I recently read a very good novel recommended to me by Vincent, called Paradise News. The author is David Lodge, an Englishman whose work is not very well known in the States. Vincent’s read all his stuff; this was my first. A disillusioned theologian living in a dingy industrial town in England is at a turning point in his life and finds himself in Hawaii. One of the themes of the book is how people are sold the concept of paradise. The author draws some really funny parallels between religion and tourism that were suddenly so glaringly obvious that I was ashamed that I’d never thought of them before. Good book; subtle and delightful.
I grew up in paradise (San Diego, Guam, Hawaii). Tropical climates, palm trees, year-round flowers, bright colors, the glorious Pacific Ocean… But there I was, always longing to live in France. I guess the grass is always greener…
And here I am in Paris, happy as can be, despite the fact that sometimes the only green you can see has Vigilance Propreté written on it. Fortunately, every few months we drive a couple of hours north to spend a few days in luscious rural Normandy, where we get a therapeutic dose of serene and green.
However, I do get a rather severe tropical jones from time to time. The good news is I’m closer to paradise now than I’ve ever been. It’s actually only three hours away. We spent last weekend in Provence, in a tiny medieval hilltop village called Biot. We also spent a couple of hours in Antibes, which is ten minutes from Biot on the Côte d’Azur. It’s France and San Diego.
Honey, I’m home.
I read David Lodge’s book! Twice! It’s one of his best.The others are very good, too, but too often set in British Academia, sabbatical years, academic rivalties.
Antibes (deep sigh)- it must have been 2003 when I last saw the Alpes maritimes/ Côte d’Azur/French Riviera. I spent a week in and around Saint-Tropez, although I ignored the overcrowded jet-set boulevards and enjoyed the amazing surroundings.
It’s been package holidays to Turkey and Egypt ever since, but I do miss driving around the French Riviera. The problem? It’s a 10 hour drive from Belgium (unless I take the TGV and rent a car locally) and the prices often are, well, way beyond my budget.
But like you found out, it resembles the paradise you grew up in ;-)
Peter, my first trip to the Côte d’Azur was in 2003 too! I was in Toulon for 3 weeks doing a training for French professors here: http://perso.orange.fr/campus.international/photo.htm. It’s a navy town and I got the impression that it’s the stepchild of the Mediterranean coast because it’s a working-class town and doesn’t attract the glitzy crowd. But I prefer it that way anyway. It was utterly charming and unpretentious. The plages du Mourillon are delectable and despite the fact that I was there in July there were hardly any tourists. They were all in St. Tropez and the rest I guess… Don’t tell anyone! Let’s keep Toulon a secret… You might be able to find cheaper accommodations there if you want to go back. You can always take side trips to the snooty spots if you must…