There was a more local type of election today and we went up to the village to vote for the mayor. My husband isn’t happy with him and didn’t want to vote for him but, as usual, he is running unopposed. The mayor is a local guy, a farmer, who has some olive trees and vineyards. Maurice wanted him to put in some speed bumps on the road going by our house as it is being used as a short cut by many people. In fact, one day a lady roared by our car as we headed out and hit our side view mirror with hers. Luckily for us, it took off hers, not ours. She was headed up the hill to visit a relative, so she said. Anyway, the mayor doesn’t think we need speed bumps. But he, or at least the village, did do this:

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This whole area was completely taken apart and rebuilt, mostly with new stones. It was all torn up the last time we saw it. Not only was it once a source of water for the village but the women could wash their clothes there. The people who live next to this used to use it as their own personal area, setting up their chairs and stringing out a line to dry their clothes on. I’m interested to see if they do it again this summer.

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Here is the lavoir. Aren’t you thankful to be living in this day and age with a washer and a dryer? What a chore that must have been although I’m guessing it was a great time to socialize.

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A closeup of the fountain. I think this is the only original stone remaining.

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I love the shape of this flower pot.

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This old olive oil press is inside the building where we voted. It was once outside across the road. This area was a big olive oil area but many trees were lost during a severe frost. There are still a couple of old trees left on our property but they don’t produce many olives.

Sideroads of Europe