I took a different route home yesterday across the mountains (Thanks goodness for satnav, without it you would have never seen me again!) and it was hot! really really hot. I stopped at a cafe by a little lake, there was something quite magical about sitting outside with an iced drink beside the lake that was still entirely frozen over.
In the nearby little mountain town most of the shops were closed including the antique shop, but in the next street I was surprised to find the Brocante open. I was even more surprised to find a hairdressers salon inside!
When I asked about the brocante the owner said 'yes I sell collectibles but no you can't see them!' Apparently the shop was lined with glass cabinets full of 'collectibles', there was one of these in the window, the others were obscured by the wooden screens that bore all the usual salon adverts & equipment. He told me that from time to time he would swap them over and create the brocante display, but today wasn't one of those days. He did invite me back but couldn't be sure when he would be selling his collectibles. Ah well!
Back home in the evening the temperature was still 27° (80° F) and there were the first hang gliders of the year taking off from Mont Chouvet.
They glide over the village to the landing strip at the far end.
Job is a major European site for 'vol libre' as it is known and one of my first memories of La Jovienne was sitting on the terrace watching the biennial European competition. Hundreds of them streaming from the top of the mountain like bubbles, heading left towards the landing strip, all apart from one who missed the thermal and came towards us brushing the tree tops close to the house shouting "P***** de M****!" and lots more phrases that improved my French vernacular no end.
He tramped back up the hill with nothing but a bruised ego. Not everyone is so lucky. I was in the village shop one day when the emergency siren sounded, the news quickly spread that someone had landed in a potager, everyone waited with baited breath to see if there had been any damage...............to the bean crop!
The club does offer the change to try it a 'Baptême de vol libre' (literally a baptism) as it is known and I am curious, but not really tempted. My gliding guests tell me that the views and the peace are awesome but the potagers and their beans will be safe from me!
In the nearby little mountain town most of the shops were closed including the antique shop, but in the next street I was surprised to find the Brocante open. I was even more surprised to find a hairdressers salon inside!
When I asked about the brocante the owner said 'yes I sell collectibles but no you can't see them!' Apparently the shop was lined with glass cabinets full of 'collectibles', there was one of these in the window, the others were obscured by the wooden screens that bore all the usual salon adverts & equipment. He told me that from time to time he would swap them over and create the brocante display, but today wasn't one of those days. He did invite me back but couldn't be sure when he would be selling his collectibles. Ah well!
Back home in the evening the temperature was still 27° (80° F) and there were the first hang gliders of the year taking off from Mont Chouvet.
Job is a major European site for 'vol libre' as it is known and one of my first memories of La Jovienne was sitting on the terrace watching the biennial European competition. Hundreds of them streaming from the top of the mountain like bubbles, heading left towards the landing strip, all apart from one who missed the thermal and came towards us brushing the tree tops close to the house shouting "P***** de M****!" and lots more phrases that improved my French vernacular no end.
He tramped back up the hill with nothing but a bruised ego. Not everyone is so lucky. I was in the village shop one day when the emergency siren sounded, the news quickly spread that someone had landed in a potager, everyone waited with baited breath to see if there had been any damage...............to the bean crop!
The club does offer the change to try it a 'Baptême de vol libre' (literally a baptism) as it is known and I am curious, but not really tempted. My gliding guests tell me that the views and the peace are awesome but the potagers and their beans will be safe from me!
lovely piece Cynthia,so descriptive. What truly unusual locals you find ,I hope you see his goodies one day soon! He obviously does`nt need the revenue !
ReplyDeleteActually he complained a lot that he wasn't making any money! Can't imagine why.
ReplyDeleteHe had obviously been drinking as well so you wouldn't want him to cut your hair either!