Puy Mary

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.

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).

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.

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.

Montpeyroux

With a significant increase in temperatures and a rare sunny day, we would have been remiss not to get out of Clermont-Ferrand on Saturday. For our destination, we chose Montpeyroux and the Vic-le-Comte area, a mere 25 minute drive south. In the middle of Comté, the region is made up of a series of volcanoes which form the boundary between the Limagne plain and the Livradois mountains. Most of these 50 volcanoes have been eroded to the point where only the chimneys remain, and in the past and present grape vines grow on the exposed slopes. With fantastic views of the Chaîne des Puys from points of higher elevation, and quaint hillside villages dotting the region, we could have spent an additional day or two exploring the area.

Mountpeyroux as seen from bridge over Allier near Coudes

Montpeyroux is a fortified village overlooking the Allier river situated on a hilltop; you may have seen it if you have ever taken the A 75 highway south of Clermont-Ferrand: the three story 13^th century keep can be seen for miles around. With its narrow, twisting streets, the colony of artists and craftsmen who have made it their home and its wine-growing past, the village definitely qualifies for les Plus Beaux Villages de France classification, the Association of “The Most Beautiful Villages of France.” To become a member of the Association a village must pass the four-stage selection process, and only about 150 villages have earned the distinction.

Not built of the lavastone as most of the nearby villages as well as the Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption in Clermont-Ferrand, the honey hues of the village are due to the local arkose rock, a sedimentary sandstone. Many of the old houses in the village have been restored and the shutters and doors boast fresh coats of paint drawing attention to beautiful woodwork and detail.

After a stroll through the village we dined at a local restaurant before one last loop and returning to the car. Montpeyroux is a very photogenic village (between the three adults we must have taken hundreds of pictures), but the town did not seem very lively. This may be because it is off-season, and the many artisan workshops and stores were all closed and due to reopen only in April, but there was also a lack of many things that gave nearby Vic-le-Comte the opposite feeling: boulangeries, cafés, doctor and dentist’s offices. Instead all the businesses seemed primarily tourist-driven, and on a Saturday in February the streets were completely quiet with the exception of the occasional tourist or car passing by.

Our next stop was Puy St-Romain, an ancient place of worship with a striking view of the Comté Puys, the Forez mountains, the Livradois mountains, the Vic-le-Comte basin, the Allier valley, the Cantal, Dore and Dôme mountains and Clermont-Ferrand. Though I base this on the Auvergne Michelin Guide as we only saw the southern view, because after braving the snow and mud two-track that lead to the “parking” area (I’d call it a sinkhole) and encountering the locals that looked at us as if we were crazy for even coming that far, we didn’t hike very far from the car. Lauris and Roberts made it all the way to the field bordering the sinkhole, I kept within 5 feet of the car, and my mother was forced (by me) to trudge 10 meters down the road to snap some pictures of the view. I hope we have the opportunity to return during a warmer and drier month. (I would also add that although the Michelin Guide lists the hike to the summit as a 45 minute round trip, it looked to be an arduous hike.)

Photo: Inga Lucāne

Final destination, Vic-le-Comte, home of the papermill owned by the Bank of France that makes the watermarked paper used for the French EU monetary units. (By the way, these are printed only blocks from our apartment in a complex in Chamalières!) We luckily found the town center and the Sainte-Chapelle minutes before the doors were closed, and were able to see the unbelievable stained-glass windows and the stone altarpiece from 1520. In the streets surrounding the church were several half-timbered and corbelled houses with 15^th and 16^th century facades, as well as Porte Robin, the only remains of the fortified curtain wall. We ended our tour in Place du Vieux Marché, with its 16^th century fountain that was currently turned off before returning to the car for a short, 25 minute drive home.

Half-timbered house in Vic-le-Comte

Super-Lioran and Murat

On their previous visit, we took Matīss and Indra on a whirlwind tour of the Gorges du Tarn, complete with château, boat ride, hike & getting lost, and tons of scenic overlooks and stops for pictures. Let’s just say, being 37 weeks pregnant is not conducive to any of the above. On the day after Christmas we did hop into the car for a much closer destination, Puy Mary. Roberts had been once with a couple of out of town guests, and although I very much wanted to climb to the top from which there supposedly is a superb view of the Auvergne, I was content to let our guests have this experience and sit this one out with a chocolat chaud in the café at the base.

So you know Pas de Peyrol, the highest mountain pass in the Massif Central? In December? Yeah, they have snow. And lots of it. The pass was closed, and so we were rerouted from Puy Mary to Super-Lioran and the cable car that runs up to the top of the highest peak in the Cantal range, Plomb du Cantal. Super-Lioran is a winter sports resort that was jam-packed with skiers, sledders and half the population of the Auvergne decked out in their winter gear. I parked myself in the local brasserie with a pizza and hot chocolate while the rest checked out the scene.

Well, as it turns out the cable car was not running due to high winds, so once again we changed our plans and instead continued down the Cère river valley to the Cascade de la Roucolle and a quick peek at the Château de Pesteils (a beautiful medieval castle overlooking the Cère and Polminhac).

On our trip back we stopped in Murat for a quick dash up Rocher de Bonnevie. The sides of the hill are composed of large basalt columns, and where there used to be a castle before Richelieu ordered it razed, now stands a statue of the Virgin Mary. We enjoyed a fabulous sunset, the view of Murat, the Alagnon valley and the Cantal mountains before the disappearing daylight urged us back down to the car.

The third of the twelve wrought iron crosses leading up to the Virgin Mary statue

We had been hoping to dine in Murat, but once again were foiled by the typical “dinner is only served starting at 8pm” and holiday closures, and so we returned to Clermont-Ferrand for a dinner in one of the restaurants on Place de Jaude.

I'm also proud to announce that I have officially been blogging for one year. I posted Happy New Year!!! exactly one year ago and although it seems like such a short time, when I think of all the places we've visited I'm glad that I've recorded some of it here. Will the next year bring as many adventures, that we have yet to find out, but here is to the new year and another year of blogging.

Happy Halloween!

Between the school holiday and the French All Saints' Day / Toussaint, many of our friends were out of town and therefore we decided to wait a week to throw our Halloween bash. This also coincided with Guy Fawkes Night (although fireworks and bonfires were not destined to be a part of our party!). Well worth the wait, we also had extra time to prepare, as come Saturday morning we were expecting over forty people.

Boo! (Sans one princess and King Arthur)

Being an official IWC mom and baby club event, we were able to utilize the IWC Halloween decorations, which also included a few themed games; perfect, because although some of the larger stores in Clermont sell Halloween costumes, the usual Halloween décor was nowhere to be found. Our work was cut out for us thanks to the attendees willing to bring a dish to share, so I just found black and orange plates at the party store, plastic cups and eating utensils, then jumped online to search for some fun ideas. I ended up with a version of Martha Stewart’s goodie bags (brown paper sacs were nowhere to be found so I used mailing envelopes), the “floating hand (of ice)” in the punchbowl, Halloween 2011 picture frames to add to the goodie bags (complete with picture of each child in costume taken at the party and printed out on my mini photo printer) and a pumpkin carved three days into November.

Photo credit (Halloween goodie bags) to marthastewart.com

The dishes served were just as diverse as the costumes that came knocking at our door. We had pumpkin soup, pumpkin cakes, coconut cookies, eyeballs in Jell-o, severed fingers, mummy fingers, tangerines, a Polish fall specialty, chocolate cake and more. Everyone was in the spirit with cute, to scary, and everything in between.

My costume: Puy de Dôme. See the resemblance?

Once the party got into full swing the games started; the kids really got into the dancing and “freeze frame” to Monster Mash, “pin-the-tail on the black cat” and face painting. Apple bobbing removed more than one face painting, and “mummy-wrap” were a few among the many games occurring (sometimes simultaneously) throughout the apartment.

Mommies... I mean daddies... I mean mummies!

Although we are experiencing many new holidays here in France, Halloween is one classic American holiday that I’m glad we were able to celebrate with our friends, French, German, American, Polish, Italian or Greek. Although Lauris possibly won’t remember his spiderman costume, it was wonderful to watch all the kids having Halloween fun. Of course I won’t complain about the bagful of candy that I get to help Lauris eat either!

Meet the in-laws!

Never a dull moment when you have guests! Between sightseeing, constant eating, planning the weekend trip and hot-water heater drama, I’ve been busy doing things I love: walks in the park, cooking all my favorite meals and spending lovely time with family. But yes, we could have skipped the hot-water heater failure/fixing! It seems that whenever something like that happens, we have guests, the laundry and the dishes are piling up and all I want is a hot shower!

With the grandparents at the scenic overlook of CF

Monday morning Lauris had another adaptation session at the halte garderie, and this half-hour went no better than the last few. It seems a certain little boy has grown quite attached to his mother in the last few months. But then he surprised me later, when he didn’t even think twice about waving, singing his little atā in soprano, and letting me leave for a quick run to the store.

I’ve been taking full advantage of the extra hands around the house to sneak out to the IWC book club, monthly meeting and photography club session. Thank you very much to the grandparents for minding Lauris, as well as for all the help around the house with the everyday stuff. It is wonderful watching Lauris hop into your laps clutching a book to read, and great seeing how quickly he has picked up new skills. I love that he signs “delicious” when he’s enjoying his lunch, and he knows at least three new animal sounds. It always seems to me that he develops more quickly when he is surrounded by the extended family.

Reading "The Smart Book"... is it working?

Tuesday we were lucky enough to join some other IWC ladies in a guided walking tour of downtown Clermont. Our very knowledgeable guides, Ludivine and Michelle are students at the Université Blaise-Pascal here in Clermont-Ferrand. Not only are they taking classes in tourism, but they are simultaneously learning English! The whole tour was en anglais, and after a start in Place Delille we headed west towards Notre-Dame-du-Port. From there it was on to Place du Terrail, Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption, then on to the Amboise fountain. I was pleasantly surprised how much of the history and fun facts I knew, but also aware that I don’t remember dates and numbers well, so this tour was extremely valuable in teaching my parents-in-law more about our current hometown. We walked about 4 miles total, including a stop in the Marché Saint-Pierre to discuss meats, cheeses and other local delicacies.

The captive audience

Thursday I drove the visitors up to Puy de Dôme, and while I certainly am in no shape to climb it, the grandparents were up to the challenge. Although the weather held and it did not rain, the summit was engulfed in clouds and there were no views. They seemed satisfied with the climb nonetheless, and to make up for lack of visibility I stopped at the scenic overlook on the way down to Clermont-Ferrand that we take all our guests to, and luckily the whole city was visible along with the mountains in the distance.

And so the eating, exploring and relaxing with family continues…

Puy des Goules

On Sunday, we woke up with the itch to enjoy fresh air and see a place we hadn’t yet been. With les volcans such a short distance away, we found a map that showed a good central parking area for several trails. We packed up the baby backpack and headed west. Puy de Dôme is perhaps the most famous of the puys, but this also guarantees a crowd on days with nice weather on the paved/gravel trail leading to the summit. The climb is also very strenuous; our last ascent there were three of us sharing Lauris’s weight and none of us was preggers. Therefore our destination was the parking area for Puy des Goules, a few puys north of Puy de Dôme. We had decided to have a look around the trailhead, see how long/difficult the various hikes were rated, and take it from there.

Lunch at the grotte

The parking area is just west of Orcines. Lots of parking, great picnic places, and there are well-marked trailheads for three different hikes (these trails also connect up to the longer trail networks). The circuit for Puy de Pariou was marked as a 3 hour, 6 km circuit (219 m elevation change), and with the slight chance of rain we opted instead for the 3 km (80 m elevation change) Grotte de Sarcoui hike. The route was the same for the summit hike for Puy des Goules, which left us the option of continuing on later.

After eating lunch at the grotte we decided to climb the additional 80 meters to the summit, and were rewarded with lovely views of the Chaîne des Puys, despite the clouds. This hike was described as 4km there and back and instructed to allow two hours to complete. It did take us a little longer because we stopped for lunch and a short break at the top and because the last half a kilometer is a doozy! On the other hand, the wide trail allowed for safe hiking pour moi, and the trails crisscrossing the crater at the summit were much more interesting than the summit trails of Puy de Dôme.

On the way down I wondered out loud how many puys there are in the chain, with the question of how many weekends it would take to climb them all. But maybe this is one project better left until after the baby is born.



I could have used a backpack carrier for my trip down...



Puy de Dôme

Joyeux Pâques! Our celebration here in Clermont-Ferrand was not the normal Latvian Easter. It started quite sedately, with brunch in our little apartment. Roberts and Matīss brought back fresh baguettes and almond croissants in addition to beautiful tulips, and we drank our coffee leisurely before commencing with the Latvian tradition of “olu sišanās.” Each person selected an egg, then started tapping eggs with the others, until only one unbroken egg was left. I believe it is because of the lengths I went trying to color eggs by the traditional Latvian onion skin method (described in the Lieldienas post), that this year I emerged victorious!

Then we all piled into the car, this time headed northeast. My French teacher had passed around a flyer for the 17^th annual marché de potiers in Gouttieres. Only an hour away, we decided to stop by and see what the fuss is about before continuing on to the big event of the day, another hike. The trip was beautiful, the road led us through fields covered in dandelions with the view of the volcanoes always on the horizon.

The pottery festival was very well-attended; there were cars parked on the roadside leading into and well out of the little village. According to wikipedia, the pottery makers and ceramists come from all over France to present their work and the event brings over 10,000 visitors to the village over the weekend. The artisans had set up in the main town square next to the church and a nearby tent had coffee and refreshments for sale. Although I found a ceramic dish that had a scarab beetle for a handle to be the most interesting piece, I finally purchased a beautiful blue square plate. After Matīss posed with several very interested cows in the pasture next to our parked car, we headed south to Puy de Dôme.

The inactive Puy de Dôme stands 1,465 meters tall and is only 10 kilometers outside Clermont-Ferrand. Although there will be a tram to the top starting in 2012, the road currently is closed and the only way to the top is by foot along the Chemin des Muletiers. A sign posted at the beginning of the climb states that the climb takes 45 minutes, and from beginning to top, the trail vertically climbs 350 meters. More information on Puy de Dôme and the weight of air/Pascal, its spiritual importance, or the TDF antenna at the top which makes the silhouette unmistakeable in the Chaîne des Puys, click here. Along with its 500,000 annual visitors, the volcano may be best known for the occasional stage finish in the Tour de France.

Once at the top it started to drizzle, and although this signaled our descent we were also treated to a beautiful double rainbow. At the bottom we warmed ourselves in the little brasserie while Laurīts finished his nap, then packed up for the drive back into town. There is a fantastic viewpoint overlooking Clermont-Ferrand just before city limits that months ago gave me my first impression of the town, and we stopped again with our visitors for theirs. It is amazing how visible Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption is, even at such a great distance.

 

The day was not complete without a small tour of downtown. We started at the Cathédrale and stopped at le 1513, a crêperie, for dinner. We have found the great atmosphere and traditional Auvergne food to always satisfy, and this time was no different. The meal was topped off by a coffee and chocolate ice cream wrapped in a crêpe before smothered in chocolate and topped with almonds and whipped cream, and the evening was topped off with a night time stroll through Place de Jaude.
 

Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption

The most famous treasure of Clermont-Ferrand is the great Gothic cathedral located in the heart of the old town. It is built entirely of black lava stone, which makes it highly distinctive. Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption is the largest cathedral constructed of the material.  Its elevated location in the center of the city and its two enormous twin spires allow it to be visible from great distances.

History in brief according to wikipedia.org:

In 1248 bishop Hugues de la Tour contracted Jean Deschamps with building a new cathedral. The choir, transept and beginning of the nave were finished in 1295. Pierre Deschamps took over for his father, and the raising of the towers of the transept arms was completed by an anonymous master from 1325 – 1340. Pierre de Cébazat continued building until the Hundred Years War. In 1884 the final parts were completed and the finishing touch of access steps on rue des Gras were built in the early 20^th century. For a more complete history click here.

On Sunday Lauris and I ducked into the church to explore the inside, having passed by at least fifty times without finding the time to explore. The two rose windows were streaming sunlight, and a bit of restoration work on the south interior did not diminish the effect of the magnificent nave and transept. We wandered around looking for the staircase that I had heard leads to the top of one of the towers. I thought that I had found the door, but luckily the guardian of the church approached us at that point (I must have looked lost, as well as being lost!) and after paying a small fee the door was unlocked and we started up the spiral staircase.

After a long climb up we emerged on a small rooftop. The view of Clermont-Ferrand was magnificent, and although the volcanoes were slightly obscured by clouds and fog, Puy de Dome still took my breath away - or maybe it was the view combined with carrying Lauris up over a hundred stairs. After some reflection and a few photos, we heard thunder rumbling in the distance and took that as our invitation to descend, taking one last walk around the nave to see the organ on the west end. As we walked home, I kept looking back to catch glimpses of the giant spires standing guard over Clermont-Ferrand.
 

Puy de Dome off to the west