Fall is here – golden light, birds in migration, and time to reflect. Winter is coming – snowfalls (we hope), sking, blue shadows on white drifts, yellow lamplight welcoming us home, dark red wine and country pates. And where can we go to experience all that?
Welcome to the Auvergne in the heart of France (look for Clermont-Ferrand to orient yourself on a map.) This area features mountains, skiing, and some very unusual lodges. Beginning in the 17th century, the frugal French started replacing ancient wooden shepherds’ huts throughout the mountains with sturdy stone structures made of granite and basalt – the “buron”. Fast forward to the 21st century and we see some of the few remaining burons converted to lodges and hostels, dotting the mountain tops. They are all rustic, but some are more luxurious than others. One of the most luxurious appears to be the buron de niercombe, rebuild by Austrian Frederic Pfeffer. It is reachable from the airport at Aurillac or Rodez, followed by a serpentine mountain drive that requires a 4 × 4. The Buron is partially built into the mountains. As with other burons, there’s nothing around it but 360 degrees of mountains, highland forest, grasses, sky, and clouds. This buron is elegantly but simply decorated – all in ivories, beiges, and soft browns, simple furniture (tables with tree stump legs), and natural materials (wool, linen, wood). There are birds, flowers, and animals, including chamois and mouflons (mountain sheep). A mountain guide is available, or you can just explore and drink in the silence and solitude.
To learn more or make a reservation, contact: Isabelle Pfeffer, Tel. 06-80-24-23-33 or contact@niercombe.com. Their website is: www.niercombe.com.
If you have access to the June-August 2008 issue of Maisons Cote Est, this buron is featured, with loads of gorgeous pictures.
Other burons, however, offer a more lively experience. Au Buron de Fages sells the foods of the Auvergne – hearty, rich, mountain fare that keeps you warm in winter and strong in summer. Items include bleu d’Auvergne, cantal cheese, dry sausages, country pate, and something called friton, described as a “paste made from meat cooked in lard” which doesn’t sound so great, but is probably amazing.
The Buron de Dame Tartine, near the Sancy mountains, is small, looks gorgeous, and has an on-site restaurant. It is about 300 meters from the ski slopes.
To plan your own tour of the burons of the Auvergne, I suggest checking out a bunch of websites first. For pictures, look at
http://www.cantaloo.com/photos_cantal/indexM.html
photos_cantal/indexM.html
For research, try: www.aurelle-verlac.com/burons/burons.htm
To look at the Buron de Dame Tartine, try: www.auberge-dame-tartine.com
See you in France this Fall?