La Maison Normande and the Cantal, France
A long overdue visit to see good friends who live in the Jordanne Valley in the Auvergne Cantal. We took an Irish Ferries boat at stupid o'clock in the morning (with just five cars on board) out to Calais and scooted down the western side of France via Rouens, Le Mans, Tours and Limoges, doing our best to use a mixture of roads rather than just motorways. Our destination was Saint Cirgues de Jordanne near to Aurillac. Our friends Sarah and Tim run a Chambres d'Hotes from a pretty, Normandy style house which they've restored (and I mean they as in them, not someone else at their behest) beautifully from its formerly rather unloved state. They are the perfect hosts.
Here's their website ...
www.la-maison-normande.fr/c...
The van behaved impeccably, and the French bit of the 2,100 mile return journey was made easier by taking rests/sleeps at aires, made cosy by the diesel heater, and powered by coffee as well as fossil fuels. We walked, we blathered, we drank beer, wine, and whisky, we listened to old tunes, laughed at old photos when we were all much younger, and we enjoyed some much needed warm sunshine. Too soon it was time to go home, but on the way (actually just 30 minutes from the house in Saint Cirgues) I skied at Le Lioran which really is a great wee ski village that reminded me a little of Serre Chevalier.
Our return journey was via a Eurotunnel crossing at 6.15 am, with just five cars on board again !
Saint Cirgues de Jordanne from above.
The house in the village as seen from the high road through the Jordanne valley ...
Maison Normande by night.
By Night
Maison Normande by day.
By Day
Birds in the garden.
En Jardin
The gorge at Saint Cirgues de Jordanne.
The gorge under the road bridge
View from the church doorway.
From the church doorway
Memorial.
Memorial to deceased villagers
Colourful woodstack.
The French love a tidy woodstack.
An old door.
And their fancy doors.
Sunset on the mountains as seen from the house.
Sunset over the mountains as seen from the house ...
In the woods above the house.
View from the woods above the house ...
Tumbledown house in Tournemire.
Tumbledown house at Tournemire in an adjacent valley ...
Road sign in Tournemire.
Google returns no reference to an Italian connection ...
Common lizard basking in the winter sunshine.
A village resident enjoying the warm sunshine. Everything was closed, and we saw no other human beings in a half hour of mooching about ...
Tournemire residences.
A Tournemire residence ...
Tournemire lending library.
Lending library in what appeared to be an old phone box ...
Puy Violent as seen from Salers.
At Salers, the view over to Puy Violent, a volcanic stub ...
Saint-Paul-de-Salers as seen from Salers.
And the village of Saint-Paul-De-Salers below ...
Salers 'scope.
On the battlement walls ...
Salers pollarding.
Pollarding in Salers public gardens ...
Salers battlements.
Allotments under the battlements ...
Salers courtyard.
Courtyard in Salers ...
Salers siren.
On the Marie's roof. A siren to warn against an English invasion perhaps ? ...
On the way to Lioran from Saint Cirgues de Jordanne.
Our friends aren't skiers, but he's a mad keen cyclist with whom I've ridden many kms over the years. This is the col at a low pass on the way over to Le Lioran ski village which I'm sure he would tell me is a good spot for a drink stop ...
Le Lioran ski village.
At Le Lioran, the trusty steed, and some old skis that need edging and waxing after several seasons of nothing but Scottish heather and rock bashing ...
Le Lioran piste.
View down a Lioran piste ...
Le Lioran piste.
View up a Lioran piste ...
Le Lioran chairlift.
View from a Lioran chairlift ...