After 77 days in the small French town Blaye on the Gironde, it was time to say goodbye yesterday. To Emilie, her studio, lots of nice people inside and outside the citadel, the hospitable people here, the good food and wine.
What I have experienced during these French weeks?
I have
- met extremely hospitable and funny people
- given mosaic courses for children and adults
- made a lot of mosaic jewelry in all shapes
- created a diabolical mosaic table (the base is still being welded, photos follow)
- started my work for Musiva, a school internal competition organized by the region FriuliVeneziaGiulia
- drank delicious wine like Côtes de Blaye
- reached probably the highest fish consumption of my life in three months (including oysters and snails)
- fished shrimps in the Gironde (very impressive technology: cat food serves as a bait and gets crumbled and sticked firmly to the basket with the own food – oh, now I have betrayed the trick, maybe I’ll just end up as fish food myself) and eaten (steamed in anise and dill – delicious way to prepare it!)
- bought French rubber boots (if it rains like last winter in Spilimbergo at least I’m prepared)
- let myself drift in the Babylonian language chaos in Emilie’s studio and refreshed my French
- seen guinea fowls running around on my patio
and
- went jogging through vineyards with charming châteaux
- woke up with a sunny sky nearly every day
I did not
- Learn surfing (but I will definitely next year!)
- explore the area well (we just had too many projects!)
I think the first list should be continued and the second one checked off. Emilie and I have many ideas that will occupy me well this winter. In any case I’ll be back, Blaye.
For now, however: AU REVOIR!