It’s the evening of Friday, June 29th, and for the upcoming third night, I’ll be moored in Clamcey. In terms of the US, its not a town you would recognize by size, but is has a cathedral that traces its roots into the mid 800s, so there really isn’t a US comparison. It’s one of the bigger cities on the Canal du Nivernais, and was our first stop on our journey in 2016.
It’s not the location that is exciting, although the port is quite nice. One can find their way by bike to the local superstore, and there are great restaurants in reach. The cathedral at the top of the hill is magnificent, and casts its historic pall over all the small cobbled streets that surround it. Indeed, it is quite a town.
What I marvel at is the movements and interactions of the residents, which one can begin to discern after a day or two, when you see the residents living within this context, entirely unburdened with the history that surrounds them. I watched a Father walk his mentally impaired daughter into the core of town in the late afternoon, and watched as the present community greeted them both. The traditional kiss on both cheeks was offered to all, and they sat at the local Tabac as an equal neighbor. This is an extended community, close knit and social.
The juxtaposition of history and current neighborhood realities is what is most impressive. These are people who live within their community. The fact that community encompasses structures that are hundreds of years old is of no consequence. One simply has to sit and watch the interactions to see this is a community that changes slowly, greeting each other day to day in the pattern each family sets.
Perhaps it is this remarkable balance between the incredible and, to a degree, immutable environment, and the slowly evolving context of the local community, changing at times block by block, that is so engaging. To be a witness to this, whilst slowly sipping a late afternoon beer, is a bit of voyeurism, but with the highest of standards. It is the remarkable resilience of an intimate and supportive community that resounds most loudly. The simple act of watching modern life quietly play out in ancient surroundings will keep me coming back to Clamcey.