The Angels Wanna Wear My Red Shoes

The angels on the grand entry to the Cathedrale of Ste.-Cecile have never flown with their burdens.  (French sentence).

Everything is Illuminated

 We had a beautiful day to explore the Cite (the medieval town) of Carcassonne. I hadn't visited the cathedral inside the Cite in the fall, so I appreciated having a tour led by Maria with the class this time.

We have been so fortunate with the weather during our stay in France. The air is dry, warm and fragrant (in a good way). I might even say we've been blessed.

The Day with One Photograph

John Fanning, who owns La Muse with his wife Kerry, let us in the ancient chapel today. This is a beautiful, peaceful space--it calms a person right down. This is John meditating in the chapel.

Today was also the book swap in La Muse's library. All of the students brought wonderful gifts to leave.

Alex Emmons, Aaron, Alex and I had a little adventure in the course of finding a place to buy bread and some necessities--we hit the epicerie in Mas Cabardes at just the time when it was closed and tooled up to Mazamet instead.

The Saint with a Book

In the village of books, Montolieu, Can you imagine--a village of books!

Montolieu village du livre,bouquinistes, librairie,livres d ...

French sentences return to France!

Today during our hike to Cubservies, I thought it would be fun to stop and write a short impression here in this place, having these experiences.


When I was in France last fall I wrote a series of what I called "french sentences," which were merely a riff on Allen Ginsberg's American sentences--a seventeen syllable sentence with the qualities of a haiku. I was writing about what it felt like to be in this part of France.


But this time around seventeen syllables felt way too short---and I set the parameters at 17 words, still with a concentration toward the qualities of a haiku.

Here's the one from yesterday:

L'eglise Saint-Sernin


We find the chapel after hiking steep miles, old stories pieced into walls, layer upon rocky layer.