Early Morning Sunrise Over a Sleepy French Hamlet

My cousin lives in a small town. Actually, she lives in a tiny hamlet which is just part of a small town. 

So it is quiet. Last night was literally the darkest and quietest night that I have experienced since....well,  probably since the last time that I was here. Which would have been more or less one year ago. 

The name of the hamlet is Chevigny le Desert, which is part of Bierry Les Belles Fontaines. It is not rich or famous or prestigious, like some other moree well-known destinations in France are. 

Yet, I found myself enjoying the tranquility of an early morning walk. The cool of this morning contrasted with the sometimes excessive heat of yesterday afternoon. And the sounds were mostly not human made. Roosters competing with one another to try and wake up the dozing village. Birds singing, crickets in the fields,  bees buzzing in search of pollen. and the sound of leaves in the wind. 

The feeling broke a little bit when a dog disturbing the peace after I walked past,  clearly disturbing his morning. Yet even this sort of reinforced the sleepy quality of the still largely dozing village.

Even a far-off church bell chiming added to the sense of peace and quiet. 

There was a sense that this place almost feels removed a bit from the outside world, in a positive way. That here, life is a bit slower. 

What more can you ask for while on vacation?

So I took some pictures in hopes of carrying this moment with me, even while knowing that it is probably useless. My cousin is moving from here, because it really is too isolated, too far from everything. To get her medication, she has to drive to another nearby village. To go to the supermarket, she has to drive to another village. Not typical for France, where many villages have all of the standard conveniences of modern life. 

In fact, she has already sold the house. So it is assured that this visit here will most likely be my last. 

But as you get older, you learn. I now know that tomorrow is not promised. There is simply no way to tell what tomorrow could bring, for better or for worse. 

All we have is this moment. 

That is a humbling thought. 

It is also why I am trying to focus more on gratitude the older I get. Indeed, I am grateful for this morning. 

I liked this road sign. It felt like it was a bit of a stretch to have a name like this for such a tiny village. The contradiction appealed to me.