The South of France-East Half Part 60

+Excursions.+

CAB FARES.--The course within the town from 6 A.M. to 12 P.M. with 1 horse, 1 fr.; 2 horses, 2 frs. By time, carriage and 1 horse, first hour, 3 frs., and 2 frs. each successive hour. Half the day, 9 frs.; the day, 18 frs. Carriage with 2 horses, first hour, 4 frs., the following hours, 3 frs. each. The half-day, 12 frs. 50 c.; the day, 25 frs.

Art. 17--The price for the first hour, in or outside Vichy, is always fully charged although the coachman has not been employed the entire hour. All the other hours are divided and paid by quarters.

Art. 18.--The day is fixed at 12 hrs., which comprises 2 hrs. for rest; the half-day at 6 hrs., and 1 hr. for rest.

[Headnote: DRIVES. CUSSET.]

For drives with a fixed destination the price should be settled beforehand. The following are the usual prices. To the Casino des Justices (about 2 m. beyond Gusset), there and back, 1 horse, 7 frs.; 2 horses, 10 frs. The same prices are charged, there and back, from Vichy to Charmeil, Cote St. Amand, Hauterive, Les Malavaux, and Montagne-Verte. To the Ardoisiere, there and back, 1 horse, 8 frs.; 2 horses, 12 frs. To Chateldon and back, 1 horse, 15 frs.; 2 horses, 20 frs. To Busset and back by the Ardoisiere, 1 horse, 16 frs.; 2 horses, 20 frs. To Maulmont and back, 1 horse, 15 frs.; 2 horses, 20 frs. To Randan by Bois-Randenez, return by Maulmont, 1 horse, 18 frs.; 2 horses, 24 frs.

+Cusset+, pop. 6200, on the Sichon, 2 m. E. from Vichy. _Inn:_ H. du Centre, in the Place de la Halle, near the church. Omnibus, 20 c. At the entrance into the town is the +Etabliss.e.m.e.nt Thermal Ste. Marie+, a neat building of red and black brick, with a large entrance flanked with turrets. Opposite are the "Sources Ste. Marie" and Elizabeth, both cold. The baths cost 1 fr. From 9 in the morning till 2 in the afternoon only 1 fr. is charged. The waters are of the same cla.s.s as those of Vichy, but have a little more soda and iron.

From Cusset a pleasant road leads to Les Malavaux, 2 m. S.E. Take the road to Les Guitons the length of the bridge, which do not cross, but walk up by the course of the stream Joland. The hill to the right is called the "Cote des Justices," because on it criminals suffered the extreme penalty of the law. Shortly afterwards the valley narrows into a miniature gorge between basaltic rocks, and situated in the prettiest part, 1 m. from the bridge, is an inn with refreshment rooms. Pension per day, 10 frs. Beyond the inn the valley gradually widens and flattens. From the inn are visited the Puits du Diable; and on the Malavaux the Fontaine des Sarrasins and the scanty ruins of a castle said to have been built by the Knight Templars; admission, 1 fr. each.

[Headnote: MONTAGNE-VERTE.]

2 m. N. from Vichy by the Rue de Ballore is the Montagne-Verte, 1288 ft. above the sea, with a restaurant on the top, whence there is a good view of the surrounding country. This road makes the nicest walk in the neighbourhood of Vichy. At about a mile it pa.s.ses by the cemetery.

+Vichy to Busset+ by Cusset and the Ardoisiere, 10 m. S. Return by St.

Yorre, where the rail may be taken.

[Headnote: GRIVATS.]

The road pa.s.ses by Cusset and then extends southwards by the side of the Sichon. The first village pa.s.sed on the Sichon is Grivats, famous for the manufacture of the Toiles de Vichy, called also Grivats, a variegated cotton stuff used for gowns and petticoats. The best quality, made only at Grivats, costs 1 fr. the metre (1? yard); the inferior qualities, made chiefly at Roanne, cost from 75 c. to 1 fr.

the metre. At Grivats they are all made by handlooms in the houses of the weavers. Among the best shops in Vichy for this article is that of Delorme-Desfougeres, Rue de l'Hopital.

From Grivats the road, after pa.s.sing through a fertile country, reaches the Ardoisiere, situated at the foot of Mont Peyroux, 7 m. S.

from Vichy. Inn with refreshment rooms. Here there is an abandoned slate quarry, charge to visit 1 fr., but it is not worth entering. The favourite excursions here are to the falls of the Sichon or the Cascade du Gourre-Saillant, fee 1 fr., which, unless after heavy rains, are very small; and to the ruins of the Chateau des Templiers on the top of Mont Peyroux, whence there is a beautiful and extensive view.

[Headnote: BUSSET.]

The road now leaves the banks of the Sichon and extends due S. towards Busset, 2 m. from the Ardoisiere, or 10 m. from Vichy by this road.

Busset is a poor village at the foot of a hill, on which is the Chateau Bourbon-Busset, built in 1319, but restored since. Admission readily granted. Splendid view from the Tour de Riom. W. from Busset, on the E. side of the Allier, is St. Yorre (see below), where the rail may be taken to Vichy, 5 m. N.

Nearly 8 m. S.E. from the Ardoisiere by the valley of the Suhan and the village of Arronnes is Ferrieres, with, in the neighbourhood, the ruins of the old feudal castle of Mont Gilbert, the Roc St. Vincent, the Pierre-Encise, the Grotte des Fees, and the Puy-Montoncel. Time required from Vichy and back, 8 hrs.

[Headnote: RANDAN. VESSE-INTERMITTENT-SPRING.]

+Vichy to Randan.+--Coach daily from the Place de la Marine at 11.20 A.M.; arrives at Randan at 1 P.M.; leaves Randan at 3.20, and is back to Vichy by 5. Fare there and back, 2 frs. The castle of Randan is open on Thursdays and feast-days. The return journey, 4 m., by Maulmont costs 3 frs.

The coach, having crossed the bridge of the Allier, pa.s.ses on the left hand a small house with the sign SOURCE INTERMITTENTE. In the garden is the very interesting intermittent spring of Vesse, which acts every 6 or 7 hours, when it rises from a depth of 375 ft. to the height of 16 ft. above the surface. During the irruption, which lasts 30 minutes, the water has a milky hue, from the quant.i.ty of air it contains. Admission, 25 c.

From this spring the road follows at a little distance the course of the stream Sermon, pa.s.sing the villages of Les Sechauds and the Bois Randenez, and then enters the forest of Boucharde, at the southern extremity of which is situated Randan, with its large modern mansion belonging to the Orleans family. It contains a picture gallery with several drawings by the gifted Marie d'Orleans, the rooms of Madame Adelaide and of her brother Louis Philippe, a beautiful little chapel, and a large kitchen (see p. 368). From Randan the road leads due E.

through the woods to the hunting-seat of Maulmont, constructed by Madame Adelaide in the Gothic style, on the site of an old commandery of the Knight Templars. From this the Allier is crossed by the suspension bridge of Ris, whence the return journey may be made by rail or by the high road along the E. side of the river.

[Headnote: ST. YORRE. RIS.]

+Vichy to Thiers+ by rail, 22 m. S., changing at Courty. 5 m. S. from Vichy are the village of St. Yorre and the Larbaud mineral water establishment, with an intermittent spring in the grounds. The water, which is bottled here, rises from a depth of 340 ft.

The next station S. from St. Yorre is the station Ris-Chateldon, 5 m.

from St. Yorre and 10 from Vichy. About 200 yards N. from the station the road that crosses the rail leads directly to the suspension bridge, or the Pont de Ris, over the Allier, about 1 m. W. The broad road opposite the station leads to Ris (p.r.o.nounce the s) about 1 m. E.

It is a large village, with dunghills, geese, and ducks in the princ.i.p.al street. The church, 12th and 13th cents., has narrow aisles and nave and semicircular apse.

[Headnote: CHATELDON. THIERS.]

For +Chateldon+, 3 m. S.E. from station, take the road that follows the rail southward to second road left. This village, more interesting than Ris, is situated in the little valley of the stream Vauziron, surrounded by hills covered with vineyards. In the "Place" is the princ.i.p.al inn, the H. Camin, pension 6 to 7 frs., whence the coach starts for the station, but not for every train. The house with the mineral water springs is up at the other end of the village, by the side of the Vauziron.

+Maringues+ is 11 m. W. from the station by the Pont de Ris. Puy de Guillaume, 3 m. S. from the station.

23 m. S. from Vichy by rail is the picturesquely-situated town of +Thiers+, pop. 16,230. _Inns:_ *Paris; Aigle d'Or; Univers; all near each other, and on almost the same level as the station. Also approached by rail from Clermont, pa.s.sing through a mountainous country.

Thiers, with its old houses, and steep, tortuous, dirty streets, is built on the side of Mt. Besset, which rises to the height of 1716 ft.

above the sea, but only 405 ft. above the old prison near the "Place."

At the foot of this mountain flows the impetuous Durolle, which turns the wheels of the paper-mills and forges in the low town. From the different terraces are splendid views of the curiously-shaped surrounding mountains and of the plains of the Limagne. The manufacture of cutlery (coutellerie) is the standard occupation of the inhabitants. The steel is made in the forges; all the rest is done in the houses of the workmen, each individual of the family taking the part in the manufacture corresponding to his or her ability. At the foot of Mt. Besset, near the Durolle, is the church of St. Moutiers, of the 11th cent., excepting the square apse, which is of the 7th.

From the chancel a very pretty road leads up the valley of the Durolle to the Margeride. The church in the high part of the town to the left is St. Jean, 14th cent., with a cemetery. Considerably higher than St.

Jean is St. Genest, built in about 1020. It has been recently restored. Over the second altar, left or north of the high altar, is a fresco, 16th cent., representing Mary among angels entering heaven.

The painted gla.s.s is modern. 3 m. S.E. from Thiers is the village of Escoutoux, where a pleasant sparkling wine is made called Champagne de la Dore. Excellent b.u.t.ter and cheese are made at Thiers. The richest are flat and thin, but the most pungent is a cheese not unlike the Stilton in shape and colour. The best of the thin moist cheeses are those of Mont d'Or, near Lyons, not the Mt. Dore of Clermont. From Thiers the country becomes most picturesque all the way to St.

Etienne, the line winding its way around the steep sides of lofty mountains with roaring torrents in the deep ravines below. After leaving Thiers it follows the course of the Durolle to its source.

3 m. from Thiers by rail is the station for St. Remy, pop. 5000 (see below).

Vichy to the Chateau d'Effiat, 18 m. S.W. by the villages of Vesse (or Vaisse) and Serbannes, and the forest of Montpensier.

[Headnote: GANNAT. AIGUEPERSE.]

The Chateau d'Effiat (15th cent.) belonged in the 16th cent. to Antoine Coiffier Ruse, a marshal of France, whose eldest son was the unfortunate Cinq-Mars. It was afterwards purchased by the famous Scotch financier Law of Lauriston, who had to give it up to his creditors. The castle was dismantled by order of the State, but is now partially restored. 3 m. W., on the line between Gannat and Clermont, is +Aigueperse+, pop. 2600. _Inn:_ St. Louis. A coach runs between Aigueperse and Randan, 8 m. E. (see below). Between Vichy and the railway station of St. Remy is the modernised Chateau of Charmeil on the Allier, 3 m. N. from Vichy. It forms a pleasant afternoon drive.

2 m. N. from St. Germain-des-Fosses railway station are the ruins of the Chateau de Billy (14th cent.), formerly one of the strongest and most imposing in the Bourbonnais. In the village are some old houses.

17 m. N.E. by rail from Vichy, on the, Lyons line, is La Palisse on the Bebre, pop. 2830; _Inn:_ H. de l'ecu; with a castle (14th cent.) on an eminence overlooking the town (see p. 346).

miles from PARIS miles to Ma.r.s.eILLES

{224}{ } +SAINT-REMI-EN-ROLLAT+, 867 ft. above the sea.

{235}{294} +GANNAT+, pop. 6000. _Inns:_ Nord; Poste. A town of crooked streets, on the Andelot, at the confines of the plain of La Limagne. The church of St. Croix (choir 11th cent., nave reconstructed in the 14th cent.), is a good specimen of the architecture of Auvergne. Some of the windows are by J. du Paroy. In the "Place" are two houses, one belonging to the Dukes of Bourbon, the other to the Fontanges family, both 15th cent.

Gannat is famous for beer. Junction at Gannat with the railway system of the Chemins de Fer d'Orleans, leading to Orleans and Tours, and the Feudal Castles on the Loire. See Black's _Normandy, Brittany, and Touraine_.

{242}{288} +AIGUEPERSE+, pop. 2600. _Hotels:_ St. Louis; Lion d'Or. The finest building is the Sainte Chapelle, built in 1475. The Hotel de Ville is in a convent of the Ursulines, built in 1650. A coach from this station goes to Randan in the Limagne, 8 m. E., pop. 2000, with a beautiful castle of bright and dark coloured bricks, reconstructed in 1822 by Mme.

Ad. d'Orleans. 2 m. distant, on the border of the forest of Randan, is another castle constructed by Mme. in the style of the Middle Ages. See under excursions from Vichy.

[Headnote: RIOM.]

{253}{277} +RIOM+, 1105 ft. above the sea, pop. 11,000. _Inns:_ H. Paris; Poste; Puy-de-Dome. Diligences to Volvic, 3 m. S.W.; to Chatelguyon, 5 m. N.; and to Chateauneuf, 20 m. N.W. The most interesting church in Riom is St. Amable, 12th cent., with a large nave supported on 14 piers, each pier having three engaged columns. On the tower and south transept is the same kind of rude mosaic which ornaments the church of Issoire. Near St. Amable is the Tour de l'Horloge, 16th cent., and close to it a few 15th and 16th cent. houses. Down this same street, the Rue de l'Horloge, is the church of Notre Dame, 15th cent. Attached to the west end of the Palais de Justice is the Ste. Chapelle, 14th cent., consisting of a choir, with a pinnacle at each corner of the west end. In the building called the "Hotel Chabrol" is the museum and picture gallery.