SHARING WITH ME

Is the Vienne department (in the Poitou-Charente, west of France) an attractive one? It’s certainly very flat but entering a small town or Bourg on the top of a very sharp hill there is a Castle in ruins, a dungeon, gates which protected the towns during many medieval wars and even later. Looking down at Chauvigny There is a reward in climbing up these very steep slopes usually with steps and more steps to get to the top, the views. Rivers, La Vienne, La Gartempe, La Creuse...and smaller streams.   At the beginning but the tiny tack is much further on.... I have covered over 200 or more kilometres in the south of the department. Today is a rest day as there is a 5 kilometer trek this afternoon. Since I have been in this part of the world I have started out on many of the tracks but not being able to read the signs, have usually retraced my steps after two hours in one direction...now armed with a trekking map, I can see that it was just as well. Most that I started...

This weekend has been a wonderful change. Not having driven for over three years I was a little nervous but «we» went off and I was flying. Of course on these roads the traffic is not Parisian. The first stop was Angles-sur-L’Anglin. A village which is described as «one of the most beautiful in France». On the outskirts a site called Roc-aux-Sorciers is an Upper Paleolithic rock shelter site dating to the mid-Magdalen  cultural period 14000 BC, made famous by its relief wall carvings. Translating that would be the « Witches Rock» which has nothing to do with the site itself. Berry is the next department and is supposed to be full of witches and weird happenings. I was there with my Mother and daughter many moons ago and effectively, the light made the surroundings very mysterious. I did not feel this at all on the site but I did feel it on a walk I did before going to visit the cave which has now been reproduced as the original site is very precarious and excavations are s...

I am absolutely hopeless for remembering anything during walks around cities. Or in this case tiny townships. Anecdotes perhaps, but dates and history have never been a strong point for me. Even going back onto Internet and looking up does not mean that I will remember anymore. 

So we walked around this medieval township for two hours the other day. War and more war stories were related.  But it has always been a Thermal Source. Something I can’t work out (and neither could the guide explain it), Henry lV discovered how good the water was for his skin and yet he never came here.... Coming down The dungeon - 2 floors There is a dungeon (11th century) we were able to visit. This was used for the lepers.  They could use the echo chambers to confess in without breathing over the priest. We all rushed to a corner and whispered to someone on the other side of the room.  The Notre Dame Church was opened for us. Destroyed partly during the last world war so th...

It's Friday today and Michel said I should be eating fish. Guess I will be then...   But of course, Michel and Gen have left for Dubai and I bet they wont be eating fresh fish for a while

At the Welcome conference, there was some talk of art in La Roche Posay. I had already looked at two art galleries from the outside. The third was on a second floor of a 13th century building. A poster on the window showed that it could be interesting. Like the first two it was closed when I went by on Tuesday. On Wednesday I came back early enough from my walk to discover what was going on. 
 In the first gallery, I would define the work as «nice». Water colours of the region and without any doubt there is a market for such art. It was not for me but I certainly did take my time as I like aquarelle . After peering through the window of the second gallery, I skipped it. Then I walked into the old town - all of three minutes from where the other two galleries were and went into what I found to be a very forbidding antique shop which seemed to be full of asiatic, buddha and exotic sculptures. The lighting was poor and the entrance somewhat daunting. A charming woman came to meet me....

Michel is off to the desert and wanted to take these babouches,  but his wife insisted on hime taking another pair as well.... And this evening they will be leaving ....as we say, à suivre or I am waiting for the next adventures.....

La Roche Posay, where I am at the moment is in the Vienne department in the western part of France.  A medieval town with some 2000 habitants. In the summer months there are I gather around 5000.  It’s water source is renowned for its dermatological benefits. People come here as curistes for three weeks. Usually such people are sent by their Doctors and the Medical Insurance takes this in charge. Many them come back regularly every year. Looking at them I wonder why ? But I stay away as much as I can. My solitude is more important that listening to people talking about their illness - past or present - To get here it is a hassle. It is stuck in the middle of no-where; 25 kilometres from one station and 40 kilometres from another. The bus transport is virtually non existant between the township and the first station and non existant to and from the second town which has an airport.  Poitiers is an important centre in France. You need a car. I do not have one and will...

Presently, and for the next couple of weeks, I am in a very isolated area in France. «Traveling» with Michel and his drawings will be a regular excursion and perhaps keep me sane. First let’s go to Assyria. I have no intention of writing down the history. That can be looked up on Internet. Just to say or what comes to mind  is that it was an Arabic speaking kingdom going back to the 25th century BC (or earlier?) on the Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia which of course is the northern part of Iraq today. So perhaps it will be a good idea if I stay where I am. If you visit the Assyrian antiquities in the Louvre, discovering their art depicting gory battle scenes is enough for me to really stay in a quiet place. Michel was in the Louvre close to that section and this is what he drew - not looking at his paper but gazing into the distance.... Not in the least bit gory...   His eyes are not closed but looking elsewhere, and his pencil traces what he sees in his head....

Thank you Michel Dheurle When painting and a visitor become one

It was a mixed lot today and cetainly not what I was expecting. Firstly Marielle and I went to see Berthe Morisot (1841-1895) at the Marmotton museum which is dedicated very much to Claude Monet. In fact the museum owns the largest collection in the world. 

Once again, this is not my period unless looking at the end of Monet’s life work which becomes modern, less realistic and a beginning of a new era. This exhibition was a first. If I wanted to see it, it was because Berthe was a rare woman for her period. Model for Edoudard Manet and that certainly meant her life changed. Through him she met some of the most important artists of that period who had a very obvious influence on her work. The cherry Tree Lady with a fan Berthe Morisot For that reason  I cannot say that I was overwhelmed or excited with what I saw. There were so many paintings which ressembled work of artists we know. However, toward the end of her life she did some beautiful and modern waterco...