A little piece of heaven
The house tucks itself into the countryside,
from every viewpoint cinematic scenes:
iced peaks poking through timbered hillsides,
the lake still, silent and serene,
mirror-image mountains in its surface.
And clean air so sharp it hurts when you breathe.
From simple beginnings La Plaine has been transformed
into an extravagance of textures:
rugged flagstones warmed by the sun,
roughcast walls interrupted by glimpses of stone and wood,
giant boulders rescued from the house's previous life.
What secrets do they hold?
Birds seeking thermals fly alongside their human counterparts.
A spiritual place, enhanced by its cathedral spaces,
guarded by the saintly statues and the chapel on the hill.
Quietness you can hear,
punctuated by the metallic clinking of sheep's bells,
and sunshine blinding-bright.
La Plaine, its colours evoking its sense of place,
creams, lavenders and terracottas,
basks in a painterly light.
It waits to be discovered
by those who venture in its direction,
and are stunned by what they find.
Lesley Palmer
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