They say every nine years, the pattern of our lives repeats. Similar situations present themselves, differently gift-wrapped. These scenarios unveil and trigger some parts in us like an exam that needs to be taken and passed.
I say this because nine years ago, we went on a road trip to Auvergne in France with my husband and his family.
I was undergoing a major self-transformation then. I just quit my luxury sales job and went on a sabbatical. I was thankful that we have saved enough money at that time which made it possible.
My husband and I just finished paying off our loan and my responsibility to support my youngest sister through college ended. When she graduated, I did too. I gratefully stepped down from my role as breadwinner, a Filipino tradition usually bequeathed to the eldest of every family when the parents are not present or incapable of fulfilling the roles themselves.
I devoted that one year to focusing on the things I love doing. At the same time, I also encountered the experiences that I feared the most. These were necessary to discern my next move. There are a lot of parallelisms between then and now, that nudged me to write this post today.
Le Lioran
While staying with my in-laws for a one-month vacation in the French countryside of La Vendee, we booked a 7-day family summer vacation in Le Lioran.
Le Lioran is a winter ski resort in the Massif Central that transforms into an adventure-packed nature hideaway from June to September. It is perched on the mountains of Cantal, right at the heart of the sleeping Cantal Volcano, the oldest and largest volcano in Europe.
This dormant stratovolcano, also known as Monts du Cantal is said to be 70 km in diameter and is estimated to be between 11 and 3 million years old, monitored closely by specialists.
Imagine endless pine tree-capped mountains where paragliders soared, 75 kilometers of hiking trails that rivet the attention of hikers to warnings signs from being run over by super fast mountain bikers. There are plenty of outdoor sports that enthrall anyone of any age from children to those young at heart and of any fitness level.
The region of Auvergne offers visits to medieval villages and burons, high pasture stone huts, and enjoys traditional gastronomy such as the Truffade -a rural delicacy of thinly sliced potatoes, slow-cooked with Tome cheese. It's a mouthful of heaven in every bite.
How to Get There
We drove for 6 hours by car from La Vendee to Le Lioran in Laveissière. It is 5 hours and 30 minutes driving from Paris. You could also take the train roughly around the same time and the cheapest mode of transport is by bus but it would take a much longer time.
Where We Stayed / Travel Itinerary
We subscribed to the VVF Club which stands for Village Vacances Famille translated as Family Village Vacations.
You choose your destination in any region in France and they have everything organized for the entire family; accommodation, food, and activities to choose from. In our case, we chose the VVF Club Intense Les Monts du Cantal au Lioran
The accommodation had plenty of rooms, an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, a gym, sauna, a dining hall, indoor and outdoor play areas for children, nursery for babies, a multi-purpose hall for evening shows such as comedy nights (in French), and dances open to all the guests.
There are many inns, beds and breakfasts, ski lodges, chalets, and hotels to choose from in the area:
We were so busy with the activities, we enjoyed the swimming facilities only once during our stay.
There's a big board in the lobby that displayed the program of daily activities for guests to sign up.
There were separate activities for adults and the children joined teams according to their age group led by attentive guides. I observed that families reunited during meal times and in any activity, they decided to join together as a family.
My Takeaway
I had never experienced a family vacation like this before. I never had one. So to personally undergo what my husband grew up reminiscing was enlightening for me. At that moment, I understood what it was like to be a child.
We may have been busy during the day hiking various trails, riding a horse, discovering the traditional delicacies from breakfast to dinner but what stood out the most were the in-betweens. The silence in the forest. The reflective afternoons were spent quietly reading and writing in the room. The exchange of stories with family throughout the trip. There were plenty of opportunities for downtime. It was excellent for my well-being.
I mentioned at the beginning of this post that every nine years, history repeats itself. Presently, I am also on a sabbatical of sorts, being a stay-at-home Mom, living in a small resort apartment, discerning my next career path while reading a lot of books.
The package might be different given that I am in the Philippines but the reflective and isolated nature theme of this year resembles that time in Auvergne very much.
As they say, "it's same-same but different."
What is different between me in Auvergne nine years ago and my present self is being less inside my head or looking outwards for ephemeral happiness. I realized that despite the beauty all around me back then, I was either too wrapped up analyzing the past or worrying about the future. Whereas, here I am living in the country that I ran away from finally appreciating it with fewer expectations.
Both times were journeys into healing and learning how to experience joy amid everything.
Thank you for reading, for joining me on a trip down memory lane, and for indulging me to explore my reveries.
In the next posts, I will share nearby hiking trails, various outdoor sports to enjoy in the area, a visit to the volcanic park, a trip to a buron, and neighboring medieval villages in Auvergne.
Related post about Auvergne that might interest you:
Part 2: Explore the Charming Village of Salers
Part 3: Murat, Auvergne
I Was Scared of Heights... Until I Climbed the Summit of Puy Griou
Check out other Road Trip Postcards in France:
Road Trip Postcard: Marais-Poitevin, France's Green Venice
Road Trip Postcard French Brittany: (Part 1) Saint-Malo and Beyond
Road Trip Postcard French Brittany: (Part 2) Mont Saint -Michel
"I am an old soul who simply loves coffee, who finds joy and beauty in both tangible and the unseen."
Curiosity and imagination lead to unexpected experiences. Interested in Nature, Places, Roads Less Traveled, Minimalism, Authentic Living, Anything French, and International Cuisine. Feel free to follow her, re-blog, and upvote if you enjoy her content.
References:
VVF Villages Club Intense Les Monts du Cantal
Cantal Volcano: The Largest Volcano in Europe