Avignon to Puy en Velay

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Tuesday 5th July 2011

Today a magnificent drive lay ahead from Avignon via Montelimar and the superb Ardeche valley to the home of the green lentil - Le Puy-en-Velay.

Initially autoroute to the town of Montélimar which is widely regarded as the world capital of nougat. Nougat is one of the 13 desserts of Provence and highly appreciated throughout the country. ( Note - The thirteen desserts are the traditional foods used in celebrating Christmas. The "big supper" (le gros souper) ends with a ritual 13 desserts, representing Jesus Christ and the 12 apostles. The desserts always number thirteen but the exact items vary by local or familial tradition - you learn some good stuff here ! )

Historically travellers bought Nougat de Montélimar on their way to or back from the south of France. Sadly since the construction of the A7 autoroute, many nougat factories have been forced to close as tourists no longer stop in Montélimar but bypass it instead. We however lured by the prospect of free samples ( actually it was on our route ) made the effort to seek out one of the remaining producers - yum.

Fully nougatted out we set out to climb the central massif by way of the river Ardeche valley. The climb, a superb drive with spectacular scenery, takes us up onto the plateau of the centrale massif. This entire region contains the largest concentration of extinct volcanoes in the world with approximately 450 volcanoes. One strip alone running north to south and less than 60 square miles contains 115 of them. Let sleeping dogs lie !

On to our destination Le Puy en Velay an important religious centre in medieval times and the home to the famous strain of green lentil.
The lentils, grown on the thin soils of the area, are very small and almost black in colour. Their unique quality and flavour derive from their high protein and relatively low carbohydrate content. They are widely used in soups and also to accompany goose, duck and sausage dishes. Le Puy Green lentil (Lentille Verte du Puy) is an appellation and has Protected Designation of Origin - as these things tend to have.

The town's medieval centre is compact and has a number of striking monuments - the Cathédrale Notre-Dame du Puy, dating from the first half of the 12th century, a bronze statue of Notre-Dame de France (The Virgin Mary) and the chapel of Saint Michel d'Aiguilhe a fascinating pilgrimage chapel perched atop a needle (aiguilhe) of rock which has been a sacred place since prehistoric times.

We could not let the opportunity pass when a local restaurant advertised a selection of local specialities including of course the puy lentil - excellent when washed down with a glass of house vin and a pleasant way to complete our tour of the town.

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