These chrysanthemums are for real and ready for Toussaint
Lesley and I bumped into our neighbour this morning as we took a promenade down to the local shops, this Sunday of Toussaint. We commented to her that the starlings had yet to leave their resident Ribérac tree. This tree is a magnificent specimen and stands almost opposite our house. It must be over 50m tall. Sometimes at night you can hear the birds incessant chattering, as if they're in a heated discussion about the optimum time to return to Africa for the winter. Occasionally in the early hours of the morning they start to swirl about casting mysterious shadows and shapes through our shutters. Their star turn comes at 'le crépuscule' or twilight. It is at this time that they start to gather, swooping in from all points of the compass in great swirling black clouds. It's amazing to observe, and one wonders how they avoid hitting each other. Nature can be truly amazing. Our neighbour, a lady who 'knows' such things, said that normally, whatever that means nowadays, the starlings head off for sunnier climes round about September 8th. Well, that means they're all most two months late. Pretty bizzare, huh? Anyway I'll sure miss them when they finally leave.
Florists try to outdo each other with their displays, flowers are big business here
I think it was the end of July or perhaps early August when the headline in the Sud Ouest declared "Le temps a l'air de Toussaint" Lesley and I were walking the Renaissance streets of Perigueux and I remember it being particularly gloomy and overcast. The newspaper wasn't referring to the tidal wave of economic data that was gathering on the horizon but to the sudden change in the weather from endless blue skies to a period of gloomy, grey weather. Well here we are on the Sunday of Toussaint and the sun is shining down gloriously with temps settled at about 23 degrees, people are bustling about the town chatting and being neighbourly with one another whilst they ready themselves for the absolution of all their sins in one fail swoop on this catch-all of saints days. Another neighbour we bumped into described Ribérac, inundated as it is with the flowers for Toussaint as being "en plongée", referring to its being submerged in flowers.
The local flower shops have taken a big hit and the chrysanthemums are literally flying off the shelves. I was particularly heartened by this as a few days ago I found myself in one of those shops that specialise in selling Chinese type goods. The shop was stuffed full of plastic chrysanthemums from floor to ceiling. I thought it was the death knell for our local florists but after this morning's show, with people buying with what appeared to be abandon, I needn't have worried.
The route between Ribérac & Nontron where oak and Spanish chestnut abound in glorious technicolor
Our afternoon's activities still beckoned and the annual Nontron 'Rue des Metiers d'Art' was on hand. Following our visit of last year I was eager to see what these local artisans had to offer. As we drove along the D708 towards Nontron I was once more compelled to stop and indulge in some picture taking. After I had parked the car and wandered back up the main road to take the above picture I was startled to hear two loud gunshots to my right. Ducking instinctively, I realised a boar, or some such beast had just met its end. The howl of the dogs went up rapidly followed by the insistent baying. I broke into a steady canter on my way back to the car. I was pleased to reach it and shut the door firmly behind me. I quickly turned the car in the direction of Nontron and left the hunters to it. I still have vivid memories of last year's encounter with an 'animale sauvage' and the loss of our car.
Stunning autumnal colours on the D708
Our second annual visit to Nontron for this festival
Maybe it was the benign weather or that there was nothing good on TV, but Nontron today was surprisingly well patronised. There were lots of people out and about, whole families, young and old. People were interested in what Nontron was putting on. As Lesley astutely pointed out, this is a time when creative people are needed in the world. People who can add colour to our lives. Individuals, creative, resourceful and practical, a foil against greyness, ubiquity and just plain repetitiveness which seems to envelope us all on a daily basis. Here, in Nontron their imagination was given full reign. Artisans displayed their skills and knowledge with pride, be it Raku pottery or the extraordinary basket work (vannerie) of Xavier Chabaud.
Xavier Chabaud shows off his not inconsiderable skills
You don't knock these works of art up in five minutes
I watched transfixed as Xavier undertook a demonstration of traditional basket weaving. A young man who has learnt something truly timeless which will always be valued. Judging by the crowd of interested people of all ages surrounding him, both admiring his skills and purchasing his goods, he has no need to worry. Hopefully he will always be in demand, for every piece he produces is truly unique, no two pieces being identical. That's what you pay for and when one considers the amount of time he has to dedicate to each basket, his work is an absolute bargain.
This piece was on display in the old château
The ceramicist Michael Kay produced this in September 2011 entitled "La Vendange"
So we can safely say that the Nontron Metiers d'Art is fixed firmly in our Autumn diary. What with these elongated Summer/Autumn days which we have now come to expect, what better place to while away an afternoon browsing the unique pieces of art and selecting that extra special Christmas present for your loved ones.
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