Les Ganes

Les Ganes

momo
lang:en trip plateau millevaches visiting community

In Les Ganes we stayed for three days. The days passed at Les Ganes, it was a special and strange time. Special because the community of people which we encountered there built something beautiful to share with people like us, since we are trying to put up something similar: believe in the creation of a community and make it happen with what is there. The community counts today about 10 people, some living in yurts, others in wooden or straw-houses, tiny homes. They share a collectively built central communal space where to eat together once per day. In the communal space there is a kitchen and a open dining room, a huge fridge room with shelves full of glass bottles and jam-pots. There is also a shower, a sort of sauna and a comfy dry toilet. To settle in the land they live, it took them 13 years and most of the energy from their youth years. Now they live there, some with a kid, some with their families, some with one of their partners or by themselves. They work the land, and have outside work related to facilitation and communication for conflict solving in groups.

The time spent there was also hard for me because with the group, during these days we got to a level of dis-functionality that made me think that i should stop believing in Magari and go on to something else. These days have been important to get confronted with the weak and tired side of many of us. In fact, somehow, the goals of the trip were starting to fade, the group had changed radically and we were approaching the end of the journey. In the next days, talking and letting time for emotions to sink in, i believe that many little conflicts or questioning summed up during the days at Les Ganes. It was hard, but precious to go through this more negative feelings.