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Sept. 8, Sunday: 1st Day in Bormes les Mimosas

When Nicky left me here in the apartment and went home last evening, our plan for the next day (today, Sunday) was for me to walk up to her house at 8:30 in the morning and go to the beach with her, Mick, and her sister. Saturday evening I did laundry, unpacked, settled in, and wrote my blog post for Saturday. I finally went to sleep around 12:30. This morning when I woke up it was still dark and I thought I heard light rain falling. My iPhone said it was 6:30, so I got up. It was, indeed, raining. As I made my coffee and got dressed, the light rain turned into a downpour, complete with thunder. Our patio became a lake. The wind banged my windows around and sent rain misting into the rooms, so I had to shut them all. I went downstairs and brought in some towels that had been put on the patio to dry last night and hung them inside the downstairs apartment, which is empty till this Saturday. I emailed Nicky that I would not be coming up to the house at 8:30 to go to the beach!   To make the most of this rainy day opportunity, I decided to make some art. I pulled out all my stuff and set up at the kitchen table. I chose to work on my small book – I painted the pages when I was in Verquilleux with Margaret. Before I left her studio I had chosen a small number of a variety of painted papers and brought them with me. I based the composition on two postcards of mosaic work by Paolo Racagni that I had seen in Paray le Monial, and I sketched a beginning composition on a couple of painted pages in the book. I also used postcards that I had collected in Lyon. One spread (two facing pages equals one spread) is close to finished, the other pages are just beginnings done by using up my scraps from that spread. I’ve shown you some photos. As I worked the rain stopped and the sun came out. Actually, I had been looking forward to the whole day being rainy – guess I need a rest – and to making art all day. But once the sun came out, I felt the call to go out exploring. Packing up my art stuff, I left the apartment around noon and just wandered with no goal other than seeing something of this village. I stayed out till about 1:30 and took lots and lots of photos and began to familiarize myself. Still much more to see, but at least I got my feet wet. Hey! What was I thinking? Why didn’t I go out and stand in the big puddle in our patio and take a photo of my feet?!! Darn, lost opportunity. Too late now, the lake is dried up. Phooey! Back at the apartment, hungry and tired, the first thing I did was eat lunch – bread with smoked salmon (M & K have gotten me into the habit), and apple, and some chocolate – simple, but I loved it. Now I’m here working on this post. I’m staying at the apartment because I told Nicky that I would go with her to pick Cathy up at the bus stop and that we would go to the grocery store on the way home to stock up on supplies for the month. I now have a better idea of what is needed. Below are photos from my walk around Bormes les Mimosas – guess they speak for themselves. And…the best news of the day…Cathy has arrived!! She got here around 3:30. Turns out that Nicky never did stop and pick me up to go with her to collect Cathy from the bus stop, so we weren’t able to go to the grocery store. Having almost nothing here, we decided to head out walking in hopes of finding a market someplace and buy some food. We walked down the hill about 20 minutes and found a small, but decent little place and bought some necessities, like paper towels and shampoo and such, and some food for Monday, yogurt, apples, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese – simple and easy things for lunch after our first morning of working in the garden, which will begin at 7:30 a.m. Then we hiked back up the hill with our treasure – it was sunny and hot and we were dripping with sweat by the time we returned. Then we sat on our patio and had our first supper together. Sorry I don’t have more photos of our outing and our evening, but Cathy is totally fried from traveling and we have had so much to talk about. Tomorrow we will take more photos of both of us and our adventures. Till then!
My first morning in Bormes les Mimosas - rain, wind, thunder, and a flooded patio.

My first morning in Bormes les Mimosas – rain, wind, thunder, and a flooded patio.

My new studio - the kitchen table.

My new studio – the kitchen table.

The postcards that are inspiring my composition.

The postcards that are inspiring my composition.

The spread that's close to finished - maybe - then again, maybe not - I don't really know where this book is going - stay tuned, I've got a month, at least, to work on it.

The spread that’s close to finished – maybe – then again, maybe not – I don’t really know where this book is going – stay tuned, I’ve got a month, at least, to work on it.

A beginning with leftover scraps: Photo One.

A beginning with leftover scraps: Photo One.

A beginning with leftover scraps: Photo Two.

A beginning with leftover scraps: Photo Two.

Beginning with leftover scraps: Photo Three.

Beginning with leftover scraps: Photo Three.

Beginning with leftover scraps: Photo Four.

Beginning with leftover scraps: Photo Four.

The painted pages are themselves interesting beginnings.

The painted pages are themselves interesting beginnings.

Painted pages: more than a blank canvas.

Painted pages: more than a blank canvas.

Heading out to explore Bormes les Mimosas for the first time, I crossed the street and took this photo of where I'm staying. The green door is the downstairs apartment. Cathy and I are on the second floor, and the door to that is to the right of the green door, and you can't see it in this photo.

Heading out to explore Bormes les Mimosas for the first time, I crossed the street and took this photo of where I’m staying. The green door is the downstairs apartment. Cathy and I are on the second floor, and the door to that is to the right of the green door, and you can’t see it in this photo.

You can see our door in this one if you look closely, it's in the shadows on the right. The window above the red tile roof overhang (with the green shutters) on the second floor is our apartment - the bedroom to be precise.

You can see our door in this one if you look closely, it’s in the shadows on the right. The window above the red tile roof overhang (with the green shutters) on the second floor is our apartment – the bedroom to be precise.

View of our street, facing our apartment, looking left: rue Jean Aicard.

View of our street, facing our apartment, looking left: rue Jean Aicard.

View of our street, facing our apartment, looking right: rue Jean Aicard. I began my exploration by walking up this hill.

View of our street, facing our apartment, looking right: rue Jean Aicard. I began my exploration by walking up this hill.

Further on up the hill.

Further on up the hill.

Even further up the hill.

Even further up the hill.

Up and up and up. I turned left at the top of rue Jean Aicard and am now on place Gambetta.

Up and up and up. I turned left at the top of rue Jean Aicard and am now on place Gambetta.

View from place Gambetta. This is as high up as I walked, but I don't think I had reached the top.

View from place Gambetta. This is as high up as I walked, but I don’t think I had reached the top.

Another view from the highest point I walked to.

Another view from the highest point I walked to.

What?!?! Grafitti on cactus??? (cacti, cactii?)

What?!?! Grafitti on cactus??? (cacti, cactii?)

Yup. It's everywhere.

Yup. It’s everywhere.

Heading downhill now - rue Carnot - the main tourist/shopping street.

Heading downhill now – rue Carnot – the main tourist/shopping street.

Rue Carnot.

Rue Carnot.

A little side street off rue Carnot. There are lots of these tunnel-like, tiny passageway streets, many with stairs.

A little side street off rue Carnot. There are lots of these tunnel-like, tiny passageway streets, many with stairs.

Like the sign says, rue Carnot.

Like the sign says, rue Carnot.

More of rue Carnot.

More of rue Carnot.

Wandering off rue Carnot now. I won't even try to name the streets. They are short and windy and hilly, with tunnels and stairs - very beautiful and very, very old.

Wandering off rue Carnot now. I won’t even try to name the streets. They are short and windy and hilly, with tunnels and stairs – very beautiful and very, very old.

Further down that same passageway.

Further down that same passageway.

Love that orange structure at the end.

Love that orange structure at the end.

There are so many of these narrow, ancient streets - I couldn't stop shooting photos - but I'll just show you a few.

There are so many of these narrow, ancient streets – I couldn’t stop shooting photos – but I’ll just show you a few.

Lots of streets with stairs.

Lots of streets with stairs.

Another one.

Another one.

The orange wall, the blue motor bike, and all that lovely texture & pattern. And look at the view in the far distance.

The orange wall, the blue motor bike, and all that lovely texture & pattern. And look at the view in the far distance.

Just one more.

Just one more.

Couldn't resist just one more.

Couldn’t resist just one more.

Cathy's here!!! Together again - footloose and fancy free. Well, except for the 4 hours of gardening every day that we signed on for. But there will still be time for plenty of kicking up our heels!

Cathy’s here!!! Together again – footloose and fancy free. Well, except for the 4 hours of gardening every day that we signed on for. But there will still be time for plenty of kicking up our heels!

Our first supper. Now I have someone to take photos of me again! I took one of Cathy eating her half of our shared sandwich from the boulangerie, but she forbid me to post it - she has been traveling for about 20 hours, remember, so we have to let her off the hook - in fact she is making me trash that photo. Stay tuned for more photos of Cathy on Monday, after she has had some sleep.

Our first supper. Now I have someone to take photos of me again! I took one of Cathy eating her half of our shared sandwich from the boulangerie, but she forbid me to post it – she has been traveling for about 20 hours, remember, so we have to let her off the hook – in fact she is making me trash that photo. Stay tuned for more photos of Cathy on Monday, after she has had some sleep.

Vicki
September 9th, 2013 at 5:08 pm

What a wonderful village you are now in – so much to explore. I so glad to hear you only have to work 4 hours in the garden per day. I’m following your posts, even if I don’t comment. Your bus and train adventures were amazing! You know how I feel about those types of surprises. I’m sure it grand to have a buddy with you to share laughs and stories. Maybe you need to get some “footprints” into your artwork. Enjoy!!!

September 10th, 2013 at 3:58 am

Hi Vicki, I love hearing from you and everyone who comments, even though I don’t always reply. The blog posts take between 2 and 4 hours to create, so I don’t write much else to anyone. I’m pleased to know that there are folks back home reading what I publish. Even though I’m having a marvelous time, I do miss everyone. Thanks for taking the time to write to me. -Debi

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Debi Pendell Artist by debipendell.com