The heat and roar of it all.
Motorbikes and cicadas.
The base of Mt.Ventoux, a jagged white face between the plane trees, and higher up, the pines. Today, as I am a lightweight, I rest. 200 miles on a tight winding road through the Ardeche, where I am only aware of the heat, the curve and the lean of my bike on the tarmac, is a long way.
An accidental missed turning led me to Ispagnac, where in the tradition of the region, churches have doors on their south sides. However, here, at a church whose name I could not find, I entered through an arched garden wall and into the east end. For most people, perhaps, this is a "well, so what" detail.
For the ardent anorak-bearing church spotter, this was a hoppingly exciting moment.
The undressed stone was mud brown; the eight arched windows only let in localized shafts of hard light reminiscent of a La Tour painting. The floor plan of the church looked like a child's bird's eye view of a 1950's Cadillac car and I thought of all the things I have seen which I later decontextualized and made my own.
59 fountains
photos will be forthcoming when technology and I stand hand in hand with a common purpose.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of the Church plan like the 1950s Cadillac
ReplyDeleteReading these posts I get quite a sense of the smell of the place
Jim
Megan you write beautifully! It's inspiring and I can feel the heat of the road and all that freedom and never knowing what exciting long-forgotten treasures might be round the next corner.. the accidental discoveries, Louise's wheels guiding you where they will...
ReplyDeleteLooks like O&B will be hitchiking down for August 3rd - my soul is yearning for it, especially inspired by the feeling of your writing! - Dan and Caroline's barn is in a place called St Arcons d'Allier, near Langeac (Haute Loire 43) If all goes to plan (what plan?) we should be there until August 11th. Are you in mobile contact? Or is email/ this blog best? Will find out more just in case you join us there - I imagine there'll be some lovely folk there:)
Sorry - of course I meant Barny and I hitching down (Oscar is having a fab time in Spain!)
ReplyDeleteBTW - if you get a chance, you MUST visit a village called Oradour-sur-Glane, nr Limoges.... It's an extraordinary place: de Gaulle decreed that it should be left as a testament to what the Nazi's did right across France: a completely burnt out village left exactly as it was the day it was destroyed - including old shops, burnt out cars etc.. It's a very sad, moving, shocking experience - time travel back to that horrific time... What an extraordinary decision to preserve this place - and not many people know it's there!