The church, after its restoration, is looking rather fine. The mural with Joanne of Arc peering heavenward and asking " Who will rid us of the dreaded English ? " is now in pristine condition. Before the restoration the damp had somehow contrived to give her a kyrptonite green face. She now exudes a ruddy glow.
The last of the money for the restoration ran out before the restorers got to the porch. It remains looking the worse for wear.
'The Font' tells the mayor that we'll pay for its decoration.The idea was to use fabric but the walls are too jagged and uneven.Instead the idea is to use wallpaper for the lower half and paint above. A meeting is held to finalize the plans.
'The Font' explains that a bee symbol might be appropriate for a country church. A bee is a symbol of the resurrection ( it disappears for 3 months but always returns ) . The lady with the purple hat remembers being told by her grandmother that bees are a sign of good fortune. They make the wax for the candles and without candles there could be no mass and without mass there would be no salvation. This answer is somewhat wasted on a Swedish Lutheran but all agree that it is a very charming thought. The purple hatted lady smiles.
Much time is spent deciding which of the eight wall paper samples would be most appropriate. Each is greeted enthusiastically. No decision can be made. The issue will be returned to at the next village council meeting. The man with anger management issues doesn't attend which makes the proceedings calmer if no less structured.
Bob and Sophie continue to enjoy the sunshine and the presence of starfish throwing drainage 'engineers'.
We spend much of the day hunting for petrol. Strikers are blockading the petrol refineries and the garages are running short. The air traffic controllers are planning an indefinite strike starting on Tuesday. We were planning to briefly go to London that day. To top it all off it seems the staff at the local nuclear power plant are going to stage a one day strike next week. This is presumably less threatening than it sounds.
Just another day in deepest, deepst France profonde.
18 comments:
What a kind gesture from you and 'The Font', Angus. The wallpaper is such a good choice aesthetically and perfect for a country church (not to mention it's obvious religious significance). I do hope that the council will come to a swift decision and work can proceed. I'm sure that 'The Font' can use her powers of persuasion and "help" them make up their minds !
Heavens yet more strikes in France. We had better keep our eye on things, as we planned to have a holiday in the Languedoc Roussillon area, sometime next month ! The dogs will be so disappointed if we can't go !!
If you're financing the wallpaper, don't you get to pick? Or be the tie-breaking vote?
I'm generally on the side of labor, but they go too far here. People retire in their 50s because of so many special regimes and exceptions. The ones who work have tons of time off. Who pays? We dummies who continue to work and pay taxes. There are other ways to stick it to the boss than continuing with the jobs-for-life setup that now exists.
The joys of "strike and/or demonstration season" in France. Let's hope the strikers "run out of gas" before the rest of France.
How will the damp and lack of heat affect the wallpaper? Bees are a wonderful choice since they're symbolic of community .
I was wondering how the strike was affecting you when I read about it. As denizens of a hurricane=prone area, from June 1 to November 30, we always keep our tanks full to avoid that awful post-storm search and long lines. Whenever I hear about one of the zillion French strikes, I always remember the greve generale of 1968, with "Rudy the Red, etc. One of my unforgettable memories of Paris. Good luck on the petrol search!!! (No am croissant slivers for the darlings I guess.)
The wallpaper selections pictured are beautiful and elegant. A very gracious gesture to your village.
How very nice of the ROF denizens to make that offer. The bees are an excellent choice, and the colors of that sample you show work nicely. If wallpaper doesn't work because of the damp, perhaps the bee design could be painted on.
Hello Angus, I enjoy your blog, it reminds me so much of a BBC comedy TV show (which I can't remember the title!) We have figured out "Mongoose" (Monsieur Angus run together) but why "The Font" for your wife?! I do hope the strikes are over with quickly! Wonderful restoration of Joan de Arc!
Kathy in Oregon
Here's hoping the Bozos don't run put of fuel thus leaving you in septique limbo.
I think there's a type of underlayment paper one can use to guard against the damp.
"septique limbo!" LOL!!
I have often wondered why the good lady is referred to as 'The Font', but after reading this blog over the years, I have come to the conclusion that it is short for 'The Font of all knowledge'.
Rather than admit you don't know the answer to homework it's always easier to say ' Go and ask The Font of all knowledge '.
It doesn't bear thinking about !
The Church is beautiful, a true jewel! What a heart felt offering for the Font and you to refurbish the porch. I love the gold bees! A symbol of resurrection, as well as Napoleon I's personal symbol. Please show us a picture of the finished project.
Just a thought Angus. Given all the various pipes, wells and tanks that you have around the ROF, is it too much to hope that somewhere in there the Bozo boys might find you your very own personal oil well?
Must say, I like the gold bees too.
Sorry, probably from living in Australia, we thought they were flies!
Lovely wallpaper - we think it is a grand choice.
Excellent choice of wallpaper. Most appropriate.
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