Oh, to be on holiday again! To not have another care in the world than whether to visit a few chateaux or look for a bargain on a brocante, whether to have a croissant or a pain au chocolat for breakfast from the baker around the corner, and whose turn it is to go down to the wine cellar and choose the wine for dinner.

Lazing in the garden under the apple tree, listening to the bells of the medieval church and the background chatter of a small French village, you reach out for the cool glass of local St Pourcain white wine and think about yesterday’s excellent dinner from the auberge…Which you really ought to walk off, or cycle off… Maybe swim off in the nearby Gorges de la Sioule? Tee off at the Golf des Volcans? Show off at the Cavilam language centre in Vichy? Rub off at one of the many spas? Lift off in a balloon ride over the Parc des Volcans?

In the evening, sitting outside under the star-filled night sky devoid of light pollution, you discuss tomorrow’s possibilities with the others and you all agree that whatever you choose to do, Auvergne definitely has more to offer than any of you knew when you booked the cottage. Who knew that the vistas would be so breath-taking, the food so quintessentially French, the culture so rich in hidden gems?

Continuing the discussion inside in front of the 15th c stone fire-place, you relish the thought of another night’s restorative sleep, filled only with fresh air and the occasional cry of a night bird.

In the morning, you wake up to admire once again the fantastic beams on the ceiling and the stunning woodwork of the antique furniture. You could be tempted to own a house just like this yourself.

Oh, to be on holiday again…