AVEYRON J4 G...
Monday 23rd May
G2/3
Un temps de grenouilles.
Trek or No Trek! Would the Froggies brave the wind and pouring rain to discover the 11 kms of outstanding scenery from St Côme d'Olt to Roquelaure? Voilà le question!
After counting and recounting the number of walkers and the number of cars for the umpteenth time, the heavy rain showers of the Aubrac region forced our Froggies to choose an alternative itinerary and unanimously opted for a cultural visit to the Laguiole factory to sharpen their knowledge on the manufacturing of the renowned Laguiole pen- knife.
We are now all experts on the high quality workmanship required to assemble this remarkable and useful tool and can recognize an authentic Couteau Laguiole: if the representitive bee is an integral part of the handle, if the alignment of the blade fits exactly into its slot, if there's a certain elasticity to the blade with no play between the blade and the handle, and if the manufacturer's hallmark is stamped on the blade, then you can be sure it's a 'vrais' Laguiole. The visit proved to be not only instructive but above all it offered us warmth and shelter from the incessant rain!
Towards midday a short visit to the famous three-star Bras restaurant, perched on a hill top, was 'de rigueur'! A breathtaking view and a gourmet menu was on the agenda, but hélas, the LPC couldn't honour the establishment with its patronage, as the the restaurant was closed. But no panic, we still had our pic-nics in our back-packs, 'ze' problem was 'ze' weather. An instant democratic vote took us to the Aubrac restaurant to savour the excellent traditional Auvergnat cuisine, including a demonstration on how to prepare the famous Aligot; all surpassed our expectations. The meal ended with a song contest between the Loire et Cher and the Béarn, and needless to say 'les montagnards' rose to the occasion.
A feeble ray of sunshine finally pierced through the threatening black skies, and encouraged the majority of the group to eventually set off on the Trek that had been scheduled for that morning.
The less courageous opted for a guided visit, by Pierre, of St Côme d'Olt, a medieval village with it's 'Chateau de Castelnau' housing the Mairie, its surprising Twisted church Tower, and its remparts now forming the façades of the village houses. In between two outbursts of torrential rain we meandered through the 'venelles' discovering this historical village, a stop-over on the route to Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle.
The visit ended in Pierre's quaint cottage where his wife Aimée, kindly offered us 'le verre de l'amitié'.
Une 'rosbif' à la Maltaise.
Google a un tres bon traducteur
Michel
