I met this guy on the top of a volcano ...

And we got talking, as you do and before I knew it, I had an interview for the new website.

He is a parapente guy - a tandem-professional and I took a few photographs of him flying up there, on top of Puy de Dome, an extinct volcano in the province of Puy de Dome.

At 1,500 metres (approximately), you have this magical 360 degree view of the landscape that surrounds you ... including other extinct volcanoes from those days, a few thousand years ago, when volcanic activity appears to have been at its height in the area.

The sky was a deep blue and you could see for miles but mostly I took my pleasure from watching the chutes fly around the peak of Puy de Dome.

Eventually, a little chilled by the breeze at that altitude, we caught the bus back down the mountain and headed for Thiers. This was the thing I was perhaps most looking forward to - the purchase of a knife in this village with a reputation for being a fine knife-making village for at least the last 700 years.

There's something about an ancient village like that that makes this kiwi's heart beat a little faster.

I was surprised to find the big beams of wood in the external walls of the old architecture there ... just like those I had admired in the pueblo up in the Spanish hills and again in the Alsace, France.

It was a village I wanted to spend hours in, taking photographs and talking to locals however it turned out that I only had time for one unplanned interview.

This one was with the owner of the knife shop where I did the only thing I could in my search for my knife - I asked him how to do it.

He heard my specifications ... something for cutting cheese, with a corkscrew for wine and immediately pulled out a delicious little bois-de-rose and stainless number.

Anyway ... long story short at this expensive internet connection where I had to do a little research today ... his interview will appear on the new website too, complete with photograph of his shop and a link to his website.

It's grand out here, if one doesn't mention the hayfever ... hope alles goed back in your world.

Au revoir, Di.