels
French country novels celebrate rural life, which changed out of all recognition during the 20th century. Continue reading
Posted in Auvergne, Aveyron, Books/writing, Customs, French life, History, World War I & II
Tagged Aveyron, France, French novels, romans de terroir, rural life, SW France, Writing
10 Comments
Six things that make French country hotels unique
The picture shows not a misplaced extraterrestrial but the light fittings in our hotel room during a recent stay in the Cantal on a short walking holiday. More of those later. We have stayed in many French provincial hotels over … Continue reading
Posted in Auvergne, French life, Places
Tagged Cantal, France, French hotels, living in France, rural life
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