What Makes Mollans Special
A new member of the group to whom I give English conversation lessons said he had just moved to Mollans. He said he had lived in places around Mollans but had always wanted to live in the village itself because Mollans was “special”. Others have said the same, so what makes Mollans “special”?
It is not the prettiest village around, that title has to go to Le Crestet, a hamlet plastered on a nearby hillside made up of old stone cottages and cobbled streets with superb views over the area. But those old cottages are virtually all owned by summer visitors and the hamlet is dead in the winter. And there are no shops in Le Crestet. Mollans has shops that cater for all everyday needs throughout the year and not all surrounding villages have those but some do. It means Mollans does not “die” in winter as some other villages do but Mollans is not unique in that. In fact it is difficult to identify any physical aspect of the village that would merit the adjective “special”.
What makes Mollans special is nothing tangible, more a feeling, an attitude, a sense of well being. As people from other villages around will attest “on est bien à Mollans”. Mollans has a reputation for being welcoming, even to foreigners. There is a sense of a community spirit that is all pervasive. This is particularly evident in the Amitié Mollanaise, an old people’s club that organises activities throughout the year. It has no equivalent in the surrounding area.
There is a general feeling of relaxation in Mollans, apparently long-standing. T he Mollanais have traditionally been known as Lei Coude Trouca, Provençal for people with holes in the elbows of their shirts, pullovers or jackets, supposedly from long periods leaning on the bridge and gazing at the river below. The Mollanais could be accused of lacking ambition but there is little scope or need for it in the village. Others can chase lofty ambitions, the Mollanais are happy as they are. And others some to Mollans for just that reason, to be happy.
