“A vacation in Livradois-Forez is cool, and there’s plenty to do, discover or rediscover. Not least in a mill.”
My little guy and I decided to cool off this time.
What better way to do so than to visit the Richard de Bas mill in Ambert?
At the mill, coolness is guaranteed. Between the thick walls and the presence of water, we discover the way of life of the last master papermaker who lived at Moulin Richard de Bas.
As the tour progresses, we approach the mill’s inner sanctum, where the secrets of papermaking are revealed. The deafening sound of hammers can be heard. It’s impressive, but also intriguing. Then we meet the papermaker. We watch him religiously, because after that, it’s Jules’ turn to get to work.
Attentive, he listens to the instructions. Then he gets to work: the workshop begins. P’tit Jules stirs the paper dough in a vat, dips in a frame and pulls up a pretty layer of dough sprinkled with petals.
All that’s left is to put the sheet of paper into the press. To do this, you’ll need to be delicate, placing it on the felt and then pressing it down to drain off the water.
At the end of the workshop, P’tit Jules is very happy: we take his sheet home with us!
