For various reasons, it has been a bit of the Summer that Wasn’t. No visits to the beach with sandy puppers in tow or rosé-drenched apéro’s in a flowerly bower. In a certain sense, we knew it would be so–it was in the Planning as Remi is knee-deep, slowly pushing a three year long project into home, leaving me a loopy amount of time to reason and read. And so I have been taking in the words, taking in the words until I am full and restless. Quand c’est trop, c’est trop.
In this lull of in-between, I have let myself get trapped in amber, like a prehistoric fly. In my emptiness, I have built up a routine to create structure in all of this floppy space. A very relaxed version of métro, boulot, dodo. Dullness weighs my body down and thoughts cease to swing. Yes, there are elements of routine in Arles that have a perfume of gorgeousness about them but if I am not seeing them, well, I might as well be sleepwalking anywhere. Luckily my camera can rearrange my focus when I cannot.
The streets of Arles are solid but also shady and shaking. I have lived here for eight years now, quite some time for a nomad like me. I walk them in patterns and loops, where the dogs lead, I follow. That too can be dulling blind until the light shifts and on the wall in front of me and an angle aligns or a sign is revealed, one that I had somehow never seen. A bit of magic and blink are the must of these little gifts. It is a moment that inevitably makes me smile and snaps the amber quick to set me buzzing free.
“I rather would entreat thy company
To see the wonders of the world abroad,
Than, living dully sluggardized at home,
Wear out thy youth with shapeless idleness.”
To see the wonders of the world abroad,
Than, living dully sluggardized at home,
Wear out thy youth with shapeless idleness.”
–The Two Gentlemen of Verona, William Shakespeare
So no great adventures for the moment, friends, just little, local ones.
Thanks for being along for the ride.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Thank you for the suggestion, Helen. Doing yoga has been helping but I will most certainly look into your suggestion as well and pass on your kind wishes to Remi.
Nervous is the perfect word, George. I am not at all at ease as I should be during this quiet time. Will do my best to breathe and enjoy what is right in front of me.
Gros Bisous.
Hmmm…The Museum of Innocence, Flight Behavior, Bird by Bird, Blossoming n Provence, In one Person, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and Annie Leibovitz's At Work (amazing).
If you say so, dear friend, I will believe it.
xo
Oh Jayne, that really is such a fine, fine compliment and I thank you sincerely for it–I will reread it on days when I need an extra push to keep going. Merci!!!!
Thank you Jackie–it sounds like you are making the most of your home time, how lovely. 🙂
I would be lost without them, Mr. Laoch.
I wish you were too. Missing you my beautiful, talented Sister…
Your photos are already gorgeous enough as they are, Edgar!
Thank you so much, Jeanne. It was so fun watching you see all the details that I love here! And yes, a good reminder that sometimes we need the quiet times to grow–I will take that to heart.
bisous