Friday August 3, Marsac-en-Livradois (near Ambert)

This morning the road was dotted with Chateau's,
guess we are still in the Loire region.

Another day of coping with the heat and with 38 predicted at the canal we decided to head up to higher ground and try and find some cooler air….. and tonight we are at 500 metres above sea level with “only” 30 degree temperatures, shady trees and a nice breeze blowing. Couldn’t be better. We are finding the heat is very sapping and the thought of wandering around a town exploring doesn’t hold much charm. But the good thing is that in a few days it seems there is some cooler weather coming … bring it on! And the washing dries in no time at all!
After picking up our daily “mini” baguette at the boulangerie in Gannay, we drove some really nice “lesser” roads following the canal, and passing through small villages. There was very little traffic. It is a large area of arable farming and the sprinklers were working overtime. This region has been established for centuries and we passed numerous Chateau’s, in all states of repair.
Arrived at the town of Lapalisse and parked under a tree in the town “aire” for lunch and a cold drink. The Chateau de La Palice overlooks the town and was not far from where we were parked, so put our hats on and found the shadiest route to it, only to find after climbing up the hill that it was closed until 2, an hours wait. But an interesting walk through this medieval town with its half-timbered houses.
Back on the road again, air conditioning cranked up and we set off for the hills. Drove around the outskirts of Vichy, a town that we probably would have spent some time exploring, but with our gauge showed 36 degrees outside, we just kept on driving. Had been using my app “Park4Night” to see if I could find a really good place to stop at in the hills, maybe by a river, but no luck. Found this little municipal camp just outside Ambert which fitted the bill and we parked up at 4pm, pulled out the chairs and relaxed in the shade. 

Got to love the curtains!

Shame we couldn't get in to see the Chateau