Sunday 15 April 2007

The village - our village


This is our village, right in the center of France. Small place, nowadays, about 200 people live there and some more during the summer months. Last year, I read in a tourist guide printed
150 years ago that the village had 1200 people living in it!

Old people told me that after the war and up to the sixties (last century) Rouffiac had about 600 inhabitants and could boast one grocer, two butchers, two bakers and one wine merchant who sold coal at the same time.

Now, these businesses are all gone and even the post office has closed. However, we still have
a café/restaurant that sells some foodstuffs and takes your mail. Especially the café is of the highest importance. Sure you can have an espresso there, but they sell all kinds of alcoholics, too. We have some steadfast swillers over here. As the saying goes "to be drunk every day, means also to lead a regular life".

Rouffiac is a real farmers' village. They run the place and they work hard. I do not know if they are rich but they are certainly affluent, judging by the huge tractors they drive. The Auvergne people are the Scots of France, tight fisted, "un sou est un sou", one cent is one cent and the coin is being turned around several times before it is spent.

More next time.

9 comments:

  1. Wowwwwww
    It's beautiful
    I've always loved to see your village ...

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  2. Well, come over here and have a look.You are most welcome.

    G.

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  3. Thanks ... I hope I will ...

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  4. Beautiful beautiful village! I remembered my visit to a village south of France in a summer years back as a student and working there picking grapes.
    And now? An insider working in Iran and reporting to the White House. Read about my missions.

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  5. How idyllic, Georg. So tell us, are you one of swillers or one of the farmers?

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  6. Hi Tamara,

    Thanks for looking. To tell you the truth, the photo is more idyllic than the place itself.

    As to myself, I am sorry to say I am neither a swiller nor a farmer, just onlooker plus one glass of wine per evening.

    G.

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  7. "To tell you the truth, the photo is more idyllic than the place itself."

    ... that's life, as they say. Thank god for George Eastman!

    "As to myself, I am sorry to say I am neither a swiller nor a farmer, just onlooker plus one glass of wine per evening."

    You're not really sorry, are you? To be able to be an onlooker is a privilege... granted, a lonely one at times, but a privilege nevertheless....

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  8. Sympa GEORG de voir mon pays commenté par un américain.
    J'aime aussi l'appellation "d'écossais de France" que tu donne aux auvergnats. c'est en partie vrai. Mais tu dois savoir qu'on dit ça aussi des Normands, des Picards et de bien d'autres provinciaux.
    pas grave. c'est marrant.

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