27 November 2022 - Issoire & a day on the A75

Miles driven today = 197

Total Miles to date = 4,287

It was a chilly 5 degrees outside when I got up to pop the kettle on this morning.  We're not used to those sorts of temperatures.  Like most modern motorhomes we have a thermostatically controlled valve which automatically empties the hot water tank when temperatures get close to zero.  This protects the heating elements from frost damage but is also bloody inconvenient if you want to use the water.  So last night we set the heating to kick in when the van's internal temperature dropped to 10 degrees, which it did, so I banked it up to 18 when I got up and we were soon nice and toasty.  We also had the heating on for the first time while we were driving today and Lisa made good use of it by spreading her freshly washed knickers across the windscreen vents to dry.  I'm not sure what the oncoming traffic thought we were trying to advertise!

The A75 is a lovely smooth dual carriageway which runs nearly 350 kilometres north from Bezier to Clermont-Ferrand.  And, unusually for France, it's almost entirely toll-free.  So we have spent a large chunk of today bumbling along it with the cruise control set to 90 kph, while we enjoyed the golden, orange and red hues of the sun enhanced autumnal scenery.  The majority of commercial traffic is banned from public roads on a Sunday in France so there were no big trucks steaming up behind us to worry about.  We even had time to do a bit of wildlife spotting.  We saw a black kite, which is a big bird in its own right, but it was absolutely dwarfed by what we could only assume were three eagles of some kind which it was circling with.  Then another pair of eagles pretty much did a fly-past of the van.  One of them was so close we could look it in the eye.

The one part of the A75 which is tolled is where it crosses the impressive Milau Viaduct.  At this point Google Maps diverted us down the sinuous D809 into Milau itself and back out on the D911 to rejoin the A75 on the other side of the valley.  I stopped off at a viewpoint as we approached Milau to let a tail of traffic through and to take a few photos.  Here we are looking down on the town with the viaduct crossing the valley to the left.  I had hoped we would get an opportunity for some more close up shots of the monumental structure but unfortuantely none arose.

A little further on we made a fuel stop and also filled up the LPG tanks on nice cheap French gas.  In total our LPG expenditure for the trip so far now stands at a mere €51.  We'll definitely be using more on heating over the last few days but on the flip side we will be using much less on refridgeration.  The Service Station also had a very pleasant little motorhome area so we had a great view of these old fortified buildings while we munched our sarnies.

We did nearly 200 miles today which, from memory, is our biggest driving day to date on this trip.  My understanding is that Clermont-Ferrand is heavily industrialised so we decided to put the anchors down a little way short of there at Issoire.  We are in an aire which charges a whopping €0.30 per person tourist tax but the ticket machine is bust so its free.  We didn't get parked up until 3pm so we quickly popped on some warmer clothes and went for a stroll into the town centre which is barely 10 minutes walk away.

The town's clock tower was built circa 1480 and nowadays houses a large exhibition space.

For a small fee you can climb the tower to the viewing platform at the top.  So we did.  The ascent involves a spiral staircase and we all know how much Lisa loves a spiral staircase.  Look how overjoyed she was to get to the top.

There were some great views up there though across the town and the surrounding countryside.

We could easily see the snow capped peaks of the Massif des Monts Dore in the distance.  The highest of these is the Puy de Sancy at 1,885m.  In my ignarance of this region I had no idea of the altitude we would be at today.  We actually topped out at a little over 1,100 on the A75 and there were signs on the side of the road advising that we should be carrying snow chains after 1 November so I'm adding a set to my Christmas wish list in order to be prepared for next time.

We walked on to the other building of significant interest in Issoire.  The Abbey of St Austeroine.  The Church dates from the mid-12th Century and is now the only remaining part of a large monastic complex, most of which was sadly demolished in the 19th Century.

From photos on the information boards the interior of the church looked intersting but there was a Sunday service in progress as we approached the doors so we didn't intrude.

Issoire stands on the River Couze Pavin.  The river runs through a charming central park where the autumn hues were in full effect.

Despite the cooler temperatures I'm loving this part of France.  I just wish we could slow things down a bit and explore more than we are able to this time.

28 November 2022 - On the farm in the heart of France