On the final day in France, me, mum and Luke decided to make the hour and a half drive to Clermont Ferrand for a look around.
Just above the city there is a parking viewpoint so we stopped to take a quick few pictures. The view is beautiful, and it was a stinking hot day so everything looked all summery and lush.
We had a little wander around the shops and La Place de Jaude. I replenished my stock of Bioderma whilst I was there, two 500ml bottles for 15 quid, why can’t it be that cheap in England! Also, I can’t get my head around where French people shop and buy their clothes from, even in a big city like this, to me there didn’t seem like there was enough shops to buy clothes from. Even in Paris I didn’t understand where someone like me would buy their clothes from, I need a lot more choice and variety than what I have seen in France. I might just be looking in the wrong places, but I don’t think I could live in France, I need my British high street!
We also went up to the cathedral, which I can tell you was not my favourite thing to do, uphill in 38-and-up degrees heat, I was a gasping mess by the time we got there!
After our little jaunt into the centre of Clermont we had a little drive about and then eventually made our way home, for the last evening of family time.
My uncle has been riding motorbikes (most specifically motocross bikes) for 40 years, Luke had never been on a motorbike before this holiday, but naturally due to his love of extreme sports, he had to have a go at learning while we were there. So above is me, mum, nan, my aunty (in the red top), and Luke (in the blue).
The whole family spent the evening in the fields watching my aunt and Luke racing around on the bikes, my uncle wasn’t on them much because he recently had an operation on his hip so there aren’t any photos of him. Safe to say Luke caught the bike bug after spending a few evenings of the holiday riding, he now wants a bike, typical. My aunt and uncle are setting up a business around the motorbikes through their home and the land they own, the website is www.centre-trail.com. They have a long route laid out in the woods around their land as part of this business, I think that step up will wait till the next time Luke is there as even my uncle said its hard work for some of the most experienced riders.
Can you spot my nan? haha.
Most excitingly of all for me was that I got to drive the old tractor they have, its from the 1960s or something, a real “bone shaker” as my uncle calls it. It was so much fun, but my uncle said he’d never seen someone concentrate so much! What can I say, I’m a careful tractor driver!
And that, is the end of my French adventure for this year. Its been 4 years since I last went out there, every time my family have been down there since has been during my term time at uni so I couldn’t go with them, but I now think its going to a more regular occurrence, especially if Luke has the bike bug!
I feel like I’ve waffled on a lot about France, but I’ve preferred splitting it all up into these daily chunks rather than one quick post with only a few pictures in it. Hopefully I can carry on mixing more lifestyle posts into my blog.