Tue 4th August

Chastriex 1065m ASL 45.30.43N 002.44.04E JN15im

A quaint little village which seems to be struggling to keep up with the tourist accommodation which is needed to keep it going summer and winter when it is a ski resort. There are apartments available which would
need a lot of 'doing up' to purchase very cheaply.

A chance to do a little Ham Radio with a super quiet background noise. Apart from strong interference from the church, the bells are solenoid operated so when the clock strikes its an interference case for Ofcom.

The cows grazing on the high pastures respond to the 7.30AM infernal clanging from the church and come down cow bells clanging, an all together more charming sound, to be milked. Their milk goes solely into the production of the AOC Blue Auverne and Saint Nectaire cheeses of which we bought far too much for our cholesterol levels, from the local farmer / producer.

Before we left the Dordogne valley for the hills we stocked up on all the essentials, we could be away for some time. What you can't top us is the gas supply, we hadn't been here for more than an hour when the French cylinder ran out. I have an English cylinder for back up which I
don't want to run for long, that one I cant replace here. Problem? no the local shop sells gas, bread vegetables and fruit, fly spray and serves drinks.

Campingcars are welcome here, only room for 3 though on the Aire. Has this Mayor got the right idea? well I saw in the shop and the farmers cheese outlet nearly 200E spent by us and another French Campingcariste. The holiday accomodation may be fading but the local shop and the bar and
one Hotel and Cafe are still surviving.
This is a village which just must thrive in the winter it is a ski resort, given the snow, and in summer a wonderful place for hiking and sight seeing. Also for the wild life, there being Mouflons and Marmottes which translate according to our phrase book as Mouflons and Marmot.
The river and lake fishing is also reported as superb.

Wednesday 5th August

Dominating Chasteriex the Puy de Sancy is the highest 1886 meters in the volcanic groups of mountains. Puy de Dome is the one with a road up it and masts on top, used as a launching spot for hang gliders, there are a dozen or so in this picture.

So what is a Puy then? again our chat with Michele had kept us informed. A puy is what we would call a Crater in a volcano.
Today we drive north around the chain through Mont Dore town (too crowded) to Lac du Guery a real circular volcanic lake, and the Roches Truiliere and Sanadoire, volcanic domes made of Phonolite 'ringing stone' it makes a characteristic ring when tapped.

From there we paid a visit to Rochfort Montagne a no need to visit town that promised an Aire for water and disposal but the locals didn't know of it and there were no signs.
At the junction the road to the town had Gendarmes on guard. Along the lanes folk had stopped their cars locals were out on their patio chairs. Police cars and support cars came toward us but made no indication as to us changing our route. Is the Tour de France still on?
We asked a guy who had stopped his car at a junction if he was expecting Velo's? 'yes', how long? 'no idea' are they coming on our route? 'yes' should we continue? 'if the Gendarmes have not stopped you, OK'.

We reached Rochfort and the route through was barred. We parked up and waited with the small crowds, shopkeepers who had abandoned their shops and halted cars.
It was some time before the first riders came.

The French love their bikes, it doesn't do a lot for me, each group of riders get cheers and applause, the info about them is al in the newspaper, some folk make reference to it and pass on the details. I don't remember my old dad ever getting any cheers when he flogged up the hill from work each night, they are both blokes on bikes to me, my dad didn't shave his legs like some girlie either.

Mazaye just 7km from Puy de Dome was our base for the night, hot and sunny, shame about the house flies which have been around at these altitudes for a couple of days, still its a region with lots of animals
cows and now pigs also through the van door in the morning a pair of playful goats.

Thursday 6th August

Now in the northern limits of the Puy de Dome region the Aires are few and far between, the ones on the tourist map are proving to be non existent. No problem I have seen a photograph on the web of a Lake at Bromont Lamothe just right for a couple of days stay with cool Volcanic lake swimming, it should calm the savage passenger come
cook on the trip. The web give GPS co-ordinates there is an Aire with all facilities, showers for after the swims a cafe what more could you want? Well TomTom to stop sending you on a circuit round the same village and insisting on routing you into a field would be nice. They have built the A89 and obliterated the road. A tunnel OK for a car goes
under at one point no good for us. No problem for intrepid explorers, back to the new Autoroute roundabout and a turn off gives a link road, down to the lake and there is the dreaded height barrier, open at this time, no Aire just car parking and the cafe, beach etc.
Ah well, Bromont Lamothe village has an Aire, a poor spot that need tokens for the water and the toilet disposal water is off, looks like someone has shown their disapproval by kicking the tap it hangs loose on the fibre glass cabinet.

We need water and maybe diesel, Pontgibaud shows an Aire on the tourist map, oh yeh, well its only just down the road, not a bad little place but no signs of an Aire, well at least there is a Champion Supermarche with fuel.
Oh yes, if they hadn't run out maybe, 12.30 delivery says the girl, 'anywhere else for fuel'? not for Km's around it seems. We return at 14.00 still no diesel, 'maybe 15.00 delivery' says the girl. This one outlets inefficiency at re stocking is holding the whole region in gridlock.
I decide to risk it and head north through the Sioule Gorge with little chance of fuel to the Allier region.

All went well the fuel gauge seemed to stick at 1/4 full. The gorge is well worth seeing, particularly the ruined perched Chateau at Chateauneuf le Bains. Here in the village is another non existent tourist map Aire and even an Aire sign placed on a corner for maximum ambiguity just like the French do. We tried both directions and pronounced it another duffer.
The passenger/cook (she used to be navigator, a much grander title but she has fallen from grace since the lady on TomTom started to do a better job, just wait until we get a 12V Microwave oven in the 'van and they improve the ready meals) felt the need to hold on to the passenger door to prevent it falling off again so I could tell she was really enjoying the steep sided bendy roads.

Manzat proved to be a non ghost Aire, good clean well provided, large area and free.

The Volcanic ranges and Puy de Dome are still visible in the distance at places until we get nearer to Saint Priest en Murat JN16ki only 384m ASL now in Allier Region.

Friday 7th August

A run now to the Loire river and La Charite in the Bourgogne Region here the Aires list comes true a riverside stop and an added bonus too a Wifi Hotspot in the same road whoopee. I managed to post another blog entry all be it behind time.
What nice place this is, it got its new name due to the Pilgrims receiving charity here, a little like the gipsy marks that they put on your wall perhaps. Do they have one for M.O.B? I have never noticed anything on my house.

Investigating the town (City) which has many old ruins we spot a rather nice building in need of restoration. 'Just imagine having the a building like this to do up' said Sue. 'Do you want to help me' came a voice from a balcony above.
It was Oliver its new owner. Only in France would you get an invite in to inspect the place and hear his plans for the restoration. He will have an art gallery down stairs and live above. Then there are 2 more 'floors' and a nice timbered ceiling, only the huge
beams remain of the old rooms above. 'Maybe next year' Oliver says 'I will have reached the first stage.'OK we say we will come and check'. A nice experience and chat in mixed Englais and Francais.

Sat 8th August

We walked the old town, Monastic buildings and the Walls and Castle Turrets.

The night market in town tonight. A real mix, Cheese and Sausages, Clothes and Baubles, most of all the crowds and the atmosphere and Exotic Dancers, Sue wouldn't let me take one home, Brebis, (old dried out sheep cheese that is).

Sunday 9th August

With a spot like this and the warm weather we decide to stay on for another day. Sue still has some drawing of the town to finish no radio for me though, I don't want to advertise the gear to the many folk who are about, it feels very secure but who knows who is staying in the local camp-site etc.

Another shot in the through the 'van door in the morning series. The Loire.

In the afternoon an old gent drove by, seeing us returning to the 'van he stopped his car. Wanting to know if we were German, he had learned a little German when the soldiers were here. He spoke no English but continued in slow very understandable French,it must have been over half an hour chat we had finding out about each other, his son lives in Dominique he has not seen him for years and will probably never go to visit, he even asked what we were having for dinner, great stuff. It is a shame that some French folk clam up and others repeat the same phrase we couldn't understand just as fast over and over.