It's a September afternoon. In the garden the fennel has blossomed into upside down umbrella flowers.
When I snap one, the aroma of aniseed fills the still air. It's as if a genie has been conjured from the creamy white stem, filling the garden with the memory of another time and place ...
... Another golden September afternoon. We are in the Burgundy village of Flavigny-sur-Ozerain, perched on a hilltop, picture postcard pretty. They made the film of Joanne Harris's book 'Chocolat' here. Enchanting book, magical film.
The shop at l'Abbaye de Flavigny where Vianne Rocher offers chocolate temptation in the film, sells sweets in this world. They are called Anis de Flavigny and we buy a jar of them. The tiny white sweets, which are sugar coated seeds of anise (pimpinella anisum - related to fennel), have been made here for centuries. We suck them as we wander the sun drenched streets where nothing moves faster than a lazy cat. Wasps hum, apple blissed.
September is the month for nostalgia. The gilded strands of web stretching across the garden are attached to memories; of the summer past, of all the summers past, of summers beyond the individual memory.
September is perhaps my most creative month and I find I have a 'posse' of stories jostling for attention in my mind - always welcome!
Today though I'm going out blackberrying. September brings out the deep memory of the hunter gatherer too!
When my favourite photographer finds some photos of Flavigny-sur-Ozerain, I'll add them. Memories don't always come date stamped!
For those of you who've grown used to my Tuesday / Friday routine, service should be back to normal by next Friday! It's good to kick back sometimes (Big smile).
No comments:
Post a Comment