| We visited Aubusson in the Summer of 2002, to rent a Gite with a pool. We took bikes and friends, and spent less time out and about than we expected.
The gite was large and comfortably appointed, with a huge garden and pool. The way life was meant to be lived...
The local villages were small and private, great for cycling around, even if the hills were hard work. Still, with all that local cheese and bread, you needed something to work off the calories! |
| Aubusson is a pretty, unspoiled town, with lovely traditional architecture unspoiled by the normal 20s/30s Art Deco, 50s Modernist or 60s glass and steel monstrosities, as it would have been in England. In my opinion, all post-war architects up to about 1980 should atone for their sins...
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| The neighbouring town of Felletin showed the same beauty and had a great market.
This part of France has beautiful scenery and, despite the common belief in England that the French are spoiled and unfriendly, we found everyone to be friendly and generous. You had to try and speak French, mind you, but that's fine. My French is crap, but after a few pastis I can get by...
So, what's the conclusion? This most untouristy part of la France profonde is an undiscovered and unspoilt gem full of lovely scenery and quiet roads. Aubusson turned out to be the last analogue camera outing: soon after I returned I went all-digital. No more "37 exposures per roll" and having to pay for every exposure. End of an era: a bit sad really, but I sold the cameras well at a car boot sale. |
