Mon banc dominical / My Sunday Bench...La Guerche.

We love this little boldly coloured bench at one of our neighbours here in La Guerche.

 

Hovering hirondelles...

Morning hirondelles here in La Guerche.

 

Bonne soirée...

Joined friends to celebrate a special birthday last night - a lovely evening of great company and food.

The birthday girl making a complete spectacle of herself...with others joining her!

This morning's walk and a change of direction.

 

Out on our walk this morning at 7.50am to take advantage of the cooler temperature. 

We had just about reached the crossroads before the camping when an elderly gentleman from Preuilly-sur-Claise stopped and asked us for help. He was searching for M.Moreau who operates an engineering business sharpening tools. He was heading to what was his old workshop which sits just outside Barrou but we told him this was now closed and he now works out of premises behind his house in La Guerche. On giving him directions as to how to get there we quickly realised he was still very unsure and was rather annoyed that he had to go back the way he came! Although it was obvious we were walking in the opposite direction he asked if we could get in the car and take him there. We decided I would take him and Pauline would finish her walk!

Setting the scene...

This was the scene dining with friends on their lovely terrace in Barrou last night and although their house is on Grande rue which runs through the centre of the village we had this clear view onto the surrounding countryside.

A wooden heart...

 

Spotted in the grounds of Chateau de La Guerche.

A weekend of brocanting...

Started off on Saturday at Preuilly-sur-Claise near the plan d'eau.

These seemed awfy deer tae us.

Then Sunday to Palmy around the lake.

On a very hot day an ice cream would have been nice but we were not sure where we could get one.

Then we headed over to Barrou where it is always good to catch up with previous neighbours.

The village had a good display of art in the Salle de Fete as part of the artisanal exhibition.  

Sunday benches - from our Scotland trip.

 

Plenty of options on the river Kelvin walk in Glasgow.

Mesure pour mesure at Château de La Guerche.

Last night we once again found ourselves in the courtyard of our neighbour Château de La Guerche, watching an outdoor production of Shakespeare's Mesure pour mesure (Measure for Measure).

The setting could hardly have been more appropriate. The château's stone walls and towers as usual forming the natural stage set, their centuries-old presence lending extra weight to a play preoccupied with power, justice and the uneasy balance between the rules we impose on others and those we apply to ourselves. 

Watching Shakespeare in French was, linguistically at least, well beyond us. Yet, as with previous productions by the Théâtre du Perron, a basic familiarity with the story meant the language soon became secondary as the visual expressions and staging carried much of the drama, allowing the performance to be appreciated in a different way.

In this production, the moral tension at the heart of the play felt especially strong. Angelo's uncompromising virtue, Isabella's unwavering integrity, our standout performance of the evening and the Duke's elaborate (?) games of disguise and judgement unfolded against the solid, unchanging backdrop of a château that has we are sure witnessed centuries of changing rulers and shifting ideas of justice.

There was an added resonance in hearing debates about mercy, authority and punishment within walls that have themselves survived wars, revolutions and the steady passage of history.

Outdoor theatre has a character all its own. As darkness fell, the illuminated stonework became part of the production. The actors' voices carried effortlessly across the courtyard, and when the play explored its darker themes, abuse of authority, hypocrisy and moral compromise, the historic setting amplified the atmosphere without ever overwhelming the performance.

The Théâtre du Perron has been staging classical theatre at La Guerche since 2019, making imaginative use of the château itself as an integral part of each production. It is an approach that transforms a historic monument into a living performance space rather than simply a backdrop.

For a three hours, Shakespeare's Vienna and southern Touraine seemed to occupy the same world. The language may have been French, the play English but the questions Shakespeare asks about justice, mercy and human nature needed no translation.

Measure for Measure is often described as one of Shakespeare's 'problem plays', occupying the uncertain ground between comedy and tragedy. Under the open sky at La Guerche, for us those ambiguities felt particularly alive. After the final scene, the cast returned with an exuberant musical finale, their evident enjoyment reflected in the audience's enthusiastic applause.

This is now the sixth production we've seen here and it has become one of the highlights of our Loire Valley summers. Big shout out to the cast, musical ensemble and family for another lovely evening. 

Last performance tonight.

Good memories of Scotland - canal and river walk with Paul.

 

On our last day with Paul in Glasgow he took us on one of his favourite walks along the Forth and Clyde Canal and then along the river Kelvin to the  Botanic Gardens (pics tomorrow).