Tonight, 16 August, strangely quiet around the doors here.
It has not been a normal summer because of Covid-19 but more recently it has begun to seem normal.
Life follows a pattern here and normally, families arrive in July and certainly in August, to spend time with their grannies, grand dads, aunts, uncles, cousins and in their holiday homes. Maisons secondaires are occupied, gardens aree full of life and noise and the village is full of life.
Our village vide grenier was cancelled, there aren't any family parties, discos, etc., although there have been some marché festifs.
15 August, le quinze aout, is a public holiday here and we were amazed that there were the usual fireworks at the lake at Treignac, given that they start at 22.00 when it is dark, and it is always crowded, so how the social distancing worked, I do not know.
Anyway, last night we ate out in the garden, then played Triominos, while watching the flashes in the sky over towards Treignac, and it was the usual holiday noises in the surrounding gardens - people laughing, music playing, kids out playing, until at least midnight. I think that's the first night this year that it has felt 'normal'.
Tonight though - our neighbours seem to have gone to bed early as they're going back to Paris tomorrow, guests as the next-door BnB also seem to be having an early night and grandchildren a couple of doors down have disappeared into the house. The teenagers with their African/reggae music which we appreciated last night have work again tomorrow maybe, so at 9.30, 21.30, all was quiet.
A very strange year, and a very strange evening all adding to the unreal and rather depressing atmosphere of these times.
