Saturday 30 June 2018

Jeannine et Odette.



When we first took up residence in France in 1972, our only non-local, non-farming, neighbours were a couple of Parisian lesbians called Jeannine and Odette.

They were charming, very quiet, and intelligent people, who liked their world to be orderly and 'correct'. There was never a discarded sweet paper, never any noise, and their lawns and flower beds were always perfectly groomed. In many ways they liked their world to be much as I do mine.

J and O were Zen Buddhists, and their daily work consisted of translating obscure Asian religious books/tracts into both French and English. Such things were still fashionable in the early 70's, so I imagine it kept wolves from their door. We quickly became very good friends.

In about 1980 they decided to move to a smaller, more manageable, property, and built themselves a nearby wooden 'eco' house; which, after a very short while, lost its original appeal. They then surprised us by announcing that they had bought a home in a mountainous area of The Cevennes.

They asked a friend and myself if we would help with their move, which we were only too happy to do. A couple of weeks later we set off towards the mountains with a fully loaded rental van. 

Eventually we arrived at a seriously ruined roadside house and barn, overlooking bare and bleak mountains. We were amazed to find that this was their new home. It was miles from anywhere, and had no services installed. We were very reluctant to offload their beautiful antique furniture into this tumbledown wreck, and asked if we couldn't find some safe storage somewhere else. They insisted all was OK, and we did as asked. We were very concerned about leaving them there, in the middle of nowhere, on the side of a mountain, with no visible sign of amenities or comfort. We imagined them sitting cross-legged on a rocky outcrop, slowly starving whist chanting some Zen mantra.

I believe it wasn't long afterwards that they 'divorced', with Odette returning to Paris, and Jeannine heading for the south coast. They are now sadly both deceased.

If only they had stayed as neighbours. They were such charming and intelligent people; it was a real pleasure to have them here. It's never been the same since.

The above picture from 1997, shows Cro being admonished by Odette for prioritising mushroom hunting over painting (which I didn't). The church (top right) is that of our village.



27 comments:

  1. It was a strange move, made perhaps in an attempt to keep their relationship together, that is, it's just you and me now. I get cross when good neighbours move away or die.

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    1. I've wondered for years why they made that last move. I imagine it was in an attempt to live some Zen-like life of contemplation, etc. A decision too far!

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  2. I wish they would have stayed your neighbors. You have mentioned them before, they sounded so posh living in the French countryside.

    cheers, parsnip

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    1. They had restored the old farmhouse themselves, and it was beautiful. For here, they certainly were 'posh'.

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  3. I remember you mentioning them before. Did the orange-wall-neighbours replace them?
    Greetings Maria x

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    1. p.s. I liked the painting x

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    2. It was his parents who bought the house from J and O, the son moved in about 10 years ago; maybe longer.

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  4. What a lovely story, I know it did not end happily but still. We have just been to a Tibetan monastery in a remote part of Scotland and I marvelled at how it had risen to a rather complex range of buildings from nothing but the dreams of two men.

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    1. I suspect that they saw their mountain home as something similar, but the problems were simply too extensive. They must have had a terrible time there; OK when you're young, but not at their age.

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  5. There is a novel in there somewhere just itching to get out. Feel like writing it Cro?

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    1. I'm not sure how many books I've written, but all were rejected. Another would simply join the pile.

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  6. I like the painting very much. I also like the picture of the couple you've painted with your words. I agree that it reads like a delicious snippet from a novel I would like to read. x

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    1. They were a very nice couple.

      When my daughter had her first child, I sent Odette a photo of them; unfortunately it was returned 'deceased'. She loved my daughter, and would have been so excited.

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  7. That picture/painting is very clever. Compelling. Is it your composition?

    As to the two ladies: Well, we all chase our butterflies. Sometimes you end up in Haddocks, sometimes you wonder why you are where you are, sometimes you marvel at where you are, and sometimes it goes all pear shaped when all you asked for was an apple.

    U

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    1. Yes it's an old painting from 1997; it hangs on the wall here.

      I'm afraid their Butterfly turned out to be a Wasp's nest.

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  8. Sounds like one or both of them was having a bit of a mid life crisis which resulted in the plan to move to the isolated ruin and eventual split. Not an altogether unexpected ending. I like the painting.

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    1. I think that's what it have must been, trying to get away from the world around her. Why her friend went along with it is bizarre; but it didn't last long.

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  9. Mushrooming v painting? 50/50. This reminded me of when I lived next door to a lesbian couple in the country. One was quite old and the other quite young. They were always arguing. Think 'The Killing of Sister George'.

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    1. They used to complain about everyone going mushrooming, they claimed they could see where they'd been scratching around in the woods. A load of tosh.

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    2. A good hunter covers his tracks.

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  10. That is a bitter sweet story. Good neighbours that are still remembered and I like the painting.

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    1. I'd love to have them back. They were great fun. They'd even built a secret garden for nude sunbathing (which I don't think was ever used).

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  11. I like the painting, I recognise the church.

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  12. Sometimes things just go SmasH.

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    1. Sadly so; I'd always thought they'd be together forever.

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