On the Farm

Chiddes

Burgundy, France

Je suis ici.

I'm hanging out (and doing a bit of help around the place) on a Farm in France – not far from Switzerland. I arrived yesterday afternoon and was greeted at the station by Gilles and Zena, my hosts. They're brilliant. They've got a small business which they run on site restoring (and making) stained glass windows. It's beautiful. There's chickens, dogs, cats, strawberries, beans carrots, radishes, lettuce, flowers and a real live pumpkin patch. The horses died. Some time before I got here, I assume.

My boudoir for the next few weeks is an open barn - more or less under the stars - and I love it. There's no hot tap; showering entails boiling some water, standing on a shipping pallet and pouring water over oneself with an old cooking pot. The place is undergoing a bit of rennovation at the moment, so not everything is hooked up to the main water line. Flushing the toilet involves a trip across the garden to fill up a bucket to pour into the bowl. Fortunately, the lavatory is connected to the sewerline. I think.

And all this French is giving me headspins. But I'm sure it's good for me.