A different way to explore the village of Pailherols

At the end of July, I headed off to the village of Pailherols to meet up with Jean Pierre Vazelle and his son, Sylvain, both passionate about history and the Occitan language. Two fascinating men and both experts in passing on their love the area. Throughout the summer, they welcome visitors on a guided tour, sharing their passion and love of the land and the village.

The meeting point is just opposite the Flocons Verts holiday gîte/visitor centre in the heart of the village, in a small enclosure full of lots of unusual sculptures. However, on closer inspection and with Jean Pierre’s help, everything becomes clear. He explains that the items, including a farm gate, a pair of boots and hat, are all part of a work of art by Camille Henrot.  The enclosure called the “Vestiaire du Berger” is actually the introduction to a series of unique sculptures spread out along the marked-out walking trail, “Ma Montagne” that starts from this point.

Stonework and building a home

We set off down a path to the old cattle market and the highest point in the village. Jean Pierre and Sylvain take it in turns to describe the volcanic activity and successive lava flows that shaped Cantal and has formed the landscape before us. With a mixture of local stories, personal accounts and legends, we find out all about how the inhabitants lived and farmed here, building their home in this stunning setting.

With Jean Pierre and Sylvain’s help, we understand why Pailherols has so many magnificent houses built out of basalt stone.

A farmer’s stick made from hazelnut wood

My favourite part of the tour was when Jean Pierre took us along some of the secret, hidden footpaths around the village. In a lovely, shady spot, we stopped to pick wild raspberries and could see that it wouldn’t be too long before the blackberries in the hedgerows would also be ready for eating. Then we watched Sylvain masterfully whittling a beautiful walking stick from a branch off a hazelnut tree. Another personal touch that makes the tour so special. He and Jean Pierre make a great team, sharing tales of the village and their characters with such gusto. They clearly enjoy nothing better than passing on the love and passion for the land that is so close to their heart.

The guided tour in their company is a wonderful experience and one I’m really pleased to share with you. Exploring Pailherols with Jean Pierre and Sylvain shines a fascinating light on this beautiful village. In a nutshell, the tour was a delight, the welcome warm and generous. Try it out and I’m sure you will agree!

par Virginie
le 20 February 2019