Springtime Jaunts in the Auvergne

 

Springtime in the Auvergne area is amazing. The flowers sprout, the trees grow their baby leaves, and the mountains spread a sheen of green again, which the cows, horses, and sheep seem to appreciate. What else could Eluiza and I do but get in the car and enjoy the views. Here is an account of our travels.

Saint-Paulien

 

 

The most outstanding feature in St. Paulien is Saint Georges Church. The Romanesque stone building was constructed in the 12th century followed by many changes in the 16th. There are several polychrome paintings that mix black, pink, purple, gray or white colors. Here are some photos of the magnificent interior, which are as striking as the exterior.

 

 

 

 

 

St. Paulien has been inhabited since prehistoric times, and Celtic tribes settled here in the second century BC. The territories of this area were owned by the Polignac family from the time of the Carolingians kings (since 751) until the French Revolution (1789-99).

St. Paulien is much more extensive than the more obvious two main roads and church. After parking the car and walking into the interior of the town, we discovered not only a life so different from what we commonly see passing through this little town, but one that went back to the Romans as evidenced by this old wall.

    

Some interesting structures dot the streets on the interior of the city.

 

             

As with most French towns, there is a war memorial from World War I. This one features an obelisk and a marble etching of an angel leading a fallen soldier home to God. These memorials are all different, all respectful, and all touching. You really get a sense of loss incurred by the war as the names listed show several members of the same family had died in the war.

Resources

https://www.france-voyage.com/cities-towns/saint-paulien-15451.htm

  

Chambon-sur-Lignon

We only went 50 minutes from Le Puy to take in the views of Chambon-sur-Lignon, one of the small towns on the Lignon River. We were still cautious about Covid and wore our masks, but many other people were already finished with the virus and went without their masks.

After a coffee at the above café, we walked around town and found these interesting buildings: a post office on the left and a pizzeria on the right.

I've seen photos of old French women looking out their windows and found a shot just above the café where we stopped for coffee. You can make up a story about who she is, what she sees, and what she is thinking about.

 

Déjeuner and a Ride in the Country 

We lost our regular caterer this year and had to find another. In fact, we found two caterers: one with the schools and the other with a restaurant, butcher shop and deli. We tried the restaurant, The Mirage, which is located at a small airport outside of Le Puy. It's a simple and not very decorative place. Workers come here for an inexpensive lunch of two main dishes plus appetizers, cheese, dessert, wine, and coffee. A perfect French meal! Over 100 people are usually served at noon. It has become one of our favorite places.

The tables are all set up ready for déjeuner with bread at each place. It is empty at 11:30 when we usually arrive but full by noon as men in hard hats and steel-toed boots wander in for their meal. On our first visit here we met a retired colonel from the French military. He had been all over the world during his tenure in service.

 

 

After déjeuner, we stopped by a little town called Sanssac just to see what was there. We found an operating church. On the side of it was a World War I memorial. As usual, many brothers from little towns like Sanssac were killed in the war deemed to end all wars. Losses of a good part of the upcoming generation were painful for families and for the economy. For all countries, 9-15 million men died in the war. In France alone, 1.7 million soldiers died (from military, disease, and malnutrition causes) and 4.3 million were wounded.

Arlet

Wandering around the French countryside reveals many little out-of-the-way places. On this day we found Artlet. While we were there someone was barbecuing some delicious-smelling meat while we looked at the sights. The two most striking places were this mini-château at the end of the street, and a little medieval church with several very old artifacts.

        

The church is remarkable for its placement in a remote area deep in the valley of the Cronce River, which is a tributary to the Allier River. Its isolation is a clue that it was probably a priory belonging to La Chaise-Dieu, a Benedictine abbey. 

 

The church was probably built in the 13th century. The doorway retains its original 14th century door jambs. The oculus (round opening over the door) is a modern addition, however, the triangular belfry at the top of the church is original and one of the few examples in existence. It was restored at the beginning of the 20th century and then rebuilt after a violent storm in 1912. The bells in the belfry were removed and hidden during the time of Napoleon for fear that they would be melted down and used for cannons.

                              

The church consists of a nave with three bays behind the altar. The vault is supported by three semi-circular arches, which was typical of Romanesque architecture. The ceiling has vaults supported by crossed ribs with a circular cross-section, much like St. Julian Basilica in Brioude (click here for Brioude blog post). 

     

This 12th or 13th century crucifix is one of the church's greatest treasures that had been hidden in a barn during the French Revolution. The face of Christ is Jewish with a short beard and long hair parted in the middle. His head is not crowned with thorns and his eyes are wide open. His expression is serene in order to de-emphasize the "torments" of the cross.

This monk is really a saint carrying a book. It is made from wood with a polychrome decoration and comes from the 17th century.

The triptych is painted wood that dates from the 16th century. Its center refers to Veronica wiping the face of Jesus with her veil as he carried the cross to Calvary. His image was miraculously imprinted on the veil. The left-hand panel features St. Peter and the right-hand panel shows the donor of the triptych with his confessor. This tryptych is known as an "ex-voto" or one made in memorial of someone. The statue of St. Peter, the first pope, is made from gilded and polychrome wood.

            

And finally, the cemetery.

 

It is still amazing to find these little towns. They are not suburbs of a city, but rather independent towns in rural areas with a mayor, a church, and various activities for the residents, and in the case of Arlet, nature hikes, camping, and canoeing for tourists. Many towns are on pilgrimage routes and so they provide a respite for hikers and pilgrims alike.

 

 

April in Murat

 

 

On one beautiful April afternoon we took a drive through the mountains and valleys of the Auvergne region and discovered the little town called Murat. Small towns in this region are interesting because they are like architectural and sociological time capsules. The towns are comprised of buildings, art, and streetscapes that both engage and educate you about life and its priorities from another time. Although medieval towns like Murat have been updated for modern times to meet modern needs, travelers can appreciate the old stone buildings that are a wonder of engineering ingenuity and artistic creativity. (The building with turrets is a 16th century mansion called Maison de la Faune.)

 

This picturesque medieval and Renaissance town is built onto the basaltic rock of Bonnevie, which towers over the historic center, and is surrounded by two other volcanic mountains: the Bredons Rock and the Chastel-sur-Murat Rock. In the Middle Ages, Murat was a fortified town and a major road hub, which encouraged trade. Many fairs and markets were held there.

 

The entrance to Murat leads directly to the center of town where the city hall, cafés, hotels, and apartment buildings provide amenities to residents and visitors alike. Further up the hill lay the shops and the medieval church. 

 

 The City Hall and Office of Tourism stand majestically at one end of the central city square while a monument to the ending of slavery stands about 100 yards at the other. War memorials are usually placed in the center part of a town. This memorial is the first of its kind that I've seen in France.                                  

 

    The Tribunal was a former Dominican teachers convent built in the 17th century. (It is located next to the church.) Fire destroyed it in 1771 but it was reconstructed in the style of Louis XV (1715-74). During the revolution (1789-99), it became the tribunal of Murat and would remain so for the next three centuries. Two notable little niches situated to both sides of the round window are characteristic of the Louis XIII style (1610-43).  

The buildings in Murat are constructed with local volcanic rock. Three kinds of this hard, gray stone are used extensively throughout the town: basalt, trachyte, and phonolithe for slate roofs. These buildings and the fountain pictured here go back to the Renaissance.

    

            

 

The Collegiate Church of Our Lady of the Olive Trees (Notre-Dame-des-Oliviers) was built between the 12th and the 14th centuries with statues and altarpieces made in the 17th and 19th centuries.

 

Here is a traditional knife shop. The knife (couteau) was an indispensable tool for defense and cutting food and materials. Legend has it that the Auvergne crusaders brought back knives from the East.  During the Middle Ages adults possessed a knife for eating and for doing multiple daily tasks. Since the 13th century Thiers in central France has been the chief  knife-making center for the country where 70 percent of the instruments are sharpened and sold. In the early 20th century, housewives bought their knives separately because they were not considered part of basic cutlery as they are today.

 

The Blessed Mother holds a prominent place in France and can be seen almost everywhere. In Murat, a statue of Our Lady of Haute-Auvergne is placed on top of a prominent hill that provides a natural enclosure on one side of the town.

A 16th century house with a stone staircase.

 

Apartment buildings are sited along the sides of the main square with a bus transit stop located in the middle. Apartments in France are typically bought and sold rather than rented as they are in the USA. However, the big challenge for these buildings is to provide parking for the residents' cars. Small walking towns can make access to and from the places that accommodate the essentials of daily life reduce the number of cars.

 Balconies and open windows and shutters allow people to look out their windows in a more obvious way. I've become intrigued by these scenes and sneek a snap of my camera on this woman surveying the town center from her window. By the way, windows in France don't have screens, so they make hanging out the window easier. Of course, these beautiful windows invite insects inside.

 Resources

https://www.france-voyage.com/tourism/murat-167.htm 

Circus! Circus!

 

We celebrated St. Joseph's Day (March 19) and the first day of spring (March 21) by going to the circus. It had been the first circus I'd seen since I was about 10 years old with the Girl Scouts. Actually, my Aunt Frances and Uncle Marcel took me to my first Shrine Circus when I was still a pre-schooler, and it impressed me so much, I can still remember the day--including the men wearing the dark red fezes with a sword imprinted on it and a tassle hanging on its side

The Shrine Circus was held in Olympia Stadium (the same arena that housed the Detroit Red Wings national hockey team). It had three rings for the performers and several tiered seats for the crowds. The last act after the animals, trapezes, clowns, and pink elephants was the man who was shot out of a huge and loud cannon. Olympia Stadium no longer stands, but the fond memories of the circus--and the Ice Follies for that matter--came to mind as I watched my first French circus, the Amar Circus, provide a bevy of animal acts and daring artists balancing and swinging their bodies high in the air. The circus provided a fun and nostalgic afternoon. Below are a few highlights of the various acts.

 

 

The first act featured lions 

These Mongolian camels stole the show with their high-stepping dances. Below is a video of a small portion of their act.

During intermission, children were allowed to take two turns around the ring on a camel.

The Big Wheel (above) thrilled the crowds (click here to see the video) while the clowns (below) played jokes on each other and the audience.

What would a circus be without cotton candy? People lined up patiently for a serving of it.

As people waited for the circus to begin, vendors sold illuminated pinwheels. Children worked them as music from French cabaret singer Edith Piaff's songs were played. Click here to see the video. 

This man was the animal trainer and performer. He seemed to love the animals as he shared their various tricks with the audience. He wore different costumes for each of the different acts.

Of course, no circus is a circus without people balancing on round objects or swinging on ropes.

Click here to see the Double Rings act. 

 

 

    

This couple performed tricks on roller skates and a small platform, which showed their prowess and balancing ability.
 

 

 

 

 

The Amar Circus was comprised of a small group of people performing with some magnificent talent. It was small and intimate, and children were excited and attentive (when they weren't staring at their cell phones). Adults seemed to have fun, and I'm so glad I witnessed this French-style circus!