The last week in France was filled with goodbyes. Although
the Provence lavender was not crossed off the list, we managed to catch the Tour de France in Brive-le-Gaillard and
catch a glimpse of the famous Rocamadour. As that was planned to be our very
last full day in France, the Air France strike gave us a wonderful going-away
present – time. Although the circumstances weren’t ideal (the postponement of
our flight was mostly day to day and so we couldn’t plan a two-day trip to
Provence), there was one last day-trip that served as a fitting final memory of
our time in France.
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Traditional shale roofs (or slate?) of the region |
The previous year Roberts had taken a couple of visitors to Puy Mary in the Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne. As the volcano is a
good two hours away and almost 6,000 feet high, the timing had not been right
for the rest of us to get to see the large volcano. As the hike to the top is
quite steep, my recent pregnancy had made an ascent seem unfeasible (despite my success on Puy des Goules), and more
recently rain (which could have translated to snow in the higher elevations)
and time constraints had thwarted our attempts. However these final days in
France turned out to be ideal, with warm, sunny weather and time to kill (and
although we had two enfants to carry
up, backpack carriers made the task seem easier than while 8 months pregnant).
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A midday view from Puy Mary |
Pyramidal Puy Mary is an emblematic peak in the Monts du
Cantal. It dominates the other peaks, domes and rocky outcrops that make up the
largest volcano in Europe. The name Puy Mary comes from Marius, Saint
Austremoine’s disciple and Cantal’s first evangelist. To access the pedestrian
stairs that climb to the top you must drive up to the Col du Pas de Peyrol, the highest mountain pass in the Massif Central range. Parking may be an
issue on warm, sunny days, but we eventually found a spot and hiked up along
the side of the road to the visitor center and café, situated at the
intersection of D17 and D680.
The climb was arduous, made harder by the cold wind that relentlessly
pushed at us, and by the reluctant petites,
who predictably requested to be carried up the steep steps. We pushed on, and
after frequent stops to catch our breath in the thin mountain air we finally
reached the top. In the bid to receive Grand Site status (in France, a Grand Site is an exceptional natural site, renowned on a
national level and benefiting from protective measures) improvements to the
fragile peak are occurring, involving the construction of a wider viewing
platform. And so it was that our short time at the top of Puy Mary was
accompanied by the incessant pounding of a jackhammer – completely incongruent
with the idyllic view of the radiating valleys.
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The boys poring over the menu in the Col du Pas de Peyrol restaurant |
The descent was more difficult, especially for Roberts who
had in our haste to depart from Clermont-Ferrand that morning forgotten his
hiking shoes. Relieved to have reached the bottom we settled in at the
restaurant, anticipating prices to match the outrageous view. However, the
total bill was reasonable, our hunger sated, and the final memories of our time
in France now included green-ridged volcanos, deep valleys and a sunny view
over what seemed like all of France.
The lavender is a perfect excuse to come back and visit! :)
ReplyDeleteWhat nice memories to make :-)
ReplyDeleteThis scenery is stunning! You must have some wonderful memories of your time in France. I spent a year there several years ago and I regularly think about it and it's always lovely to return.
ReplyDeletehttp://missbbobochic.blogspot.co.uk/
What a great memory to leave with! I know that once we leave I will miss all of the puys!
ReplyDeleteI love that you got to hike it at the last minute-- what a very nice way to end your time there! Also, I loved your pictures of Utah-- so beautiful!
ReplyDeleteWhat a pity about the jack hammer but well done for climbing up with 2 little kids. Thanks for linking to #AllAboutFrance
ReplyDelete