Hello Hive Travelers,
We had been contemplating visiting France this year to see family after a really long time. With the arrival of Omicron, the recent typhoon's roofing repairs, the ginormous airline ticket rates, and overwhelming but slowly loosening up travel restrictions, the alternative is the most practical thing to do. That is to sit back and reminisce about one of the many family vacations we had over the years.
The one in Auvergne resonated a lot recently and this took place more than nine years ago. To rummage through my memory drawers and write about them will be such a pleasure!
And then last night, we watched recent episodes of a reality TV show in France called "L'Amour est Dans Le Pré" literally translated as Love is in the Fields, a french version of The Farmer Wants a Wife. It's a show that helps farmers and anyone living in the countryside working in agriculture look for a love partner. One of the featured men lives in Auvergne. I find it interesting to watch their daily routine in the stunning landscape they call home, thus another cheap alternative to travel.
This brings me to write about Auvergne today after not having written anything for the last 9 days.
In a nutshell, the first part of the Auvergne vacation series was about the organized setup of a typical French family summer getaway. This allowed me to experience the family vacation stories that light up my husband's face whenever dinner conversations steer towards memory lane.
We stayed in a mountain ski lodge that transformed itself into an adventure-packed respite throughout our 1-week stay. It was set in the middle of a lush natural mountainous landscape.
Day Hikes
Outdoor activities dominated our entire schedule and each itinerary was organized according to age group. This allowed parents to enjoy some much-needed adult time while their children develop social interactions among their peers. It was customized in such a way that families reunite at mealtimes as well as joint family gatherings and events in the evenings.
Hike Around Le Lioran
One of the organized activities by VVF that we participated in as a family was the Day Hike in Le Lioran on the first day which you must have encountered (or not) in the first part of the series.
It was more like a stroll. The guide showed us around the area, the activities they had in store for us, and where they were located. It was a great introductory walking tour to get acquainted with the place.
What I remember fondly about that hike was this lovely modern chapel nestled along the periphery of a forest shaded by trees.
This pathway led up to the chapel.
The last stop of the stroll was at the ski station where the tourism office is located. The Plomb du Cantal téléphérique ride however was not part of the tour.
Plomb du Cantal and Laveissière Loop
Plomb du Cantal according to wikipedia is the highest summit on the Monts du Cantal and the second highest in the Massif Central region in France.
Our original plan was to take the cable car right up to the summit of Plomb du Cantal and descend by hiking but after inquiring about the tickets the whole plan changed. I think we were trying to save money and opted for a more economical choice which was to devote hours hiking to get up there. The 5-hour hike is considered medium in difficulty.
The signage says 4 hours hike for the green line but to be safe we considered 5 hours because I take a lot of time and stop a lot to take photographs.
There are many ski lifts and ski circuits around this area so many mountain bikers take advantage of these during the summer.
In case you're interested to take the téléphérique ride up to the summit of Plomb du Cantal, it could accommodate around 80 people but due to covid might limit their capacity.
We started our ascent anyway, while the temperature continued to drop. Despite the layers of sweaters that I piled on, I later borrowed my father-in-law's red raincoat to keep warm.
It was during this trip that I convinced my mother-in-law to read the french version of The Hunger Games series. While hiking here, we talked a lot about Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, half daydreaming that this could be an idyllic setting for the story.
I don't think we had ever reached the summit because that is something that one wouldn't easily forget. There was a point we missed the trail and decided to head back down.
We also didn't anticipate the 5-hour duration of the loop and we wanted to be back at the hotel for dinner. Albeit missing the view at the peak, I did hang out with the Salers cows. :)
Puy Griou Loop
We did the Puy Griou loop the next day It is an intermediate hike where I faced my fear of heights. You could read more about it in my previous post below:
I Was Scared of Heights... Until I Climbed the Summit of Puy Griou
Puy Griou is a sharp volcanic chimney in the department of Cantal, Auvergne France.
At a height of 1,690 meters above sea level, it is the sharpest mountain in Cantal. It is located between the valleys of Cère and Jordanne and accessible from both valleys.
Stay Away from These Pretty Yet Deadly Plants
I came across this beautiful herb with dark green leaves during hikes. It is known as Aconite (Aconitum - greek meaning - without struggle), also known as wolf's bane or monkshood. L'aconit Napel (Aconitum Napellus) in french is usually found in mountain meadows, that thrive well in moisture-retentive areas.
Pretty but highly toxic. Holding a leaf in one's sweaty fingers can lead one to die in an hour. It can easily be absorbed through the skin. If ingested orally, it could lead to death instantly. This particular species can be found in the Cantal mountains in France.
Other aconite species can be found in the Northern hemisphere. In the Himalayas, a more toxic version, Aconitum Ferox is available, that could kill someone in the same hand contact without gloves through open pores within 15 minutes. Known to be used in poison arrows to hunt. That's something Katniss Everdeen could use.
I didn't expect this post to reach this far because there's one more destination I originally planned to include here. I wouldn't want anyone to just doze off reading this so I will save the next road trip and hike for the next post with @iamyohann as you've seen above. We'll go for a drive and take you to a volcanic park.
To Be Continued...
Related post about Auvergne that might interest you:
Part 1 - Experience an Organized Family Vacation in Le Lioran, France
Part 2 - Salers
Part 3 - Murat
Puy Griou
References:
Aconite Inspired by my original post
Aconite Wikipedia
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Yes, it’s good to look back at past holidays and their memories, as we still can’t travel freely like before.
It looks like you had an amazing time and sometimes a planned vacation does work.
The surroundings are stunning, so green and beautiful. Nice to see walks organised with age groups.
Thanks for sharing @discoveringarni soon we travel again 😊
Hi Jackie, I'm sure you'd like it here, and being surrounded by the lush greens, one would swim in a pool of inspiration and ideas. What I love about hiking in small groups, there are moments left on our own and a lot of inner conversations. There were a lot of unexpected events this year, I think we'll stay put for a while and reminisce. Wishing you a lovely Sunday evening!
Hi @discoveringarni 👋🏻
The thoughts… of those surroundings. Yes lots of inspiration would flow easily.
That’s lovely when that happens.
Thank you, and you too have a lovely Sunday ☀️😊
Have a lovely week, Jackie 😊
Thank you @discoveringarni and you too 😊
picture perfect scenery! thanks for the tour! think I'll never get tired hiking with that kind of view :)
Hi Eylz, the pleasure is mine. Miss hikes like these. Wishing you a lovely Wednesday!
me too... haven't been out in the nature for some time now :(
I'm always happy to hear about vacation stories and see photos that were taken a little while ago, too. I didn't even know that there was also a French version of "Bauer sucht Frau". The place is very beautiful. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Katrin, Ah I didn't know about Bauer Sucht Frau as well. Do you watch it?
I do enjoy the way it's filmed, the settings they chose, and the cool soundtrack every season. It's also a nice way to flex language muscles.
I used to watch it more often, but now I haven't watched any TV except for the news for a while. Yes, I remember it being very entertaining too. I would be interested in the difference in the different countries, but maybe there isn't one at all :)
What a beauty, I've always wanted to visit a cable car, until now I haven't had the chance :'), that one between that beautiful mountain looks majestic. The plants are all along the way? how dangerous for someone who has no idea about them?
Riding a cable car would be a fun experience. Especially the smaller they get and the higher you go, the swinging back and forth brings adrenalin rush lol. Yes, the wolf's bane is quietly present along hiking routes, it piqued my interest because of its color and beauty then I was told I'm not supposed to touch it. Thank you, highly appreciate you reading and leaving a message.
The five-hour hike must be tiring but very worth it with those breathtaking and refreshing sights! So cool to see them and the cows too :)
A mountain girl at heart, the long hikes woke up our hamstrings, a good kind of ache in a way. Hope you're having a great weekend. I just saw you shared some wild strawberries, ah craving for those 😊
Ah, that's the best side of it, the hamstrings getting their workout while the eyes and soul getting fed too :) The weekend is going well, thank you :) And yes, the bright red wild berry :)
These all lusty green would be converted into snowy land in the winter. oh, the nature
I would basically hike these scapes any day. Beautiful pine forest, homes, and scapes. It must have been a tiring time but worth the sweat I believe.
I came across some winter photos of this area. It's also stunning in the winter. Perhaps after a tiring hike, the experience of eating truffade, their local dish of pancake-like potatoes with cream and cheese in cold weather makes it warm and hearty.
I truly believe it would be a great fun time in winter. Those sounds a treat to growling belly. :D
Just the thought of it makes me want to prepare a similar dish based on local ingredients despite the hot climate. Have a lovely day!
Hiya, @ybanezkim26 here, just swinging by to let you know that this post made it into our Honorable Mentions in Daily Travel Digest #1488.
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Wow! Beautiful atmosphere I ever seen. Enjoy it my dear
Hi there, thank you, the best thing about traveling are these snippets of memories that we take with us, hopefully for as long as we could. We can draw hope from them during difficult times.
I still haven't been to that part of France yet but plan to eventually. Looks like it's great for hiking. A 5 hour hike is a long one. Especially when it's uphill lol.
Good to know about the Wolfsbane. I wasn't aware of that but I'll keep it in mind.
Haha, I remember being in pain the next day. I miss it though, hiking in pleasant no sweating kind of weather. We didn't get to finish the trail to catch dinner, so we headed back. Since then we stuck to 2-3 hours max trails.
We spotted a lot of wolf's bane in the area. I'm sure you and your wife will enjoy this part of France.
Seeing the scenery through your photos is so peaceful. I love the pictures of the cats, they look so cute!
Hello Mi Dung, thank you. The cats seemed like they found a place to meet up haha.
@tipu curate
Thank you loads for this! 😊
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