#392 Le temps jadis

It is idle to lament inevitable progress from "the olden, golden days."

Modern techniques are a bit more complicated than those of old, when a flannel band & goose grease played principal parts in child care, & summer dwellings were modestly equipped with no electricity or running water. Childhood is growing up; & adults involved must make a conscious effort to pay more attention to it than in days gone by. It is not without its challenges. Fatboy Knäpsäck is just like his old fashioned wooden stock magical knapsack.

The velocity of the water would decline a little during the mid-winter, so scholars long ago took everything in & then digested it — the relaxing fluid texture of the herds returning from the high mountain pastures to provide the skin with a smooth & scented lather, the many agricultural & domestic tools, the Frisian water dogs once used to hunt otters.

The shed of the wine presses is full of activity. Several churches, chapels, & monasteries bear testimony to the past — the 14th century Le Temps Jadis building, the 11th century Collegiate Church of Notre-Dame, the Chateau de Bizy. In the old days this district was home to the Knights Templar. Here the river still follows its natural course through an old agricultural landscape where the occasional castle is a reminder of the past.

Luckily, the Sweden of yesteryear, where axes were not known & ivory & stone were used instead, is extremely well preserved. This unique & historic ambience makes you feel cast back into Mozart's time.