So - who do you think you are (now)?

For years I was a Geordie (still am) - also a Novocastrian, ie from Newcassel!  So, now here we are in Chamberet and I am now also a chambertoise, Harry being a chambertois (and the village tabac and café/pizzeria is Le Chambertois).

In our experience in this corner of la France profonde (deepest rural France) people still have very strong ties to their roots.  The majority of retired people we've met have worked in la région parisienne and have returned here to live where their grandparents or parents lived, living often in the old family home.  Lots of French people still have their family home as a holiday home, or maison secondaire, and, no matter where they live, they return there with children and grandchildren in the long summer holidays, at Christmas, Toussaint (All Saints feast in November) and other bank holidays (jours fériés).

So, a strong sense of place and belonging.  Linked to that, in France, I think I'm right in saying, that no matter where you're from you'll be able to claim your local citizenship with its own word - think of Parisians (parisien or parisienne for a woman).  

In Limousin there are various variable names - if you're from Brive, you're a briviste, from Limoges a limougeaud, from St-Junien, a saint-juniaud, Treignac a treignacois or treignacoise, from Affieux, an affieucois or affieucoise.  

So, there you go - another little ramble in Chamberet!  Who can you lay claim to being now?

© Marie Tyler, 5 February 2018