plus ça change.....

...., plus c'est la même neige!

Friends - I am toiling. Although I've done my best to keep snow blips to a minimum.... nevertheless it is all back again, in force, and I can hardly ignore the fact. But what fresh to shoot, what fresh to say? I guess this is a problem shared with most fellow blippers right now - at least those in the northern hemisphere.

Then I remembered François Villon. He was a poet, thief and vagabond in 15th century France. He was involved in street brawling in Paris (including one which had a fatal outcome) and usually over girls!

So why today am I thinking about Villon! Because he wrote the line in 15th century French which some claim is the best-known translated line in all of the English language.

His "Ballad of the Ladies of Ancient Times" pays tribute to many women from Classical times up to Joan of Arc. Some of the writing is a bit "gritty" like describing how Héloïse's friend Abelard was "unmanned"!

But each section ends with the line:

Mais ou sont les neiges d'antan?

Where are the snows of yesteryear?

What was his point - perhaps that all the great names from the past are gone (as we all shall be) as if they had never been!

Where ARE the snows of yesteryear? I have no idea - but I do know where today's snow is!