I am not here for a holiday. The purpose of my visit is to receive my sister’s furniture, which is being delivered today from her apartment in Switzerland. Medics have her for urgent work there, delaying her retirement to her home here.
What I had hoped for was a lie in, expecting the Swiss removals van to pitch up mid-afternoon. That wasn’t to happen. They called me at 07:30h to let me know they would be here at 09:00h. Archetypically Swiss, I heard the lorry’s reversing warning at 08:57h. The contents were off-loaded, with all boxes and furniture distributed about the property by 09:57h. They were gone by 10:03h. Now what do I do until Tuesday morning?
When I said this was a remote hamlet, those without a car, like me, will appreciate the fact remoteness is defined by time taken to reach the closest shop, although there is a bar closer. Raising the saddle on my sister’s bike meant that I could get to the local supermarket within the half-hour.
Having stocked up for the next few days, I ambled back, stopping to consider a local calvary in the first village, then have a look at the local marie, a fine example of what the 1789 Revolution led to by establishing communes, run by local democratic means.
As in the USA, France has strong community-based democracy. Close links between both nations, their bond was originally sealed through sharing a common enemy, the English Monarchy and its aristocracy, have been weakened this century. I think this has a lot to do with the USA moving into an imperial phase, as military and economic power is now rooted at its head. The French presidency is still constrained, quite rightly, by the constitution and the willingness of French citizens to pick up their metaphorical pitchforks when national government gets above itself and wants to be a central, dominant government. The USA’s issue, as in the UK, is the power held by the centre and the agenda becomes more and more like monarchical power, rather than the duty of administration for the people.
Local elections are being contested across France this spring. How that turns out will definitely be a comment on how the president is doing his bit, but it will also demonstrate what the priorities are of the various communes, what needs doing locally. Maintenance and provision of local utilities and amenities, having representatives in the local marie who act for the welfare of their commune, are the most important factor for many French people. The nationalists, divisive, fear-messaging politicians, seeking power to run the country on their simplistic terms, goes against everything that is good about France, its distributed power and local administrative arrangements.
This commune is well-maintained, with some neat touches, such as a tidy book box and mowed village green. The annual summer fete is a spectacular event, with music, circus entertainers and burlesque dancers later in the evening. The event concludes with a fireworks display a small city would do well to emulate.
The sense of local responsibility is epitomised by no litter. I mean absolutely none. A cycle ride, or walk is a joy, with the flora and fauna are the eye-catching distractions on the grass verges, not discarded crisp packets, or plastic bottles for example. The hedgerows of all the lanes are all trimmed neatly in good time for the birds to be able to nest undisturbed.
I got back from the shopping trip just as the light rain became torrential. I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening reading ‘Where’s The Money Gone?’ by Adrian Goldberg, published by Byline Times. His conclusion is that it’s taking part, the camaraderie of football supporters and the constancy of that support, that is the purpose of being a football fan. It’s not about winning, trophies, or gambling. It’s about gathering and sharing the ups and downs. He took several hundred pages to get there. The detailed financial shenanigans behind English football he reveals are depressing, although his conclusion is wise and on point.
An argument for watching your local team at whatever level, rather than pumping your hard-earned cash into a big brand club.
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CLP 15/03/2026
Journey of Words 
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