A series of essays.....
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| DANCING IN NICE, FRANCE ALONG THE BEACH AND THE PROMENADE DES ANGLAIS |
.....as seen through my eyes!
By: Jacqueline E. Hughes
Hand in hand lovers, for the moment, swirl and sway to
the rhythm and beat. An ancient voice sits beside the DJ who spins the sounds of
melodies composed in another era in time. The crooner attempts to keep up with
the music as his cigarette dangles, precariously, from his weathered lips. The
beat changes. The dancers switch partners. Heads shift from one side to another
until the women's eyes rest, demurely, on their new partner. The men hold the
women with respect as their bodies begin to adjust to the new rhythms of both
the music and the new person within their arms. Life's dance continues to ebb
and flow just like the sea that continually swallows the etched, gray stones a
few yards away.....then, predictably, recedes into the blackness of the Bay.
Their recently shined dancing shoes adapt to the changes and slowly, each new
couple transforms into silent lovers, for a few moments in time. Witnesses to
this ancient ritual line the shadowed Promenade above the dancers, delighted by
the spectacle below. Charged by the music and the constant swell of the sea,
their feet tap unconsciously; their bodies miming the motions of the dancers.
With slight body movements, they suggest emotions without words. Using only
gestures, expression, and movement, they align with the couples down below them;
absorbing the rituals of motion and life, heartbeats blend together along the
large expanse of the Promenade. Individuals blend seamlessly with those around
them as the dance of life repeats itself night after night.....
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| THE PROMENADE IN NICE |
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| MEMORIALS TO THE INNOCENT |
I have become smitten by this magical place.
Lined with palm trees, as well as its iconic blue beach
chairs, perfect for people watching, the Promenade des Anglais sweeps along the
coastline, stretching from the Nice Airport Côte d'Azur to the Quai des
États-Unis on the east side. Just last year, France submitted the famous pathway
for Unesco World Heritage status.
La Prom, as it is affectionately called by the locals,
is nearly four and a half miles of 'life' itself. A Mecca for bicyclists, baby
strollers, families strolling along together on a Sunday afternoon, this pathway
features cabanas perfect for a slow, uncomplicated time along the Mediterranean
and the deep reflective thoughts enhanced by the azure water of the Bay of
Angels.
By the end of the day, 14 July, 2016, eighty-six innocent souls would be lost forever along the Promenade. Bastille
Day. A time of joy and celebration for the people of France. Equivalent to our
Fourth of July. A time of Pomp-and-Circumstance. Filled with ceremony, fuss, and
fireworks.....
With a heavy heart, my soul sings the 'Weary
Blues.'
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| ARLES ARENA (AMPHITHEATER) |
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| WITHIN THE ARLES AMPHITHEATER |
Have you ever been lost in Arles?
Not lost in the sense that all is abandoned and there's
no hope of surviving. Rather, lost in the folds of history that tend to envelope
European spaces so completely, so profoundly, it pulls at your very soul.
Emotionally captivated by the simple beauty that surrounds you such as narrow,
cobbled streets and the profusion of flowers, potted and sprayed along iron
balconies and the ancient stones of buildings and walls like colorful silken
skirts protecting the secrets beneath.....you can't help but notice several
large elephants in the room.
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| STAGE OF THE ROMAN THEATER |
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| ROMAN THEATER SEATING |
The Roman Amphitheater (The Arena) was built at the end
of the first century AD and could hold 21,000 spectators who came to witness
fights and games. Built a century before the amphitheater, the Roman Theater is
its imposing neighbor. Looted for centuries for its building materials, today it
is once again being utilized as the magnificent theater it was meant to be.
Sitting on the ancient stone slabs that have seated millions of others just like
me, emotions in the form of awe and wonderment took over and for a short span of
time, it was easy to lose my sense of 'self' and become a small, silent figure
lost in space and time.
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| PORTION OF FRIEZE FROM ROMAN THEATER |
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| CASCADING BEAUTY |
....Arles is one of the capital cities of Provence of
the Bouches-du-Rhône department in the south of France.
The Celebration of Friendships
"To thine own self be true," quote from William
Shakespeare's "Hamlet Act 1" that describes the importance of not deceiving
yourself or others by ignoring what your heart tells you. When a person is true
to himself, it's easier to be true to everyone else.
Traveling to France this past September was a true
homecoming of old friendships and deep emotion. We knew that going in and planned most of our trip around this idea.
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| DINNER WITH NADINE AT RESTAURANT SOUS LES MICOCOULIERS |
Nadine Fourré, a renowned French artist/sculptor,
utilizes the 'Art of Balance' in all of her many works she proudly displays, not
only in her hometown of Eygalieres, France, but galleries and Expos throughout
Provence. She believes that everything begins feet under the water and
incorporates her precious river finds of stone and driftwood into her
manifestations of balance.
While living in Japan for over twenty years and studying
architectural design in Tokyo, she immersed herself in the art of "less is more"
and gladly became a student of the stone gardens of Zen temples. Through a
mutual friend, I met Nadine on Facebook many years ago and we became fast
friends. I've written a lengthy piece about her artwork on my blog, 'Moving
On...' and have always hoped to meet her in person one day.
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| OLIVE GROVE EYGALIERES, FRANCE |
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| VINEYARD NEAR EYGALIERES |
Staying in Eygalieres, tucked in among the Alpilles
Mountain chain and close to the banks of the Durance, the first night of our
trip afforded me the opportunity to spend time with Nadine and get to know her
better.
What joy in my heart! My excitement was beyond palatable
like the delightful local organic Rosé we all sipped together and the petite,
homegrown organic tomatoes still on the vine we nibbled on before going out to
dinner under the stars. Ahh, the more wine we consumed, the more my emotions
hung on my sleeve to be seen and felt by all who saw me.
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| CONVERSATION BEHIND NADINE'S STONE COTTAGE |
A perfect evening among new friends that will be
cherished and, hopefully, repeated as the years go by. Thank you, Nadine, for
showing us how beautiful and kind your world is. I promise to keep this feeling
within me forever.....
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| LE VERGER |
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| BREAKFAST |
Next stop.....Le Verger, a charming Bed & Breakfast
in the Luberon area of Provence that is owned and personally operated by our
friends, Daniele and Jean-Philippe Rossi. I have often written about this
magical place we were so kindly introduced to seven years ago. These amazing
people have become more like family to us than we could have ever imagined upon
that first meeting.
Having slipped through the 'surly bonds' of jet lag the
night before and survived, we were looking forward to spending two nights at Le
Verger seeped in informative and friendly conversation, the surrounding beauty
of the Vaucluse, and copious amounts of Daniele's delicious croissants and
homemade jams and jellies. We were not disappointed.
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| FRIENDSHIP |
Daniele met us, arms wide and welcoming, as soon as we
pulled in. With many tears of joy and delight shed by all of us, we felt as
though we'd arrived back home.
The first evening there, we were told that we were
having a home cooked dinner with yet another couple who had become friends of
Daniele and Jean-Philippe around ten years ago when they assisted in helping to
pick olives in the orchard at Le Verger. Anne, originally from London, married
Jean-Claude, a Frenchman, and lived and raised their children in France. With
Anne speaking excellent French, as well as English, Daniele reasoned that we
would enjoy hearing English spoken and that Anne would have a chance to use her
native language once again.
Our conversation leaned heavily towards American
politics as they were, naturally, interested in our personal reactions to one of
the most unprecedented Presidential elections in the history of the United
States. On the other hand, we learned about French politics, as well, and were
intrigued by the frank openness and general diversity of the four French
citizens we listened to. At this point, Dan and I knew we had been welcomed into
the fold with open arms.
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| OBLIGATORY SELFIE WITH DANIELE & JEAN-PHILIPPE |
Our two days swiftly flew by when we found ourselves
saying good-bye once again. Vowing it would not be another seven years before we
meet again and extending our open invitation for them to see us in Orlando, we
waved a bientôt to two of the most giving, patient, and loving people we
know.
The roller coaster of emotions within that two day
period was, in itself, amazing, exhilarating, and exhausting as time rolled on.
I can remember wiping away my tears for many miles down the roads of the French
countryside as we made our way to Arles for the night.....
David..David..David!
What can I say? We have been friends with David for so
long now that the many years in between our last visit together gently slid by
all of us. There was so much life, love, and happiness sandwiched neatly between
then and now that it seems ridiculously wonderful to know that we didn't lose
out or miss something along the way. And, I liberally give kudos to Facebook for
helping to make this happen.
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| DAVID ~ HAPPY FACES ~ OPEN HEARTS |
Dan and I believed in the beginning that we'd have
enough time during this trip to slide down to Barcelona, Spain, explore the
exotic wonders of Gaudi architecture including the Sagrada Familia, the
intricate Basilica that is one of Gaudi's greatest works, and visit David and
Ray for a day or two. Eventually, we realized we just could not stretch our time
in order to make this work out.
Fortunately, David came up with a feasible plan and
asked if the four of us could meet in the small French resort town of Collioure
north of the French and Spanish border and have dinner together. We would be
coming down after a three night stay in Pieusse, a small village just south of
Carcassonne where we had celebrated our wedding anniversary.
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| COLLIOURE HARBOR |
As time transpired, we found a room for the night in
Collioure with the anticipation of driving all the way back to Nice the
following day. David surprised us by booking a room at La Bona Casa, as well.
Finally, Dan and I were going to get to meet Ray and see David again after all
this time. David and Ray were married in Spain and will soon celebrate their
fourth wedding anniversary.
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| CARCASSONNE, FRANCE |
Ray McCall, you wily one. You slipped by us once again
due to your work schedule. Now we must wait to see that handsome face of
yours in person either in Florida or when we are fortunate to be able to visit
Barcelona in the future.
Sipping wine along the beach front in Collioure with
David and Dan, I realized the unexpected paths our life can take. Would I have thought that we'd be spending time with Mr. Ackley in France, wine glass
in hand, with the beauty of this resort town behind us and the Mediterranean Sea
stretched out so richly before us?
The slight drizzle motivated us to seek out a place for
dinner and we found a perfect spot outside and only a block away from our hotel.
By then the rain had subsided and we ordered more wine and beer and ample food
that turned out to be quite delicious. At one point, we were laughing very
boisterously and with good cheer and that night, before going to bed, I realized
I'd lost one of my favorite earrings. Even the next day when we retraced our
steps and couldn't find the earring, I knew I could not let it bother me after having enjoyed such a wonderful time.
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| DAVID IN FRONT OF OUR HOTEL |
Enjoying our coffee and croissants the next morning was
bittersweet for all of us. David would soon be driving back south, picking-up
his two adorable dogs and bringing them back to his flat with Ray returning from
his trip in a few days time. We had a much longer day in the car as we,
reluctantly, packed the rental car and headed to the beautiful city of Nice for
our last evening in France.
We miss you, David. We miss the laughter and excellent
wine. We miss the political discussions with the three of us knowing how to keep
America as great as it always has been. But, most of all, we miss you. Until we
are blessed to see you again....much love and peace.
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| WINE EQUALS ~ JOY |
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| JAMBON ET FROMAGE AVEC BAGUETTE ~ LOVE |
Copyright © 2016 by Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved
