Month: November 2013

And Remi should know, as his family had vineyards in the area up until the Second World War. But more of the wine another time…

You see there is also a certain charm, un charme fou…

…with each corner more picturesque than the next. 

We took it in with eager eyes.

But then again…ah, you see there is more to this Burgundian story than that…

…but then again, isn’t there always?

For once the main streets have been forsaken for the twist of back alleys…

…the surprise of Chablis is revealed.

Patina.

The bustle muffled and faded. In the ensuing silence we could hear many a damsel calling out to be rescued.

Of course, we listened…for that is what we do!

Yes, all of the elements pleased us to no end. Such elegant bones and a fleur de lis emblazoned crest daring all to knock at the front door…

… with extremely elegant neighbors en face…

…as well as peals of church chimes floating directly over head. 

Precisely at that moment.

For once, we let ourselves dream big, caught up in the delight of a very famous village that goes far beyond what it seems. Whoever said beauty is only skin deep?

The sky has turned to powder, sifting through my hands. The year is fading and I am left swathed in baby blues and little chick yellows…as if the sun was tired and the world was lit by lamplight.

Softness and sweetening, a whisper in my ear and a light caress on the back of my hand. I have felt this before. And written it too.

November. I realize it more by the lack of than the have to, the early to bed and not so eager to rise.

This is the time of quiet goodbyes…before the confetti blossom shakes bright, a catapult into the year ahead.

And so let me rest a bit, at home in the knowledge that I will always find my way back, guided by the flicker of life’s lamp.

Have a lovely week ahead. We are going to the Luberon for some of the afore-mentioned rest so I may not be responding as much as usual to comments (have you noticed that when we go, we go to where we are unreachable? Hard to imagine such places still exist but they do) but know that I adore them nonetheless…

And oh, ok, here it is…David Terry’s praying mantis!

Those of you that have been reading along here for any length of time know that my companion, Remi and I are both inveterate dreamers. We can’t help it. It is a glowing ribbon in the bind that links us together. Perhaps because we are both nomads who grew up with a foggy sense of home for varying reasons, one of our favorite dreams is of the “We Could Live Here” variety. We do it all the time. The games people play (kind of like my favorite “What would you choose to eat if you could only have three ingredients?” Avocado, chickpeas and roasted chicken is today’s answer)…

And so I didn’t bat an eye when Remi got that far-away look after finishing off a recent picnic in a vineyard on the outskirts of Uzes.

I followed his gaze to the ruin in front of us and knew what he was thinking before he said a word.

I watched him dreaming with all of the internal fervor as our puppers do when they run in their sleep.

Yes, we could open up that doorway. What is it? Renaissance period? Possibly.

And then that rather large window too, big enough to make a doorway, perhaps a little balcony could be added, a beacon over a sea of vines.

Of course, the roof would need to be redone…always a pricy affair…

Tick, tock, tick until his imaginings pulled him up from our comfortable perch in the shade and drew him like a magnet to make a closer inspection.

The dogs followed. Nosing the ground as they padded along behind.

I stayed where I was for the longest time. Watching Remi stroll with a glass of wine in hand.

King of his imaginary domain.

Until I too was bewitched enough to wander.

Delight swelled, blurred my vision, then stilled it.

The surprise of happiness.

It might never be where you expect it but a little dreaming is fine fire to the flame. 

Isn’t it?

Wishing that your weekend ahead is filled with good.

And speaking of, to read Laurie Anderson’s moving and very beautiful tribute to her late Husband, Lou Reed, please click here.

Today, I am thrilled to share with you my very first guest post, written by La Contessa (or Elizabeth Kirkpatrick as she is known in everyday parlance) as part of this month’s By Invitation Only theme. Looking back, I can’t recall how she found my blog but I most certainly do know that she has been a faithful reader and friend since the beginning! She has always been incredibly supportive and kind to both Remi and myself…quite simply, she is an exceptional woman. Her recent adventure with the amazingly talented Carla Coulson is one of the most perfect examples of “being true” that I have ever seen. The story gives me goosebumps and so now, I turn Lost in Arles over to La Contessa…

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A little background on me–I have had a black and white photo taken of my sons and myself for the last 21 years for my husband for FATHER’S DAY. I had decided early on that I would stop when the boys became 21 because after that I wouldn’t be able to have them come home for the photo shoot the first of April, plus we would run out of wall space to hang the photos………So, I had the problem of deciding when to stop! When the first son was 21 or the second son!!! I chose the latter……………A few years have passed now with no photo and that was hard for me at first. Now, I have to come up with a gift for the Italian husband for Father’s Day! The beauty of the photo, he always knew what he was getting! A photo in black and white with a plain black frame to hang in his study. My idea then was to watch me age and watch the boys grow up!

I love to snap photos, mind you I have no idea what I am doing with the camera but I love to take snap shots! I found CARLA’s blog and became a subscriber………Her eye and detail always made my mouth drop. I ADORED HER STORY. Not happy with her life in AUSTRALIA, she decides to up and move to Florence, Italy enrolls in photography school, meets the man of her dreams and moves up to Paris.What a tale……….

So, as I said I am a subscriber and well she does these photo shoots with couples. Loved that idea but it would be difficult to get THE ITALIAN to FRANCE! So, I had a DREAM…………REALLY! I awoke one morning thinking okay I will take my SONS to PARIS! They both have FALL birthdays, they both have never been to PARIS, this will be the last HOORAH, before they head out into the world………..something I will cherish and hopefully they will too. We will have our photo taken by CARLA.

So,we met by the Medici fountain on a Tuesday at 5:00pm in the Luxembourg Gardens. We chatted, we indulged in a KIR ROYAL………..(MY FIRST! THANKS TO LOST IN ARLES!!) and made plans to meet later in the week for THE SHOOT! Carla arrives with VERO, the hair and make-up lady, with her rolling suitcase and goodies from a boulangeire. We began the day that will be one of the most EXQUISITE days of my life. Paris, my SONS, Chickens and the LOUVRE……………….

Thank ~ you CARLA for performing your magic with me and my boys! I HAVE MEMORIES……..FABULOUS MEMORIES. I cannot thank ~ you enough.XXX

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See? I told you it was amazing! But what is that you say? Chickens? The Louvre? Well, I do hope that you will brace yourself then take the hop over to Carla’s blog to see the a few of the finished portraits. They are…they are…as beautiful and inspirational as La Contessa herself!

To see Carla Coulson’s fantastic portraits of La Contessa and please just trust me, go:

http://carlacoulson.com/la-contessa-portrait-shoot-paris/

To read Carla’s recent post “How to bring about true change” please click here.

According to La Contessa: “I do not have a blog…………I like to think of it as a blog but it’s NOT REALLY ’tis a website made by a man that made the comment section a NIGHTMARE!” Nonetheless, if you would like to see more of her world and travels, please visit http://vintagehenhouse.com/

Join the party! To read the guest posts of the international roster of wonderbloggers, please click here!

A big thank you to Elizabeth’s sons, Kristopher and Nicholas for the use of their “behind the scenes” photos, as well as to Véronique Marot, Carla’s brilliant hair and makeup artist, who took the top group shot.