Driving into Autumn: Haute-Loire

 

Driving into autumn

Saint-Didier_en_Velay

We have continued on our road trip moving further north and west. There is something quite invigorating about setting out on the backroads here in France and just taking in the surprises of what is revealed along the way.

 

Leaving Sisteron this morning and arriving at our 'gite,' deep in the countryside of the Haute-Loire, took us on quite some adventure. 

Precipitous mountain passes, narrow roads and hairpin bends of the Cols, and glorious vistas as each range of mountains were crested. 

Remote villages along the way, few cars and people and the rich pastoral landscapes that make France so special.

Driving into the unknown and wild side.

What struck me the most was experiencing the change in the seasons from the fiercely hot late summer in the south-eastern most corner on the Mediterranean Sea to the cooler, almost cold weather of autumn here in the Haute-Loire. 

We have literally been driving into autumn, the trees have turned all the shades of yellow, orange and red and the leaves are falling. 

The days are shorter, the light quality is changing and we are also feeling the changes, eating indoors, needing hot food, wearing a jersey, looking to sneak into bed a little earlier to keep warm, even considering get a fire going in our gite...