BRESSE

Another stop off on the way down France was Bresse, famous for it's chickens of high quality and blue legs and apparently the home of the largest chicken sculpture in the world, but we didn't take in this roundabout so Ican't vouch for that (but then how many other giant chicken sculptures have I seen? - public works artists take note, for your next proposal, this is what Norn Ireland is lacking!)

I was expecting a chicken fest. and was sadly dissappointed. I thought every other shop would be chicken related, either of the edible or decorative kind. Not a ceramic chicken in sight to add to our collection, we have 3 by Belgan ceramicist Catherine Hunter and would love to add to our brood but they are quite difficult to find.

Poulet de Bresse dead and alive-

They are very pricey these little chaps (some do look a bit on the scrawny side, but then they don't get pumped with water and god knows what) probably about 3 times the price of a good quality British chicken. Meat in general is more expensive in France, an the quality usually justifies this, I think I'll be virtually vegetarian when we (finally) live there. In the meantime I enjoyed an absolutly lovely, huge chicken salad for lunch. You must eat food of the region - there follows another tale.

Another sculpture in Bourg en Bresse bears the inscription

'L'oeuvre est a l'artiste ce que l'oeuf a la poule'

......the work of the artist is as the egg to the chicken, like it! Right I'm off to pop another one out