Fiona Alderman’s Blog: Life on the Square

Another month and on lockdown again.  People are resigned  to it but fed up too. We go out with our pieces of paper to say where and when we are going and for what reason. Life is difficult even for a small village in rural France. I notice how people are trying to survive. It is so strange. All but the essential shops are allowed to open and mask wearing plus hand sanitising obligatory.

We are having problems with the new mayor, who is trying to change things to his own way without consulting his team, so there is a lot of unrest here at the moment.

I wonder if you notice what is missing in my photo above, for those who might have followed me for a few years!

Yes, the tent has gone. Finally, and I didn’t even see it go? From one day to the next here somethings happen quickly and efficiently, others not so. I don’t even know where it has gone, there was a possibility it would be kept for Covid patients. There have been some cases in the village but as far as I know, no fatalities.

Back to the square which is looking much nicer now and back to how we first knew it. The trees have been given their annual haircut, and they reflect starkly against the Autumnal sky with their angular shapes. This area was in olden days a park that was connected to the Convent just down the road – full of trees with a fountain in the middle. The houses surrounding it and the Cafes were apparently numerous. Our lovely Cafe de la Place, at the other end of the square, recently had their annual 3 weeks holiday, then returned to lockdown. However, they are doing a good trade in takeaway pizzas, burgers and tacos! I think I’ll go soon.

Paris Match

paris match

Paris Match is a wonderful weekly magazine with great photos and their own unique way of reporting. I bought a copy recently as there was an article and front page on Sean Connery who recently died at the age of 90. Sadly missed. He had a French wife and they had a  beautiful house in France.  She was apparently a strong force in their couple for many years and was a loving and supportive foil for our Sean. The magazine started as a sports magazine called Match in 1938 but became Paris Match in 1949, where it  now fully covers a whole spectrum of news, culture and lifestyles.

It is the most widely circulated magazine in France; appealing to a wide range of people.

I read another article in it this month about Sophia Loren, who is still acting at 86, and being directed in a new film by her son. They have a mutual liking for working together and have made several films.

Still a beauty, she says she has” never had a problem with age, and that she has always thought that today and tomorrow are more important than yesterday ” Good philosophy especially now.

And finally

life on the square

On my  daily walks I like to take photographs and at the moment the light is beautiful and the sun is out but not in a harsh way. Once again, things appear and disappear here it seems overnight.

There’s a sign with a dog on it, which is a dispenser with black bags for clearing up your dog poop and putting it responsibly into a nearby bin. Again I have never seen anyone use it and there is still dog poop lying about? There are other little boxes too. All around the village I have seen four different ones so far for cigarette butts. Called megot in French, I learnt, and they have two separate slots to put in your megots, on answering a question. For instance, do you prefer dogs or cats? Apparently more dog lovers here I noticed.
Another question does one megot pollute either 50 litres of water or 500? There weren’t many replies. Strange times.

That’s it for now. Keep safe and well.

Until next time. Fifi’s stories from rural France.
November, 2020. www.salignacfoundation.com Dance and film courses in S W France.

 

Fiona Alderman: Happy New Year from Rural France
Fiona Alderman Blog: Life in Rural France

This section: Fiona Alderman blogging from The Salignac Foundation France

Written by :

Avatar of PatByrne Publisher of Pat's Guide to Glasgow West End; the community guide to the West End of Glasgow. Fiction and non-fiction writer.

Comments are closed.

Copyright Glasgow Westend 2009 thru 2017

Contact Pat's Guide to Glasgow West End | About Pat Byrne | Privacy Policy | Design by Jim Byrne Website Design