The Brussels rentrée is under way, with the Liberals hosting a reception a week ago at the Grand Central - you can see me talking to a Bulgarian MEP at a couple of points in this video.And there's another reception this evening, hosted by POLITICO; setting this entry to post just before I arrive at it.
Also very glad to say that last weekend our village held its annual zomerfeest, cancelled last year, but arranged at short notice last week. All the traditional elements were there, the nature walk on Saturday:
With some wildlife as well:
While in the beer garden behind the parochial hall, a trio sang Yves Montand's La Bicyclette and other chansons:
| Quand on partait de bon matin Quand on partait sur les chemins À bicyclette Nous étions quelques bons copains Y avait Fernand, y avait Firmin Y avait Francis et Sébastien Et puis Paulette On était tous amoureux d'elle On se sentait pousser des ailes À bicyclette Sur les petits chemins de terre On a souvent vécu l'enfer Pour ne pas mettre pied à terre Devant Paulette Faut dire qu'elle y mettait du cœur C'était la fille du facteur À bicyclette Et depuis qu'elle avait huit ans Elle avait fait en le suivant Tous les chemins environnants À bicyclette Quand on approchait la rivière On déposait dans les fougères Nos bicyclettes Puis on se roulait dans les champs Faisant naître un bouquet changeant De sauterelles, de papillons Et de rainettes Quand le soleil à l'horizon Profilait sur tous les buissons Nos silhouettes On revenait fourbus, contents Le cœur un peu vague pourtant De n'être pas seul un instant Avec Paulette Prendre furtivement sa main Oublier un peu les copains La bicyclette On se disait c'est pour demain J'oserai, j'oserai demain Quand on ira sur les chemins À bicyclette |
If you leave early in the morning If you go on these roads By bicycle We were a bunch of good friends There were Fernand and Firmin There were Francis and Sébastian And then there was Paulette We were all in love with her We were all growing wings On our bicycle On these small dirt roads We often went through hell To not make our feet touch the ground In front of Paulette One has to say that she really put her heart into it She was the daughter of the postman On a bicycle And ever since she turned eight She followed him around On all the ways in the neighbourhood By bicycle When we came close to the river We threw into the bracken Our bikes Then we rolled around in the fields Making a changing bouquet come to life Of grasshoppers, butterflies and Tree frogs When the sun at the horizon Began to cast our shadows Over the shrubs We returned exhausted and content Yet the heart a bit vague Because I never had a moment all alone With Paulette To take her hand all furtively To forget a few of the friends The bicycle I told myself I'd leave that for tomorrow I will dare to, I will dare to tomorrow When we will be on the roads By bicycle |
We're not back to normal yet, but the trajectory is clear, and the weekend celebrations of the turn of the seasons in our village helped to reinforce that feeling.