The official list of events in the Auvergne can be found here
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Jul 212011
It’s that time of year again where villages across France hold their annual themed Fêtes, a local get together and all round knees-up.
The little village of St Julien La Geneste (2.5km from Gite La Jonchere) celebrates the Myrtille with stalls selling local artisan cheeses, wines and punnets of wild blueberries, wood fired bread baked on the day, tales of folklore and this year a Mexican song and dance group (yes, you did read that right…)
Coming soon -
Fête du Bois at Sainte Christine (23-24 July 2011)
Fête au Pays de Desaix in Ayat sur Sioule (6 August 2011)
Jul 122011
Some images from stage 8 of the 98th Tour de France.
Taken in Evaux les Bains , a lovely spa town 38km from Gite La Jonchere.
Jul 052011
The elegant city of Vichy is a very scenic 67km drive from Gite La Jonchere
It has a fascinating past as a historic spa town and the de facto capital of Vichy France during the World War II Nazi German occupation, and has an air of glamour reminiscent of Paris.
Jun 112011
La Grande Boucle (The Big Loop) is the nickname given to France’s biggest sporting event, the Tour de France. And guess what – in 2011 the Tour de France is coming our way!
Every now and then a stage through the Auvergne is included in the route, this year on Saturday 9th July part of stage 8 is just down the road from us.
May 112011
- trous·seau, n. [French, from Old French, diminutive of trousse, bundle. See truss.] The possessions, such as clothing and linens, that a bride assembles for her marriage.
Trousseau Sheet
Also seen as a kind of dowry, a traditional french trousseau would have probably contained among other things, hand embroidered monogrammed bedlinens for her new marital home.
Times have changed, and as a consequence bundles of exquisite embroidered linens occasionally turn up at brocantes and vide-greniers.
I have a selection for sale in our online shop, along with other treasures from french attics…
Feb 212011
This old postcard is a collectable from this website.
It’s the Castel Hotel, still operating today in our local town St Gervais d’Auvergne.
It doesn’t have a date on it but it could have been last year….it hasn’t changed much…!
Jan 272011
This month sees the 100 year anniversary of both the original UK HQ for Michelin (Michelin House in Chelsea, now housing a restauraunt and The Conran Shop) and the publication of the first Michelin guide to UK and ireland.
The restaurant is named after the famous Michelin Man, otherwise known as Bibendum. He’s a popular image in the Auvergne as this is the home to Michelin, with the famous tyre factory having it’s origins in Clermont Ferrand.
The original Bibendum slogan ‘Nunc est Bibendum’ is translated as ‘Now let’s drink!’
Cheers!
Sep 072010
More reasons to visit the Auvergne according to The Telegraph…
The delicious delights of the Auvergne – Telegraph.
“Fortunately, Mother Nature has been generous: the same forces that created the soaring volcanic mountain ranges also bequeathed forests full of game, fertile green pastures grazed by contented cows, and sparkling, unpolluted rivers teeming with fish. The result is a regional cuisine based on the richness of the fresh local produce, with culinary traditions reaching back hundreds of years.”
Following the Chants to the Auvergne – Telegraph Blogs.
“There are 80 [volcanoes]  running through the region. One of them, at least, contains a lake, the Gour de Tazenat, which you can swim in (though I can’t say I did: too muddy for me). And the volcanic soil is what makes the whole place so fertile, so healthy (it’s a haven for French hikers, cyclists, canoists, and the otherwise outward-bound), as well as the source of things like Volvic water that percolates through six layers of volcanic rock in a vast natural park just north of Clermont-Ferrand before it gets siphoned into bio-degradable bottles on the bottom shelf of your supermarket.”
The undiscovered history of the Auvergne – Auvergne, France – Holidays in the Auvergne – Telegraph.
“The magnificent, often explosively dramatic, landscapes of the Auvergne both stimulate and soothe the mind with their sheer timeless beauty. And here, in this seemingly impregnable fortress of the Massif Central where geography reigns supreme, history has left its mark, bequeathing a unique heritage and a rich culture.”
Aug 082010
Interiors: How to pick up secondhand bargains in France | Life and style | The Guardian.
It’s the time of year when the French ‘empty their attics’ and put their unwanted treasures up for sale at the local Vide-Grenier (car boot sale to us).
This weekend was the turn of St Gervais d’Auvergne and it was quite a turn-out. The whole town centre was packed with stalls full of interesting stuff.
I managed to pick up some lovely vintage linen, now for sale in the shop
