Today we awoke to a clear crisp morning, breakfasted and headed off before 8, for the town of Le Puy. Apparently it featured in a stage of Le tour last year, and it is so picturesque I can readily see why. It is a very old town and dominated by three peaks. One is the Chapel of St Michael, perched atop a steep rock volcanic plug, and originally built in the 10th century. A few extensions were completed in the 12th century, and the final result is a very moving Chapel that links faith through the centuries. Fantastic views of course.

The 2nd peak is Mary and child, which it is possible to climb to the top of, but we just climbed to the church below it, which is a 12th century add on to a 10th century original. It soars, and yet is full of beautiful friezes telling stories and recording belief. We didn’t go to the third peak, but it looks like a Roman gentleman - which means it’s probably a mayor or king or something.

We lunched on the local delicacy - small green lentils, with a variety of other offerings - at a restaurant in one of the cobbled, narrow streets of the old town. Lace making seems to be a common activity here, and we saw several men throwing the bobbins around at an amazing pace. Had ice creams or pastries on the way back to the car, and headed back to home via the source of the Loire River, which rises from a spring at the foot of another steep peak that is often covered in snow in winter. Parts of the area get so much snow they are snowed in during winter. I begin to understand why France in summer is so much swooned over.