We arrived in the Cantal just before the snowy weather took over the landscape.

As soon as we could, we set off up the valley to see the first snow. There are helpful signs over the fields.  La Roussière lies in one direction and an old buron (summer farm), which is now an auberge and refuge for walkers, in the other.

On another greyer day we walked in the direction of a sturdy little bridge just below the house, edging past a herd of cows, each with a noisy brass bell. How do they bear the constant clanging?

The streams and the narrow Goul river were running fast after weeks of rain. On the mountain tracks leaves had collected in a curious way as water poured down.

We crossed the bridge and followed a path to a ruined buron, now almost completely absorbed into the mountainside. From there we could see La Roussière - and a number of cows waiting for us. Neither of us is nervous of cows; these were simply curious and very gentle.

A few days later snow reached the whole of the Cantal. We took our favourite path which is closed to traffic all year round. It is an important track for walkers and eventually leads to the Plomb du Cantal (1,855m - 6,086ft), the highest peak in the Cantal mountains.

One day we tried to drive to the Puy Mary but had to turn back at the Pertus Pass. In past summers we have climbed almost to the top of the Puy Griou (1,690m - 5544ft) - the snow-covered peak in the photo on the left.

The Cantal is beautiful at all times of the year. Under the snow thousands of tiny mountain plants are waiting to flower in the spring making amazing carpets of purple, pink and yellow.

We are looking forward to May 2011.

Click on the pics!