Under the volcano

 

Early start and we were off by 7.30 into Volcano Park. Lots of cone shaped hills rearing up in the cloud as we drove through the high plains of sunflowers and cereal crops. Kites galore. 

Breakfast in the utterly typical old fashioned French town of Champeix. A touch chilly up here despite the sun.

The route circled round the Puy de Dome who, as is the way of big hills, huffed and puffed under a puther of misty cloud. Then we were into the upper reaches of the Cher and down into La France Profonde of Creuse and Berry. Home of George Sand, Balzac etc.

Quick change of river to the Indre and we were passing through a significant little town- Ste-Sévère-sur-Indre. Not that we realised at first. I spotted posters of Jour de Fête (Jacques Tati) and thought they were just showing the film. 

Then saw big images from the film on various walls in the town and a sculpture of the film’s postman. Penny dropped - this is where they filmed it! So we about faced and had a look round. Charming. 

Apparently Tati found refuge here in the war and wrote his screenplay while he was sitting it out. Of course there’s a centre with all things related including a filmshow which we didn’t have time for.

And a festival going on with political cartoonists in the ancient market hall, and other events and local radio interviewing folk.

So that was the day’s high point. Downhill from there. We had hoped to buy wine from our favourite producer in Oisly near Blois, but with sinking hearts we remembered it is Sunday. Of course they were closed. Ditto our second choice near Chenonceau. Once ensconced in Ibis B Amboise we then spent Two Hours filling in Passenger Locator Forms and booking Day 2 Covid tests at £65 a pop. Not wildly hungry and unwilling to traipse into town on a Sunday evening we walked next door to the smart Novotel to see what we could find. All looked super but alas they were fully booked! Of course they were - it’s an August weekend! Fortunately we had hard boiled eggs and a carton of Gazpacho in the boot. And on the plus side, the salt water worked and my trousers are now pristine - if rather soggy!