When one leaves La Bourboule to the west and heads uphill towards the picturesque village of La Tour d'Auvergne you will pass signs on the way telling you whether the route is 'Ouvert' in green or 'Fermé' in red. Happily on the day we started our ascent it was green for go and before long Lesley and I found ourselves meandering the Route des Fromages A.O.C d' Auvergne. If you follow this route you will discover the five famous cheeses for which this reason is rightly reknowned, Bleu d'Auvergne, Fourme d'Ambert, Cantal, Salers, and Saint-Nectaire. As you twist and turn across this green dramatic landscape you become very aware of how insignificant man is when placed against nature of this scale. You quickly come to understand why the department of the Auvergne is one of the most underpopulated areas of Europe. The scale and views are quite difficult to grasp when you hail from the overcrowded south-eastern corner of the UK.
The village of Chastreix on the way up to Chastreix Sancy. It's been awhile since anybody booked in here
There are three skiing areas in the Massif Central and having tried out the snow at Le Mont Dore we were inquisitive to investigate the other two, Chastreix Sancy and Super-Besse. The route from the tiny village of Chastreix climbs inexorably upwards towards the skiing area. As you climb you notice an Aire de Chainage, this is an off the road area for attaching your snow chains. Luckily today the road was clear of snow. The next thing to note as the climb continues is a large cross high up on the hillside and as you glance down at the 360 degree view you can't but help feel a little religious. Finally the road runs out and you enter the very small family type of ski station with evidence of a few new chalets being built and of course a restaurant. I couldn't really imagine living up here, for what happens if you've bought the wrong sized screws or forgotten that all important baguette? Up here if you get bored with the skiing it is possible to hire a dog team and sleigh to haul you, Santa style, over the mountain tops.
An original ceramic Michelin directional sign in the village of Égliseneuve. The date inscribed in the bottom left hand corner reads 13.6.38, just two years before the arrival of the Germans
By this time we were both getting a little peckish so the search was on for a suitable looking Auberge and there are plenty to choose from. Our guide book suggested a place just outside the village of Égliseneuve and as it was only 1.15 we reckoned we were in good time. We pulled up outside noting 4 or 5 cars parked outside. We took this to be a good sign. On finding the only available open door we crashed in to find ourselves confronted by an extended mountain looking type family sitting at an old plank table (the owners) tucking into lunch with obvious gusto. The wine also appeared to be flowing. My suggestion for a table for two was met with laughter, almost to say, "What do you think this is, a restaurant?" We were then directed to the village itself and the Hotel du Nord. Here we were given no choice of what to eat but were lucky enough to be served with a local speciality known as truffade, which was delicious. I suppose truffade is a variation on tartiflette but with a lot of herbs added. We both enjoyed it so much that we asked for the recipe and will be attempting our own version "chez nous" in the near future.
The quincaillerie opposite the Hotel du Nord in Égliseneuve. Just shut for lunch or somewhat longer?
Now with the contentment of hot food in our stomachs we headed for the ski resort of Super-Besse. Super-Besse is about to host the French National Skiing Championships between the 22 and 28 March and upon arrival one could see why. Super-Besse is a purpose built resort and as such has a ful range of shops and restaurants to match. I suspect the prices reflect this. The resort is obvioulsy trying to attract a younger more glamorous crowd than its near neighour on the north side of the Puy de Sancy.
One of my top two French cheeses, also a favourite of Louis XlV
We drifted down from Super-Besse in search of cheese, and in particular one of my top two favourites, Saint-Nectaire. The spa town of Saint-Nectaire is still popular with people seeking thermal therapies. Its architecture follows the style prevalent in the other two nearby spa towns of Le Mont Dore and La Bourboule. Grand buildings erected in the period of the Third Republic, and now displaying some signs of fatigue. Just outside Saint-Nectaire lies the small village of Murol and just outside this the even smaller hameau of Chautignat. Here we followed the signs along a twisting road to the farm of the family Perol who pride themselves in a little local production of this fine cheese. Madame proudly showed me her full range of cheeses all neatly racked in her cave d'affinage. At 14€ for a round we considered this incredible value for money when one considers the long process involved which includes letting the cheese rest for between 6 and 8 weeks.
Rounds of Saint-Nectaire resting in their cave d'affinage
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