Montfort-l’Amaury

As the time for departure looms closer–just over a week to go now!–I feel the need to share more traveling reminiscences. Two years ago, I spent a balmy July in Paris studying composition, harmony and counterpoint at L’ecole Normale de Musique. Of the relatively few field trips we took, we were fortunate enough to make a journey into the beautiful countryside west of Paris to the hometown of Maurice Ravel. As our bus scooted across the hills and fields, this is what we saw.

Is it so hard to believe one could be inspired to write such beautiful music when surrounded by God’s green earth? This particular view reminds me of Tolkien’s Shire. If you look closely, I think you can see the Party Tree off in the distance.