Fun and games in Cravant pt 2

Neighbour's Garden - Cravant

Food problem due to the village being cut-off was resolved by a quick phonecall to our local bistro L'Auberge. Got in early. Lots of discussion about what was happening and the generally feeling in the village. Bumped into another neighbour Loic who works for the Maire and also Florence who works for the Mayor and had dropped in to l'Auberge for a spot of lunch.



Outside L'Auberge the weather was doing its best to make things more difficult. A lot of the

The Lavoir - Cravant

villages have a Lavoir or communal washing house, where in the past the women of the village would gather to do a bit of washing and have a good gossip. There are four lavoirs in Cravant. One is opposite L'Auberge. Usually there is a low level of water, today the level was so high and the speed so fast and powerful that the water had gone over the top to flood the road. Walking back we spoke to three vignerons all of whom had lost vines. Roads had started to collapse and were causing more flooding. Our neighbours Jacqueline and Norbert had got some people in with a pump to help clear  the mess from their cave. Took most of the afternoon.


Some other links about vignerons in our immediate area. Two films about Pierre and Bertrand Couly in Chinon: 'thanks to the firemen' and 'a new flood'. Met some friends this morning in the market who are themselves good friends with the biggest wine producer in Vouvray. Apparently he has lost everything. There's little to be said with something like this.
This disaster has come on top of a short crop last year, caused mainly by frost. One way or another the outlook is tough.