November 2026
Hello everyone,
Halloween, chilly weather, turnips and saffron, the "Corail" train, Volvic lava, an inverted rainbow, offshore racin...
The gloomy « October » sung about by famous French singer Francis Cabrel began with remarkably mild temperatures—I was practically able to swim until the middle of the month—but it is ending with a wave of cold and fog that is far less pleasant. As for the fall colors, they haven't been particularly impressive so far.
Even so, we’ve managed some lovely little harvests—peppers, turnips, cherry tomatoes—and we’ve even produced some saffron from the pistils of beautiful mauve crocuses. We’re already thinking ahead to next season, though; a neighbor came by with his tractor to break up a small patch of ground so we could expand our vegetable garden. We’re planning to set up a pergola there for climbing plants, which will also provide some protection in the days to come.
From time to time, I take the train to Paris—an experience that’s quite colorful, if a bit outdated. It’s unlikely that a high-speed TGV will ever reach Clermont-Ferrand, and the current train service is frequently plagued by issues and delays. It hasn’t changed much since the 1960s or 70s, when I first rode it—yet, in a way, I’ve grown fond of it just as it is. It feels a bit like a journey into the past, especially when you happen upon an old carriage from the era of the "Corail" trains.Last month, we took the *Panoramique des Volcans* (Volcano Panoramic train) to the summit of the Puy de Dôme, this month we discovered a charming little attraction centered on local volcanism: the "Grotte des Lumières" (Cave of Lights), carved directly into Volvic lava—a distinctive gray stone used to decorate, or even construct, many of the houses in this region.
Following the recent eclipses, another very rare light phenomenon graced the skies over Auvergne for an hour: an inverted rainbow, created by the refraction of light within clouds of ice crystals. As we drove along, we saw it reflected on the windshield of the car following us—it felt quite surreal.
The competitors in the Route du Rhum have just set off, the day after Halloween; for the Vendée Globe, we will have to wait until 2028. I share stories of my encounters with some of the greatest sailors on Vanessa Lambert’s excellent podcast, Of Course au Large, available on Spotify and other platforms.
I wish you a beautiful November and spectacular sunrises and sunsets.
Antoine
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