“It was a good day, non?” Remi asked as we settled back into the car. “It was Coeur, it was a really good day,” I replied.
We both were sleepy from the excitement of discovery, kids post-aquarium style and squinting into the rose gold of the sunset as we headed for home.
It can be tricky nostalgia, looking back. Even in that word, if you roll it around on your tongue there is a whisper of a warning in it. And yet that is exactly what we have been doing as of late. Spending copious amounts of time on what once was.
As I mentioned previously, Remi has been doing an amazing storytelling on his instagram account this past month to raise awareness about the importance of protecting our wildlife after the shameful killing of Cecil the Lion.
He is a wonderful writer in his own right, although these days it is limited to instagram. It was because of his capabilities that we were able to convince the magazine Grands Reportages to give me a try just months after my having moved to France by his saying, “If you really don’t like what she does, then I will write something instead.” He didn’t need to rewrite that article and we set off on a series of adventures together that I could never have imagined possible.
One of the biggest surprises for me – who had still only recently been an “I can run in high heels to catch a taxi if need be” New Yorker – was my astonishingly deep love for being on safari. For me, there is no more direct route to feel one with the blinding bright beauty of our earth. It can be overwhelming and yet utterly reassuring at the same time. “Yes, this exists and somehow I am right here, a part of it. I am alive.”
Twice we were able to visit the Ngorongorgo Crater in Tanzania, the second of which in 2006 was for a story that was exclusively on this sunken caldera of twenty kilometers in diameter that is home to roughly 25,000 large animals, a true Cradle of Life. It was an exceptional experience, especially as the authorities had accorded us a few days of rare passes permitting us to leave the road to better explore, to get closer.
Remi’s photographs from that time are exquisite. Looking at them now while he puts the story together has brought out strong feelings for both of us, pride and wistfulness amongst them. Both of us peering back at our incredibly exciting past through the computer screen from the padded quiet of our house in a tiny, sleepy village in a forgotten corner of Provence.
Nostalgia. I said it could be a dangerous word.
And yet. And yet…
Last week Remi invited me to tag along with him as he made a repérage for another of his photography workshops, this time not in the Alpilles but in the Camargue. It is an area that I am not often fond of in its mix of rough terrain and touristy vibe. And yet, in visiting the Parc Ornithologique de Pont de Gau we were surrounded by both. But I have to say that the experience was…fantastic.
The paths and pass-rails covering the swamps allowed us to walk amidst the thousands of birds – pink flamingos or flamants roses, egrets and herons, just to name a few – and as they are habituated to the proximity of human presence – just like in the Ngorongoro Crater – they don’t flee but continue to eat and fish and chat amongst themselves.
After exclaiming with joyous disbelief, we fell silent with wonder. And then we began to take photographs, both of us aided by telephoto lenses. Mine was a 300mm, heavy enough to make my Olive Oyl arms wobble. Remi was using one of his Leica’s – even more monstrous – but after having shot five Olympic Games, well, he is used to it.
We moved and focused and focused again. Eyes searching wide and hearts leaping until we felt like we were flying on wonder – that same exhilaration we had known before – until we understood that we did not have to go to Africa to experience it. We were still capable of finding it all on our own.
Yes, it was a really good day.
This post was written as part of the series called By Invitation Only which unites a group of bloggers to express themselves on a specific theme. This month a question was asked, “What are you afraid of?” Now, that is a topic that is just across the border of what I am willing to discuss here literally. But there is one thing that I can tell you that I have always been afraid of: stagnation. Amongst the glorious birds of the Camargue, I found a way to keep growing, to keep moving forward, open.
To discover what the other bloggers have written on this very challenging theme, please find the links by clicking: Here.
To read Remi’s storytelling on instagram about the Ngorongoro Crater: @remibenali
To follow my feed: @lostinarles
As always, thank you for being here.
With my Best from Provence,
Heather
Oh. Mah. God. These pictures are SO BEAUTIFUL!!! I could stare at them all day – they have to be one of the most "photogenic" animals, with those curvy necks and spindly legs and soft whites and pinks. Of course, I keep thinking of dancers – they look like they're doing choreography! You caught their images sooooooo beautifully, and, as always, they are matched by your beautiful words. I'm glad you were a little like Dorothy in this story – to find the exotic flamingos, you didn't have to look much farther than your back yard! And did Dorothy get a new camera??? All beautiful and heart-warming. And speaking of heart-warming, give the visitors a kiss from me!
What a great post, Heather, and your photos are beautiful!
As always this post of yours is pure poetry!
I have been loving Remi's IG stories and now I like the current one even more, knowing that you were with him!
I like a visit to the Sts Maries, mostly because I get a giggle out of such a typical sea-side tourist vibe….it is the same the world over! But I have never loved driving through the Camargue…the horses sitting in the sun with their saddles on waiting for riders just makes me sad. I need to find this spot with the Flamingos…that is really something to see!
What beautiful photos! I will forward this to my aunt, the Flamingo Queen. She had a business in the 90s called Uptown Flamingo where she sold flamingo themed stuff online. It was a huge business for a time. Before Amazon 🙂
I've been dabbling in some dangerous nostalgia; and you're right. It can be wonderful but should be handled carefully! In your case, nothing but beauty! Have fun!
What a stunning post! Your pictures are simply stunning. And I totally agree, stagnation would be horrid. I think why I like the blogging world so much. I am constantly meeting women and learning new things online!
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I AGREE MADAME DA…………….I AGREE!!!XXXOO
WOW!!!!!!!!!MA SEI BRAVA!
Stunning photos, and beautiful words to go with it. You made me think – yes, I'm afraid of stagnation, too, and happily, keep finding new things to learn and enjoy.
I have always felt the same way, always. And here is the deal, you just have to do the touristy thing and go to this parc – just go on off hours or off season. Remi talked to the director of the parc and he said that nearly all of the iconic images of the birds of the Camargue are made there.