These rissoles are still sold on market days in Saint-Flour (Cantal). An ancient and once powerful seat of the Catholic church, Saint-Flour is perched on a rocky outcrop at an altitude of 881 metres. Icy winds from the nearby plateau sweep through its streets for much of the year, and the feeling of cold is, to me at least, accentuated by the dark and dour basalt from which its houses and cathedral are built. Its motto, referring to numerous unsuccessful attempts by the English to ta