Grand-failly

On the last Sunday in August the village of Gand-failly holds a special event, Les Jardinades.

The main theme changes each year but focuses on produce from the garden - grown by seeds given to the gardeners by a local association - but also features a few crafts.

A T-shape section of the village roads are closed, with a three-euro entry charge to pedestrians (park where you can nearby!) to house the many fruit or flower decorations and stalls. 

On offer are bread, cheeses, vegetables, wine, honey - complete with glass-fronted mini bee hive - and include carved wood, artwork and jewellery. 

A meal cooked in the traditional way, also burgers and chips are for sale, alongside beer and champagne stalls.

Live music and street theatre is also provided.

A grand effort by Grand-failly!

By the River Meuse at Stenay

We spent a very pleasant, sunny Sunday afternoon by the River Meuse at Stenay.

                                                                     Time for thought…


Towards the weir - the river turns right away from it.

 This house set back from the river bank by a single track road has a pretty garden.

 A glimpse of the town....
 

Turning back towards Le port de plaisance de Stenay where there is room for boats to moor and, on the opposite bank, a place for camper vans to park.

 More camper cans than boats today but we have often seen it the other way round...

The little café is under new ownership but as well as inside there is still an area across the narrow road to enjoy outdoor refreshment...albeit between the parked cars!

Au revoir le port de plaisance!

Juvigny-sur-Loison

We’ve enjoyed a few bright sunny spells in between many times of dark skies, showers and thunderstorms - although the latter do seem to be lessening in frequency at last.

Yesterday, Monday, afternoon was such and we went for a short drive to Juvigny-sur-Loison, a pretty village tucked into a fold of the surrounding beautiful hills.

It was lovely to sit on the river-bank bench, enjoy the sunshine and flowers and listen to the burbling water.

If it hasn’t already done so, surely this lovely spot should win a village fleurie award as many flowers have been planted - by the roadside where it joins the river bank and some splendid grouping of different sorts of flowers alongside barns and in front of houses.

There was a strange man lurking, smoking a pipe.  Didn't want to upset the natives so I took him home with me! 

I don't think it was his pipe's fault but dark clouds started to roll in again and it was time for tea..

Fête des Arts

The following Japanese short-form poetry was inspired by our visit to Les Rainettes for the Fête des Arts...

tanka…

Fête des Arts
Les Rainettes garden
light shower chased by sun
if only life’s problems
could be so quickly dismissed

haiku…

painters
in footsteps of Bastien Lepage
summer Sunday

haibun…

Sunday 3rd August.  The day is hot and sunny but a short shower in the morning freshens the air. Les Rainettes was once the home of the grandfather of Jules Bastien Lepage.  Then the land was an orchard where Jules often painted. Now it is a private park-like garden which is open to the public once a year for a Fête des Arts with painters at their easels, musicians and artisans displaying and selling their wares. Families and friends wander around the lovely grounds and admire the skill of the artists.  Luckily a change in the weather doesn’t arrive until 7pm when a thunder storm rolls across the town and heavy rain washes away the dust of the day and provides puddles for the birds to enjoy. 

rain can be a blessing
we only view it so
when it is convenient

haiga...

 Rodin’s statue
Jules Bastien Lepage
both fine artists

And photos taken in the garden...

Families with chattering children approach a painter near a pole with a stork's nest on top...

The storks take a peep, obviously do not like their peace disturbed, decide to leave the nest and fly away.  

The artist is not fazed by any of these and continues painting.

Among the artists, two young men wear WW1 clothes.

Many other artists were in attendance but this selection of photos gives a flavour of our happy afternoon spent in the beautiful grounds of Les Rainettes at this annual Fête des Arts in Damvillers.