We have enjoyed the flora and fauna of the Centre region. Mostly familiar to us, we are recognising a transition is taking place. We are almost on our way home.
Wild life
Category / Creation
Châteaudun
Not too far from where we are staying the imposing castle of Chateaudun stands high over the Loir river. Its four centuries of architecture span Medieval, Gothic and Renaissance building. We particularly liked the long 16th century hall with its two huge fireplaces and ‘resting stag’.
The grounds include a wonderful garden of box tree squares which separate the plants according to their use as food, medicine, and dye and textiles.
Brou
We are staying in a farm cottage near Arrou in the region of Eure-et-Loir. The land is flat. Everywhere you look are fields and water towers, wild flowers and birdlife, and the odd bat!
Visiting the nearby town of Brou we wandered through back streets and along the river bank with it’s magnificant trees, seeking out the medieval lavoirs public (wash houses) still visible along the water’s edge.
Couleurs
As we leave our time in the village of Taize in the south of Burgundy we come away with such a vivid memory of the colours of the land and sky.
La Source
The other day we took a walk through the village, past the Church of Reconciliation, then east down the hill to a peaceful area we both love. It is a place of stillness and reflection with paths for walking, a waterfall and lake, magnificent trees and inordinately loud frogs.
Our short time there reminded us how special this place is for us, to our story and our lives.
Windows for the soul
Last week over 6000 predominantly young people from many places across the planet gathered in the Church of Reconciliation in the village of Taizé, France. The building was designed by one of the brothers of the Taizé community in the 60’s and was built by young Germans working for reconciliation after the Second World War. In the early 70’s the community demolished the west wall and added a circus tent for more space. The building has been constantly adapted to welcome over 8000 pilgrims at any one time.
I first came as a pilgrim to Taizé in 1971 and was enchanted by the square stained glass windows running along the south side of the church depicting some moments from the Christian story. I loved the simplicity of form and colour. This week I rediscovered a window of St Francis, made by the same brother, in the Romanesque church in the village. I had not seen this window in several years. It was a lovely connection with our time in Assisi this Easter.
Solutré
Two days ago summer arrived in Burgundy. We headed out to visit the steep limestone slopes of Solutré-Pouilly. This was an area first inhabited around 52,000 years ago by Crog-Manon people of the Mousterian era. They hunted bison, aurochs and mammoths which populated the valleys and slopes.
We walked the path to the top of the fossilised coral outcrop. The shape of the hill reminded us of Roseberry Topping in North Yorkshire. We sat on the summit with only gorgeous butterflies for company. The countryside today is covered in vineyards of the Mâconnais.
Seeing
It is a gift to have the time to stop and really see what is around us. We are enjoying the simple beauty of this limestone countryside with its beautiful flowers, trees, insects and animal life.
Spring is a lovely time to be in Burgundy. We are beginning to note the changes as buds blossom and leaves unfurl and Charolais calves race up and down the field opposite during their early evening mad half hour.
Birth
Two days ago a new baby was born into our family. We ‘met’ via FaceTime. It is hard to put into words how much love flowed in that virtual world.
May she know without doubt the love of her family and friends. May she know the kind heartedness of those she encounters. May her life be full of all that will deepen her humanity. May she live in the simplicity, compassion and joy that makes for peace.
Horse
In 10,000 BCE stone-age humans hunted horses in the area now known as Solutré in Burgundy. These days a different relationship exists between these impressive animals and local Burgundians.
We spent a wet and chilly afternoon watching a horse jumping competition in the nearby town of Cluny. This medieval town is famous for its historic horse stud, the Haras national de Cluny, and proves a wonderful venue for the modern equestrian events which take place throughout the year.
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