It is good to worship and today there seemed sadness among our fellow believers. There were prayers for France and the young people and for those ill. The google translate wasn’t too clear and I was glad to take inspiration from being in a garden.
The garden surrounds the town’s former Chateau now the Town Hall. It still has the 15th century tower where Marguerite d’ Argoulêra the sister of François I, was born in, in 1492. She is remembered in this park by a white marble statue. Why?
She was one of the most influential, intellectual and powerful woman of the French Renaissance. She is sometimes refered to as the first modern woman because of her profound influence on culture. An author and poet her most famous work is the Heptaméron, a collection of 72 short stories. She also had a salon, where during the religious upheavel of her time, she protected Rabelais and John Calvin. Her personal skills as a mediator were also used to release her brother after he was captured by Emperor Charles V while in battle.
Then through her second marriage to King Henry she became Queen of Navarre. (Navarre was a medieval European kingdom that straddled the western Pyrennes mountains, lying across parts of both modern day northern Spain and southwestern France.) She also later became grandmother of King Henry IV, the first Bourbon King of France 1553 – 1610. This was the king known as Good King Henry the one involved with the Edict of Nantes (1598) which was a decree granting substantial religious and civil liberties to French Protestants effectively ending the bloody French Wars of Religion.
Here is my photograph of the statue and then we will look at the planting.
Marguerite d’ Argoulêra 1492-1549, poet and writer, political and religious mediator and some say ‘ first modern woman’.
Let us follow colour in this next photograph of garden planting. Greens with marroon in the zinnias and the grass holding fine fluffy long stems of seed heads. Then look at the whole circular bed.
The use of large leafed plants like cannas and banana related plants have clearly outlasted the heat of summer. There are also the blooms of salvia pink, white, blue as we saw in our travels through Germany. Now in October there are dahlias in the mix as well as Japanese anemone in flower.
A repetition of planting through the city makes a restful eye catching green with the backdrop of some fine architecture.
We did enjoy the beauty of the churches and some of the arrangements of flowers so carefully placed.
Here these two placements will bring joy to the worshippers. A little of outside inside in natural and simple flow. Beautiful!
The city was very quiet. The weather a little damp and cold. A fine place to spend time and think. The last time we were here I focused a little more on it being the Capital of comic book art, hosting the prestigious Festival International de la Bande Dessinée. I remember that the city had an altogether different mood that day.
A quieter time today.
And to end this post here is an all encompassing thought about God from a Psalm written by David:
‘O LORD, you have searched me, and known me… Where shall I go from Your Spirit or Your presence… How precious are your thoughts about me… See if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.’ Psalm 139: 1, 7, 17, 24.
Take care,
Sandy 🙂