Escape

We are staying with old friends in Nolay, a pretty rural town with an exquisite 14th century market (extra) whose name is an old pronunciation of walnut tree (now noyer). Its population of 1,500 is declining as young people leave and old people die. It’s 30 minutes’ drive from the nearest moderate size town (45,000) and 40 minutes’ drive from the nearest TGV station, and has been abandoned by its two GPs, in an exact parallel with ceridwen’s and Veronica's comments on my blip two days ago. So many buildings are empty that it’s possible to buy a house ‘in need of repair’ for only 28,500 euros. A year of derelict Sundays, easily (extras). No wonder that British people, even Brexiteers, are tempted to buy a second home in the area.
 
It’s good to be with our friends, who moved here from Paris 18 months ago, good to be practising my French and good to be wearing summer clothes in the sun again.

Black and white in colour 111