Summer 2019 at the Barn

Summer 2019 at the Barn

Mailly Le Camp, St Pere, Vezelay
Barn
Biking
Tour de France Stage 10--St Flour to Albi, passing through Espalion (the caravan live, the race on tv, with a good lunch, dessert, and coffee)

Click on any photo to see them in large, scrollable format.

Mally Le Camp

My respected and beloved college professor, Robert L. Peters, was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1943. He was a foot soldier in - but was no fighting man. Last year, I obtained a copy of his For You, Lili Marlene: A Memoir of World War II. In it, he recounted his journey from his family's Wisconsin farm to boot camp, shipping off to England, and eventual deployment in France. He spent a portion of the war stationed at Mailly Le Camp, between Reims and Troyes in northeastern France. I was familiar with the name from my frequent travels between Belgium and the Aveyron. On this trip, I stopped in Mailly Le Camp to have a look at the location he wrote about. Of course, it is much changed. Indeed, the camp itself was heavily bombed a few days after he left, and much of the village suffered damage, as well. Still, it was a moment of homage that I treasured. I failed to see the "entrance strictly prohibited" sign and gave myself a nice little tour of today's base, as soldiers prepared a few dozen tanks for who knows what fun. Nobody said anything to me, even as I snapped photos. I only noticed the sign as I was leaving.

At that time of his life, Dr. Peters was a strongly religious young man, and he mentioned visiting small churches in the area. It is possible he visited this church about 3 km to the north of the camp. Who knows?

In the graveyard outside the church, the inscriptions give a sense time and people.

The streets are named for only finest saints.

St. Pere

I love this small church in the middle of nowhere, at the doorstep to Vezelay.

Vezelay...

....where the Second Crusade was decided.

You get both of these in your bread at a French bakery.

Bike Riding in the Aveyron

Diane, our Suzuki "half a car," two sleek bikes, and the company of Lance Armstrong???

What are we grinning about, trying to line up a good selfie?

2 fingers + 5 fingers = 25 years! On this day, 25 years ago, the adventure began. (July 17)

A little romance. It's France, after all...

Diane is the stage winner this day.

On this ride to the Chateau du Bousquet, I took the Carla, a fabulous steel frame built by Georgio Carla of Lecce, Italy. Best riding bike ever.

180 Degree Panorama View

No siege was ever laid so the Bousquet's superb condition is original. Only the roofs have been restored over the years (and the cones were added in the late 19th Century), with windows also added in more peaceful times.

Post-ride refreshment at my favorite cafe, Chez Christiane, in Le Nayrac. Christiane's husband, Andre, is from Le Bousquet.

Le Bosc

The first of many wonderful meals at Le Bosc with our wonderful friends.

Market Friday in Espalion

This group of loiterers blocking the way turned out to be a choir. The leader was just about to set them on their first tune. Not a very good one, but fun to see (not hear).

Fouace, a sweet bread, at the best bakery anywhere, Le Palais, in Espalion.

Sophie at her shop in Espalion, where she displays her mosaics and jewelry, Bernard's ceramics, and the work of several more local artists. When she went to the cafe with Diane, I sold some mosaics!

Samples of Sophie's mosaic mirrors

My Favorite Hillside...

Being neighborly...on a daily basis

Summer Wheels

Diane and Bernard doing Raku at the Bosc

Preparing the kiln with Diane's cups and Bernard's animal figurines. He sells these at their shop.

Starting to get hot. The Raku has to be baked at over 900 degrees Celsius.

After baking, the pieces are carefully removed and placed in wood chips to burn the surface. The heat from the ceramics sets the chips burning.

Raku is hot, hard work, so lunch in a cool place is welcome!

Tour de France Caravan, Stage 10

All the gang is here! (Despite the striped shirt, Patrick was not part of the choir at the bridge, thank goodness.)

Got our spot in the shade. Front row. We're ready!

Here comes the Caravan!

Here comes the caravan!

Here comes Cochonou, throwing out little bits of dry sausage. I got a pack! This is the most coveted prize of any caravan. I later traded it for a Green Jersey cap that somebody else got.

I missed the free coffee tossed from the Senseo car. Too bad!

Asterix and Obelix, once again!

This caravan fan knows how to keep cool....in all senses of the word.

I caught two hats from the Krys truck! (Gave them to Bernard and the kid.)

Up goes Sophie's arms to catch any trinkets that might come her way.

It's a race, it's a competition, it's all hands on deck and everyone for himself! I got a packet of Cochonou dry sausage...and all around were jealous, jealous, jealous....

Delighted with our cadeaux!

Then the team cars arrive.

These cars contain team officials who will be up the road of the race, in case of need.

Sending photos and texts recounting the adventure to the kids.

Madame du Palais is philosophical.

Le Palais bakery. Another day, another fouace.

Watching the riders descend the 25 km grade from Le Calm and Le Cayrol to Espalion. The lead riders set a Tour record speed of 94 kmh. We preferred to see the full action on tv rather than just a few minutes (or a handful of seconds) as the breakaway and then the peloton speed through Espalion.

The Barn

It's a warm summer, so the fields are fading from green to gold.

Panorama of La Caze (the nom proper of this acreage, adjacent to and not truly part of La Coursiere)

Looking up the hill and toward the road.

Diane is taking a course, so she sometimes settles under the tree with her study tools.

Olivia at work composing and recording...and the late afternoon sunlight.

The Barn is visible just up from the two large modern barns belonging to our neighbors, the Recoussines. These enormous structures appear to dominate the scene, but we barely see them....just the peaks of the roofs, thankfully. This shot is taken from the other side of the valley, at the Chateau du Something or Other, which is often seen in the distance in Barn photos.

Diane purchased this mosaic mirror from Sophie's collection and installed it in the Barn's bathroom. We hope, next summer, to renovate the bathroom: removing the bathtub for a shower, replacing the cracked sink (from a full jar of Nutella that fell through the upstairs floor before it was finished), and plastering the whole interior white. We'll see if we can arrange the time and gumption!

Sunset through an elm tree! Scroll through them quickly in full size mode for the complete effect...