Sun 29 Aug 2010
You know you are in the country when you round a corner on a local road in Provence and see this:
There they are, a hundred sheep or so heading in your direction.
Getting closer. The shepherd just whistled and two dogs managed the sheep. I never was able to even see the dogs.
Going around the car.
Here’s one with a bell.
You see scenes in the movies like that, but I never knew it really happened to people!
So do you just stop and wait for the sheep to go around you? Seems a little inconvient, but very quaint.
Heh… that’s nothing. I was on the “high speed” TGV train from Stuttgart to Strasbourg once, and THAT train had to come to a dead stop in the middle of nowhere… for a herd of COWS. Must have been a big herd, because finally after waiting around for 20 minutes or so, the train actually backtracked and re-routed to avoid the disturbance. I couldn’t believe Germany — known for on-time trains — would allow COWS to get in the way of a high-speed train in this day and age.
Such a scene — it reminds me very much of Ireland or New Zealand! We were vacationing on the south island (NZ) years ago & our rental car was literally enveloped by a huge mob of sheep, with 1 farmer & a wonderfully trained Border colie or 2, doing an excelltn job of keeping the flock together. I suppose it happens in Provence too, & the sheep just go with the flow…ahh, gotta love provencial “traffic jams”!!
Those sheep look as if they’ve just been shorn. Those I’ve seen in the US are usually shorn in late winter. Wonder why the difference in timing?
Like farm country all over. Reminds me especially of Amish country where you might find yourself driving very slowly behind a horse and buggy.
Lovely photos yet again!
Just like England in places but with sheep.
But that’s what makes the perfect picture!
wonderful!