Awaken to Ornans, France

Bonjour my friends,

There’s a little village nestled not far from the German border in the Franche Compte region of France known as “the Little Venice of France”. It’s ‘Ornans’- home of the artist Gustave Courbet. When I stand on its footbridge over the River Loue which snakes through this very pretty village which Courbet celebrated, I can’t help but think that her inhabitants remind me of the river dwellers in Kenneth Graham’s children’s book  ’ The Wind in The Willows’ living on or near the river and deriving so much pleasure from it.

 

But then again this could be YOU on your journey through blessed France, soaking up the sun in Ornans beside the river as you catch a drip of escaping ice cream with your tongue or maybe watch a babbling procession of the best stories in the world with locals fishing for trout further upstream lashing their lines to a rhythm of life second to none.

‘The Wind in the Willows’ reads:

…”He thought his happiness was complete when, as he meandered aimlessly along, suddenly he stood by the edge of a full-fed river. Never in his life had he seen a river before–this sleek, sinuous, full-bodied animal, chasing and chuckling, gripping things with a gurgle and leaving them with a laugh, to fling itself on fresh playmates that shook themselves free, and were caught and held again. All was a-shake and a-shiver–glints and gleams and sparkles, rustle and swirl, chatter and bubble. The Mole was bewitched, entranced, fascinated….”

My French Awakening was and you will be too.

Go. Experience Ornans.

AuRevoir,

Best Wishes, Therese Waddell

copyright@ 2012 Therese Waddell

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