Jeneane is an incredible lady- She’s 74 and has lived in Le Vignaud her entire life. When she asked me to help her dig her potatoes, I was more than happy to help. She is always giving me something, whether it’s fresh eggs from the chickens, or a nice warm meal in the evening on my way back from the garden and I’m always looking for an opportunity to reciprocate the generosity. She had about 200 or so ‘pieds’ of potatoes- some fifteen or so rows about three meters long each- all ready to be dug.
After lunch one day, Odette pulls out her old Polaroid camera… I just happen to have a pack of trusty 600 on hand. It was great teaching Jeneane, a 74 year-old Creusois, how to look through the fuzzy viewfinder and snap her first Polaroid photo. And- most importantly, what to do after you take one: Shake it like a Polaroid! (Or according to the instructions on the package: Keep it in a warm place for 3-4 minutes.)
Gigi’s gone. She left La Creuse this afternoon bound for the sunny south and Dirty Darren and I were left at the train station in Gueret alone… We took one last trip to Le Vignaud to say au revoir to Jeanine. Her grandson Damien was there, and he took over my camera for a while.
Jun 28th, 2009
by Julianne.
The boulangeries are wonderful all over France, but the Le Vignaud experience was special. There is no boulangerie in the village, so the bread is delivered several times a week in a bread truck. The driver would blast his horn and park a few houses away, and after running upstairs for my wallet I would trot down the street and stand with the other villagers as we bought our bread for the day.
