A TINYHOUSE IN NORMANDY

A Collection of Dreams

8/15/2024

Time passes quickly whenever we are in Lonlay l'Abbaye, and yet time stands still. What we appreciate so much is the peaceful feeling of being welcomed home, to this very civilized and well-cared for corner of the world.

It is a place for us to rest and to plan, but also to explore, as we do in Paris, because there is so much to learn and to see in every part of France.

Whenever I try to reflect on just a few months past, it all seems like a collection of dreams.

The daily weather is a dreamscape. In late spring, there were rainbows...

Double rainbow near the abbey

Rainbow over the green and the old cider press

...and then a menacing cloudbank rolling toward us that seemed alive!

Meanwhile, back in Paris...

A camel parade - Chateau de Vincennes

Isn't this something that seems odd enough to be a dream? Like an opening ceremony for a dromedary olympics! A quirky parade of camels, representing dozens of nations, marched east of Paris in April from the Chateau de Vincennes and wound through the Bois de Vincennes.

The event was the passion project of the mayor of a small French village (Janvry) who loves camels. He wanted his international camel parade to be around the Eiffel Tower, but the city ultimately chose a more bucolic site.

Well, we enjoyed it. We even saw a camel from the USA, though I'm not sure why her flag has 48 stars.

The Bois de Vincennes is an urban forest, a green dream if you will, about three times larger than Central Park in New York City.

The Bois has about 50 miles of paths and riding trails, several man-made lakes, a zoological park of endangered species, a botanical garden, an ornithological reserve, several restaurants, and even a nudist area. (No, I have no idea where in the Bois that is!)

Still in Paris, an architectural dream: the gorgeous courtyard garden of the Carnavalet Museum, a perfect spot for a cold glass of wine or a Badoit on a warm day.

A 15th century dream: At the Louvre, we waited in line to see an exhibit of Jan van Eyck's works, including this recently restored masterpiece commissioned around 1435 by Chancellor Rolin of Burgundy, a very rich and powerful man of the era. That is the Chancellor on the left, being blessed by the infant Jesus.

Though you would need a magnifying glass to see them, there are incredibly tiny people, soldiers, horses and carts, and the like, distinguishable in miniature, even on the bridge and in the city of the distant landscape beyond the principals.

The Louvre website currently features a short video with an art expert and restorer explaining some of the work:
https://www.louvre.fr/louvreplus/video-la-restauration-de-la-vierge-du-chancelier-rolin-chef-d-oeuvre-de-jan-van-eyck?autoplay

Upon leaving the Louvre, we caught a glimpse of fantastic sky over the courtyard pyramid.

A Technicolor Dream - "Luminiscence" at St. Eustache

One evening in Paris, Joseph and I went to see a special sound and light show created by the group "Luminiscence" (yes, not luminescence) in the massive church of St. Eustache.

Creative displays of light shifted and changed as they highlighted and followed the gothic structural bones of the church, along with music and some narration (in French) relating high points of St. Eustache's long history.

Construction of the present church began in 1532, took more than a hundred years to build, and was added onto even after that. Louis XIV, the Sun King, had his first communion in St. Eustache. Louis's court composer Lully was married here, and the elegant tomb of Louis's long-serving and brilliant minister, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, is in a side altar.

Playwright Molière had his baptism here, as well as his funeral. Mozart, Liszt and Berlioz are only a few of the famous composers to have graced St. Eustache and made use of its magnificent organ. For centuries St. Eustache was the parish church for the workers of Les Halles, the "Belly of Paris," the city's wholesale market for all manner of foodstuffs, until the food markets were moved outside of Paris to Rungis in the 1970s.

In the early days of the AIDS epidemic, St. Eustache was the first and only church in Paris to offer help to AIDS victims, and to conduct their funerals. It remains a connection point for the LGBTQ+ community and also ministers to the poor.

The "Luminiscence" experience was quite impressive. I only captured a few short videos, but will share them here to give you an idea of the show, in hopes that you may be able to see another Luminiscence production near you.

In the last segment, the ceiling of the church seems to disappear, leaving us to see shooting stars in the heavens through the graceful arches of St. Eustache.

(As always, once you start each video, you can expand its size by clicking in the lower right-hand corner of the image)

Now, back to Normandy, to a structure that predates even St. Eustache...

The Devil's Table

Perhaps more in the category of a slightly menacing, rather than pastoral, dream in the countryside: the "Devil's Table." This ancient site near the small town of Passais is only about 20 minutes drive from Lonlay l'Abbaye.

Passais is said to have been so named because it was on a route for safe passage, where one could "passer" from the old Duchy of Normandy to what was then the wider kingdom of France. But this construction of massive stones is far older than the medieval Duchy.

Truth be told, this is a remarkable Neolithic tomb site, dating back four to five thousand years! In the early 1990s archeologists examined and restored the stones (to what they determined had been their original positions before shifting and falling trees had moved them). The archeologists found pieces of bell-shaped pottery here that they recognized as belonging to an ancient civilization (referred to as the "Beaker culture" or the "Bell Beaker people") from the third millenium B.C.

You can't help but be affected psychologically, at least a bit, by the name "Devil's Table." It makes you feel just a bit uneasy in the presence of this impressive sculpture. This may well have been the intention of early priests who wanted to discourage their Christian flocks from visiting "pagan" sites such as these in the woods. Legends told of visitors who were enticed to take fairy coins or devil's silver scattered on the table, but then were beaten, disappeared, or lost their minds.

We did not stay long at the site. There was something a bit disquieting about it and its relative isolation. Pipkin found the area very exciting. I had to hold her to keep her from searching for devils in the tomb!

In Lonlay l'Abbaye, after a very wet winter and spring, the apple trees and flowering bushes began to bloom. Every corner of the village was transformed. Even the low walls were bursting with small flowers, and many villagers grew varieties of their own in yards and windowboxes.

Monsieur Christian Derouet, the mayor of Lonlay, is indefatigable. He always has a project (or 5 of them!) underway in the village, having successfully petitioned the local and national governments for funding for regular improvements.

When we came back to Lonlay, we saw that one of the mayor's improvements was resurfacing the square in front of our tiny house. To that end, it was being attacked by a somewhat surreal machine that chewed up the pavement as it was driven, and simultaneously spewed the detritus into a dump truck being driven just ahead.

Even more impressive than the powerful machine was the way the workmen helped huge delivery trucks, busses and farmer's tractors navigate around their ongoing efforts.

At close of day, the square looked as if it had been scorched by the setting sun and smoky clouds.

Now it is pristine, having been repaved and restriped (allowing space for slightly larger modern cars), and is back to regular use.

A mailbox!

New bathroom cabinet for extra storage

Our simple dreams: Preparing for a visit from our daughter in June, we had a few projects of our own to attend to in Lonlay - including replacing a floor board in the attic, assembling and mounting a bathroom cabinet, finding a proper-sized mailbox, and having it mounted (onto granite!) on the outside of the house.

We were lucky to have had a referral from friends who pointed us to Greg, an accomplished expat now living in France, and an excellent handyman.

Greg was also able to devise a plan for hanging our fabric copy of a medieval tapestry. I had bought the tapestry for only 30 euros at Drouot. We had it cleaned and prepared to hang with velcro, but had no means to put it up. We are very pleased to have it hanging over the bed now in Lonlay.

Source: https://www.heraldry-wiki.com/wiki/Lonlay-l'Abbaye

One more change to our interior. You may remember that the heraldic symbol for Lonlay l'Abbaye going back hundreds of years is a wolf. Well, I bought this door knocker before I remembered that our current door is made of aluminum, so it would not suit. We decided instead that we would place him on the rustic door to the attic, and we think he looks quite handsome there!

A dreamy moment in Lonlay in June - Can you hear the nearby sheep?

As spring turned into summer, the village green offered us a soft landing each time we returned from weeks in Paris. We were delighted to have a visit from our daughter. Much of our time with her was spent in Paris, enjoying the museums and cafés. There was a night at the Garnier to see an avant-garde ballet, a concert in the Sainte Chapelle, and even a day of horseback riding near Senlis.

We only spent a couple of nights in Lonlay, on our way to and from her most exciting suggestion: the Puy du Fou! https://www.puydufou.com/france/en/must-see-france.

We had heard about Puy du Fou before, but I had the vague impression it was a theme park in the Vendee region only focused on medieval times. It is so much more than that!

There are no rides, but a number of spectacular shows relating to different historical periods in French history, from Romans to Vikings, Joan of Arc to the Musketeers, and more. Moreover, unlike many theme parks, the surrounds are very green, so there is lots of shade, with many areas to relax in and to have a snack, as well as some full service restaurants. With our daughter carefully planning a schedule, we did not have to wait in any of the lines for more than 10 to 20 minutes before entering to ample seating.

In the summer, each show is put on several times a day, though you really need at least two days to see most of them. The level of stunt work, sword fighting, horsemanship, animal training and the quality of music for each show is extraordinary. Many of the sets transform themselves in unexpected ways.

I would not want to spoil the experience by showing too much, but here are just a few glimpses of The Sign of Triumph, held in a rather convincing Roman coliseum. Where else these days can you see a Roman parade or a chariot race?

Puy du Fou is in western France, about an hour from the Atlantic coast and from Nantes. Advance reservations many months in advance are strongly recommended, both for the theme park and for the area hotels.

A special evening show that is only produced a few times each summer, the Cinéscénie, is held in a separate venue. Covering a great span of Vendéen history, it features a cast of thousands, including the talented performers from Puy du Fou along with hundreds of local people who volunteer to join in these productions. Highly recommended.

Midsummer dinner

Midsummer gifts

Midsummer concert

More lovely dreamlike moments - the delicious fresh produce of France, thoughtful gifts from our friends the Bohus in the village (poiré, cider, and cactus that will do without watering during our weeks away from Lonlay l'Abbaye), and an enjoyable early evening soft rock concert and apéro on the village green!

Throughout the summer in Lonlay, we are share our dreams and our windows with the busy swallows. These "hirondelles de fenêtre" are charming to watch, and they keep down the populations of summer insect pests.

Versailles - Individual Olympic Jumping Final

Laura Kraut's ride

The 2024 Olympics were a dream come true for Paris. We watched much of the coverage on live streaming, but only attended one event in person - the equestrian jumping final for the gold at Versailles. Everything was very well organized, with free transport from the train station, very good food on site, and a respectful crowd - for the most part. I was a bit disappointed when American Laura Kraut (my Olympic heroine still competing at age 59!) had her nearly perfect round spoiled when the crowd made a huge noise as her horse approached the last fence. Spooked, it took down the rails.

Overall, it was a difficult course with jumps as high as 165 cm (5'4") and spreads as wide as 190 cm (6'2"). If you look closely, you will see an amusing theme, as most of the jumps are inspired by Parisian landmarks like the metro entrances and Pont Alexandre III. Two riders were "unhorsed" when their mounts refused, but luckily both they and their horses seemed to be unhurt. Out of 30 riders, only three had clear rounds, so they took the medals. It was an exciting day, a unique and beautiful venue, and we were very glad we went.

80th year commemoration for nine American airmen shot down near Lonlay l'Abbaye

A dream of reaching back into World War II history. In the most moving moment of the year, Mayor Derouet welcomed a contingent of American family members who are related to the nine airmen who perished 80 years earlier on August 8, 1944 when their B-17, the Chow-hound, was shot down by the Germans in a field close to our village.

The speeches were heartfelt, and it was dramatic to hear the Star-Spangled Banner and the Marseillaise played, one right after another.

In addition to the American relatives, several dozen Air Force National Guard members (514th Mobility Wing) came from New Jersey just for this ceremony.

Joseph and I had a chance to speak with some of the service members at a reception afterward and with relatives of the fallen airmen. We let them all know how much their presence meant to us and to the people of the village.

Among the Americans we met was a fellow named Marc Dimon, who apparently helped to organize the commemoration; a lovely woman whose name I missed, who is related to Sgt. Treece of the Chow-hound; Bruce Brittain, who has written a book about the Chow-hound and the missions undertaken by the brave airmen who flew that B-17, Mr. Brittain's brothers, and also three granddaughters of Sgt. Gillies of the Chow-hound.

Sgt. Gillies' relatives have been to Lonlay before. Joseph spoke with the husband of one of Sgt. Gillies' granddaughters who had persuaded him to come with her this time. He told Joseph that she said, "You just can't imagine it. You have to be there."

I was fortunate too to have a moment to meet Mme Pellerin, a woman who was only a 10 year old girl when she saw the plane go down in the field near her family farm. At 90, she is still very spry. The relatives of the American airmen told us that she hiked out into the field that morning with them all. Remarkable.

You can see more entries about the event on the village's facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/lonlaylabbaye/?locale=fr_FR

And more information about the Chow-hound and the continuing bond between the Americans and the people of Lonlay l'Abbaye here:
https://www.afhmus.org/the-story-of-the-b17-chow-hound/

Normandy remembers.

The road to Beauchêne

3/21/2024

A rare sunny day in winter along the road from Lonlay to Beauchêne

We took the train out to spend a week or so in Lonlay l'Abbaye during each of the winter months. Many days were quite frosty, and freezing at night. Each time we arrived, it took almost 48 hours to warm up the house, even when we had left the heaters set to 15 degrees between visits.

The ambient weather was honestly pretty miserable - similar to what we had been experiencing in Paris since Christmastime - an almost constant drizzle of rain accompanied by very cold temperatures and wind that blew the rain into your face seemingly in no matter which direction you walked. Consequently, I have very few photos to post from those visits!

Cold rains in Lonlay l'Abbaye

Even with drab weather outside, it was still a pleasure to cocoon in our tiny house, to visit with the Grimmers in January, with M and S regularly at their tabac/boulangerie, and to have delicious meals at the Relais.

Pipkin's favorite spot in winter

First courses at the Relais de l'Abbaye - Perigourdine salad and salmon rillettes

I gave up wine (and stronger spirits) for Lent, so when we visited the Relais, I ordered "cidre doux," thinking it was non-alcoholic. Well, it turns out that only in America is there a "cider" that is completely non-alcoholic - a holdover from Prohibition. In France, and apparently in all of the rest of the logical world, cider is fermented apple juice, though the alcoholic content will vary. So, I did not make it through Lent completely alcohol-free, but with good intentions.

Joseph and Pipkin in the garden behind the abbey

Whenever the rain let up, Pipkin was very happy to be outside with us.

And we took some drives through the countryside.

Big sky country - Normandy style

As we explore more of this area of Normandy, we are fascinated with the history of its ancient towns and villages. I recently came across a summary of the history of Beauchêne, one of our close neighboring villages, and was quite surprised to learn that its name can likely be traced all the way back to the early 12th century.

In 1106, two sons of William the Conqueror were at odds and battling each other for control of territory in Normandy. Henri Beauclerc, then King Henry I of England, was one of those sons. Henry was called "Beauclerc," meaning "fine scholar," allegedly because he could read and write. He was at war with his elder brother, the Duke of Normandy, Robert Curthose (or Courtheuse "short stockings" - indicating that he was short in stature).

Why, you ask, was Henry the King of England, rather than Robert, as Robert was the eldest brother? Well, it's complicated. Suffice it for now to say that Robert had issues.

In 1077 Robert had rebelled against his father William, and in 1079 defeated him in a battle, wounding William and knocking him off his horse - supposedly before realizing he was in direct combat with his father. There was no love lost.

Entrance to a forest by Eugène Bléry - Public Domain - National Gallery of Art - Washington DC

So, back to 1106. A manuscript from Mont St. Michel says that Henry Beauclerc was marching from Domfront to Tinchebray with his army and a priest, Vital of Mortain. (Vital later founded the Abbey of Savigny, and is now known as Saint Vital or Saint Vitalis). Vital tried to reconcile Henry and his brother Robert to no avail.

Henry's troops passed along the edges of a thick forest (la Lande Pourrie) in the area that now encompasses Beauchêne, on the side closest to Lonlay. When they paused for a rest, Vital said mass there under a grand tree in the presence of the army. It is thought that it was this "fine oak" or "beau chêne" that became the namesake for a settlement there.

Battle of Tinchebray by the Rohan Master (name given to anonymous illustrator of the time) - Bibliotheque Nationale de France - Public Domain

At Tinchebray (also spelled Tinchebrai at that time) on September 28, 1106, King Henry and his knights decisively trounced Robert's men, killing or capturing most of them. Robert Curthose was taken back to England and kept imprisoned for the rest of his life, dying in Cardiff Castle in 1134.

Henry Beauclerc ruled over both England and Normandy until his death in 1135.

The road leading north to Beauchêne just outside of Lonlay l'Abbaye

It is humbling to think that when we walk or drive on this one-lane road, we are likely following the same path taken by warring parties of the 12th century, as well as by American GIs during World War II.

The "rivière" Égrenne flows along the road to Beauchêne.

In winter months, you can see the water through the trees. A calming and timeless sight.

In warmer months, the mighty oaks may block your view. They still grow here, though not in the same profusion as in the 12th century.

This is part of Beauchêne today. It seems to be primarily a collection of well-maintained individual farms and homesteads. Perhaps there is more of a commercial center somewhere that I missed on this visit. I took this photo from in front of the church, which is set on a hill near the mayor's office.

A bucolic setting all around

It is difficult to tell how old the Beauchêne church is. It does not have an ancient feeling, and its stained glass is all post-WWII, but it could be that it was bombed and reconstructed after the war.

Several stained glass windows commemorate local citizens who died during World War II. Presuming that most of them were soldiers and resistants, I was touched to see a woman's name, Therese Prunier, in the lower right quadrant of this window. I would like to learn her story one day.

To the right of the nave, at an altar to St. Joseph, are more names inscribed under the legend "Morts Pour la France." These are likely the names of men who died for France in the first World War.

Some of the surnames are the same that I saw mentioned from the time of the French Revolution in a history of Beauchêne. For example, Beauchêne's second mayor after the Revolution was a Denis Aumont, later followed by a Jean Lelièvre in 1792.

Sadly, we can see here that a P. Lelièvre is commemorated as having given his life in World War I, along with not one, but four Aumonts. Were they all brothers? Cousins? We can only imagine the painful cost of war in small French communes such as Beauchêne.

At the bottom of the same side altar is this poignant bas-relief of Christ presumably taking a fatally wounded soldier to heaven. The uniform strongly suggests that this is a World War I soldier, with his leg wrappings instead of boots.

At the side of the church in Beauchêne is a structure that looks very much like a stable. I'm unclear as to what its function is. At Christmastime, it may well be configured into a "manger" for the Holy Family, as Beauchêne is well known in these parts for its exuberant Christmas displays.

This Youtube video from a few years ago will give you an idea of the work that the people of Beauchêne put into their Christmas decorations! They are always local award winners.

Speaking of celebrations ... Back in Paris, we were thrilled to see the recreated spire of Notre Dame unveiled from its scaffolding, topped with a golden rooster. Current plans say that the cathedral of Notre Dame will be reopened to the public in late December of this year. That will be a moment!

Another March celebration of sorts: the return of the Parisian Waiters' Race, aka La Course des Cafés. An amiable 2 km fast walk competition through the streets of Paris whilst managing to carry (and not spill) a glass of water, a coffee, and a croissant on their trays.

Gearing up in the shadow of Notre Dame

The race is open to men and women alike, all ages and physical conditions.

This waiter from the legendary Tour d'Argent restaurant could not resist adding a rose.

A fun experience for the participants and for all of us onlookers as well

Welcome, Spring!

Golden Days - Between Paris and Lonlay l'Abbaye - November and December - Holidays 2023

12/24/2023

Spectacular early sunsets in Lonlay l'Abbaye in November

At water's edge with leaves turning color

Thank heavens for French rail network SNCF. For various reasons - pleasure, pain (a toothache!) and business, we bounced back and forth between Paris and Normandy several times in the final months of 2023. So this post has a bit of both - for those of you who love seeing Normandy, and for those who have asked for more photos of Paris.

We were lucky to always be able to book inexpensive tickets on the route going west to Flers and back again, even when it was last minute. Such as when I had to urgently see the dentist in November!

IN PARIS

Our Paris dentist's elegant waiting room - antiques, art, plants and Kartell Bourgie lamp!

Our dentist is excellent, and speaks fluent English - a real assist when your French dental vocabulary may not be up to snuff. So glad he could see me right away.

I was able to walk the city and see its transformation from autumn clouds to holiday lights. The weather was cool, but not too cold to walk along the Seine.

Storm clouds behind Guimard's Art Nouveau metro entrance at Place St Michel

Seine and Louvre at Pont du Carrousel - November

Statue by Louis Petitot representing the City of Paris at Pont du Carrousel

Notre Dame and her attending construction cranes

Inside a warm café

Just a few weeks prior, our daughter had come from Australia to visit us in Paris. We traveled a bit with her to Italy, then had a few more days with her in Paris afterwards to revisit some of our favorite places together.

One of these, Stravinsky Square, near the school where she attended kindergarten many years ago, has seen its quirky fountain recently restored.

The church behind the Stravinsky Square fountain is called St. Merri. They have free concerts there almost every Sunday afternoon.

On another day, we all went up to Montmartre, where a visit to the Dali museum was in order. Below is a short slideshow of some of his weird imaginative work exhibited there.

I can't even begin to comprehend Dali's mind or most of his art, but his lobster telephone always makes me laugh. Even an iPhone can feel like you are putting a lobster to your ear when you have to take a call you are dreading!

Naturally, we spent some time admiring Parisian pastries. Can you tell these were being sold at the Louvre?

We stopped both for meals and for snacks at some of our favorite cafes along the river...

A raspberry dessert at Le Depart

First course of classic "oeufs mayonnaise" at Au Vieux Châtelet

View of Notre Dame from Au Vieux Châtelet

Even managed to get to Caveau de la Huchette for a jazz set on her last night. Great place!

OFF TO LONLAY!

Back in Lonlay l'Abbaye in early November, the season was turning, but the weather was still relatively mild. The tranquility of the village was very welcome.

The last of the white roses were holding out before the frosts.

The bush that had sprouted from a stone wall over the stream in August (image on the left) had turned a golden mustard color (image on the right), as had many of the trees and shrubs around the village green.

A tantalizingly huge wasps' nest appeared high up in one of the trees over the green. Pipkin and I kept our distance from it. I was happy to see it gone when we came back to Lonlay a few weeks later.

The formal hedges on the commons turned to rust

Neighbors put out seasonal decor on their windowsills

And the trees of the square in front of our house blushed a beautiful burnt orange.

As the 11th of November approached, Joseph and I were a little surprised that there was no mention of the usual Armistice Day (our Veterans' Day) ceremony commonly held at the war memorial near our house. Joseph bought a small plant, placed American and French flags in it, and put it out at the base of the memorial, just below the names of the Americans who lost their lives when their plane was shot down here in 1944.

We soon learned that the usual remembrance ceremony had been rescheduled for the 18th of November, perhaps due to the expected heavy rains on the 11th. Of course, it rained on the 18th as well!

The mayor gave a very nice speech commemorating all those who sacrificed in France's wars for freedom, and detailing some of the history of Armistice Day. Accompanied by several honored guests, he placed fresh flowers at the base of the war memorial.

The local band that plays brass and drums for these occasions accompanied the formal entourage. Then we were all invited for a "vin d'honneur" - a tall glass of hard cider - and to mingle a bit at the community room.

The brass instruments were set out to dry off from the rain while folks chatted and drank. We spoke with the mayor, then a woman who introduced herself as the adjunct mayor, and finally someone who I think is one of the fire chiefs. Everyone was very nice.

French and American tributes in Lonlay

BACK TO PARIS

Upon our return to Paris, we were delighted to receive a visit on Thanksgiving from our handsome grand-nephew from California. He was studying in Madrid for the semester. We zipped around some of Paris's most charming neighborhoods with him.

We began our day with omelets at a Left Bank cafe before walking around Notre Dame and into the Marais. Having introduced our grand-nephew to Napoleon at the Musée Carnavalet, we continued on to the Champs-Elysées and the Trocadéro before heading home for our Thanksgiving turkey. A fantastic visit, a splendid young man, and delicious dinner.

Every year we get our turkey ready-roasted with pan drippings from an American food store here in the 7th arrondissement. They have an arrangement with a local boulangerie to use the bakery ovens to roast pre-ordered turkeys on the big day. Then all the customers have to do is to pick up the turkey, a can of cranberries, and make the side dishes at home. Dessert was a classic warm Parisian apple tart with vanilla Häagen-Dazs ice cream!

Our current apartment in Paris

Around this same time, the owner of our Paris apartment told us that she and her husband had found a large family apartment that they wanted to buy, so they were going to have to sell the apartment we had been renting from them. We had already been thinking of moving to a slightly smaller place, as we are spending more and more time in Lonlay l'Abbaye, but this news kickstarted our search for a new apartment - preferably in the same neighborhood.

We quickly learned that much had changed in the rental market since we last looked (six years ago). For one thing, almost all of the landlords were now requiring renters to have a "garant" - a guarantee from either an individual or a specialized insurance company - that pays the rent if the renters are ever behind or default on the rent. I suppose this is understandable, as tenants' rights are very strong in France, and particularly in Paris. It can take forever to evict a non-paying tenant. For us though, satisfying the French insurance company paperwork was a bit of a Gordian knot, as we do not have French jobs or income, and we had to translate most of our revenue documents.

A fake "stock photo" apartment?

The second thing that we learned quickly had changed was that the number of apartment scams seemed to have multiplied tenfold. Even websites that had previously been reliable in their listings were overrun by fake ads, particularly on the weekends when the staff was not screening the offerings. Most of these scams were obvious to anyone with a familiarity with the Paris rental market, such as an ad promising a 120 square meters apartment for 500 euros/month, but some were harder to discern.

In at least two instances, we contacted the "owners" of apartments with stock photos like the one above, only to be told later by the website managers that they were suspected of fraud. In one instance, we had set up an appointment to see an apartment that was supposed to be just around the corner from us (and was offered at a realistic price) only to then be presented with a bizarre request for Western Union transfers in advance. No thanks!

Another view of our current apartment - beautiful flowers from the apartment's owner

As the owner of our current apartment has always been wonderful with us, we sincerely want to help her sell as soon as possible. To that end, we have been keeping the apartment as clean and neat as possible every day, as realtors, photographers, space and heating specialists, and now prospective buyers are coming through.

It is a bit of a challenge, particularly because we want to vacate with our dog, Pipkin, every time there is a visit. Pip is friendly, but gets overly excited with visitors, so we prefer to take her for a long walk - or ...

BACK TO LONLAY L'ABBAYE!

By the end of November, the wonderful members of the Festivity Committee in the village were already situating fresh cut pine trees along many of the stone houses in the center of town, and decorating them with ribbons of red and gold. Others in the same group began the arduous task of stringing lights across the village streets, and even across the river, in preparation for a friendly competition of Christmas splendor among the local towns.

The fences were decorated as well.

We opted to have a tree put up just in front of our house, and it is so sweet to see it, as well as to look out over it toward the hanging icicle lights at dusk.

PARIS AGAIN

Meanwhile, Paris was putting up its holiday finery as well...

Along the luxury stores of the rue Royale

Towards the Madeleine

In so many corners of Paris, the lights add to the beauty of the city and are a balm for us in these very short days of the year.

The Champs-Élysées is elegant this year with lights that change from solid gold to a flickering white resembling falling snow.

MEANWHILE, IN LONLAY L'ABBAYE...

As we bounced back and forth between Paris and Lonlay, Joseph and I were sometimes apart for days, depending on our responsibilities. In early December, he and Pipkin took a look at the height of the water from the wooden bridge in Lonlay, and sent me the above video.

A few days later, the water was even higher, flooding the field behind the abbey gardens, an area where the Benedictine monks of old had kept their tanks of live fish!

Going back and forth from Lonlay on different schedules was a bit hard on us sometimes. At one point, I had to go pick up our car, which had had a mysterious failure of its dashboard, from the Renault dealership in Flers.

Coming home, I confirmed that there was a bus at 5:45 pm that would get me to the train station in Flers in time for my train back to Paris. No such thing! Yes, there was a bus, but the driver told me she was forbidden to take passengers on this route back to Flers. Harrumph! I had to impose on our good friend "S" to drive me back in the dark to Flers. Very kind of him. Not a desirable outcome.

A PARIS TOAST

Later, when I was in Paris with Pipkin, and Joseph was in Lonlay l'Abbaye in December (to try to find someone to fix a small leak in our roof), we talked on the phone and toasted each other each night at 7:00 pm.

Pipkin only had water to sip. I think she knew it was a raw deal.

A classic Parisian lunch

Mid-December: both Joseph and I were back in Paris, and were invited to the home of some of our most gracious and generous French friends for a holiday lunch. The wine, the food and the company (ten of us) were all excellent. It was, as the French say, a "très bon moment."

VERSAILLES! WHAT?

A view of Versailles in Louis XIV's time

The day after, I was fortunate to have a visit from dear longtime work friend "J" from the Los Angeles area. She stopped in Paris with her adult son as part of a winter trip this year to the U.K., France, and Belgium. "J" and I had not seen each other in person for many years, so it was wonderful to have her come here.

We spent part of one day in Paris together, then went to Versailles the next. Unfortunately, the weather was absolutely freezing on those two days, but "J" and her son were very good sports, so we all made the most of our outings.

A peek into the recently restored royal chapel at Versailles

Looking up

and up...

and up at the endless riches of Versailles.

BACK TO NORMANDY

The indomitable "J" moved on from Versailles with a further plan to visit the Mont St Michel and our tiny house in Lonlay l'Abbaye. She and her son rented a car and managed to do both in one day. I don't know where she gets that energy!

We had lunch at the Relais de l'Abbaye, and they stayed long enough to walk about the village a bit, to see the Abbey, to shop in Lonlay's local shops, and to see the holiday lights come on at night.

In the end, Joseph and I have found a new apartment, and will be moving soon. So much to do, but with bright hopes for the coming year. Best wishes to all of you, a Merry Christmas and a perfect New Year!

A Blue Moon, A Burglary, and A chateau Visit !

9/30/2023

Coffee and croissants at Pierre Hermé next to the Pont de l'Alma in Paris

A view across the Seine

Easing into this post with some soothing croissant breakfast photos for you all... :-)

We began August in Paris with a visit to the Pierre Hermé café behind the RER C stop at Pont de l'Alma. Paris was remarkably cool and pleasant almost all summer, and in the early mornings, we had it all to ourselves.

Of course, we wanted to get back to Lonlay l'Abbaye in August as well, so we set off mid-month with not a care in the world (well, not many, anyway). Within just a few warm days, the village was in full bloom.

Entrance to the village on the road from Beauchène

White summer roses on the village green

Red rose bush by the market

Roses and other flowers near the elementary school

Benches with a view

Burgeoning fruit

The Égrenne, the abbey and the footbridge

A clinging bush

From the top of the hill at the village green, where benches beckon walkers to rest, to the quick running stream, all was lush and growing in August, including a young tree or bush that sprouted from the stone wall of a garage over the water.

Wild blackberry brambles

Along the road to Beauchène, just north of Lonlay l'Abbaye, wild blackberries grew to satisfy the birds, and small pears dropped ripe into the long grasses beside the pavement. There was a feeling of abundance.

A small fallen pear in the grass

The days were still long, with light in the sky until almost 10:00 pm. This photo was taken at about 9:30 pm. Evenings were quiet, with many folks still on vacation, or recovering at home after their vacations.

We had already noticed in Paris that a surprising number of people seemed to come back from their long August holidays with sprained ankles, sunburns, bee stings or an arm in a sling.

One evening brought us a beautiful "super blue moon." Not blue in color of course, but rare, the second full moon of the month. There is not due to be another blue super moon until 2037.

Despite the heat that occasionally caused some of the floral displays to droop, the village was dressed in fine colors, spruced up and ready for the annual village fête.

Even the house numbers had been repainted, surmounted by the silver wolf, the medieval symbol of Lonlay l'Abbaye.

There were some alternate cooler days with showers, providing nicer walking weather, and freshening the flowers and lawns.

As always, the villagers take great pride in maintaining their houses and private spaces, as well as the public areas. Almost everywhere you look, there is a pleasing aesthetic order to the place.

The day of the fête was dry but overcast, with rain predicted. We wondered if the evening's fireworks would be cancelled.

We saw two men going all about the village, neatly chalking out the numbers that reserved spaces for the sellers at the next day's vide grenier. Later on, we noticed that the Google Street View car had apparently passed through and captured the unusual markings for posterity.

Fortunately for the festival goers, the rain held off in the evening, and as soon as it was completely dark, fireworks capped the night.

We, however, were a bit distracted, as I had discovered some unauthorized charges on credit cards we had left behind in our apartment in Paris.

We called the banks right away, of course, and the cards were cancelled. But were our accounts merely hacked, or had our apartment been burglarized? There was only one way to know for sure, so Joseph got the first train he could back to Paris.

Arriving late in the evening, Joseph went to the police station as soon as he saw that the door had been kicked in. The French gendarmes were wonderful. Four armed agents accompanied Joseph back to the apartment.

The burglars were long gone. Sadly, so were a number of our possessions, particularly electronics, that the burglars probably found easy to carry and easy to fence. Lesson learned.

The next morning, a police forensics team arrived to take fingerprints, and Joseph began to put our place back together.

Café across from the train station in Flers

I dropped everything and, traveling without Pipkin or luggage, took a bus to Flers, and the train to Paris, to join Joseph and to help in figuring out what was missing. We needed to quickly make a full report to the police, and to file a claim with our insurance.

Redacted police report heading

We only had to wait about an hour at the station before an officer took our statement and wrote up the report on the spot.

With the report in hand, it was relatively easy to file a claim online with our insurance company. The insurance company was fortunately very responsive and fair, it seemed to us, in their value assessments.

We now have new locks and an alarm system, and are no longer leaving any valuables in the apartment.

All in all, while the burglary was an upsetting experience, it could have been worse. We realized that we still retained the items we actually valued the most - like long-treasured books and other items connected to family and friends, whose value was strictly sentimental, not monetary.

One unexpected positive from our somewhat frenetic trips back and forth to Paris was our discovery of the local bus line. We had long been aware that there was a regular bus that connected Lonlay l'Abbaye with the nearby towns, but did not find it practical to use, as we normally come laden with luggage and our energetic pup when we travel to Normandy. Besides, we always enjoy our conversations with Monsieur LeBlond, the amiable professional driver who ferries us to and from the train station.

The bus runs only a few times a day, takes longer than a taxi ride, and does not match all that closely with train times in Flers. However, it picks you up and drops you off right in the heart of the village, is easy (assuming you only have hand luggage) and inexpensive (2 euros/person each way), and provides a scenic and calming view of the Norman countryside.

St Bomer les Forges - one of the small towns on the bus route between Lonlay and Flers

Another positive was coming back to the peace and security of Lonlay l'Abbaye, where even walking the dog in the early morning is full of calm and beautiful moments, as the sky lightens and the abbey bells ring at 7:00 to get everyone up and out of bed.

Is it the clouds, or is it the great vista of sky that makes these sunrises so glorious?

We try not to take them for granted, as with so many other benefits of our life here.

For much of our stay, we saw swallows swooping just outside in the early morning and evening air, gobbling up insects. Very few mosquitos thanks to them! We avoided opening the front bedroom window, as some of the swallows were still landing on their mud nest there, even as there did not appear to be any young ones remaining.

Pipkin enjoyed watching the swallows as much as we did! She then went off to spend a few more days at "camp" up in the hills at the Lonlay Kennels (lonlaykennels.com/) with the wonderful Rick and Tracey Harwood, as we had friends coming to visit and wanted to be able to make day trips with them sans chien.

Special surprises!

Honestly, K&P (as our semi-anonymous friends will be known) are just the most generous couple! They brought us this incredible vintage French basket and vintage oval serving plates, and stuffed the basket with treats from their area of southern France near Toulouse. We were delighted.

Every item was delicious and unusual. Those cookies towards the left in the basket are made with chestnut flour and hazelnuts, a particularly unique and scrumptious combination!

This is not a piece of the actual Bayeux Tapestry, but a copy in the gift shop.
You knew that, right?

K&P were interested to see a bit more of Normandy in the environs of our village, volunteering to drive us on the daytrips. It had been a long time since we had been to Bayeux to see the stunning and historic "Tapisserie de la Reine Mathilde," so that was a must! Otherwise known as the Bayeux Tapestry, the embroidered cloth which tells the tale of the Norman conquest of England in 1066 measures 68.3 metres (approx 224 feet) long and about 70cm (approx 20 inches) wide.

It was on loan to Great Britain a few years ago, and I think new audioguides to the work were produced then, because the ones we had in English this time were very helpful in understanding the whole story. The "story cloth" was produced in the late 11th century, not long after the events depicted, but no one knows exactly by whom, or by which group of persons. So fascinating. For more information, you can explore the pages of the museum's website: www.bayeuxmuseum.com/en/the-bayeux-tapestry/over-the-centuries/

We liked walking the small streets of Bayeux together as well. As Bayeux was one of the first towns liberated after D-Day in World War II, it did not suffer significant bombing damage, and has retained many of its older houses.

On the ramparts in Fougères

I had always wanted to visit Fougères, a town over the Norman border into Brittany, as I had seen photos of its centerpiece chateau, said to be the largest medieval fortress in this state of preservation in all of Europe. The chateau covers a site of two hectares, and has numerous extant towers and ramparts to explore. Joseph and K&P were kind enough to humor my request, and I think we were all impressed with the place.

We wisely set out early before the heat of the day, as Fougères was about an hour away. We were able to explore most of the structure and grounds before too many people were there, and left for lunch before getting heatstroke, as it was quite a warm day!

View of a portion of the chateau and the town in the distance from one of the highest towers

One of the most ingenious features of the chateau was the manner in which a nearby tributary had been diverted to its center, presumably to provide water to drink and to wash with, but also channeled in part to canals which poured over waterwheels, presumably to power a mill to grind grain.

An original wooden fortress had stood on this site since the early 11th century, then was replaced with stone and expanded over hundreds of years through various clashes between local lords, and between the English and the French during the Hundred Years' War. Apparently much of what remains today, and continues to be restored, is architecture from the 15th century. Think of that!

A doorway to a cellar of sorts with a dirt floor.
You wonder what you might find if you could dig deeper.

Some of the interiors have displays or videos that explain (in French) more of the history of Fougères and of this part of Brittany. The restored timbers in this tower were striking.

Another short film explains to children, in video game style, how the battles were fought.

Could it be a castle without a trebuchet?

Or without an oubliette? Fougères castle has it all.

Now, why people throw coins into any orifice they see - particularly one that used to, for real, hold prisoners until they starved to death - is a mystery to me.

Sheesh. It's not the Disneyland wishing well, people!

To be fair, we could say this room is a tad like Disneyland - (and more appealing than the oubliette) - a room done up to help us imagine the quotidian life of the castle's medieval inhabitants.

And the funerary sculpture of one of those former inhabitants. Several of the most important ones seem to have been named Raoul, if you are looking for a name for your next baby.

We had a delightful lunch under umbrellas in this square close to the chateau's official entrance. Pink cider and buckwheat galettes stuffed with various ingredients. Mine was egg, tomato, mushrooms, ham and bacon. Yum.

Many thanks to K&P for making time for this special visit. We look forward to more adventures in Normandy and beyond.

Tempus fugit...December 2022 to may 2023

5/1/2023

Hills over Lonlay l'Abbaye at sunset - mid-March 2023

Several friends have gently chided me, as it has been many months since I've updated the blog. As my high school Latin teacher used to like to say, "Tempus fugit." Certainly does here in France, although I don't remember it passing all that quickly in Latin class!

We have been out to Lonlay l'Abbaye over these past months for several visits, all of them a pleasure. To catch up, rather than narrate the quotidian details, I'll let the photos and their captions bring us up to speed.

In December, we were here for only a few days, but got to enjoy seeing our friends Melanie and Sebastian at the bakery, as well as the Grimmer family from Australia who were spending their first month ever in their village cottage in Lonlay.

The abbey and the village streets were charmingly decorated.

From our old windows (soon to be replaced), the village presented a cheerful holiday attitude, despite the damp and cold weather. No doubt the children found it quite magical.

At the end of December, our custom-made windows were finally available, and our team of French builders got right to work putting them in. You may be able to tell that the wood on the old windows was really crumbling. The new windows are exact replicas of the originals, made of long-lasting hardwood oak.

New window here above our side door. The next section of the building with the closed shutters belongs to another family we have yet to meet. It is evidently a second home for them also.

We had to wait many months for the windows to be constructed, as aged hardwood is difficult to come by, with so much demand for construction materials around the world at present. The wood windows were more expensive than aluminum or PVC would have been, but with good care, these should last 100 years.

When we returned in February, we were delighted to see the new windows installed, both upstairs and down. The installation was flawless, and they look as if they have always been here. Their smooth-functioning hardware, and the added insulation the double panes provide, reduce outside sound and help to keep out the cold.

I finally found a window seat cushion in the right size (and in deep blue, of course), so this is now a pleasant spot to read or have a cup of tea, looking out from our living room.

Sunrises on the green with frost on the ground were exhilarating.

But it was still winter, so very cold, and even Pipkin was always happy to get back to the warm house.

Our house with its new windows in February.

A hot lunch at the Relais - always much appreciated.

Pollarded trees in the main square in front of the Mairie.

Naturally, there were some of those dark and rainy days that Normandy is famous for. Contemplative days, where you might notice something previously overlooked, like this stone carving in the grass near the fountain in the square above. I can't make out the top line due to the lichen, but it looks to me as if the bottom line is in English. How so?
"CURED ° 12° OCTOB ° 1744." What do you think? Another mystery.*

*Upon closer inspection a few days later, when hard rain had washed away some of the lichen, I think the top line begins with "CY GÎT" - meaning "HERE LIES..." - so this could be a grave marker. On the second line, the first word is perhaps not "CURED" but "CURÉ," separated from the "D" by a dot ° in the stone. The final resting place of a priest then. But I still have to discover his name on the top line.

I also wondered about this old mansion across the square from our house that we have only ever seen locked up tight with shutters closed and rusted. So large. Was it once the town hall, or the home of a prosperous businessman? The door is so delicately rendered. It seems an apparition from the time before the Great War.

One day, I saw a UFO in the sky over the hairdressers' shop. Do you see it? Lucky I got a photo of it, eh? Will let you think about that...

...while you have a peek inside the bar/tabac where I was standing. ;-)

The Égrenne ran high and fast in the winter, alongside the abbey...

...and along the road to Beauchène, while the rest of the natural world slept.

Sunsets were spectacular in February.

We returned in March for a few days,

Just in time for the daffodils.

Our ulterior motive in coming back mid-March was to have our terrier, Pipkin, try out a stay at the Lonlay Kennels, run by a wonderful British couple, Rick and Tracey Harwood. They have spotless kennels with underfloor heating, spaces for the dogs to run free, and they also take the dogs for walks in the countryside surrounding their place for hours every day. We hoped Pipkin would love it, and she did.

The Lonlay Kennels are reachable by footpath from our village location, as they are just up in the hills. We thought we were on the right track with Google maps, but wound up lost and back near a main road, having followed a path that Google did not know about, I guess. Fortunately, Rick took pity on us and picked us all up in his car. We had tea in their fantastic stone house that is at least several hundred years old. A super place with super people who love their animals - and everyone else's.

Also during our March visit, I had the opportunity to record birthday wishes for my friend Susmita back in Los Angeles, thanks to her husband's creativity, gathering video wishes from her friends and family around the world.

This was something I was happy to do, but you would not believe the number of times I flubbed my simple lines as Joseph tried to video me. I was also so exasperated every time a car drove by and interrupted our "film shoot." I would have been hopeless as an actress!

Another Kodachrome sunset in March

We were back in Paris for Easter, and Easter chocolates

To check on Notre Dame's progress during the day...

...and at night

Where we saw the remarkable Eddie Izzard perform in a small theatre on a boat moored in the Seine right across from Notre Dame

We enjoyed the rebirth of flowers and gardens around Paris

The bridges along the Seine

And window-shopping while I waited for my hair appointment in the 8th arrondissement. (I don't know why I love those little purses with the cats on them from Lanvin, but I do.)

Visited some favorite cafés

Got caught up in a demonstration or two.

Folks demonstrating against Macron's new retirement law, almost anywhere we turned.

Meanwhile, on calmer days, I was cramming in two and three hour driving lessons in an automatic Mini Cooper, and studying the 300 oral questions I could be asked to try to qualify for my French driving license.

We were glad to go back to simple pleasures in Lonlay l'Abbaye at the end of April...

and into early May.

The world here is fresh with green, cool air and sunshine.

Apple blossoms...

Lilacs...

Pansies...

And all manner of other blooms.

It is always difficult to leave this mythic spot, this marvelous village.

A warm Autumn

11/13/2022

A harvest of apples on the village green

Unusually warm temperatures hovered over Lonlay l'Abbaye at the end of October and into early November. We were happy to have all that sun, along with the warmth of the people. As we stay in our house for longer periods, we have more opportunities to chat with some of the villagers.

This fellow spent several days harvesting the great variety of apples from the small orchard of trees on the village green. We spoke to him one day on the way to lunch, as we were curious about where the apples would end up. Were they destined for farm animals? "Ah, non." He smiled and described that he would be taking them to a distillery to be crushed for juice - and for Calvados, Normandy's famous brandy!
A lifelong resident, he also told us that at one time the village had had six bistrots, and he recounted that masses were held in the community room for years after the war until the abbey was finally restored.

These ornamental berries grow on a tree in the place Jules Levée. So far as we know, they are not edible for humans, nor would they make a potable brandy. Our house is in the background on the right. We have finally met our next door neighbors who seem quite nice, and have spoken with a few other folks who wondered if we had moved in "en permanence." No, we still plan to stay most of the time in Paris, but perhaps with more and more time in Lonlay, as the quiet and simple pleasures are so appealing.

Large group setting at the Relais

Of course, one of our favorite pleasures is to visit the village restaurant, Le Relais de l'Abbaye, where the meals are always delicious and reasonably priced. The couple who run the restaurant are so good-humored, they managed to fit us in for lunch even when they were expecting this large group. We find it is definitely to our advantage to make a reservation in advance, as the restaurant grows in popularity, and we never know when they may be hosting a mini-convention!

We have no need to leave the village for well-prepared food, because in addition to the Relais and a well-stocked supermarket, the caterer at "Grenier à Sel" has amazing dishes ready to heat, like Poulet au Pays d'Auge (chicken sauted in Calvados and served over rice, carrots and mushrooms with a cream sauce) and Tagine d'agneau (tender slow cooked lamb in a gravy livened with North African spices).

The village bakery supplies us not only with baguettes, but with a whole range of savory and sweet creations that rival the Paris bakeries - an apéro bread with cheese and lardons, dark wheat bread with grains, brioche, financiers, and even California style donuts! The kind baker and his charming wife have been very welcoming to us. I find that my fear of speaking awkward French nearly evaporates when I begin to talk enthusiastically with these folks, especially about food. No wonder.

In a small village, it's a good idea to be out of bed and out of your pajamas by at least 9:30 or 10:00 am, as people do tend to just stop by! That never happens in Los Angeles or Paris, where your friends always text or call to coordinate and be sure you are home. Here they know we are home if the lights are on! And we are always happy to meet new people and to reconnect with those we know. A lovely neighbor stopped by one day to see if we wanted to take part in the Christmas tree decorations that she and her friends will place all around the village next month. Oh yes, please!

We occasionally run into Mayor Derouet, the powerhouse motivator of the village, and enjoy speaking with him about all of the positive changes he envisions and brings to fruition that keep the village busy with commerce and full of life.

This visit we also had the opportunity to meet with his two able assistants in the Mairie, as they helped us apply for a construction permit to replace our existing windows. I love the old windows, but they are beyond repair, so we will be putting in new wooden custom-built windows that will be identical to these, except that they will have double panes to better keep out the cold.

The bureaucratic language is amusing to me. In English, we refer to the need to submit an application to obtain a "permit" for construction from local authorities. In French, you are submitting a "prior declaration," in the hopes of securing not permission exactly, but a "decision of non-opposition."

Part of the paperwork involved supplying some photos of our house showing its current windows (as above). The process is relatively simple but subject to a necessary review by the mayor's office as well as the "Architecte des Bâtiments de France" because our house is located close to a listed monument: the 11th century abbey.

The abbey is a magnet that draws us back at least once every visit, and is full of mystery

Old stone seats inside the porch, a sheltered entrance to the front door of the abbey

Stone heads above and on either side of the front door

Just inside the front door of the abbey - part of the transept

Portion of the wooden ceiling of the transept

Having read that the transept was the oldest part of the reconstructed abbey, Joseph and I proceeded to have a lively disagreement about exactly which part was considered the transept. This disagreement, aided and abetted by diagrams on iphones and loose talk of other architectural terms, may have gone on for as long as half an hour (and our daughter always says, "What do you two talk about?").

Sparing you the blow-by-blow account, the transept in most Catholic churches is that part of the church closest to the main altar that runs as a rectangle across the center of the nave at 90 degrees, creating the form of a "cross." (+) In Lonlay l'Abbaye however, the transept is the broad rectangle that spreads just beyond the entrance and supports the tower. The rest of the abbey follows in a long semi-oval shape with side altars.

Pietà over relief showing the death of Saint Benoit

Dark marble square on the St. Benoit side altar

Relief showing the death of St. Benoit (St. Benedict). He is supported by his fellow monks as his soul flies to heaven in the rays heading toward the top right corner.

Having been raised Catholic, and having spent many hours surrounded by Catholic imagery in schools and in churches, it still amazes me to learn more about some of the Catholic saints who are perhaps more celebrated in Europe than in the U.S.

This side altar is dedicated to St. Benoit. I had no idea who St. Benoit was, until a bit of research revealed that he is whom we know as St. Benedict, author in 516 of the Rule of Benedict, which directed monks to "Ora et Lavora" - "Pray and Work." Much of that prayer was prescribed even for the darkest hours of the night such that many lengthy prayers could not be read (at least until wax candles were invented in the 1300s), so had to be committed to memory. Benedictine monks were the founders of this abbey in Lonlay l'Abbaye many centuries ago.

As a side note, St. Benoit or Benedict is the patron saint of speleologists, most likely because he spent the first few years of his own monastic life as a young man living in a cave with almost no contact with the outside world.

A similar side altar depicts the Annunciation

St. Opportune

Now, I cannot be absolutely certain, but I think this carving of a beautiful woman alongside yet another altar is meant to be St. Opportune. Opportune was a lady born into a noble family of the Orne who became an abbess in the 8th century. She was renowned for her goodness, her intellect and administrative skills. Even during her lifetime, she was credited with miracles of healing. In more recent years, families who have not been able to conceive a child have credited her with granting their wishes.
Life was indeed nasty, brutish and short in the early times. Opportune's brother, the bishop of Sées, was assassinated by a cousin who wished to succeed to his position of power. Having buried her brother at her convent or abbey, Opportune passed away thirteen days later. She saw visions of Saint Cecile, Saint Lucie and the Virgin Mary at the moment of her passing, making her a patron saint of the "good death."

There are always more fascinating carvings and objects to explore in the abbey, but let's leave it for now and return to the village surrounds and our tiny house.

Banks of the Égrenne with the abbey in the far upper right

The Égrenne running between the abbey and the village green and orchard

In late October, though the apples were ripe and being harvested, the lawns everywhere were as green as the fields of Ireland, and initially there was little sign of any color in the leaves, even along the country roads outside of the village.

Part of a farm near Lonlay l'Abbaye

Anticipating changing temperatures, the villagers and the Mairie made sure to celebrate the season with displays of gourds and hardier flowers.

Planters full of pansies ("pensées) do well in cool weather

The prettiest parking space

Inevitably, as the rains came with colder mornings and evenings, we began to see autumn transform the colors of the village and the fields beyond.

Ivy on a village house

A picnic table in sight of the abbey

Some color on the road to Beauchêne

Stone wall off the road to Beauchêne

Fantastic red color inside a private gate

The streets began to look and feel chillier, and we hurried indoors after each walk.

Joseph and Pipkin coming home

Enjoying our small kitchen

And our cozy living/dining room with a new Ikea floor lamp. All the heaters on!

Turning our attention to the upstairs, we made progress furnishing the bedroom as Joseph patiently assembled these Ikea nightstands (with drawers!) and lamps. I replaced the bulbs on the chandelier with lower wattage long lasting LED bulbs that won't overwhelm the room with light, but provide more atmosphere for the darker days and longer nights.

Making a start on the bedroom walls

Thinking about colors and furnishings for the tiny tv room/study

We began to unbox and to hang some of our favorite artwork. Of course, this is all subject to being moved about, but it feels good to make a start at filling in the blank walls.

So autumn flows and fades

Good night to the harvest warmth and longer days

We are ready for winter

And the night

Rub a dub dub, three men in a tub - odd sights in the abbey, and fun at the village fair

9/21/2022

Stained glass window featuring St. Nicolas in the abbey

A bit of whimsy, legend, and rhyme to start. In a corner of Lonlay's ancient abbey that I had not noticed before, I was startled to see three men in a tub sitting at the feet of St. Nicolas! What could be the meaning of this?

We all know a variation of the old English rhyme, that usually goes like this:

Rub-a-dub-dub, three men in a tub,
And who do you think they be?
The butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker,
And all put out to sea.

But according to most academics, the original rhyme dates back to the 14th century, and referred to three "maids" in a tub:

Hey! rub-a-dub, ho! rub-a-dub, three maids in a tub,
And who do you think were there?
The butcher, the baker, the candlestick-maker,
And all of them gone to the fair.

This version makes sense historically because evidently, in medieval times, the fairs sometimes had "peep shows" where men could view naked women in a tub! The inclusion of the three varied professions of these men suggests that everyone and his brother was partaking of such entertainment.

But this abbey vitrine does seem to have males in that tub ... and St. Nicolas? Surely not a peep show kind of guy. So, back to Google...

Nicolas was a real person who lived roughly between the years 270 to 343. He must have had a very strong and holy presence, as many miracles were attributed to him, and for centuries after his death, people were squabbling over his bones, moving them from one city to another.

An early Christian bishop from an area (Myra) that is now part of modern-day Turkey, Nicolas came from a well-to-do family, but gave away his wealth. One possibly true story about him was that he surreptitiously provided three purses of gold to an impoverished merchant by dropping them into his window (not the chimney!) over three successive nights. He did this to provide dowries for the man's three daughters, so that they did not have to become prostitutes.

A second story that is likely true is that bishop Nicolas once intervened to prevent the execution of three innocent men. That incident appears to have been retold throughout the Middle Ages, but enhanced many times over through drama and exaggeration. The most popular version of this story tells of a conniving butcher who killed three boys and put their remains in a pickling tub. St. Nicolas was said to have demanded the contents of the tub, and to have brought the three boys back to life!

So impressive and vivid was this tale of a miracle, and so well-travelled, that apparently there are representations of St. Nicolas and the boys in the tub to be found all over Europe in tapestries, paintings, sculptures - and in stained glass. So now you know.

From Wikipedia - Illustration of Saint Nicolas resurrecting the three butchered children.
From the "Grandes Heures d'Anne de Bretagne" (created between 1503 and 1508).

Now, let's go back into the abbey at Lonlay

We lit a candle in a corner of the abbey in this granite well, then took photos of the animals and people we found hiding in the corners of the side chapels. I can't really say what they all are meant to represent.

A gnome?

A cat?

Woman's face in a wimple?

This one above is said to be a bat.

A serene lady with frog faces circling underneath?

One wonders how much some of these fantastical creatures in the capitals may have been altered by poor restorations, by WW II bombs or other damage. The identity of so many seems unclear to me.

A woman, possibly the Virgin Mary, atop a beast, and reaching out to a frog person/alien

This one is my very favorite so far. A small human sculpting hand, like that of a potter or sculptor, delicately and humbly adding to a creation above a brooding animal face.

An Aztec or Mayan style head over a capital ringed with alien or frog faces. Curiously, this same type of head is repeated outside the abbey...

...in a cubby surrounded by some of the oldest arches, and

...then in a larger form on the outside of the main building that now houses the mairie and doctor's offices. The source and style of sculpture of these heads remains a complete mystery to me.

Though the head on the outside of the abbey wall has teeth, I don't think it is meant to be a "tarasque," the medieval monster who devoured people, as most of the heads inside the abbey are benign.

The tarasque of Montmajour Abbey near Arles - munching on a human in its 12th century cloister - (must see that someday). Photo from Wikipedia.

While it would be hard to outdo the gruesome tarasque of Montmajour, the Lonlay l'Abbaye abbey has its share of disturbing creatures, both in stone and in wood - like this eagle atop an oddly placed snake. One wonders what exactly its sculptor meant to say, and to whom.

Just outside, under the medieval arches, we found an ancient gate that immediately brought to mind the old English word "gaol," and a door that clearly had not been opened in a long time!

Entrance to the "gaol" or jail

Spidery door

But enough of the abbey, let's move on to the village fête!

Once a year, near the end of August, the village of Lonlay l'Abbaye traditionally opens its arms to all to celebrate the end of summer in a big way. In 2020 and 2021, the fête had to be cancelled because of Covid restrictions. That meant that our 2022 festival was long anticipated and desired by all the people in the surrounding villages, as well as by the inhabitants of Lonlay.

Our good friend Ashami (Pipkin's favorite person) came down from Paris specifically to enjoy the fair with us and the next day's vide-grenier. We all had a great time!

On Saturday the kiddie rides and carnival games were set up, along with a big bouncy house near the Mairie.

The stuff of dreams for little ones

There were sausages and crêpes on offer, and a stand selling wine and beer. A local band set up and provided upbeat music into the night.

We were quite impressed with how the carnival organizers were able to roll huge container trucks into the small village. Each opened up into a ride, an arcade, or a fully operational electronic game center. This must be a big business in rural France.

The festivities and fun lasted into the night. Once darkness fell, close to 10:00 pm, the fire department and its band led the children with paper lanterns through the village streets. We adult participants followed them to the village green, where we saw a spectacular fireworks show!

Just after daybreak the next morning, we began to hear people driving in to set up their tables at their assigned numbered locations all through the streets and squares of the village. Exceptionally, the bakery and bar/tabac were open all day that Sunday, and the Relais, our village restaurant, began serving tripe at 8:00 am. (We passed on that).

The vide-grenier is like a huge rummage sale. There were hundreds of people selling items and hundreds, maybe thousands more strolling among the tables, bargaining and buying in the village green, the square in front of our house, the field behind the abbey, a parking lot across from the market, and in every corner that was not already taken by the fairground equipment.

Joseph joked that it seemed likely that those who bought items one year would be selling them back to their neighbors at the vide-grenier the next year!

Most of the tables were selling gently used toys, household goods, sports and gardening equipment, but there were a few booths selling new items and handmade crafts as well.

The beverages bar continued to do brisk business throughout Sunday, quenching the thirst of the bargain hunters, while the rides and games, sausages and crêpes continued for the families until it was nearly dark again. The weather was perfect throughout, and the two-day festival was a grand success.

The next few days were very quiet in the village, like the calm after a storm. The folks who had had their goods for sale packed everything up, each speck of debris was cleaned and collected, the carnival trucks folded their sides and lumbered off. A happy exhaustion set in. We visited with some of the villagers we know, and enjoyed the peace and quiet.

The charming family that runs the Relais reopened with their regular menu - sans tripe. We were pleased to be able to go back several times and to enjoy their outdoor terrace while the good weather held.

We forgot to take a photo of our delicious main courses (fish and steak), but after all, appetizers and dessert are what restaurants are really all about, right? The pannacotta with red fruit sauce was indescribably good!

We needed rain here in the north of France, and it was predicted for almost every day, but though the storm clouds came, they also went, without delivering much precipitation. The early evening skies were beautiful.

Meanwhile, back at our house, we were pleased as punch with some of the improvements that had been made while we had been away...

A small antique chandelier that I had "won" at auction in Paris's famous Drouot auction house for only 20 euros (but that cost over 200 euros to rewire!) was installed in the bedroom by our super French team.

The French detail team: Ruzdi and Jean-Luc

Hooks were installed on the wall near the front door to hold jackets, coats and bags.

Under the stairs, the once dreary and dusty brick "cave" was transformed with a new cement floor, wallboard and shelving into a perfect clean space to keep wine and other pantry items.

At our request, they mounted a fire extinguisher inside the door (right across from the mini kitchen) and placed hooks to hold Pipkin's leashes and harness.

Thanks to a birthday gift from my dear friend Michele, we have a wine rack in the little cave, and a handsome navy blue laundry basket that will hold a set of sheets as well as our regular washing.

We were finally able to get four dining chairs and a carpet for our main room, so we have almost everything we need here now. As wonderful as it is to always return to Paris, we are finding it harder to leave Lonlay l'Abbaye each time, as it feels so much like a cozy home.

And autumn is here already!

Tout le Monde En vacances

8/7/2022

Pip admires cattle in the field beyond the abbey - late July

Dry grass on the village green

Apple trees and dry grass

An ancient conifer and stone tables behind the Mairie

Late July and early August in Lonlay l'Abbaye was dry and relatively quiet. We were evading some very hot days predicted for Paris, and welcomed the milder temperatures and cloud cover that Normandy offered. Most days did not exceed 27 Celsius (about 81 Fahrenheit), and cooled off later at night.
The lack of recent rain was evident in the parched grasses and fields, but the village gardeners were keeping their glorious planters of flowers lush. And how special is this? It is as if someone were setting out bowls and vases of flowers all over your house every time you came home. A true "ville fleurie" - a city of flowers, loved and cared for, supported and encouraged, by each of its citizens.
Each morning, each evening, when I walk the cobbled streets of this small, yet miraculously flowered village with my ever-curious Pipkin, I am struck anew by the reverence of nature, the daily time-consuming effort to water and trim and care, and, as well, by the enduring commitment of the flinty 1300 hundred or so inhabitants who strive each day to preserve all that is good, all that is beautiful, all that is so unique and special about France - and I am moved.

Overcast days kept down the summer heat and prevented the watered flowers from burning up, even as some waterways slowed to a trickle.

We found ourselves in an in-between moment with regard to nearby entertainment. Had missed Tom Cruise in Top Gun - Maverick being shown at the village hall in early July, and we would not be staying for the Medieval Days in neighboring Domfront. Would have loved to attend both, but some things you can only find out about by staying local.

Homespun signs on the doors advised us of merchants' closing dates for their summer holidays. Fortunately, these small businesses that provide us with delicious food every time we visit were staggering their vacations.

We were able to have some wonderful lunches at the Relais de l'Abbaye before the owners took their August break. We said hello to the mayor there almost every day. He was wearing shorts and Hawaiian style shirts, visiting with locals in the front part of the restaurant, but we did not have a chance to speak with him ourselves this visit. A sign outside the Mairie indicated summer hours of half days.

The deli, Le Grenier à Sel, was open for just a few more days while we were there, so we bought out most of their spectacular cold salads before they closed near the end of July. Among others, the "piémontaise," a mayonnaise salad with potatoes, ham, cornichons, boiled eggs and tomatoes, is said to have Russian origins. They also make a coleslaw and a pickled beet salad that are both delectable.

Le Grenier à Sel delivery truck beside a Lonlay canal

Dates for closure by the local "traiteur" or deli shop, Le Grenier à Sel

No baker, no baguettes! Sign indicates the bakery's holiday closure dates.

The baker and his family were on holiday until the 9th of August. Bread being of historical importance, and no laughing matter in France (see "French Revolution 1789"), of course there were baguettes at the local supermarket to compensate for the closed bakery and the empty baguette machine.

The pizza TARDIS

The biggest revelation of our visit though, had to be the pizza machine that had suddenly appeared on the outskirts of the village next to the new butcher shop. Sitting like a little red TARDIS* just around the corner from the supermarket, it was a huge surprise to me. I was drawn to this contraption like a moth to the flame.

*You must Google it if you don't already know!

I was intrigued, and resistance was futile. Despite having other food in the house, I convinced Joseph that we had to try a couple of these pizzas (so I could play with the machine). The touchscreen was a bit temperamental. Though the display showed only one flavor to be sold out, I could not get the machine to register my choice of any of the plainer pizzas. So, we wound up with Paysanne (potatoes and bacon bits), and a decidedly unspicy Mexicaine.

"Pizza Lovers" - in English, no less!

If you want your pizza cold (frozen?), you can have it in 30 seconds. If you want it hot (well, warm), you need to allow another 3 minutes, and pay an extra 50 cents. The pizza arrives in the box through a slot like that in a bank cash dispenser machine. My friend Michele has visions of Mr. Bean hiding in the back of the machine throwing pizza dough and trying to keep up with the selections made! She also wants to know if there is a machine that dispenses a glass of wine to go with the pizzas. Not yet!

The Paysanne pizza - sauce, cheese, cooked potato slices and cooked lardons (bacon bits)

So, how was it? The Paysanne was edible, even tasty, if you can forgive the unusual combination. But the less said about the Mexicaine, the better. I will definitely try something more classic next time, like a plain Margherita pizza, if I can get Mr. Bean to make one for me.

Normandy clouds and sky over the Égrenne in the heart of the village

Cobblestones near the abbey

Statue of the Virgin Mary tucked into a wall on rue St Michel

Statue of the Virgin Mary overlooking the public school yard

With no set agenda, we were able to relax, meet with our building team about some additional jobs, and keep in touch with our new internet connection. I walked Pipkin around the village, noticing some religious statues I had missed before. And everywhere there were flowers being kept in sprightly condition by private citizens, as well as by the village gardeners.

A home with silhouette of girl watering her flowers

Three stories of flowers

Cottages and the small river channel

Flower pots near a storage room on the canal

A modern grey tower attached to old granite walls

Inside a private courtyard

A vegetable garden overlooking the village

Flowers on the old wooden bridge to the green

Four big planters perched on the rails of a bridge

A raft of flowers looking toward the town square

Geraniums in a private window along rue de Centre

A bouquet of wild flowers from our friend Nicole

Easy on the eyes, soft as a breeze, and balm to the soul, the summer days and glories pass so quickly. Next up: the village fête!

June 2022 - Our first week living in the tiny house

7/6/2022

Fields close to Lonlay l'Abbaye in June

June is always a splendid time to visit France, and Normandy in particular. Having now set up the basics for habitation, we were excited about the prospect of being able to stay in our own place in Lonlay l'Abbaye for the first time ever. So on June 16, we packed up our bags and headed out of Paris on the train just ahead of a predicted "canicule," or heatwave. When we arrived, we found the village awash in flowers.

Some of the floral displays are set up by the village, and others by individuals. What unites the look of the village is the care and pride that is taken in keeping the plants well-watered and maintained. There is a fair amount of variety - petunias, campanule, lavender, impatiens, roses, hydrangeas, hollyhocks, etc.

Even utilitarian corners and parking lots have blooming borders!

This house with the blue door had a spectacular climbing vine with flowers in deep purple. I think they are clematis, but those of you who know your botany should feel free to let me know if I am mistaken. :-)

Now on to the house:
Our tiny stone house was nice and cool inside when we arrived, but we could feel the heat rising by mid-afternoon on our first day, so one of the first things we did was to put up the sets of dark blue drapes we had brought with us in our luggage. In between each set of drapes, we have put up just one sheer panel, as we do not want to have too much fabric blocking our views of the village, but we need the sheers for light and privacy - especially on the ground floor.

New drapes and sheer panel on front window

Side door with new drapes

We happily unpacked the quilted placemats and matching napkins that our new friend
Denise made for us to go with our navy blue kitchen. Denise is expert at quilting, and the colors are perfect for a comfortable country look. I was amused to see that there was a blue car outside as well when I took the above picture. Good timing!

When closed against direct sunlight, the dark drapes kept the inside of our house at a nice temperature, retaining the cooler air from the early morning when we would first open the windows. Of course, we also had a floor fan delivered on the hottest day from Amazon. What a relief! Temperatures were over 30 celsius (in the 90s Fahrenheit) for a few days. Then heavy rains came and cooled the air again. Marvelous.

Looking out through the sheer curtain on the ground floor. We can see out, but those outside cannot see in. Parfait!

Our house with sheer panels and drapes in the windows upstairs and downstairs.

Aside from putting up drapes and sheer panels, the best thing we did in June was to have our internet line installed. I can't really say whether or not there was ever a phone line in our place, but since it all had to be gutted, we had none.

Windows and curtains as seen from outside. Our new phone/internet line is barely visible alongside the black power line on the granite facade of the house. Finally, after six years, we have an internet router! Up until now, we have had to rely on our iphones, often with poor connections, to do everything.

Joseph assisting the man from Orange in installing our phone/internet line.

The fellow from "Orange" - our main telephone and internet provider - seemed a bit put out at first that he had to connect a line outside the granite walls and drill through our window frame. It was amazing to see him ride up and down in his cherry picker attaching the phone line under the eaves of several adjacent stone village houses. In the end, he was cheerful, efficient and resourceful, and had our internet up and running in less than an hour. The connection seems to be very good and fast, though we have not yet tested it from upstairs.

June evening in Lonlay l'Abbaye - only getting dark after 22h00

What a pleasure it was to spend our first few nights in this village house we had long nurtured and fussed over from afar! Sitting with a glass of chilled wine and looking out at the winding main street of the village with its characterful stone houses, dark tree line and perfect sky above was like living inside a storybook.

We noticed this old photo on display in the empty storefront on rue de Centre. It depicts the same bend in the road that we can see from our living room. I'm not clear on the era here, but my guess is that it was taken in the early 20th century. There seems to be a cafe on the right where the horse and carriage have "parked." This would be in approximately the same location as our present day pharmacy.

Another wonderful old photo made into a postcard. This picture taken looking up the hill. Very excited because this one shows our house in the center right, just beyond what appears to be a flagpole. The postcard identifies the part of Lonlay l'Abbaye that our house fronts as the Grand'Rue (today's rue de Centre) and Place du Marché (place Jules Levée today).

This photo must have been taken before World War I, because there is a gazebo that likely was the center of the market in the middle of the place. Today that is where the imposing war memorial (established after World War I) stands, with the addition of the names of those lost in World War II, including nine Americans who lost their lives when their plane was shot down here on August 8, 1944.

The interesting building on the right in the photo, with an iron facade resembling a movie theater marquee, is still extant. I cannot tell from this photo what business was conducted there, but it was perhaps a Pompes Funèbres, or funeral parlor. I have always thought it would be a good location for a toy store in the present day.

Lonlay l'Abbaye (circa 1930s?)

Completing this set of antique images is this colorized postcard with a photographic image of Lonlay l'Abbaye. (I saw it for sale online for 10 euros.) You can see our house on the top right of the triangular square. I am guessing that this photo was taken sometime in the 1930s or early 1940s because the WWI war memorial appears in the square, and the cars look like they might be from that era.

It would certainly be interesting to know how this aerial photo was taken, and exactly when. Was it taken from a hot air balloon, a dirigible, a crop duster, or possibly a German or American war plane? It bears some similarity to the post-WWII photo below taken by Americans to document some of the damage done to the village during the war.

Back to the present day and the Amazon universe

Starting to feel more like home

Even though I had tried to anticipate and obtain all of our basic household goods when I was last there, it was amazing how many small things we found we still needed, now that we had "moved in." Without a car, Amazon was still our best solution.

Most of our items were delivered by La Poste, and came promptly. On days when we wanted to go together to the Relais for lunch, we left the mail carrier a note, letting her know we were there, and would come right over if she called or texted us. Instead, on two occasions, she was sweet enough to drop off our package right at the restaurant - the owners being likewise kind enough to accept it, and to hand it to us with a smile when we left. A really old-fashioned sort of charming gesture that makes Lonlay l'Abbaye so endearing.

Thus arrived additional drapes and sheer panels for the upstairs windows (once we decided we liked the ones we had downstairs). Then a wooden serving tray to put on a low storage chest, serving collectively for now as our coffee table. Then brackets to hold soap and shampoo in the shower, a soap dish, a toilet paper holder, a toilet brush and a mattress cover, airtight containers for sugar and coffee, dish towels, hand towels, a drying rack for laundry, ice cube trays, a cutting board, a dish drainer, a small kitchen rug, a fire extinguisher, a long broom and dust pan, felt protectors to go under the feet of our furniture, an iron, and hooks to hang up our jackets and Pipkin's leashes. Whew!

Oh yes, and a picture hanging kit! This is a favorite photo of Galerie Vivienne in Paris that Joseph took years ago. It hung in my work office for years while I dreamed of moving to France. Now it's like having an old friend in the kitchen.

Pipkin in clover, over and over

Cow and clothesline

Cows under a magnificent tree

Summer spider web

Field on the other side of the abbey and Mairie

More flowers on the way to market

An old spring

On cooler days, we took Pipkin for long walks out on the green, around the abbey, and ventured out on the small roads around the village. There the very fields and animals seem to transform with the seasons, as if they are putting on new clothes for each time of year. We always come across something new, or new to us, even if it is very old.

Back of the former presbytery attached to the abbey - now the back of the Mairie and doctor's offices

Entrance to the abbey

One day we tried the door to the abbey, finding it closed but not locked. Inside, we saw a sign asking visitors to leave the door open, so we did leave it ajar and saw more visitors coming after us. The interior of the abbey is full of surprises and intriguing statues, as well as being a holy and meditative place.

A gate protects the sacristy, part of the former presbytery that must still be used by the priests.

A closer look

These carved planks fold down to form seats along a sort of choir stall on both sides as you move into the nave. I really don't know if they were meant to be for priests, singers, or VIPs when they were originally put in place. They are kind of far from the altar. Perhaps the carvings have some symbolic meaning.

Now, this was a surprise. In an alcove to our immediate left upon entering the abbey, we found a hearse. Never was there before, and we don't know if it has taken up permanent residence.

Abbey columns and capitals

Beautiful stained glass

Virgin and Infant Jesus

Mysterious small fresco. An angel appears to be trying to wake up a man - possibly the Apostle Peter. I could not connect the image to any bible story I knew, so went searching for a reference. Apparently Acts 12:3-19 tells of an angel who came to free Peter when he was imprisoned by King Herod. The angel strikes Peter to wake him up, and Peter's chains fall from his wrists. Then the angel leads Peter outside to freedom. Never heard that one before, in all my years at Catholic school.

Carved altarpiece
I was going to comment on how it is somewhat bizarre that so many religious paintings and sculptures incorporate "flying baby heads" aka "putti." And when I looked up "flying baby heads," I found this link to a person who was asking herself the same question: www.artdocentprogram.com/favorite-art-history-baby-heads/

Don't know if this man is supposed to be a saint, a famous patron, or a pilgrim - but I very much appreciate the sculptor's inclusion of his dog. He stands under the scallop shell that was the symbol for pilgrims who undertook the long overland journey (The Way of Saint James) to Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain (Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle in French).

A collection of historical photos of the abbey

An engraving showing the abbey and its outbuildings in its prime. The field with the manor house across the stream to the right of the abbey is the location of today's village green.

Whenever time and weather permit, we enjoy having a late afternoon or early evening glass of wine on the terrace of the bar/tabac that ajoins the bakery. The owners are wonderful, the wine is inexpensive, and the view of the landscaped abbey and Mairie is perfection. One day while we were there with one of our super French artisans, the mayor came over to say hello and wound up treating us to a drink. We always appreciate the chance to speak with him, because he knows everything about the village and truly has its best interests at heart. In addition to all of the other renovations and projects he has spearheaded, he let us know that he is now trying to bring in a second doctor for this small village of some 1200 souls!

The war memorial from our bedroom window

On one of our last days this visit, I noticed that a name I had not seen before had been added to the war memorial. The name appears above the plaque dedicated to the American aviators, attached under the names of villagers killed in World War II. The name: Alcime Bouvet. Very curious to ask the mayor about that addition. Who was Monsieur Bouvet, and how was it that he was overlooked until now?

All too soon, it was time to close up our tiny house, but we will be back in no time at all.

Chronopost, Country walks & Happy visits

4/20/2022

Pipkin guarding newly delivered boxes from the postman - end of February, 2022

Early in 2022, our now habitable village house had fresh painted walls and finished woodwork, overhead lighting, heating and plumbing, but was still in need of basic furniture and housewares. Bringing furnishings down from Paris on the train or in a rental van was impractical and unnecessary, so we started to see what we could have delivered.

At a bare minimum, we needed a convertible couch, a table and chairs, a bed and a mattress. Ok, mostly available to order online, and we were able to try out the couch in real life at a Paris store. What else? Bedding, towels, plates and glasses, silverware, and basic cooking pots and pans.

You try to imagine living in the as yet empty rooms, remembering what you have used most in vacation rentals and what you cannot live without. That leads to looking for a coffee maker, a toaster, and a hair dryer. The list gets longer. Can't forget the corkscrew! What about a vacuum cleaner and smoke alarms?

Finding that it was nearly impossible to narrow the deliveries to just a couple of dates certain in Lonlay, it was determined that Pipkin and I would go for a long stay at the end of February, beginning of March, and do our best to meet scattered deliveries from our multiple providers. Joseph had to stay in Paris for some appointments and to supervise some work in the U.S.

Before we left, Joseph went with me to the Paris Ikea one day, where I took photos of all the items we liked and thought we might order, along with their quirky Ikea names.

The Madeleine - 8th arrondissement
Only in Paris would this be the view from the window of your local Ikea store!

Ikea Arstid lamp - a useful addition

Early mornings on the village green with the old cider press illuminated

On-line ordering and delivery has improved over the course of the pandemic years, but there are yet many challenges in France to having large items delivered, and a lot of confusion about when to order smaller items to fit a delivery window as well. I started to get email notices and texts every day from different delivery companies, letting me know approximately when they would be coming, but they never said which item they were delivering, or from whom it was sent.

On several bitter cold mornings, I had to get up while it was still dark to walk Pipkin and have some coffee, sometimes running into the bakery for a croissant, then we would dash up to camp out at our house from 8:00 to 12:00, not knowing if someone would arrive with a mattress or a toaster!

I had only one old chair to sit in, and a limited number of treats and toys to distract Pipkin, who took umbrage at having to wait hours for someone to bark at.

Lots of cardboard to go to recycling

There were the usual mixups - early deliveries, late deliveries, a damaged pan (speedily replaced by Ikea), supplicating phone calls in my garbled French to Amazon, etc.

Small to medium-sized packages were often delivered via "Chronopost," which actually is just a service of the regular post office. Efficient and friendly, our postman was probably relieved when the stream of small appliances he had to deliver to me came to an end.

Larger items and specialty orders were delivered by a hodge-podge of companies. Most were very professional, sending updates on their locations and expected time of delivery, but one company was so clueless and impossible to contact that I was forced to cancel the order altogether.

Some orders arrived days in advance, sending me scurrying back to the house when I thought I had time for a walk. Our main room was soon awash in cardboard cartons to be cut down and flattened to go to recycling.

The bed frame boxes were quite large.

"La Redoute" sent only one man to deliver the collection of boxes whose contents were supposed to make up our bed. He took one look at our narrow staircase and announced, with a sad shrug, that it was not possible for him to take the contents upstairs. Fortunately, our French builders stopped by a couple of days later.

I thought they would have to take the boxes through the upstairs' windows somehow, but the two of them took the headboard out of its box, and managed to wend it up the stairs without a scratch to their fresh paint job. Later on, one of them assembled the bed for us, along with a table for our living room. We will open the compressed mattress on our next visit when we will bring a mattress cover to put on it.

Cupboard 1 - Before spacesaver

Cupboard 1 - After spacesaver

Cupboard 2 - Before spacesaver

Cupboard 2 - After spacesaver - room for some foodstuffs!

As we have only two cupboards in the kitchen in Lonlay, I discovered very quickly that if I filled them with dishware and pots, we would have no room for groceries. Sure, we have a big refrigerator, but what about canned goods, olive oil, coffee, tea, dry cereal, pasta, salt and pepper? We won't keep much food in at a time, but there has to be some space for it.

Not being remotely domestic, I was quite pleased with myself for thinking to order some extendable metal shelves that have temporarily solved the problem by freeing up a whole shelf. The instructions for installation that came with them were not at all necessary, but amusing.

"Bid farewell to trifles and reject installation fees" - my new motto

Our house on Place Jules Levée - February 2022

Before we finish up at the house, let's look at some of the country walks that Pipkin and I were able to enjoy whenever we weren't stuck waiting for a delivery. We had a lot of very cold weather, as it was the end of February, beginning of March. Several days were overcast, and there was some rain, but we also had several bright sunny afternoons. The air was always fresh and delightful to breathe. I felt I could walk for miles.

Below are some still photos and a short video from our walks, all within about half an hour from the village center. With the trees still bare, I could more readily see the courses of multiple streams and springs that all seemed to run into Lonlay - aka "the long valley." Sources of water that have been crucial since ancient times for humans, their crops and their animals.

I started to notice some white painted circles along the roads, and was curious as to their purpose. On closer inspection, they appeared to be representative of a large drop of water, and I soon realized that they appeared to denote where a smaller spring or stream was running underneath the road to join a larger stream or river. Clever!

Water drop marker showing underground path of a stream feeding into a larger waterway

Further out on the road to Beauchêne

The "moulin neuf" seen from the road to Beauchêne

A country lane heading in toward Lonlay l'Abbaye (abbey in the center distance)

Street lantern

Vegetation on an old wall

Ancient wooden door in an old cut stone doorway

18th or 19th century (?) gate

Water trough in a small field overlooking Lonlay l'Abbaye and the abbey

Hilltop perspective of the village green

Downhill village green

Uphill village green from children's play area

Houses and a tower near the Relais de l'Abbaye viewed from behind on the village green

In addition to the green areas, we also walked along the sweet curving streets of Lonlay itself, always interested to see any changes. Flowers that could resist the cold weather were in their boxes around the village to brighten things up. In an empty storefront on rue de Centre, someone had created a historical display about an old flour mill that had once been a flourishing business in the village.

Enlargement of a postcard showing villagers proudly posing near the old mill

Artifacts from the old mill business

More work was being done on the mayor's big project not far from our house on Place Jules Levée. Having sought information previously about the namesake of our "place" without success on the internet, I was intrigued to see a broken plaque that gave me more of a clue as to who Jules Levée actually was. I knew that he had been deported during WWII, and was likely Jewish, but could find no other information. I assumed he had lived at or near this location in the village.

Part of the worksite at the corner of Place Jules Levée

Broken plaque dedicating Place Jules-Marc Levée next to the worksite

The plaque, apparently broken in half, had been likely found by the workers at the new worksite and propped up against a wall. From the broken plaque, I could divine that his full name must have been Jules-Marc Levée, and that he was likely described as an "homme politique" due to his leadership locally, perhaps in the Resistance. The date of 1945 was probably his date of death, with the birth date missing.

Why had this plaque come off the wall of the buildings at Place Jules Levée at some point? Was it through neglect, as with the derelict buildings that the mayor was now seeking to restore, or was it vandalism? I could not know, but I could now search for the man with his full name. I was able to find out that he was deported in 1944 to Buchenwald and died at age 29 on April 21, 1945 (just a few days before his April 25th birthday) after the liberation of the camp in 1945. Terribly sad. I am assuming he was politically active and likely a member of the Resistance. Perhaps I can find out more at a later time.

And now we have another war in Europe. Putin invaded Ukraine the day after I arrived in Lonlay l'Abbaye. I did not have a wifi connection, but was able to keep up with some print media like the New York Times and Washington Post on my phone, and also knew of some of the early atrocities from talking with Joseph, who was keeping up with BFM TV and CNN.

A bit surreal to be in this bucolic little village while hell was opening up daily under the Ukrainian people. Not so long ago, in the last century, Lonlay l'Abbaye knew its own version of hell. American soldiers and French citizens here spilled their blood to render it free.

One early morning around 5:30, I awakened to my alarm and saw an email come in from a dear friend in Los Angeles, distraught about Putin's war. I had no great consolation to offer her, but it was oddly comforting to be able to connect and share our mutual distress across so many time zones.

Pinterest photos selected by Giancarlo Pelle showing American soldiers in Lonlay l'Abbaye during WWII, and the same street in modern times

My phone was a lifeline for me. Without any computer or internet connection other than the 4G my phone could access, it was my connection to the whole world. Phone calls with Joseph, delivery updates, news of a death in the family, news of the Ukrainian war, it was my all. I always had it charging, and panicked a little when I thought how utterly bereft I would be if I lost it or broke it, or if Pipkin decided it was a chew toy. I needed it to arrange my pickup to go back to the train station, to take pictures, to call Amazon, to arrange visits with our builders, to know what was happening in the world.

I was happy to be able to use my phone to contact the lovely woman who comes to clean our place and check on it once a month. Thanks to her, the place was spotless when I arrived, though I had to leave it a bit of a mess with all the packing materials. Not only did she come for a nice visit, but she also brought one of her artworks to show me - a sweet painting of a little dog, and a gift of a half dozen wonderful fresh eggs from her own chickens. The eggs were very large with rich orange yolks, and a real treat.

In the end, I managed to get delivery of everything we needed most before I headed home in early March. We still need dining chairs (a long story), some occasional tables and bookcases, and more lamps, but we are on our way to full habitability.

I cleaned out the cobwebs from our upstairs armoire (once I had a vacuum cleaner), and sorted through some of our daughter's school memorabilia in the attic, amidst deliveries and our walks around the countryside.

Our convertible couch arrived fully assembled, as did a heavy wooden chest that we will use (with cushions) as a window seat in the living room.

Joseph helped me select a cement color for our entryway, which our builder put in before we returned to Lonlay l'Abbaye at the end of March with our visiting daughter. He also saw to a whole set of other details, including mounting our curtain rods and filling in a gap in the stairs.

New cement entryway

Curtain rods up over all the windows and doors - Must order curtains now!

Our visit to Lonlay with our daughter Andelys was quite brief, though she had two weeks with us in Paris. We had just a few hours together in the village to see the house and have lunch at the Relais. She was enchanted with the work that had been done, and even approves of our blue couch. We were thrilled to have her with us, as we had long been separated by pandemic restrictions, particularly restrictions on travel to and from Australia, where she lives with her love in Melbourne.

While at the Relais, we ran into our builder and his lovely wife, and it was fortunate that we did, as we had left our Lonlay house keys in Paris!

Before we left Lonlay on the day of Andelys' visit, we stopped for a quick glass of wine at the boulangerie/bar at the foot of the hill. I was surprised and touched to be given a bouquet of tulips by one of the owners! She remembered that we had brought her some tea from Paris on our last visit, and was so thoughtful and kind to give up her flowers to me instantly on a whim. How can you not love a place with people like this?

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