A Walk in the Bois d’Amour

If you go down to the ‘bois’ today, you’re in for a big surprise!

The Bois d’Amour, an hour’s walk through a dense and ancient forest, begins right in the heart of Pont Aven’s village. It is surprising, enchanting, mysterious and gentle. You’ll emerge from these woods transformed.

The walk begins just under the one lane bridge near the centre of town. After passing a wild garden of flowers, raspberries and pumpkins, tended by a nearby Merlin, the woods turn deep, dark and mossy, with old cypress, oak, beech and chestnut trees shading the way. Fallen Autumn leaves drift across the moist muddy path.

Who tends this garden in the no man’s land under the bridge?

Unlike in the centre of town where the Avon river races by with enough speed and force to turn mighty water mills, here it runs like a liquid stream of dark molasses, with an occasional skip rover rocks and fallen logs.

Near the Moulin Neuf, the half way point in the walk, a quaint old building appears out of nowhere, probably the remains of that ninth mill. On our return, a quiet older man in a crumpled beige suit, silver hair streaming over his shoulders, magically emerges, his head bowed over a bowl, replenishing some cat food. Bonsoir, bonsoir.

The woods darken in places and become almost frightening, then all is gentle again as a love seat rises in the bend of the river.

Love Seat, Bois d’Amour

Fallen chestnuts litter the ground, opened and devoid of their nuts, like exotic birds or creatures from another time.

The things you find in the woods- ordinary things, like love, nature, beauty and peace.

Included in pedestrian, this weeks photo challenge on WordPress.

Bois d’Amour, Pont Aven

24 thoughts on “A Walk in the Bois d’Amour”

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  10. Sandra already said it! However much I love this country, atavistic childhood emotions emerge when given the chance to walk thru’ gentle dreamy scenes like these . . . . Looking at the chestnut casings – any squirrels in sight? Love the little beasties except they always managed to get to the shiny baubles of my childhood first 🙂 !

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  16. There’s something about the forests of Europe – so green and elm like – you think of fairytales. But, and this is a big but, they lack the Eucalypt scent of our Australian forests which i love. Their greenery is due to extra rainfall and cooler climate.

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