Doulcon...and back

24th April 2015 - a bright, warm afternoon.  We are able to take advantage of what may be the last sunny day this week, as rain is forecast from very early tomorrow morning until mid-afternoon on Monday, and head for the riverside at Doulcon.  We find a bench with the Ballastières behind us and the small riverside properties at Dun-sur-Meuse opposite the River Meuse.

 sojourn

in warm Spring sunshine -
a bench by the River Meuse;
at my feet grass,
scattered with buttercups,
daisies, dandelions, mustard flowers;
above, birdsong fills the air
while, nearer to the ground,
bumble-bees hum busily;
one disappears near my feet into a small,
deep hole - a nest or resting place perhaps;
ducks glide lazily on the water
as a man on the opposite bank
switches off his motor-mower
satisfied that his and his neighbours’
verges are tidy once more.

their bungalows are appealing
I say “I’d like to live there.”
“Not in winter you wouldn’t.”
came the reply.

I dream on…

The church clock chimes 4 and we head for home, stopping at Haraumont to take photos of the fontaine trough and the nearby lavoir. 

These cows must be shy - they ducked their heads as I clicked!

The church is up the hill...

...and, opposite the lavoir, white "candles" glow on a chestnut tree...

We head across farmland towards the sun-dappled forest...

...to...

The wash-house there is under the Mairie...

 
...adjacent to the war memorial...

...and opposite a glorious pink-blossomed cherry tree...

It was a lovely way to spend three hours and we return home happy, relaxed and enjoy a glass of chilled rosé.

Mercy

Last week we had reason to go to Mercy Hospital at Metz.  It is a new hospital which has been built alongside an impressive chateau situated high on a hill top.

The chateau, in neo-classical style, looks very old but I discovered it was built in 1905 - not the 1700s we first imagined.

In the past, ownership of the Moselle region had been switched back and forth between Germany and France. Whilst under German annexation plans were carried out to make Metz a showcase of Wilhelmine architecture.  Many Francophile owners responded by building French-inspired buildings to face the spread of the Germanic style and the Chateau at Mercy illustrates this resistance.

The widow of Maurice Coetlosquet fulfilled his desire for the building in 1905 and
in 1919 the area again became French.  But in 1940 the area was again annexed by Nazi Germany and the chateau was used as a hospital for German soldiers. In 1944 the area was returned to France and the building was then used by the staff of the Royal Canadian Air Force until 1966 and became the property of the French Army in 1968. In 2000, it was sold  along with the land for the proposed new hospital. The chateau was then sold to an investor for restoration in 2012.

It is a beautiful building and good to know it will be saved for future generations to enjoy.

Spring Fair 2015

Sunday 12th April. Yesterday’s grey skies and the rain cleared in time for the day to dawn dry, bright and sunny - the ideal weather for the Spring Fair in Damvillers.

Centre ville and the surrounding roads were cleared of cars yesterday afternoon and evening as the residents found places for them here and there.  Those who needed to use cars today had to put them on the outskirts.  Bit hard on the chefs of our family who need to transport food to our lake as the anglers this week have ordered the food package - two cooked meals a day.  Also, the hospital nurse is due today to treat our daughter’s bad leg.  Guess that’s the way the cookie crumbles, or perhaps, c’est la vie!  The nurse knows the situation, laughed and said “No problem.  I will find a solution.“  I wished her bon chance.  She laughed again.

Our house in the centre is surrounded with stalls - and the bar van, with tables and benches is right outside our front door.  At midday, we took a stroll and here are a few photos which I hope will give a flavour of the day…

Blacksmith at work.

Donkeys...

Goats...

Horses...

and...

much...

much...

more... 

The mobile bar...








...and, from our first-floor window...

 Queue for kebabs.

Outdoor "midi".









In the afternoon (Sunday arter-noon, arter-dinner!) bigger crowds promenaded and their chatter and laughter merged with the music being played through the town speakers..and the nurse did "find a solution" so all worked out well. 

Laundries and Fountains - 3...a little history.

Water is of course the source of life for both man and beast and communities initially formed alongside rivers and streams or, later, that which was pumped up from underground (the fontaines).  But man’s then close proximity to his cemeteries and to his animals, sharing the water supply with them for all needs, proved to be a downfall and a reason for the spread of many diseases.

Between the years of 1826 and 1836 cholera ravaged France.  The region of Meuse in Lorraine, in north-eastern France, did not escape and there were 12,000 cases; in just one year during that time 4,000 people died in the epidemic. 

The government investigated the possible causes and then actively promoted and legislated for better hygiene, giving up to 30% of the cost of building village laundries (the lavoirs),   In many areas these were built of stone but in poorer communities the buildings were made of wood. 

The lavoirs became a meeting place for the women to gather, gossip and sing whilst cleaning the household linen and clothing. Over the following many years and with the advent of industrial laundries, launderettes and then washing machines as water became being piped directly to houses, the lavoirs fell into disuse.  However, many communities have restored the buildings as part of their heritage for locals and visitors to explore and enjoy.

We have found several now but there are many more to discover and our hunt will continue...

Laundries and Fountains - 2.

Easter Monday, 6th April 2015.  Not as much sunshine today but still pleasant enough to resume our search for more laundries and fountains in the area…

We are getting the hang of things now and looking in the bottom of village valleys by the rivers to find les lavoirs and found this laundry opposite the River Othain...

Ron noticed that the roof was of stone which had been cut and fitted to shape...

We had parked just past the laundry, near the end-of-the-village sign and just beyond that spotted another building by the river...

The path was very muddy, but Ron went to investigate...

This didn't seem to be a laundry and we wondered what its past use could be.  The building has been kept in very good order.

Then on to our final destination of the day...

 ...and back home for a welcome cuppa.

Another good day lavoir-and-fontaine hunting.