An art museum that's fun for kids!

The Musée Peynet is dedicated to Peynet, a very French artist, a bit surreal, a bit 'chocolate box'. Kids will love it! It's in Brassac-les-Mines, in the deep south of 63.

TODOTODAYANDTOMORROWANDTHENEXTFEWDAYS!

Boring weather isn't it?!
This is the time to go visit a museum or ten!

This afternoon, hurry to St Nectaire (in the Sancy area)! There's a workshop (from aged seven) at 16:00 and 17:00 on how to make instruments out of natural materials! Next door to the tourist office. GOGOGO!

Friday 24 August

In the evening, meet at the Maison Forestière (5km from Vic-le-Compte, on the road to Manglieu) for the 12th Bats Night! Reserve places: 04 73 36 39 79. The Comté forest is absolutely huge and fabulous!

Friday 24 August
In Anzat-le-Luguet (up in the Cézallier mountains, miles from anywhere!)
at 22:00
Disco! (a fun way to celebrate the local patron saint!)

Saturday 25 August
Brenat (next to Issoire)
Fireworks! (at about 22:00)

Sunday 26 August
10:00
Guided tour of Champeix (southwest of Clermont-Ferrand)
Beautiful old houses and interesting gardens, romantic remains of a castle... definitely worth the visit if the weather is good!

Tuesday 28 August
From 10:00 to 12:00 in Sauxillanges
Kids' workshop (+6): Learn to peint on silk.
At the Maison du Patrimoine
Reserve a place: Call 04 73 88 50 86
Meanwhile, parents can visit the museum and exhibitions, or do the shopping for a picnic (it's market day!)

Wednesday 29 August
in St Nectaire at 20:00
Auvergnat music and song and dance and stories (in the regional patois).
Free.

Thursday 30 August
From 10:00 to 12:00 at the Réserve Naturelle des Sagnes near La Godivelle (in the Cézallier). Guided tour on the theme of flowers (including carnivorous ones!). Dangerous peat bogs! Great visit (even when it's raining). You must go to La Godivelle (biggest fountain in 63) and after to visit the lakes and have something to eat at the nice restaurant there. Reserve places : 04 73 71 78 12 (4 euros for grownups, 1,50 for kids). A must!

And, any day (except Tuesdays): The 'Musée de la Céramique' in Lezoux (northeast of Clermont-Ferrand).

Check it out first on: http://www.puydedome.com/ ('découvrir le Puy-de-Dôme').

My children and I have not been there yet, but it looks impressive, all about Roman potery and ceramics (Lezoux was the biggest production centre of ceramics in the Roman world ). There's all sorts of hands-on activities for kids, cartoons, etc. Tell us what you think of it all (in 'comments' below).

PHOTO COMPETITION!!!!!!!!!!

This month's PHOTO COMPETITION theme is MONSTERS!

The best pictures will be put up in September in the Compagnie du Chat Noir tea shop in Clermont-Ferrand and in other friendly places! The kid who has taken the best picture (decided by popular vote) will win a teatime token (like a book token, except that it's for one slapup teatime nosh!)!

It's not too late to start sending your photos!

email them to domemome@free.fr

Please note: send only pictures of things, not people, thanks!

(N'envoyez que des photos de choses, pas de personnes!)

TREASURE HUNT!

The first clue was:

What is the first letter of the name of the disused cinema in Brassac-les Mines?

The answer, sent by Pietro (aged ten), is: 'R' (the name of the cinema is 'Le Royal')!

The second clue is:

How many toes does the giant Roman foot to be seen in the Musée Bargoin (in Clermont-Ferrand) have?

Send your answers quickly (clic on 'Comments' below)!

What's the prize? Haha! Answer the questions first!

NAME THOSE MONSTERS COMPETITION!

Give the monsters you see in this blog

terrifying names!

email your list to domemome@free.fr before the end of August!

The kid with the best list will win the following prize:

a slap-up teatime noshup at the

Compagnie du Chat Noir tea shop

(just opposite the cathedral in Clermont-Ferrand)!

MORE MONSTERS!

Here's a few more monsters

seen in the depths of

the Puy-de-Dôme!

This first, goggle-eyed one, can be seen behind a cage in Brassac-les-Mines...



...and this one, having himself a bath, somewhere not far from the first...


and this one... just behind you!

Try to find this hidden place in

Brassac-les-Mines!

The first letter of the cinéma's name is a clue in our

treasure hunt!

Manouche!

An arty photo of last night's concert:

a genius gipsy jazz bass player!

Fireworks!!!!!!!!

Today (Sunday 19 August) is going to be major great! The sun is smiling, and it's going to get swimmingly hoooot!

OK, first thing to do, is prepare a picnic! The best place to go to do your shopping for this is Brassac-les-Mines (in the deeep south of 63) at the open-air market. It's authentic (few if any tourists!). Buy nems for your starters, then a roast chiken (yum!), bread and cheese (St Nectair, of course, but also goat's cheese), then some chocolate shortcake from the Irish girl (!) whose stand is next door to the Peynet Museum (this is definitely worth a visit too!).

After you've done your shopping, have yourself an apéritif (orange juice or something) at one of the café terraces (children are a normal fixture here, not like in pubs!). This is a very French thing to do.

Then, go eat! The best place is the kids' playground (in the direction of the municipal camping ground). The children can play or sit in the apple trees whilst munching their lunch. Danger! on the way to the playground there's a spitting ogre!, also very snappy giant longnecks!

After your picnic, you can either go for an easy digestive stroll along the Allier river, or visit the town (a former coal-mining town with a fascinating history). Ther's a mining museum out of town which is not bad.

If you want to venture further, go to St Germain-Lembron (about 15km away) to buy your 'goûter' (tea time) at Mme Landon's biscuit and sweet shop (on the main road into St Germain when coming from Le Saut du Loup). This is a real Alibaba's cave of edible treasures! Good for souvenirs with a difference. Mme Landon is kindness itself though kids might be a bit in awe...

Then, go to Colamine-sous-Vodable for a wanderabout (see yesterday's article on the concert) before the concert in the church (if the wind is up, go fly a kite on top of one of the volcano domes!). The concert - violin and 'cello duets - is at 16:30.

Then, how can you top that?! Go to Vernet-la-Varenne (30 mins away on the other side of the Allier river, in the Haut Livradois). Pourquoi? Why? First, for a swim in the lake, and second, because today is St Roch's day and he's the patron saint of the town. So what? Because it's party time! I recommend you park outside town and walk in because the crowd is going to be humungous (it'll take you hours to get out again)! There's going to be a brass band, country dancing (not the local variety, Cowboy hoedowns!), a torch parade (?), and, of course (at 10:00), a giant fireworks (it really is huge and spectacular). And after all that, there's a disco (free) for kids and even oldies!

Have a great day!