Les cloches de Saint Remy Les Chevreuse

We recently enjoyed a presentation by Vincent, one of our guides, regarding the sounds of France and especially Paris. From him, we learned of the prominence and importance of church bells to a village. The bells, or en français "les cloches",  served both religious and secular purposes. In the religious context, the sound of bells was holy. They rung to call people to prayer and to mass. They also rung to announce special occasions, such as a birth or death. In addition, the bells served distinct secular purposes. They identified the time, and announced town events, such as approaching danger. Furthermore, each church could be identified by the unique sound of its bells. Listen for the bells of the small church in Saint Remy Les Chevreuses. This small village is about 40 minutes outside of Paris. We took the RER to this tranquil spot this afternoon to experience the peace and quiet of the countryside.