If it’s Friday, it must be France …
Recently, I’ve been spending my days in the intriguing Camargue region of the south of France … well, on paper anyway … working away on my new novel and heading toward the January 15th deadline when it is due on my Lake Union editor’s desk.
It was a thrill to spend some time in this Rhône River delta in June doing research for my story. This description might not fit your classic image of France: you’ll find gardiens, what we might call cowboys, on white horses that run wild in the salty marshland when not being put to work herding the famous black bulls; ancient villages where gypsies gather each year to keep alive legends of old; salt flats teeming with pink flamingos and other bird life. The region is part of UNESCO’s network of world biosphere reserves.
Here are a few photos from the Camargue and an excellent article to give you more information. Please be sure to scroll to the bottom and watch the video.
With your permission, I’ll save my words for my novel (for now) and get back to writing! I hope this little peek at the Camargue will make you eager to read the new story when it is published … looks like late 2017 at the moment! Bon weekend!
I am sure your story will come out great! Have a wonderful weekend and keep those creative juices flowing!
Thanks, Phil! I’ve got some catching up to do on my blog reading. Must pop over and see what you have been up to!
Looking forward to your next book. We will be taking our first trip to the Provence area this coming August. Will be staying in St. Remy and then heading to Antibes. We love Italy, but reading your books has made me want to visit this area.
The film was spectacular. The history is interesting. I look forward to when your new book will be released. Thanks so much for sharing
I’m so glad you watched the video, Debra. It’s quite an intriguing and different area. I look forward to publishing too, but there’s still a lot of work to be done before we get to that point. I’m enjoying writing the story!
It’s a gorgeous region and a terrific setting for a novel. Best to you as you work to meet your deadline.
Thanks, Evelyne! Of course, you would know all about that area. I loved spending time there … and the more I write and research, the more fascinating information I learn.
Fabulous photos. Note to self – must visit the Camargue.
I think you would enjoy it, Margaret. It’s not for everyone but has such a unique quality and the more familiar I became with it, the more intrigued I was … and remain!
I do love the Camargue and the video! You say late 2017? I hope I am still around to enjoy it… (By the way, the photos are too large and can’t be seen well). Always good to hear from you and see your photos! Merci and gracias!
I’m glad you enjoyed the video, Martha. I’m banking on your being around in late 2017 … and hopefully feeling better. To what photos are you referring? The ones in the gallery in this post are actually smaller than normal. I’ve had a few people confirm for me on their computers and no one else is having that problem. On what device are you viewing the post?
Now I have seen it in Windows and had no problem viewing them. I don’t even remember where I viewed the post before! 😉 And thanks for banking on my “presence”…
A fascinating part of Provence Patricia and I’m so glad you are writing about it in your novel, it’s a mini culture to itself and feels other-worldly, with few of the traditional provençal images we are used to, as you drive in, there is a point where the architecture begins to change, the landscape and suddenly you are in the world of the Camargue.
I took my family there earlier this year and took my stepmother to the Salt Spa which was quite an experience and provoked the writer’s imagination in me – of the old-fashioned “cure” certainly not the luxury experience I had imagined it to be!
I have to link this recent music clip from one of France’s most popular young singers Kendji, who is of gitane heritage (French for gypsy), Saintes Maries de la Mer being a significant place of pilgrimage for the gitane.
His song Sonrisa and the video clip, are a beautiful tribute to the Camargue and the way of life there, that you touch on.
Kendji, Sonrisa