Rich and poor

Yesterday's headline in the local paper had a depressing message about rural poverty in this part of France, the northern edge of the Auvergne. 

The evidence for the passing traveller is the large number of houses for sale, the dilapidated or boarded-up properties, and, at a village level, the closed-down shops - although the car and large supermarkets are also responsible for the last of these.

In each village, conversation quickly reveals that the bar closed down last year, or the baker is about to retire, or the school has only eight pupils this year.. The village 'lavoir', the wash house, provides a reminder of what were living standards in comparatively recent times. The tin roof and cement sides of this one at St Leon suggests use well within living memory. 

Alongside the rural poverty are some fine little chateaux - these two are within an half an hour's walk of the St Leon lavoir.

But at least the scenery can be enjoyed by all! And it gets better by the day as I start to climb. This photo shows the view north-east from a lunch spot to the high hills of Morvan. Two minutes further on I could see the far away 1500m peak of Puy de Dôme to the south-west, just outside Clermont-Ferrand - about 100 miles separates the two. 

And, as ever, little churches, including this one at Barrais-Bussolles - the photo struggles to capture adequately the simple beauty of the roses around the Romanesque doorway.