A visit to Salers

As yesterday was an absolutely sparkling autumn day here in the Cantal, I went for a drive to Salers, "un des plus beaux villages de France"- one of France's most beautiful villages, and about half an hour away by road. In summer it is usually crowded with tourists, but today was almost empty, with only a few of the little restaurants open. There are several hotels there which all seemed to be open, as its school holidays here in this part of France, and there were a few people wandering about, admiring the somewhat sombre architecture of the place, and enjoying seeing the place at its autumnal best.
The view from the little parc Barouze, overlooking the site where three valleys meet was stunning,

and the drive back up the val de Maronne to the Col de Neronne and then down past the forest of the Cirque du Falgoux showed the beautiful autumn colours of the trees, contrasted with dark evergreen firs. We love visiting this part of France at this time of year, as we are often lucky with the weather, which enhances the natural beauty of the mountains.