Flax Festival in Routot

The whole area between Pont Audemer and Rouen is filled with fields of plants about two and a half feet tall with blue flowers. They're flax! There's even a museum devoted solely to flax in the village these pictures were taking in - Routot. We had a wonderful time on Sunday looking at all the fashions and food and everything else made of flax. There was even farm equipment straight from the fields. The cat in the top picture was sleeping in the window right near all the hubbub. We thought it was cute.

The looms and such were inside the museum, which was open for the festival. They had several antique looms and a huuuuge warp frame.

This man was flaying the linen to reveal the fibers for spinning and weaving. I'd never actually seen it done.