From the South of France

I had another “does this guy know me?” moment the other day, when my daily email missive from Brian Andreas had this to say:

That thing you want to do with your whole heart? Yeah, go do it. That thing you kinda want to do if it ever works out? Let it go. Free your mind for something great.

I’m relaxing on my last night with my friends Sophie and François; they’ve hosted me in Nice and Antibes so graciously for nearly a week. Tomorrow I set off on a new piece of this adventure: I have leased a car for four months, and I’ll be picking it up tomorrow at the Nice airport. I’ll drive to Bonnieux to spend one night in the town where Dale and I and a lot of people we have loved celebrated Dale’s 50th birthday ten years ago.

The next day, I’ll pick up Katie from the airport in Marseille, and we’ll drive to Nîmes for a few days’ exploration in the region. And then on Saturday, I’ll move into the house I’ve rented in Bize-Minervois!

Today’s post is about stories and histories. Here I am, a history buff in a land that has a long, long history. I love walking the streets of Paris and exploring tiny ancient towns to see buildings that were built hundreds—or even thousands—of years ago. In the smaller towns, I like to pay my respects and learn a little bit about each town by visiting the World War I and World War II memorials (every town has them). The French government took until 1995 to acknowledge their complicity in the mass deportations of Jews during WWII, and since then, memorials to various individuals have been appearing all over. All over France, there are well-preserved treasures from ancient Roman arenas to medieval markets to sites of scientific discovery to sites where people were shot by the Nazis.

It’s interesting to me to see those things that are kept and treasured for future generations to be able to see. France has suffered much, has witnessed much, and there are stories everywhere you look, if you open your eyes and open your heart.

*A fleur-de-lys and shamrocks decorating a column in Paris’ exquisite Sainte-Chapelle, completed in 1248 by King Louis IX, who later became Saint Louis.*

*A little bit of wabi-sabi on an old door. The peeling paint and spots rubbed dirty by use give this door the air of a grande dame who remembers better days.*

An over-the-top 19th-century ceiling in a bakery in Paris. There are probably quite a few old businesses like this; a small number are former brothels. But it appears to me that the best-preserved are the bakeries. What else? This is France and the bakery rules daily life.

*And finally, something less historical than humorous, I hope. This week, if you need to go pick up some groceries, don’t forget to take your …*

4 thoughts on “From the South of France”

Love your blog and I love y9utoo!

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Thank you Fred! What a treat to hear from you! Bisous to you two.

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I always enjoy your writing and photographs so much, I want to share them with everyone I hold dear. Is that allowed? We missed seeing you in CA in May.

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highjinks58 says:

September 21, 2020 at 7:16 pm

Judy, you’re the best! Thanks so much for your kind words and for your support. I’d LOVE to be seen by people you hold dear. You can forward the link to my page, or copy this address into a text or email: https://www.lovedolife.com
I also invite people to click on the “Subscribe” button on the right-hand side of the page. What that means is that they’ll receive an email alert whenever there’s a new post on my blog, which is one or two emails a month. And I will NEVER sell anyone’s information, because I don’t like when it happens to me.
I hope this finds you both doing well, staying healthy, and finding pockets of fresh air to breathe.
love and gratitude, Lynne

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