French round-abouts or rond-points, which are absolutely ubiquitous in France, are quirky things. In some ways, they define a town. They are often themed to match the area, and they can be whimsical, tacky, or wonderful. I think it's one of the things that attracts me to Beaune: there is a series of rond-points going into the city, each more lushly planted and beautiful than the last. As opposed to Cluny, which has pretty municipal plantings except at the one round-about. After years of bare earth, they finally put up a sad wire horse topiary, planted with flowers which are dried up and dead half the time.
In the center of a round-about in Beaune, an old well.
...And in Cluny, a half-dead horse
One day last year, when we still lived in our little village of 40 people, the Marquage truck showed up, to do some festive road-painting. Inexplicably, they put all sorts of white stripes and curves and borders and what-nots to direct you along roads in which there is only one way to go. And really the only vehicles that pass are the residents and a few odd tractors that make that route twice daily. They even painted a huge crosswalk , for what pedestrians I'm not sure.
And then, they really got a wild hare, and made the world's smallest round-about! We've surely made the record books. First of all, there's no room for cars to get around it. One of the two roads going off of it is a dead end, used by maybe a couple of cars a day. And second, it is just a big white circle in the middle of the village, and it looks like some sort of landing spot for a UFO. Ron watched a driver, baffled by it, trying to inch his way around it unsuccessfully.
The rond-points themselves, I should note, are the best thing Europe ever invented and the US never adopted. You almost never have to stop at a traffic light, you just zip 'round and keep moving. Except of course in our village, where you are going to be considerably slowed down if you try to actually try to go around it, unless you're on a bicycle.
Below, here are some interesting round-abouts in Burgundy and beyond, which add a little interest to your drive. Come round and see us!
Here's one thats très elegante
A hot dog and a doughnut? Must be a story here.
A small one near us, full of charm
This round-about in Salon de Provence, home of the French naval aviation school, looks ready to take off.
The Tour de France goes round and round...
A sketch of a French round-point in Paris. Enter at your own risk!
GREAT READS VIEWS: No books to recommend today, but let's go to the movies. There's a really fun French movie on Netflix called Blind Date (French title, Un peu, beaucoup, aveuglément), a great romcom with French flair. Another one we enjoyed was called Just to be Sure (Otez-moi d’un doute). Seen any good movies lately, French or otherwise?
