View from le Muguet terrace

 

When you see Le Muguet for the first time you'll be enchanted by its quintessentially French surroundings. The square it overlooks is planted with ubiquitous plane trees, the men in the village linger all year on sunny days to play endless games of petanque under the trees next to a 19th century covered fountain. The vans from the vendors of fish or vegetable stop regularly during the week. And when April rolls around, and the asparagus fete takes place, everyone in the village sits at long tables covered with white linen, eating, drinking, and joking to the sound of the accordion.  

'French' and 'domestic' have become les mots d'ordre (watchwords) for all our picking. A 'comptoise' - the French country version of a grandfather clock - was found at a local dealer, adorned with naïf decoration on the pine case. Every house, every kitchen, would invariably resound with the ticking and chiming of a similar clock: part of the French provincial DNA, just as is the case with the old-fashioned petrol lamp, with the porcelain cloche, now hanging from the salon ceiling. It bespeaks an era not too distant from us, especially in terms of comfort and cosiness. Yes, it is still possible to live our modern lives surrounded by objects from the past that speak of functionality, dignity, and pleasant design. A 'Voltaire' chair, still upholstered in its rich green linen velvet, can be as comfortable to snuggle in with a book than anything manufactured today - and the curves of a Louis XV caned chair have no rival in the history of furniture making for simple elegance.  

Another happy 'trouvaille' (find) at a flea market made our day: a huge wooden panel with a central diamond motif also a suggestion of French renaissance, that found its perfect place on the hood of the main bedroom fireplace.