The Auvergne

Sunset over the Auvergn countryside.

NOTE: This blog is out of our normal chronologic sequence. It fits in between the return from Brittany blog and the trip to Corsica blog.

 We returned from our Brittany trip feeling very satisfied with our travels, and also, unfortunately, very hot. While Brittany did offer some relief from the heat, we were now back in the south. Back in the heat!

It was a long drive back from Mont Saint-Michel, so we stopped along the way a few hours north of Montpellier, in the Auvergne region, famous for its cheese (like many areas in France!). It was quite pleasant, cool, and not so humid. It was so pleasant, in fact, that we thought we’d revisit it.

We contacted our friends Mark and Mary. Of course they would be up for a trip! And, bonus points, it was Mark’s birthday week. So plans were made…

 

Ah, Michelin! whatever gets you on the road...

We studied the maps, including the thick book of Michelin maps Mark & Mary had given me for my birthday. Lots to see, plenty of villages marked with two and even three Michelin stars. (In this case, the stars mean “worth seeing;” Michelin makes tires, remember, so restaurants, maps, travel advice… anything to get people out burning rubber!)

 

Auberge Les Volilieres

Paula booked us rooms at a true country auberge, miles from the nearest town and surrounded by rolling cow pastures, along a winding strip of asphalt barely two cars wide. This, I thought, is going to be either really good, or really bad…

An early morning walk among the cows.

 

It was really good! Large, comfortable rooms and baths. A huge communal dining room. Enclosed pool. Those rolling green pastures. And cool, cool weather! (We even had a tremendous storm come through.)

Shortly after our return from the Auvergne I found the list of towns we thought we might visit. Of the 12or 15 listed, we only went to two, I think. Yet every day we had a new adventure and found interesting and engaging places.

 

Mark & Mary near Eiffel's Viaduc du Garbit.

One sight we all wanted to see was the Viaduc du Garbit, a steel arch railway bridge spanning the Truyère river. When finished in 1884 it was the highest viaduct in the world, and had the longest span of any bridge (for a few years, anyway). More significantly today, it was designed by Gustave Eiffel, of Tower fame. In past trips through this region we’d caught tantalizing glimpses of it from the highway; this time we wanted to get close.

The bridge deck, arching across the river.

Each of those girders is made of hundreds of short steel strips riveted together.
No, they don't make 'em like they used to!

 We found the region really lovely and full of surprises. The biggest was perhaps the town of Brioude and its 13^th Century Basilique Saint-Julien. We had no idea this gem was there, and were so impressed with its construction, its design, its multi-colored brick walls, its pebble stone flooring, its windows… just its very existence, that we hung around ‘till the afternoon to take the (very amazing) tour of the church.

 

Basilique Saint-Julien in Brioude.

The rear entrance to Saint-Julien.

Waiting outside Saint-Julien's for the tour to start.

A carved face finishes off the bottom of this pillar.

A carved column in the upstairs chapel, with its amazing polychrome walls.

The mosaic floor made of river pebbles.

One downside of our auberge out in the country was a lack of restaurants—the nearest town was a good 40 minutes away. Ah, but not to worry, they had an excellent kitchen! The cost of our room included breakfast, and for a mere 19€ (about $22USD) more we could also have dinner. The dinners were quite good, and quite extensive; to the point that finishing everything became a challenge. The comble (the top; the most extreme point) came Wednesday evening when we were served aligot, the local specialty.

Aligot is made from the light semi-soft local cheese, Cantal, added to whipped potatoes, cream, and garlic. Lots of garlic. Lots of cream. And, for that matter, lots of Cantal. While we managed to clean our plates (most of us!), this local “comfort food” was much more than simply filling. We didn’t feel the need to eat much the next day, and in fact opted out of dinner in the dining hall that night for a picnic on the floor of our room!

Dinner time at the auberge: the 81-year-old grandma serving up her specialty, aligot
 (potatoes whipped up with garlic, cream, and lots of Cantal cheese).

But I was glad to try it. I’ve seen aligot offered in local restaurants and always wondered what it was. I expect the restaurants in Montpellier will come nowhere close to what we were served at the auberge!

 

One thing that made this trip stand out from previous ones is that we had our own car, releasing us from the constraints of a rental. Specifically, we weren’t limited to one driver (rental companies charge a hefty premium for multiple authorized drivers.)  

Mark is an enthusiastic driver. He likes to drive and he’s good at it. We were glad to have him with us! And he got to spend his birthday behind the wheel.

Another surprise: the village of Saint-Saturn. This is most of it.

Another corner of Saint-Saturn.

We found it novel and very fun to be driven around. We got to be tourists in our own car, relaxing in the back seat, watching the countryside roll by, and—very important—controlling the music.

On the final drive home we were able to share the hours behind the wheel, so we all arrived home more relaxed and in a better mood.

It was another very satisfying trip. We explored a new-to-us part of France, discovering some incredible sites. And we explored some new ideas in shared travel!

Some of the modern stained glass windows in Saint-Julien.
Painted by Kin En Jong, a Dominican of Korean descent. 

We’re now fully into the fall weather, and loving it! Nights are cool but not yet cold, days are sunny and warm. Good traveling weather! Our only plans at the moment are Seville for Christmas and New Years, and California after that. I’m sure we’ll work out a few day trips between now and then, though.