Sur la route en Auvergne

When we left Le Puy-en-Velay on March 9, we drove north through the Haute-Loire (Auvergne), passing through the village of Vieille-Brioude and the town of Arvant. We covered a distance of about 70 kilometers (40 miles) that morning. Here's what the countryside looked like, in a slideshow consisting of 12 photos that runs for a little less than a minute. I thought you might enjoy the ride.



The Michelin Guide Verte describes Vieille-Brioude (pop. 1,200) as a charmant bourg très fleuri on a rock outcropping along an ancient Roman road. Until the late 19th century, when imported phylloxera insects decimated the grape vines, it was an important wine town. We made one stop on that Saturday morning, and that was in the town of Brioude (pop. 6,700) to see the beautiful church there. More about that over the next few days...