Some sixty kilometres west of the Parc du Morvan, at the western confines of Burgundy, NEVERS is a small provincial city on the confluence of the rivers Loire and Nièvre. In France it's known for its nougatine sweets and fine porcelain, hand-painted with a deep blue colour known as bleue de Nevers. Faïence, as it's called, has been a hallmark of Nevers since the seventeenth century and is now something of a growth industry, with six small artisans' workshops in town, all of which sell their wares in elegant, expensive shops called faïenceries. Parts of the old town date back to the twelfth century and make for a relaxed stroll away from the busier centre. the town is best viewed from the bridge over the Loire, where you can often see terns diving and swooping, like a graceful cross between a gull and a swallow. Not necessarily a destination in itself, Nevers makes, with its open-air concert programme in summer and a few lively bars and restaurants, a useful and reasonably pleasant stopover if you're travelling in the region.
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