leave the stout town walls of medieval Belleville for the sun-drenched slopes of Beaujolais and the earthy scent of fruit-laden vineyards. Stop off in Ambert to pay tribute to the deliciously smooth Fourme d?Ambert blue cheese, cut with a knife from nearby Thiers, the cradle of French cutlery. Sail in a hot air balloon over the clusters of deep-blue crater lakes of Monts Dore and green, extinct volcanoes of Puy-de-Dme. Attend the archery Festival of the Bird King in the rich valley of Le Puy-en-Velay, beneath the gaze of the St-Michel d?Aiguilhe chapel and the monumental Virgin Mary, perching on the volcanic outcrops above. Cruise the ancient trading route of the flowing Rhne river, in search of the Sone and Gallo-Roman Lyon.