Eve

The kids are always happy to visit places with swing sets.

Two little boys, and lots of toys, to play with.

Visiting Olivier's farm was very interesting, as the agriculture is quite different from at home. Their farm is completely cropping, with no stock (although until recently they were breeders of Haflinger horses). The farm is quite large (for France) and so they have large machinery. The self-propelled sprayer was about to be fitted with a GPS navigation system. They share some things with Oliver's brother who farms nearby.
The wheat harvest was completed the week before we arrived, so the wheat was stored in sheds waiting to be trucked out. All their wheat is grown for seed. Other crops include potatoes and sugar beet.

Record keeping is a big job for farmers in France as in Australia.

Sophie examining the wheat seed.

The wheat stored temporarily in a shed.

A locked container...

Inside the container...

Hugh was impressed with the size of the sprayer.

Olivier showing Roger some sugar beet.

Roger with Olivier and his father.

The farmyard, with church spire in the background.

Their farm is on the edge of the small village of Eve, and Olivier was able to show us into the village church. It was very old - dating from the 12th Century - and some of its features are similar to Notre Dame in Paris. It was built just before Notre Dame, and so the features were tested out on this smaller church before being applied to the cathedral. Inside, the age of the building is apparent. It must be hard for a small community to find the money to maintain such a building. But the history is tangible. Statues, stained glass windows, plaques and dedications from throughout the centuries remind us of the passage of time. All of Olivier's ancestors have been baptised, married and farewelled in this church.

The village church at Eve.

Inside, the ceiling shows its age.

Stained glass windows and statue.

I think someone was buried under here...
If you can read it you might find out when.