Just so you know, the title of the blog is translated as "Happy is he who like Ulysses has made a good journey." I was trying to think of a name for this blog when I stumbled upon a mosaic with that title on the top of the Chateau hill in Nice and it seemed completely appropriate. The above video is from Nice and isn't quite the quality I was hoping. I'm sorry about how incredibly deep I always forget my voice is.
I arrived in Montpelier this morning by train, and with a 2 hour break wandered out into the city. Is it possible to fall in love with tiny streets, ornate balconies, and an atmosphere dominated by outside eateries and cafes? The air here just feels different and more exciting. The bread has a perfect crunch to the outside and is delicious and soft on the inside. I later ate a whole baguette because it was just that good...plus I was walking in the Mediterranean...barefoot...and it just seemed such an ideal thing to do.
After Montpelier, a French sandwich, and a short train ride later, I was in Marseilles where my host Antoine greeted me. He spoke very good English, was actually born in Vietnam but had lived in Marseilles since he was a year old, and plays the guitar really well, though only covers (he wishes he could write his own stuff but insists that he's tried to learn that way and can't). He had two other couch surfers, Josh and Frederique (from Montreal), staying with him. Josh is an amazing guitar player and Frederique had such a cute, tiny voice that people kept asking here if she were sick. They were a lot of fun and I went with them and Antoine to the highland cliffs, Cassis (a small port town outside of Marseilles where we just walked around), and then on a walk along the Mediterranean. I've never seen water so blue. I took a nap and it felt beyond relaxing. Who needs a spa.
Later, Antoine, Josh, and I met up with some of Antoine's friends and played soccer. I actually got complimented on my play and all of Antoine's friends were very funny and kind. Most spoke English and asked me questions about my trip, why I was in Peru for two years, Angie, Melody, and some other things. We later met up at a French restaurant where I tried, among other things, frog legs, sea snail, and fried squid. I actually thought all of them were pretty good, though I don't think I'd pay money for the first two (I actually did buy the fried squid and it was amazing).
I haven't been so wrapped up here in observing human nature and our follies, which observations have been punctuated by my reading in Gulliver's Travels and Swift's rapier wit and stabs at politics, law, and general human weakness. I've been seeing a lot of the positive as well though. People in France take more time to enjoy life. You can tell that they love their food as even supermarkets still focus on fresh food and bread...and wine. The preparation of your own aliments is emphasized and the frozen and and microwaveable sections occupy only a small corner of stores. People seem to prefer conversation and strolls through the park to T.V., video games, and other typical American activities. Transportation more involves bikes, walking, and public transportation so that you have less noise pollution and more the sounds of birds chirping, children playing soccer in the street, and French women chatting about who knows what in vibrant tones.
Everything seems more artistic, more full of character. I sat in a small park surrounded by aged buildings and stone walls. Paint was fading from red and yellow apartment fronts, but more as if drawn from an impressionist painting than flaking and rusting away. You find cafes in a courtyard in front of a cathedral nearly a thousand years old, and fortitifactions used during the War of Spanish Succession. I can't imagine the people of this place finding as much fascination in the United States as I do here and I hope that they don't take their surroundings for granted. I can see why Europeans scoff at the notion of Americans having culture, though it's still not very nice.
So, I've found peace in this place and my thoughts again begin to wonder to wishes that I were an explorere traveling to new lands in a time when there was still land to discover and great tales to bring back to the homeland. The Mediterranean appears endless, but I know that Africa lies just beyond the horizon and it gives me a sense of what sailors who first sighted new land must have felt like in announcing it, in meeting new natives and hearing new tongues, in bringing back strange and exotic artifacts, and in setting out again in search of new frontiers. I think I actually dreamt of being in the Indiana Jones movie last night...
For now, I leave you with one of my favorite pictures of the trip. This, to me, is the essence of relaxation. With that, I set out into Geneva and will update you soon as to my findings in Switzerland. Au revoir.

6 comments:
this is beautiful ryan. you are a great writer. i can't wait til i can show up in this blog! yay ireland! i'll keep checking your blog, but make sure you read mine as well. i'll post soon...
toriharrislives.blogspot.com
how fun!! your pics are beautiful! im so glad to read about all the fun youre having and am looking forward to reading more!! you gonna keep this blog going even after europe or is this just a vacation blog kinda thing?
Looks WONDERFUL! I just watched "To Catch a Thief", and I swear that building behind you was in the movie.
Thanks everyone. I think I'll keep this blog up. We'll see if I have an interesting enough life when I get back to...*shudder*...Provo. Actually, I kind of miss it surprisingly enough. In a masochistic sort of way. But yeah, we'll see.
Heureux qui, comme Ulysse, a fait un beau voyage,
Ou comme cestuy-là qui conquit la toison,
Et puis est retourné, plein d'usage et raison,
Vivre entre ses parents le reste de son âge !
Quand reverrai-je, hélas, de mon petit village
Fumer la cheminée, et en quelle saison
Reverrai-je le clos de ma pauvre maison,
Qui m'est une province, et beaucoup davantage ?
Plus me plaît le séjour qu'ont bâti mes aïeux,
Que des palais Romains le front audacieux,
Plus que le marbre dur me plaît l'ardoise fine :
Plus mon Loir gaulois, que le Tibre latin,
Plus mon petit Liré, que le mont Palatin,
Et plus que l'air marin la doulceur angevine.
it is actually about how he loves his home more than his travels. he is happy because the journey has ended, he's had his adventure but the fireside in his family home is like an empire, better than anything he saw or experienced while travelling. provo???
Peace, respect and all the highest goodness towards your foot falls my friend, I appreciate your journey for many reasons, but most of all through the slightly wizened eyes of the pursuer of new and unexpected we will all get to live a piece of what you have taken upon yourself to experience first hand whilst we commend and encourage all positivity that may arise from your travels.
Peace in your pockets
Post a Comment