Thermal springs and thermal drafts

It turned out to be a very warm, sunny and pleasant weekend in the Auvergne. I drove over on Friday afternoon to join la bienheureuse in the spa town of Vichy, more famous as the home of the collaborationist French world war 2 government. Few wartime traces remain, save a couple of impressive paintball bruises collected by la bienheureuse during service to the company.

A short stroll round the centre confirmed the town's eagerness to forget the past and promote itself as a health treatment and cure centre based around its several thermal springs.

Another short stroll in the evening unearthed a splendid restaurant behind the opera house - le Brasserie de l'Opéra did one of the best steak & foie gras I've ever eaten.

A longer stroll on Saturday took us round the main thermal springs, vieux Vichy and then along the opposite bank of the Allier river. Time for a recovery cool-down and wallow in the hotel pool before dining out again. After considering other options, we ended up in... the Brasserie de l'Opéra. Can't have too much of a good thing, and the fish was almost as good as the meat.

We took a roundabout route home on Sunday, driving south towards Clermont-Ferrand to visit the Puy de Dôme. Eventually figured out we could pay 6 euros and drive up to the top, allowing a more or less leisurely circit around the peak, and time to spend a diverting half hour watching paragliders launch themselves into the void in search of thermals.

Thence home via a scenic route across the Monts Lyonnais, missing a minor accident (no casualties) by a few seconds and gaining a couple of punnets of juicy cherries in time to watch les espagnols end the wait. Lyon still steaming hot. Respite promised on Thursday...