School's Out

This is the lycée that serves a considerable area around my local town in France. It is a classic, French provincial secondary school, and stands proud on the south side of the River Bave, dominating the Place de la République across the bridge. The plane trees have been trained to grow out rather than up, to interlink and form an impenetrable canopy providing much needed shade for parking during the summer. But at this time of year they drop their leaves everywhere and are just a nuisance. Soon they will be pollarded and look very bald indeed. It is always impossible during winter to imagine how they will ever offer shade again. But they always do.