The Loire-Lorraine connection

When we were in Loches in May, I noticed this decorative manhole cover. It looked like a gigantic medieval medallion or shield. What really attracted my attention though was the name on it: Pont-à-Mousson. Pont-à-Mousson is one of our favourite towns in the Lorrain area, in North-eastern France. It’s a provincial type of town halfway between the larger cities of Metz in the north and Nancy in the south.

Looks a bit like a medieval medallion, doesn't it?

We accidentally discovered the town during our first Lorraine trip sometime in the nineties. We had booked a hotel near Lunéville, where you’ll find the famous château that’s also known as ‘le Petit Versailles’ because of the resemblance it bears with the famous Palace that Louis XIV had built just outside of Paris.

We had no particular reason to leave the motorway in Pont-à-Mousson, except that it was raining cats and dogs. Due to the poor visibility driving conditions were dangerous. We felt it would be much safer on the smaller roads where there were fewer trucks. Following the signs ‘centre ville’ we arrived at a large almost triangular town square. Two sides are lined with arcades beneath which shops, cafés and restaurants are located. It was almost lunchtime and we decided this was as good a place as any to have a bite to eat. By the time we had parked the car, the rain had stopped and we took a walk around the square to see whether we could find a nice, yet affordable restaurant.

Pont-à-Mousson's town square.

All through our walk we could smell the tantalizing aroma of grilled meat. We stopped at several restaurants to study the menu card, hoping to find the source of this appetizing aroma. When we finally found it, we couldn’t have been more surprised. The façade of the restaurant was hardly three meters wide. In the front room were four tables and behind it half of the room was occupied by a large counter with a row of tables along the opposite wall. The room was packed with people and there was a very cheery atmosphere.

to be continued

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Wicked wicker

Halfway between Tours and Chinon, at 7 km from Azay-le-Rideau, you’ll find the village of Villaines-les-Rochers. It hosts France’s largest ‘cooperative de vanneries’, with 60 basket weavers, five of whom carry the prestigious title of ‘Meilleur ouvrier de France’.

The ‘cooperative’ has a workshop that is open to the public, as well as a large store where the artisans’ work is sold. Over the years I’ve visited the village on three occasions. And each time, I’ve bought a handmade item. My first buy was a large hand-woven wicker trunk in which I now keep my bed sheets and blankets. It’s a very useful piece of furniture and I really like it as it blends in nicely with the rest of the bedroom.

On my second visit I bought a basket that can hold up to four bottles. It’s very handy to carry wine or one liter water bottles from the garage or the cellar to the kitchen and the dining room. My third purchase was a bread basket.

Knowing my friends’ interest in handmade and crafty decorative items, we drove to Villaines-les-Rochers after finishing our walk in Crissay-sur-Manse. We started by visiting the workshop where four or five weavers were working on different items. Weaving baskets and other wicker items requires special skills, flexible, yet strong fingers and hands and several sharp tools. The weavers didn’t object to us taking photos, and we spent almost half an hour watching them transform the slim and bendable willow branches into different objects, ranging from sturdy garden fences, to handy carrying baskets and artful little stools.

One of the basket weavers in the workshop.

Our next stop was the store. It was even bigger than I remembered it from my earlier visits. I felt it was going to be a tremendous challenge not to buy anything. And yet, I resisted … There was one item that caught my fancy: a wine cooler, made from a solid piece of rock (I don’t think it was local, though) with a dark brown wicker rim. But my common sense took over when I thought of the two wine coolers I already had at home and the lack of space in my kitchen cupboards.

Wicked wicker flowers ...

I quickly scurried to the other part of the shop where large pieces of wicker furniture are on display. Here sizes and prices will automatically dissuade you from buying anything.

However, guess what B. was carrying
when we left the store. Right … the wine cooler!

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Water, cool running water ...

That’s exactly what I’m craving for right now! It’s hot, very hot and very humid, with more thunderstorms to come. We had a nice refreshing shower last night. But the storm stayed well north and east from where I live. Let’s hope it remains like that … rain bringing cooler air but without the sound and light show that goes with it!

And while we’re on the subject of water …

The 'Manse' in Crissay-sur-Manse.

Did you know that the first English patent for a ‘washing and wringing machine’ was issued in 1691*? Of course, it was still manually operated and did little more than swirling the laundry in the water that had previously been poured into the wooden tub. Although the performances of the machines improved over the years, women in rural areas continued using the municipal ‘lavoir’ or washing shed well into the 20th century.

The sheds were erected over large natural or artificial basins in which the water of a spring was collected. Sometimes they covered part of a fast running stream. Sitting on their knees near the edge of the water, the women scrubbed and rinsed the clothes. It was extremely labour-intensive work. However, it was a necessity and they tried to make the best of it by chatting and exchanging the latest gossip.

Today the ‘lavoirs’ have become part of the architectural heritage of many a village. The old buildings, which have been carefully restored and embellished, are often considered as one of the villages’ major tourist attractions. During our travels in France and the south of Belgium, I’ve seen plenty. And on a hot day like today I liked rinsing my hands or soaking my feet for a while in the ice-cold water.

The 'lavoir' in Crissay-sur-Manse.

During our after-lunch walk in Crissay-sur-Manse we saw a sign indicating the presence of a ‘lavoir’. This came as a surprise to me as I have visited the village on two previous occasions and I had never known that it had one. While most of these washing sheds can be found near the village centre, this one was located at the end of a dust road that led to the ‘Manse’, the little stream to which Crissay owes part of its name. It was a simple, yet neatly kept building, with heavy wooden beams and a solid wooden door. The fast running water was crystal clear. There were no washing stones though and the level of the water was too low to reach from the bank. We wondered how the women were able to do their washing here. Maybe they just stood in the water, although in winter that would have been very, very uncomfortable. Or maybe the stones had been removed. There was no one around we could ask, so I guess we’ll never know.

(*) Source: Wikipedia

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