Frontignan

Welcome to "vacance" which of course is vacation in French. I'm currently in Frontignan la plage which is on the beach so to speak in far southern Provence near Montpelier but around 200 km from Aix. I'm here with my old friend Christine who's a bit like the Energizer Bunny and is the ever present tour guide and cheerleader when it looks like I might be getting a little too relaxed. When we arrived Saturday night the wind was howling at a brisk 35 kph pace and it was in the high 50s which is uncharacteristic for this time of year here. It's Thursday now and it's shaping up to be the first day that it's not going to rain since we arrived. No complaints though as I've seen a lot of the countryside (we rented a car) and have eaten lunch and dinner in some very nice restaurants sampling some really good seafood. Christine's house here is quite nice and very new but there is still work taking place here and I've been a little in the center of that too while here this week. Fortunately that's starting to wind down and this Saturday we travel up into the hills around here to visit some friends of Christine's that I will probably end up playing for Saturday evening.

I've attempted to do some writing here but the lighting in the apartment we're staying in which is downstairs is poor in the evening and that has made it difficult for me to focus. Other things have entered into that too but I'm letting them go. I have played some since getting here but never ventured in DADGAD which is something I very much want to do eventually. I'm also preparing here for our show in Chevagny on the 15th with our friends Fred and Claudia and Xavier. We'll be in Burgundy for that entire week which should be a better place for me to write.

I'm still very much enjoying being surrounded by the French with all of their drama and nuance which still pleases me very much even when I should be annoyed by it all. This is the most time I have spent with Christine and she is marvelous as I remember her but also quite vulnerable and I've reminded her a lot since getting here that she's fine and needs to concentrate more on first things first and not try to do everything all at once. Like it is for all of us, sometimes when we continually wring our hands about things we can and can't control everything usually works out in spite of that.

I head back to Paris on the TGV (high speed train.....WOW, 300 kph) Monday afternoon and then will be home for a week until Cassie and the twins return from their USA sojourn. I intend on doing some writing and recording that week also. Christine is and will remain a great friend of mine and this has been a good escape for me from the crowded and polluted streets of Paris. I will endeavor to post again before leaving on Monday.

I did however turn Christine on to Cassie and my current favorite show "Falling Skies" last night which she enjoyed hugely and we'll continue watching this weekend so she's up to date with it. Ah, American TV, just can't seem to live without it!

Hope everyone is well and happy wherever you happen to be.

Love to all everywhere and bonne vacance!

A bientot,

Sid