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Travelling Around France - Loire and Cher Valleys
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Travelling to and around France -
Last week we passed through St Etienne in the Rhone-Alps, on the A72 and I will now take you to Clemont-Ferrand in the region of Auvergne, still at the moment on the A72. Driving through this area we touch on the departments in the centre of France around the Loire and Cher valleys. Clermont-Ferrand, known as the ‘town in the heart of the volcanic region’ was founded in the 17th century from the union of Clermont, town of the Bishops, and Montferrand, town of the Counts of Auvergne. Clermont-Ferrand is spread out at the foot of the chain of eighty volcanoes called the Chaîne des Puys. There are a vast amount of parks here, one being Montjuzet Park which covers 26 hectares, and provides a fantastic view over Clermont-Ferrand and its natural environment. The park has a succession of fields, a large Mediterranean garden, children's games and Gallic huts. Two monumental contemporary sculptures blend in with the outline of the hill, namely ‘The erratic Tor’ by Takashi Naraha, and the ‘Chromatic induction fountain’ by Carlos Cruz Diez.
Local food specialities in Auvergne are the excellent cheeses such as Cantal, St Nectaire and cabecou goats’ cheese, ham and sausages stuffed with cabbage. Fresh river fishes, such as trout and pike, are plentiful and, of course there are many good wines to compliment all of these.
Through Clermont and now on the A71 we arrive at Montluçon, which is the most central metropolis in France. It is a mediaeval city, with half timbered houses and is home to the castle of the Dukes of Bourbon. Montluçon, near to Vichy, literally means, ‘the sun above the mountains’, and because of the rich, green and mountainous terrain, it made an ideal home for the French Resistance during World War II.
My eldest son in law’s grandfather, Emile Boucher, was a member of the resistance, after having been firstly trained for fighting in Great Britain. At the age of 17 and living in an occupied country, he and a friend decided to ‘hi-jack’ a man and his small fishing boat, to take them to the United States of America, where they would have been away from the war activities. A storm took place and they were washed up off of the coast of Wales! After being arrested, held and interrogated by the British military for over six weeks, they were subsequently cleared of suspected spying activities and were soon in training with the first S.A.S. which was formed in 1941. During his time with the S.A.S. he was sent on various missions as you would expect, and later returned to France where he was an extremely active member of the French Resistance. He doesn’t speak too much of his activities, either in the S.A.S. or the French Resistance, because, in his own words, “Although I performed duties I was, and still am, proud to have been involved in, I also performed many that I am not proud of”. He spent a lot of his time around this rugged part of Vichy France, as did many other Resistance workers, such as Jean Moulin and Australian born Nancy Wake, the White Mouse. As well as receiving many British medals, Emile was also awarded the highest French medal, the Légion d'Honneur. Taking part in the famous Free French parade, after Paris was liberated, he walked alongside Charles de Gaulle on 26th August 1944 down the Champs Elysee.
Continuing north from this area we arrive at Orleans, pronounced ‘Orly-on’, and not to be muddled with the same name in the U.S.A.
Orleans, once France’s second largest city, was liberated from the British by Joan of Arc in 1429. The house in which she stayed during the 10 day siege of Orleans can still be visited and each May a celebration commemorating her exploits is held. The Loire Valley, often called the ‘Garden of France’, houses more than ten thousand renaissance chateaux, dotted in the rolling green hills of this enchanted land. I will cover a few of these later on when we have reached the north coast of France and begin our journey back to Spain, via Tour, Poitiers and towards the west coast.
Article provided by kind permission of The Leader Newspaper (Written by Jill Attfield)
Boulogne House for Sale - Brittany Home for Sale More articles in this series: 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20
Last week we passed through St Etienne in the Rhone-Alps, on the A72 and I will now take you to Clemont-Ferrand in the region of Auvergne, still at the moment on the A72. Driving through this area we touch on the departments in the centre of France around the Loire and Cher valleys. Clermont-Ferrand, known as the ‘town in the heart of the volcanic region’ was founded in the 17th century from the union of Clermont, town of the Bishops, and Montferrand, town of the Counts of Auvergne. Clermont-Ferrand is spread out at the foot of the chain of eighty volcanoes called the Chaîne des Puys. There are a vast amount of parks here, one being Montjuzet Park which covers 26 hectares, and provides a fantastic view over Clermont-Ferrand and its natural environment. The park has a succession of fields, a large Mediterranean garden, children's games and Gallic huts. Two monumental contemporary sculptures blend in with the outline of the hill, namely ‘The erratic Tor’ by Takashi Naraha, and the ‘Chromatic induction fountain’ by Carlos Cruz Diez.
Local food specialities in Auvergne are the excellent cheeses such as Cantal, St Nectaire and cabecou goats’ cheese, ham and sausages stuffed with cabbage. Fresh river fishes, such as trout and pike, are plentiful and, of course there are many good wines to compliment all of these.
Through Clermont and now on the A71 we arrive at Montluçon, which is the most central metropolis in France. It is a mediaeval city, with half timbered houses and is home to the castle of the Dukes of Bourbon. Montluçon, near to Vichy, literally means, ‘the sun above the mountains’, and because of the rich, green and mountainous terrain, it made an ideal home for the French Resistance during World War II.
My eldest son in law’s grandfather, Emile Boucher, was a member of the resistance, after having been firstly trained for fighting in Great Britain. At the age of 17 and living in an occupied country, he and a friend decided to ‘hi-jack’ a man and his small fishing boat, to take them to the United States of America, where they would have been away from the war activities. A storm took place and they were washed up off of the coast of Wales! After being arrested, held and interrogated by the British military for over six weeks, they were subsequently cleared of suspected spying activities and were soon in training with the first S.A.S. which was formed in 1941. During his time with the S.A.S. he was sent on various missions as you would expect, and later returned to France where he was an extremely active member of the French Resistance. He doesn’t speak too much of his activities, either in the S.A.S. or the French Resistance, because, in his own words, “Although I performed duties I was, and still am, proud to have been involved in, I also performed many that I am not proud of”. He spent a lot of his time around this rugged part of Vichy France, as did many other Resistance workers, such as Jean Moulin and Australian born Nancy Wake, the White Mouse. As well as receiving many British medals, Emile was also awarded the highest French medal, the Légion d'Honneur. Taking part in the famous Free French parade, after Paris was liberated, he walked alongside Charles de Gaulle on 26th August 1944 down the Champs Elysee.
Continuing north from this area we arrive at Orleans, pronounced ‘Orly-on’, and not to be muddled with the same name in the U.S.A.
Orleans, once France’s second largest city, was liberated from the British by Joan of Arc in 1429. The house in which she stayed during the 10 day siege of Orleans can still be visited and each May a celebration commemorating her exploits is held. The Loire Valley, often called the ‘Garden of France’, houses more than ten thousand renaissance chateaux, dotted in the rolling green hills of this enchanted land. I will cover a few of these later on when we have reached the north coast of France and begin our journey back to Spain, via Tour, Poitiers and towards the west coast.
Article provided by kind permission of The Leader Newspaper (Written by Jill Attfield)
Boulogne House for Sale - Brittany Home for Sale More articles in this series: 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20
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