Kings adventures: Aurillac - Saint Flour - Chaudes-Aigues

We did most of the Aurillac – Saint Flour Garabit – Chaudes Aigues tour. We called in on Castle of Pesteils for a photo.

We forgot to stop in Vic Sur Cere. The scenery was really nice particularly as we climbed. There is more evidence of Autumn in the trees. We went through Le Lioran and on to Murat where we stopped to do a tour of the town. It wasn’t possible to do it the last day because of the crowds.

Fake cornets.

Cornets were cooked in the oven. It was important to roll them immediately when they were cooked. To do that all the little glasses were taken out so as to roll the cornets around them. Fingers got burned doing this.

My mother usually made them in the winter. In summer she didn't have time. It is important to close the bootom tight so as the filling does not escape.

They were eaten sprinkled with sugar, with jam, cream, strawberries, honey etc. They look like the horns of a cow.

This family provided several famous doctors to the kings of France. Pierre de Beral was doctor to Henri 1V for 32 years. Pierre Hugues de Beral was doctor to Louis X111.

The Jacquemart of the Gaudron home. A "jacquemart" is an automated piece of art with one or more characters sculpted in wood or metal that tells the time by hitting a bell with a hammer. In 1938, Charles Gaudron had this clock made to immortalise his children in Auvergne dress. The children dance "la bourre", a traditional Auvergne dance, the clock tells the time and the rooster crows the 12 strokes of noon by way of a 3 bell chime.

The Tower of Saint Peter formed part of the old walls. In French there is a local expression that is a play on words because all of the words are pronounced the same - "Un mur mura Murat et Murat murmura". This means "a wall walled Murat and Murat murmured".

There are quite a few lovely doors in Murat.

One of the gargoyles on Notre Dame des Oliviers.

Inside Notre Dame des Oliviers.

Fake birds!

We stopped in St. Flour but weren’t really impressed. Then we got a bit lost and ended up in Chaudes Aigues from where we went back to the Grandval Barrage and then the panoramic view at Mallet. Then we made our way home having missed out on Neuveglise and Paulhac.