Sunday in Savonnieres

The sun rises over the Cher river. Blades of moist, green grass strain towards the thawing light as it appears in the east. The sky will fill with clouds as the day passes, a typical Sunday late in the month of April.
In these early hours, shop-keepers, relieved at the prospect of working a half day, open their doors to their local stores. Bakeries, cafes, butchers and grocers introduce their wares to the light that has shone upon the river every day for generations. And as the population of this small, rural French village emerge from their quaint, tired homes, the sense of small-town happiness drapes the sky like the clouds it mingles with.
A small, riverside road with tables and chairs arranged on one side and the cafe du sport on the other, sees locals approach in their small family cars from the direction of a local market, some ten kilomtres away. Cyclists dismount after hurtling themselves for hours along winding roads, through idyllic French landscapes and along the Cher. Passing through the green fields, accentuated by the fluorescent yellow of the rapeseed crops, a literal hunger grows in their bellies for fresh bread and pastries, a thirst to be quenched by a mid-morning coffee.
And crawling from the same direction, via long, narrow and eternally winding roads, two tourists in an old white van cough and splutter their way across the river. Unwashed and barely refreshed after a half-decent sleep in their van not far from here, they search the narrow street for somewhere to park. After mounting a curb or three and with much frustration, the driver finally makes it into a space built for a vehicle half his size.
Out of the car, they ignorantly lock the doors. At 11am on a Sunday, anyone with criminal tendencies is most likely sleeping off a hangover from the night before. After he orders coffee and she rushes to the bathroom, they sit out in the sun, next to the oyster seller, 12 euros for a dozen, on the street where he sells them every Sunday. She finds a free table and take a seat, while he stands nearby, outside the bakery. A line stretches out the door, but when he reaches the front he realises it's worth it. Spotless glass cases display dozens of cakes, croissants and chocolates, and in the back stand fresh baguettes, the .
He makes his selections, pays, and rejoins her at their table. Overlooking the river with their backs to the sun, they sit and enjoy their surroundings. The townspeople of Savonnieres go about their daily life, relaxing in the sun, drinking, eating, and in this tiny community, Sunday is truly a day for leisure.

Death of the Newspaper

As a writer, I have tried to keep a look-out for articles in the press regarding the media industry both at home and abroad. So when I see that Mark Scott, head of the ABC and former Fairfax executive has indicated that in the future, there will only be enough room for one major newspaper in Melbourne, I take notice. Whether the last paper standing will be one of the two major current papers - The Age or Herald Sun - or a combination of the two, one can only wonder. Whatever the result, it'll mean bad news for those who would choose not to utilise the Internet for its news & media outlets. And with Telstra reaping the reward for supplying the Australian population with blanket broadband, the telecom company is placed to become the major player in the local media landscape.
New media, found not only on the Internet, but also through international television news channels found on satellite TV & radio, has put local publications on look out. For while the daily papers do everything in their power to inform & entertain their readership, for readers to gain an understanding and develop their own opinions on issues, they should - and do - look for as many sources as possible. This includes searching the web, and by doing so readers indeliberately point their much-loved daily newspapers in the direction of extinction.
Whether broadsheet or tabloid in nature, the day will come when newspaper becomes made redundant. When what is available on a physical page is easily accessible via the click of a mouse, it spells the decline of print media in one of its original forms. This is undeniably a formidable prospect for traditionalists, though economically the transfer from physical print media to new media may not be as devastating as it may seem on the surface. Without delving into numbers of statistics, writers will still find avenues to have their work published, and through websites, advertisers will still have space to flog their wares. Granted, printers and tree-loggers will suffer losses, however the preservation of environment is wholly a positive aspect of the scenario.
It will be a sad day when the newspaper falls by the wayside of our fast-paced future. And as someone who loves to spend a weekend on the couch with the paper, I do not wish it to occur any time soon. Realistically, it's not something that will probably occur in the next 50 years, but the signs are there. The priority is that people stay informed.
D.

Check it OUT!

Hi!
So this is an attempt for a blog. Whether it will survive the length and breadth of my creative potential, only time will tell. But as I sit here, in the basement of a chateau in the Loire Valley, France - our home for the next 6 months - there's nothing to suggest that I won't give it my all.
I'll get some photos up in the next couple of days, and keep y'all up-to-date with happenings, thoughts, opinions & other random words.
Who knows what will happen...
D.