November 29, 2002
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Les hortillonnages d ' Amiens .
Près du centre ville d ' Amiens sur les bords de la Somme il y a une multitude de petits chenaux qui s ' entrecroisent . Ils délimitent de nombreuses petites parcelles de terrain qui sont autant de petites îles . Dans le passé ces îlots étaient tous des jardins maraîchers . Cet ensemble constitue les hortillonnages Et les maraîchers sont appelés les hortillons .
De nos jours de plus en plus ces petites îles sont utilisées pour l ' agrément . Les propriétaires ont construit de petites maisons avec jardins fleuris et boisés . De nombreuses parcelles ont des allures de petits paradis . Si vous voulez entrer dans un des ces petits paradis vous avez à grimper les marches d ' un pont et ouvrir la grille située à son sommet .
Je ne sais pas pourquoi mais en voyant cela j ' ai songé à la vie humaine . Pourquoi ? Je me le demande .
Amiens ' s " hortillonnages "
Near the town center of Amiens ( Picardy , North of France ) at the sides of the river Somme there are multitudinous little channels that criss - cross . They delimit numerous little parcels of land which look like little islands . In the past all of these " islets " were market gardens . This area is named " the hortillonnages " . And the market gardeners are named " the hortillons " .
Nowadays more and more of these little islands are used for the pleasure . Owners have built little cottages with flowered gardens and trees . Many parcels look like little heavens on earth . If you want to enter one of this little paradise you have to go up the stairs of a bridge , and open the gate situated at the top .
I don' t know why but at seeing that I thought of the human life . Don' t you ?
©taken by Michel Fauquet . Hortillonnages d ' Amiens . grille
Comments (68)
Hey! He's back!!!
Quel plaisir de te retrouver Michel!!!
Super grosse bise, Lise
Hope you had a good break from Xanga! I missed you but I knew you would be back soon! Life can be beautiful if we take the time to enjoy it ! @-}-}--
Okay, explain to me again, who's the GateKeeper and who's the KeyMaster?
I get the feeling like I've seen something like this setup before in Blazing Saddles or Monty Python...
Seriously though, gates to me always signify doorways to perception, sometimes within this world, and sometimes to another.
FAUQUET!! You're back! YAAAYYYYY!!!!
Il est retourne! Bienvenue en arriere Michel! Que les ressembler de porte e lui pourraient etre la porte du ciel. très beautifil! Maintenant je voudrais voir plus de photographies.
How lovely.
!! Vous avez retournez
. Tout va bien, j'espere? je trouve le photo tellement interessant...et j'appris (grace a vous) plus de l'histoire de ma France adorais...j'aime bien les petites anecdotes et histoires des gens dans les regions du pays.
ah, I think of this, too!
thank you SO much for coming back!
we've missed you!
what a fine development Ron
I am very pleased to see you back on Xanga Michel. I notice that there are many gardens like these in the middle of cities in Germany. People build summer houses and cultivate trees and plants to create a little urban paradise. I also noticed something similar in the Loire Valley. Tom
What a beautiful little bridge and gate! It is nice to hear from you.
Everything looks so green and alive! What a fanciful gate.
...so happy to read you again! Welcome back my friend!
MuSe
...gorgeous romantic photo! Only with your suggestion and studing the photo am I reminded of the human figuer. My immediate impression was the guestion why so tall of a gate? I guess it is for privacy in that no one climbs over. Friendship,
Hortillons 'horti' - latin for gardens
- ahh languages are fascinating. I am coming to France next year for 5 days - I am soooooo looking forward to it
Love to see the photos you post here - nice to see you back
How is the new grandaughter??? 
Welcome back! What a pleasure to turn on my pc and notice that you were back and writing again.
Your country must be so beautiful there. After seeing the stairs and fancy gate, I can only imagine how beautiful it must be on the other side. Yes, I can relate that to life.
We just never know what lies ahead until we climb those stairs or that mountain. Even though the climb may be long and tiring, we usually find it was worth it when we get to the top. Have a good week!!!
So very picturest. Do you have any more photos of these islets.
Martin
What a beautiful picture! Now I have to visit! It is good to see you back my friend!!! I missed your posts

Gorgeous picture. I love reading your blog - I test my french by trying to translate the first half of your entry and then I compare my translation to the second half. I'm usually about 65% right.
How nice to have you back with us again I'm sure everyone has really missed you. I too try to translate but I'm not very good as it's years since I " did " French at school but I'll keep trying. Your blogs are always uplifting and provocative - carry on with the good work
In case you can't tell...Michel, you have been missed!! The bridge is very beautiful...thanks for sharing!! Have a wonderful weekend!!
comme toujours, vous avez montré un photo remplis de couleurs et charactère...
mike
HOORAY!! You're back!!
Do you mean that the gate is the entrance to living our lives or that there is a gate to each person's soul??
I guess you could look either way at it. I like the thought of each person as a unique and incredible garden to discover. We all have a few weeds, too!!
BIENVENUE, Michel!!!!
Vous avez bien manqué à nous tous!
Merci pour l'image...
Il y a toujours des portes, des ponts, et des sommets dans la vie humaine... figuratifs, bien sûr...
Enchanting...it looks like you will go through the door and reach a world of fantasy! Lovely photo and so very glad to have you back
Hooray you are back, I just took a punt and got to your site and lovely there you were again. I still see I was beaten by many others though. Do hope all is well now and yes that what you put on was lovely. Cheers Marjie


It does indeed look like a heaven on earth.
what a pretty pic..Looks regal and enchanting..
glad to see you back..Hope all is well..
take care,
rubymoon
Makes me want a place just like that..... So glad to see you back!!
Vous retournez!! Bienvenue!! xo
=)
I could not get here to say Hello before with Xanga been down . I have put a little bit in my blog today about you been missed but I see by the comments already you know that
What a lovely pic of the bridge reminds me of summer on a cold winters morning
welcome back michel!!!! it's good to see you again! and with a wonderful photo even!!
Bienvenue en arrivre, monsieur. Les hortillonnages sont beaux! Merci de la photographie.
I am so glad you are back my friend I missed you. What a wonderful picture and story to come back with. That is a place I would love to know more about and to one day visit! ! ! ! The new song on my site is a John Berry song. ( he is a country singer, that sounds like he could have gone opera, but better) The song is O Holy Night! One of my major faovorites. I am hoping to get Bing Crosby " Do You Hear What I Hear" up also once before Christmas. But I can't seem to get it. Have a great day and a wonderful tomorrow ! ! ! Much love and hugs! ! ! ! Welcome Back! ! ! !
Peut-etre c'est que ces grilles qui menent au paradis terrestre te rappellent a la porte qu'il faut ouvrir pour entrer dans le paradis "Biblique"??
C'est quand meme profond!
PS--Bonne rentree a Xanga! Que c'est evident que tu as manque a cette communaute!!
What a perfect analogy!
Wonderful to have you back posting again.
Bienvenue! (that's how you say welcome, is that also how you say welcome back? because that is what I was trying to say!) Yes, beautiful photo -- it does remind one of life and the doorways of experience with which we are presented daily.
Passez une fantastique journee!
Clementine
I have missed you - it is great to see you back!
Welcome back. We missed you. Lovely picture. We must stop and enjoy what life has to offer. Happy Days!
There is a saying, "When one door closes, another opens" so I understand what you mean....like life, it is, to be sure. Je'taime! We have missed you! The grandbaby is cute and beautiful and you and your wife look adorable with her!
YES I DO , WELCOME HOME TO XANGA , WE MISSED YOU VERY MUCH. HUGS FANCY THE TENNESSEE_LADY
Ahh Fauquet, that's another incredibly beautiful photograph!!! Welcome back!!!
Glad you're back! I like this beautiful picture! Thanks for sharing it with us and for telling a bit about it.
Welcome Back... Missed you my friend
And YW!!
Gorgeous pic... Looks like a very nice place to visit!!
Welcome back!!! I've missed your great blogs.
Picardy looks beautiful.
beautiful
I see the simularity.. Could be connected to death and crossing over into the garden of heaven...where everything is much more beautiful than here.
The return of Fauquet! Welcome back, my friend.
Those little islands look and sound like little bits of paradise.......
HI MICHEL , YES I HAVE TWO SITE,S ONE FOR FUN AND 1 FOR MY STORIE,S A PUBLISHER IS GOING TO PICK SOME OF THEM TO PUBLISH FOR A SHORT STORY BOOK ,LOL I HOPE ANYWAY. SNOWING HERE IN TENNESSEE IT LOOKS ALL MAGIC OUTSIDE TODAY! HUGS FANCY
Very beautiful....
You have been greatly missed. Welcome back! I like very much your image comparing the little islands to life. God bless.
Carol
I am very happy to see you back!
Ils semblent très beaux, en effet.
Il est bon de lire vos pensées de nouveau, mon ami.
Bonjour Michel!
Great to see you back!
Your comment on my site is a pleasant surprise.I've missed you tremendously!
Huggssss!
Michel,
I am so very, very glad that you are back. I sincerely missed you.
Aviv
i've never heard of them
sounds beautiful and a veritable treat!
nice to see you back !!
the gate looks pretty, yet intimidating. yes, in life you must first find the key before you will enter paradise. glad to see you back!
What a wonderful picture ....wish I was there now...
welcome back!! that is such a wonderful gate, so intricate.
so beautiful!

Welcome back! I'm sure I speak on behalf of your subscribers that you've been sorely missed.
Hope that the "away" time proved worthwhile for you.
Interesting observation, I also think of human life , of the human cycle of life, from birth to death to the afterlife...when I look at the tiny gates.
Maybe one day I'll be able to visit your country and experience it for myself.
*Thank you for your comment, I had a good laugh when I read it. LoL
how lovely, I want to go there.
~andro
...again was a pleasure to read of these canals and of this area. Your recent postcard is a nice addition to the pics above.
MuSe
That is a gorgeous door Michel!!! I want to go through it!
wow-that is amazing! I want one! the whole island thing, not just the bridge-that is sooooooooo cool!
This is SO VERY beautiful, I'm glad that Angi put the link to this picture. It does look like life or maybe a small gate into heaven.
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