Back in Grenoble

It’s two weeks since we left Axminster on our drive to Grenoble. The journey was uneventful. We were blessed with clear roads and good weather all the way. After our usual overnight stop at Calais, we made it to Langres on the next day: our first visit. It’s one of those French hill-top citadels, with splendid ramparts and towers. We enjoyed wandering through the Renaissance streets, and into the cathedral (not one of the greatest.) The next morning we set off to look for the source of the Marne, which springs out of the hill-side in a sheltered wood. It was a special place – as springs of living water usually are. It’s easy to understand why they were often imbued with magical or mystical power. For Christians, they call to mind Jesus’ words to the woman at Jacob’s well.

There is something comforting about returning to a place like Grenoble, where we spent six weeks at the beginning of this year. Grenoble is a busy city, but there are plenty of open spaces and greenery – and we enjoy some wonderful scent from the lime-trees below our balcony. We have had one or two aggressive thunderstorms, with strong winds and rain sweeping down from the Vercors massif. We’re now experiencing a heat-wave (canicule) with temperatures up to 39C (it will be like Izmir!) We’re hoping the Vercors winds will now keep us cool(ish)The French seem to take such events more seriously than the British – it’s figured on the main TV news, with reports about guidance for building workers, as well as protecting old people and the sick, and some of the final college exams, the brevet, have been postponed. The storms of the past week had a devastating effects on many local fruit and nut farmers – and this has led to talk of government support (ie payment) for those affected.

France doesn’t seem to have changed much. Poverty seems more evident than in previous year: there are people begging outside the supermarket, post office and bakery. The gilets jaunes demonstrations  have diminished, but there are still strong divisions in society, and M. Macron seems much less assured than a couple of years ago.

St Marc’s continues to attract a sizeable congregation, most of whom are not European and many not primarily English speakers. Much of the work is done by a small group – many of British origin; but there is a Nigerian churchwarden; and the PA is staffed by a mixture of young African and Asian men. The ecumenical social outreach project, L’Escale, is now in operation on two afternoons a week. It offers a place of welcome for people in the area, and it is hoped it will expand its reach. Building work at the church has resulted in a new, well-equipped, kitchen and a comfortable lounge.

The advert for a permanent chaplain did not attract enough interest to justify interviews, so some re-thinking is called for. The need for reliable oversight and development of the congregation is obvious; there are limits to what visiting locums can do. But – particularly with all the uncertainties about the UK’s future relationship with Europe – it is hard to see who will be willing to move to Grenoble on a house-for-duty basis. We hope and pray that something can be offered to attract the right person

For ourselves: Jo coped well with the long drive here, but her right hip is causing pain and difficulty in moving. Long walks are out of the question, which is unfortunate, as we were hoping to explore new places. The tram has enabled us to get into the city a couple of times, and we had one day out of Grenoble, visiting the Oisans area. This culminated in the drive up the Alpe d’Huez, notorious for the 21 hair-pin bends which make such demands on Tour de France cyclists. There was some sort of event taking place when we drove up, passing a considerable number of gallant cyclists making the ascent. (Facebook readers will have seen some of our photos of the modern church of Notre Dame des Neiges.)

Another advantage of having our own car is that we have already been able to visit a couple of church members living an hour away from Grenoble.