Sunday Afternoon in August

There was a break in our 100-degree weather today, so we had a leisurely--and spontaneous--afternoon of fun, food, nature, and exercise (turned out to be 10,000 steps). 

At dejeuner (our main meal at 1 p.m.) we had hamburgers, a packet of grilled vegetables (potatoes, red peppers, onions), Greek salad and ice cream, which we ate on the patio in front of our house.

Line at the BBQ

Anita, Eluiza and Line at table

It was such a nice day that a drive in the countryside seemed like a good idea. We went to Lac Bouchet, about 30 minutes from Le Puy. I drove and not only practiced my driving skills but learned of another get-away place in Nature. Here is the amazing countryside in a land that once hosted volcanoes in Auvergne, a region in central France. The cone-like hills were once volcanoes.



Lac Bouchet (lac = lake) is a crater lake that filled in with water in what was once a volcano. The lake is almost perfectly round and the water is as clear and clean as can be.

The area is heavily forested all around the lake. 









The 3 km pathway around the lake is comprised of reddish gravel. It is the iron left over from the lava of ancient volcanic eruptions. 






Of course, the lake attracts swimmers (even though there is no sand). It also hosts paddle boaters and hikers of all ages.

The long range lens on my new camera, didn't know what it was recording in this shot.  Oh well, this is France!




A restaurant provides visitors with a full meal, a beverage or a dessert. There is also a hotel here, which charges only 50 euros per couple. That's a good deal!

The sisters had ice cream while I had my first cappuccino in France. 

Here's a wooden walkway near the restaurant, but we took the high road--literally--back to the car.

It was a great day!!