We were away from Diozidoux for a while, visting the south-west corner of France. It's interesting how seeing a new part of the country makes you reflect on your own area. After we left the vines of Bergerac behind us, the countryside became very flat and it wasn't until we reached the coast, at Capbreton, that there was more of interest in the landscape. But also, just so many more people!
I was genuinely surprised by how many people were still around and obviously on holiday, this being early September and the schools now having gone back. I always think of the end of August as the end of the holidays and the tourist season - years of being tied to them myself, I suppose. So to find beaches busy with people, and car park space at a premium was unexpected. We even drove through a fairly large belt of light industry - something we just don't see around rural Creuse.
The rolling countryside of the Bearn was delightful, and it was there that we began to hear more and more British voices. It seems that Brits in France choose the slower-paced, more undulating regions to relocate to. Maybe it's a reflection of our own crowded island that we feel we need a bit more space around us, so population density, even if it's subconscious, becomes important.
No comments:
Post a Comment