Dayle in Limoux – Day #26

Kentucky

The devastation, as many all over the planet are learning, is awful. It will take weeks, months, and years to salvage and re-build in Kentucky from historic flooding there; some will not be able to afford that privilege, having lost everything, and having so little to begin. My source from France has been following Appalshop. I have been connecting with them for years after discovering their work through research I was doing for my inquiry, being instantly connected to their purpose to not only archive and document life in Appalachia, but to teach and connect and serve. They do this lovingly through film and music, radio, video and other media. Their’s is an idea I deeply wanted to see emulated in many communities across the United States. I remember talking to one reporter specifically about it in Sun Valley, Idaho. Today, a note from them…

‘Dear Appalshop Community,

To say the past few days has been overwhelming would be an understatement. We have felt immense grief and sorrow, pain and fear, and a bone-deep dread of discovering the true toll of these floods on our building and our archive. But we have also felt incredible gratitude for all the love and support that has poured out on our behalf and on the behalf of our community.

Our recovery begins, and it will take weeks, months, even years in some cases. When the floodwaters first receded, we discovered that our apple tree that’s planted on the grounds beside our beloved shop was still standing with its young roots intact. Despite record floodwaters of over twenty feet, our little apple tree still stands, bearing fruit and hope.

Thank you all for your kindness and your willingness to come together for us and for the Appalachian community. There are no words to express how deeply we love and appreciate all of you.

“In the essential prose
of things, the apple tree
stands up, emphatic
among the accidents
of the afternoon, solvent,
not to be denied.”

– excerpt from “The Apple Tree” by Wendell Berry

In solidarity,

Appalshop’

They have also organized a flood support link:

‘Please continue to share our resources page at appalshop.org/floodsupport. We’ve managed to raise thousands in direct aid and get immediate help to so many folks in need thanks to our community, and the needs will continue in the days and weeks ahead.’

Before the flood.

‘Appalshop started as a film workshop in 1969, and 50 years later we’re still documenting and revitalizing the traditions and creativity of Appalachia.

We tell stories that commercial industries don’t tell. We challenge stereotypes with Appalachian voices. And we do it all with artists who are from and committed to this region.’

Two sweet rescue photos…wearing their little rain boots.

Sgt. Maj. Tim Lewis of the Kentucky National Guard escorts three boys to a helicopter for evacuation from an area inundated by floodwater.

Reportedly, crews have made more than 1,200 rescues from helicopters and boats.

I am testing again tomorrow. Hopeful for just one of those little lines. Still coughing and a sore throat, but the congestion is way better. I haven’t had an appetite, just drinking tons of fluids. If I could get money back on all my recyclables, I might be able to purchase a small Citroën. And today, the kindness of new acquaintances from Limoux who sent me a message saying they have some food for me they made, this cold tomato soup (vitamin C!), and an incredible Chile relleno casserole. Are you kidding me?! Yes! Please. Unpacking their goodies after they left them for me downstairs, the aroma, just looking at it (!) encouraged hunger pains. :)  Margot and Fred, you are the best French friends une fille Americaine could ever dream! It must have been mana because I thought I died and gone to heaven. It’s been a lot of days of pain (break, not pain) & fromage. This was welcomed and incroyable! Angels on our path.

Bonne appétit to me! ♡

The woman who owns my building who is in the hospital with Covid is now conscious  and out of her coma. Her sister will be with her in Carcassonne on Tuesday and her daughter will be joining next week. Promising developments. She has been so ill. She was vaccinated, but not boosted.

~

Reading & researching lots about Languedoc…langue d’oc, the language of Occitan…John the Baptist…😳…and Lazarus, Cathars, Inquisitions, Gospel of John, more Cathars, Mary Magdaline, the Waldensians and Albigensians, pelicans and wisdom, consolamentum, Zoroastrianism, Manichaeans, Bogomils, sacred geometry, Gnosticism, D U A L I S M (a fan…big time), Descartes, Pope Innocent III, Evil, Rex Mundi. This: “Think how many turns the line of development of forces must have taken to come from the Gospel preaching of love to the Inquisition.” Indeed. And hasn’t stopped.

Reading about Pope Francis’ apology this week, begging forgiveness from the Indigenous People in Canada for the “evil committed by so many Christians.” He cited the cultural destruction and physical, verbal, psychological, and spiritual abuse of children in residential schools run by the Catholic church. Awful, awful history. All I kept thinking in context of this region I’m now living and the medieval history, is that his plea needs to go way back. Waaaaaaay back. Yeah, thinking of you Pope Innocent III and Pope Gregory the (not so) Great. How different history could have unfolded without the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE, and basically Roman Catholics. (The Pope is looking ahead to the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, as a “source of unity between Christians.” Nope. Hard no. Christians and unity, kinda not a thing  (especially at Nicaea).

So many places to explore and map as Covid explodes and triple digits return. (Have you heard about the new variant beyond BA.5? They named this one ‘BA.2.75,’ nicknamed ‘Centaurus.’ Invades even more rapidly than BA.5. Yay.) We’re supposed to have a booster mid-September that battles the variants a little bit better than the initial boosters and vaccines. With so many people choosing not to vaccinate, as well as not mitigating behaviors, the variants are growing. I saw a clip of people getting on a plane in Amsterdam after seeing Pearl Jam, singing an Eddie Vedder tune…very cute…packed!…sitting on the tarmac, no ventilation…and all I kept seeing was 🦠 🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠. And no masks.

Some books to find after researching today:

Stalked by the plague, ‘The Maiden of All Our Desires’ follows a medieval abbey at a time when monastic life was a refuge for women, “Revolutionary women thinkers like Hildegard Von Bingen, Julian of Norwich & Sor Juana Ines De La Cruz.” Just published in February:

And this book from two researchers who made a discovery viewing a painting and decided to dive in on the backstory of enslaved people during Louis XIV’s reign,

I was able to sit in on a virtual presentation with art history professor Meredith Martin and historian Gillian Weiss as they ‘unveiled an uncommon picture of art and power in the dawn of modern France through a look at the depiction of slavery, in ship and artillery design, militaria, paintings, and prints.’ What’s fascinating is there is little known about maritime enslavement during this time. Love these finds. One of my most cherished research discoveries was made combing through the Archives at DePauw University in Indiana a few years ago, literally stumbling upon something I had no idea existed. Huge. Saving it for my book. :)

~

I have an idea…

Let’s meet for breakfast in Montmartre.

À bientôt.

❀

Dayle in Limoux – Day #25

One of my favorite things about living in France.

Dayle in Limoux – Day #24

Very sad. The woman who owns my building, from whom I contracted Covid, was put on a ventilator overnight. She is not well. Her daughter who lives in the U.K. is making her way to France now. Friends and family are bereft. The rain and clouds, although welcomed, have given a backcloth to many saddened hearts today.

I continue to improve and isolate; was able to practice gentle yoga last night. I’m going to test again in a little while.

“Greater love has no one that this, that someone letdown his life for his friends.”

-Saint Martin of Tours

She waited a long while before her friends joined today. I wish I could have sat with her, there, on the other bench. And smiled.

Practicing presence. What a beautiful art.

Norman Lear, creator of iconic sitcoms like “The Jeffersons,” “All in the Family” and “Good Times,” turned 100 on July 27.

He shared a message recorded by his daughter, one of his ‘breakfast thoughts,’ centered on the joys of living in the moment…practicing presence.

“I guess my breakfast thought at the moment…is the moment…the moment between past and present, present and past, the moment between after and next. The hammock in the middle of after and next. The moment. Treasure it, use it, with love.” 

Not writing much today. My heart is too sad for my new French friend. Here are words to the song, her song, Joni Mitchell sang at the Newport Folk Festival with her revelatory journey back to the stage after learning how to sing and play her guitar again. She suffered a debilitating brain aneurysm in 2015 and retaught her self to play after watching her old videos. The last time she sang and played before an audience was on her 55th birthday. She’s 78. It was a moment.

“Rows and floes of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere
I’ve looked at clouds that way

But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on everyone
So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way

I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down, and still somehow
It’s cloud illusions I recall
I really don’t know clouds at all”

Oh, but now old friends they’re acting strange
And they shake their heads and they tell me that I’ve changed
Well something’s lost, but something’s gained
In living every day.”

Stay safe.

Boost.

Mask.

À bientôt.

✿

Dayle in Limoux – Day #23

Feeling the same is way better than feeling worse. Cough, congestion, sore throat, no fever, and isolation. I’m going to test again tomorrow. I read earlier that we can still have symptoms without shedding. In France, isolation for 7 days required; most epidemiologists I follow say the U.S. guidelines for 5 day isolation, not enough. And many believe 10 days before the virus is no longer contagious. I’m finishing day four. The woman who owns my building who was taken to the hospital is not doing well; she’s connected to many tubes, although I don’t think they have intubated her yet. She was taken to the hospital in Carcassonne. I am waiting to hear prognosis and overall medical analysis.

So, reading, researching, writing, and drinking lots of fluids. My only living contact today…

A French kitty! This is the first time I’ve seen this little guy, or anyone on this balcony. So sweet. Our only interaction seemed to be mutual admiration…:)…at least from this balcony.

And these folks. I love them.

They meet everyday and just talk. One woman showed up with her pocket book, too, à la Queen Elizabeth. Others will join and leave throughout the day, and sometimes, they just sit together in silence. One woman was leaned way over for an extended bit of time, and the woman sitting next to her simply rested her hand on her back. So sweet and tender.

In Limoux, on the Place de la République, known as a ‘square’ in the U.S., although surrounded by cafes, outdoor seating, I never see laptops or people walking around carrying ‘go’ cups. Cafe au lait in France, at least in this region, is for pausing, and talking, sharing. It’s quite lovely. F-2-F c o m m u n i c a t i o n. What a strikingly powerful concept. U.S. culture could use some tips.

My thoughts are with the folks at Appalshop in Kentucky tonight, crushed by the devastation of the flooding they’re seeing surrounding their community building and hub. They posted this image and note earlier:

It’s heartbreaking to see our building like this, and more rain is in the forecast this evening. Our hearts are heavy and with all of our community right now as we face down a long night and a longer recovery ahead. More resources here: http://appalshop.org/floodsupport

From Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear:

“This is going to be yet another event that it’s going to take not months, but likely years for many families to rebuild and recover from.” 

#Climate Breakdown

Heaven forbid anyone make a comment about a shifting climate–all the wackadoodles emerge. Speaking of which, did Sen. Joe Manchin wake up on a different side of the bed today? We’ll see how he feels tomorrow.

Someday soon, the rate we’re moving.

From Global Citizen today:

It’s Earth Overshoot Day. It marks the date each year when humanity has used up more natural resources than our planet can regenerate. For the next five months, every resource we extract is being borrowed from future generations.

Each year, Earth Overshoot Day happens earlier in the calendar. Humans are consuming more than the Earth can produce. We’re overfishing, overharvesting, and overdrilling – and it’s taking a toll on our planet.

We can give up, Climate Warriors. All actions, massive and minute, are needed.

Shhhhhh. I’ll let you know. Researching for when I can explore again.

Dusk in Limoux.

Almost finished with my latest Mary Magdalene book I picked up at Rennes-le-Chateau. Can’t wait to go back. Learning so much.

A beautiful and important life this man had. James Lovelock. I first learned about him in my studies a number of years ago. Brilliant mind, humble spirit, enlightened awareness.

English independent scientist, environmentalist and futurist. He is best known for proposing the Gaia hypothesis, which postulates that the Earth functions as a self-regulating system.

Here’s a definition of the Gaia hypotheses:

The Gaia hypothesis, also known as the Gaia theory, Gaia paradigm, or the Gaia principle, proposes that living organisms interact with their inorganic surroundings on Earth to form a synergistic and self-regulating, complex system that helps to maintain and perpetuate the conditions for life on the planet. [wikipedia]

“The idea that humans are yet intelligent enough to serve as stewards of the Earth is among the most hubristic ever.” -James Lovelock in an interview with the Guardian newspaper, March 2010.

Vérité. [Truth.]

The U.S. government dropped a website for heat information this week.

National Integrated Heat Health Information System

https://www.heat.gov

‘The website brings heat-related weather forecasting, as well as health and safety information.’
—
Appreciate heat monitoring and safety, pieces on #climateanxiety. But. We must #LookUp. #Gaia is pleading for our help.
—
“Everyone of us can make a small contribution. It doesn’t have to have a huge effect if you look at it in isolation. Because it’s the sum of all projects that will make the change.“

#ClimateWarriors

Posted by @akshatrathi–senior reporter Bloomberg News

People leaving their jobs to fight climate change.

On twitter he posted a thread showing numerous folks who have done just that. https://twitter.com/AkshatRathi/status/1552012598580809729?t=LGUtd-34M7hCjvnuzfdO4w&s=19)

‘If there’s so much shouting and screaming in 2022 about cutting emissions while keeping things running, imagine what that noise is going to be like as we get closer to the net zero target.’ Indeed.

Eugene Kirpichov

“The reason I’m leaving is because the scale, urgency, and tragedy of climate change are so immense that I can no longer justify to myself working on anything else, no matter how interesting or lucrative, until it’s fixed,” Kirpichov wrote in an email to colleagues. “I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I think others, who have the privilege of being able to do so, should follow suit. I like to frame the problem positively as ‘how much can we save,’ and every one of us can have a hand in saving something.”

From Grist:

Should climate change be my new career calling?

To paraphrase Naomi Klein, everything has to change. So where does that leave people like you?

https://grist.org/article/should-climate-change-be-my-new-career-calling/

—

If you haven’t had a chance to see the series Dopesick, with Michael Keaton and massively strong cast, you can still see it on Hulu. Incredible storytelling and acting about the opioid epidemic, how it started, and how it continues to destroy lives and families…communities…because of Purdue Pharma’s greed and the sociopathic Sackler family. Eight episodes. Watch for the breakout performance by Kaitlyn Dever as Betsy Mallum. Here’s the trailer.

I started watching it with no idea what it was going to be like–completely knocked out. It’s based on the book written by Beth Macy, ‘Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America.’

Just the other day I came across this animated short film about the power of addiction, the immediate highs, and then, the crash. It gives an understanding of addiction. It was apparently released in 2014 and is being revived by users on TikToK. It’s called “Nuggets” by Andreas Hykade.

“I wish I never would have tried drugs. Not even once.” Miss you D.

I received a link today from a group trying to help those with addiction into recovery. It’s from the outreach team at Start Your Recovery. They asked me to share it with Dayle’s Community Cafe. Here’s the link.

https://startyourrecovery.org

‘Start Your Recovery was developed by bringing together substance use disorder treatment experts from leading nonprofit, academic, and government institutions. Through this resource, members of your community can hear stories from people with similar experiences, discover the answers they need for recognizing and dealing with substance use disorder, and locate support.’

More from the U.S. Department of Justice and the NIC, The National Institute of Corrections.

StartYourRecovery.org provides helpful information for people who are dealing with substance use issues — and their family members, friends, and co-workers, too. We know that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to the challenges faced by those who misuse alcohol, prescription or illegal drugs, or other substances, and we aim to break through the clutter to help people at any stage of recovery.

Our goal is to offer people who are dealing with substance use issues a single source of reputable, objective information about signs, symptoms, conditions, treatment options, and resources — presented in a user-friendly format and in language that’s easy to understand. First we asked: “Why doesn’t someone offer access to these resources in one place?” Then we asked: “Why don’t we?”

https://nicic.gov/start-your-recovery-substance-abuse-resource-support

Stay safe.

Mask.

Be kind.

Bonne Nuit.

❀

Dayle in Limoux – Day #22

T

O

D

A

Y

William Henry Ashfield IV

‘Modeling the Effects of Flare Energy Release and Transport Through Chromospheric Condensation and Ultraviolet Coronal Emission.’

‘When we grant ourselves permission to live the life we want, there is little in the world that can stop us.’ -Marianne Williamson

Not even a plague. :)

Félicitations Guillaume Henri! Je t’aime.

ღ

At 5 pm today in France and 9am in Montana, William Henry defends his thesis. After 24 years of organized academics, he has reached the pinnacle. He is 27. He is brilliant. And those who know, knew. His teachers at Blaine County Schools in Sun Valley, Idaho. Reed College in Portland, who gave him the validation he needed, confirming his brilliance when he doubted. And his mom, who knew from the beginning, when I was holding him and he pointed at the dark sky and said, “Moon.” His first word. I am with you every moment, William Henry, my heart lifted to your gifts and possibility, your service and humility. You chose your life brilliantly. The planet, Gaia, needs you! Your Stanford/Lockheed post-doc awaits.

Here you G R O W!

“The ability to perceive or think differently is more important than the knowledge gained.”

-Dr. David Bohm

“I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”

-Albert Einstein

Denver ℒℴve.

@BlaineSchools
@Reed_College_

Dayle in Limoux – Day #22

s a d n e s s 

Fully vaccinated and double boosted. The psychological effect of testing positive this morning is deep and unanticipated. I isolated for so long the last 2.5 years, no indoor activity, mask always in crowded outdoor spaces and inside, even if only :30. I wore it on my wrist in public spaces so I could be ready to don. No one is wearing masks here. No one. I know who infected me, the owner of my building who lives downstairs, and now she’s in the hospital in Carcarssonne. She was transported sometime after 1 am. She had underlying health issues and I thought her sickness solely emanated from that affliction. I told her not long after I arrived to be so careful, that she didn’t want Covid with her compromised breathing. She didn’t wear a mask and was not boosted. When I took her one of my tests yesterday, it registered immediately that she was positive, could barely talk at this point. Yet, she still procrastinated on medical treatment because she’s adverse to hospitals. We share a common space, although I think I contracted it before Rennes-le-Chateau when she found me sitting at a table in the outdoor space at Place de le Republique. She joined me, sitting close, and we shared an aperitif and some frites (fries). I think her viral load is very high and she most likely should have had treatment weeks ago.

My symptoms are mild (thanks be to science and vaccines), although my throat really hurts. I have congestion and a cough, too. No fever. In France, according to their protocols, I am to isolate for seven days, test, and then if negative, I can mingle again with a mask. I thought about Paxlovid, yet, I have no idea how to get it here. It’s prescription, so it would not be easy. And I’m not at high risk. I may just have to ride it out. I did find out France’s 911 is 112. So there’s that if things get a little scary.

Drinking lots of liquids. Lots. I had just stocked up, so I should be good to go for awhile. I’m just sad.

I had more I wanted to share, not really feeling up to it. Day 22. Isn’t 22 an auspicious number? Mary Magdalene’s Feast Day. “…it carries additional spiritual power, often seen as a sign of good luck or of positive things to come. If you keep seeing 22, it could be a message from your angels that they are helping you to manifest your dreams into reality.” k. I’ll just let that all unfold. :)

Be well.

Stay safe.

Mask.

Bonne nuit.

✿

Dayle in Limoux – Day #21

When we grant ourselves permission to live the life we want, there is little in the world that can stop us. Our weakness is often just a lack of faith – believing more in the limitations of the world than in the limitlessness of spirit. 

-Marianne Williamson

Vérité. Truth.

Sometimes, it takes a long time to unfold, but it will.

B

E

L

I

E

V

E

—

So, what are your feelings about public loos? Annie and I spotted one in Grenoble.

🤭

I said to Annie they need those for chicas, too.

Well, guess what. Reading in The Connexion French newspaper today they are!

Tres chic. But. Will they have a view?

These two shots are from Paris. Wait for it. Another Emily in Paris reference. She’s surprised while talking with her U.S. boss on her cell when a guy behind her starts to urinate publicly in one of those stalls. Couldn’t find a clip. BUT learned they are in Paris right now filming season III. Can’t wait. :)

—

Covid has hit 22 Maison. The owner of my building who lives downstairs is quite ill, trying to determine if she needs to go to the hospital. She absolutely should. I’m trying to encourage her to go. Not yet. She’s from he UK and her French is weak, and it’s difficult for her to communicate with them. Her breathing is quite labored and she’s coughing a lot. She had some health afflictions before I arrived and they have seemingly gotten worse. Now we know why. She found out a French friend tested positive today who she was near on Friday and Saturday. The owner didn’t have any tests so I took her one of my boxes. Almost instantly positive. So I tested, too. Negative. I have cold symptoms now, so I’ll test again tomorrow and on Friday. Drag. I was near her on Saturday. And although outside, we share a common space inside. I’ve been so careful, for so long…masks inside anywhere, and on public transportation, as well as outdoors if there’s a lot of folks, like marches (ourdoor markets). Yet this BA.5 is highly contagious as we know, and cases are going up 50% in France every week. Monkey Pox is also prolific. Humans, we are a mess.

This virus is not going away. Only morphing. And no one…no one…is wearing masks inside or out. Or social distancing. Seemingly, just me. <sigh>

I’m vaxxed and double-boosted, so, hoping for the best.

À bientôt.

❀

Dayle in Limoux – Day #20

The heat is absolutely defeating me. Today the humidity was up twofold, so, yeah, I was done. It cooled off to 88 tonight around 10:30. The reading indicates a low of 62. Haven’t seen that yet. Never thought I’d believe 88 is cool.

BUT!

It was the Tour! Final stage, into Paris. Some of my favorite captures.

So great. Vert is GREEN in French. :)

Joan of Arc welcoming the riders to the Champs-Élysées! This shot always knocks me out. The Maid of Orléans. Can not wait to visit the town where she was betrayed and put on trial then burnt at the stake in 1431, like so many women considered Heretics. Then I’ll drop down and visit her birth town. I believe her home was destroyed by the Nazi’s during WWII. A new structure was built to replace what was destroyed. Twenty-five years after she was massacred, her conviction was formally overturned. She became a saint of the Roman Catholic Church in 1920, 488 years after her death. Not unlike Mary of Magdala. Pope Gregory decided she was a prostitute and cast her out, 591 I think.Thanks for looking out for her Peter. Lord. In 2016 Pope Francis elevated the annual memorial of Mary Magdalene on July 22 to that of a Feast. She is fittingly called “Apostle to the Apostles.” (I wonder if the Pope understood the relevance of the numerical power of 22. Another post.)

I’m going where he’s going. :)

💛 ❗️ The sunset shot. Perfect.

Spectacular tour. Incredible athletes. Simply unreal. Fastest Tour de France ever! Like Lance said, “I don’t even know this sport anymore.” It’s off the charts and massively fun to watch. Great guys, tough tour, lots of COVID, scary heat, and many injuries. Only a few teams made it with complete groups. UAE was down to four riders at the end. Eurosport/GCN did an incredible three-weeks of coverage! Thank you. Loved. 2023 is going to be off the rails! OK. Now the withdraws kick in. Seeing the Tour in France while living in France was incredibly special and so much fun. Watching it last year, who knew I would be here. Two stages! (So deeply grateful to science and vaccines.) Met some amazing folks. They love their tour. Vive le Tour! 🚴🏻

—

Earlier today I was able to visit Saint-Martin’s church, more of a cathedral really. Built in the 1100’s, although some believe the original structure was constructed in the 800’s. Look who’s at the church:

O

U

I

!!!

Massive baptismal font, right in the middle of the aisle heading toward the alter.

These stairs…

…and this door. Ancient.

The acoustics were crazy. Just amazingly clear and full. The organist played and when the people of the congregation sang, it sounded like a massive choir.

A memorial in the church to honor those from Limoux who perished in WWI.

It’s so beautiful, incredibly inspiring. So close to where I’m living. I walk by all the time, yet hand’t been able to go in until this morning. ☆☆¸.•*¨*•☆☆•*¨*•.¸¸☆☆

We may have a bit of a reprieve with the weather the next few days, in the 80’s before it gets back to triple-digits. After 20 days of 40C, I think I’ve hit my threshold. Hiking up to Rennes-le-Chateau on Friday for Mary’s Feast day wiped me. Another 103 day. But it was for Mary. And so wanted to be there for her. The Beloved.

Thinking earlier if the Cathars had survived, and Roman Catholicism didn’t, we’d be in away different place. More folks like St. Francis and Mary, and fewer like Pope Gregory. I think the matriarchy deserves some years of leadership, right? We certainly couldn’t do any worse. ‘Higher moral compassionate value.’ Jai Mary of Magdela.

Bonne Nuit.

✿

☆☆¸.•*¨*•☆☆•*¨*•.¸¸☆☆ 

Dayle in Limoux – Day #19

Limoux.

ღ

And Le Tour.

Jonas and his girls. Emotional finish to stage 20. I’m going to miss it so much. Insane  three weeks of racing and performance, kindness and passion. Spectacular tour! And to see it in France! The riders finish in Paris tomorrow. Chilling the Blanquette de Limoux now. 🥂

Vive la tournée et la France ❗️

Dayle in Limoux – Day #18

Mary Magdalene church at Rennes-le-Chateau near Couiza in the Languedoc/Occitanie region of France. Couiza is tucked in the foothills of the Pyrenees and is at the foot of the hill leading to Rennes-le-Chateau where The Church of Mary Magdalene is located. It was renovated by Father Berenger Sauniere, finished in 1897, the year of the dedication. Sauniere re-named it to honor Mary. It is believed an earlier construction was built in the 11th or 12 centuries. Above the door as you enter is a carving of Mary Magdalene and the inscription in Latin, “Terribilis est locus iste”–This is a place of awe.

Aujourd’hui

Saint Mary Magdalene

Feast Day

‘Mary Magdalene has been a victim of mistaken identity for almost 20 centuries.’

[Franciscanmedia.org]

It was a climb; five kilometers to the top.

It really felt like a pilgrimage, like being on the Camino, which I loved since it was Mary’s Feast Day. A pilgrimage to Mary. And it was H O T. Again. 99 degrees with double the humidity from last week. I hadn’t planned on trekking it, but when the bus dropped me in Couiza, I couldn’t find a taxi to the Chateau. I stopped into various shops to find some taxi numbers. I called three numbers, each did not have a driver. Tried to locate one on my phone, didn’t work. I thought I might just take the bus back in about an hour, so had a café au lait and a Perrier.

I really wanted to be there on Mary’s day, so I decided to go for it. Five kilometers is about 3 miles, so I plugged in the destination on my phone and headed up. Way up.

When the back of your hands perspire, you know it’s hot.

It was about then that my phone sent me a prompt to cool off my phone. Yikes. I had some water with me, though not enough. So rationed it. I rested in a couple of spots when I found shade, and I think it was in one of those spots where I lost my prayer amethyst. I think it fell out of my pocket. It’s loaded with prayers, so whoever finds it, I hope it has good energy for them. It’s so beautiful.

Because I chose ‘walkers’ directions, the little Map Genie took me on a path not frequently travelled and behind gates with markings that really looked like I probably should not have traversed. What the heck, Map Genie, seriously?

Lost and alone on some forgotten highway
Traveled by many, remembered by few. -John Denver

So, I kept climbing. Saw a ruin in the distance; not sure which one it is. Can’t wait to find out. Would love to explore…

Finally. Rennes-le-Chateau.

More refreshments needed!

Time to visit with Mary.

I want to learn more about this piece…

Rex Mundi. Cathars were dualists, the physical and spiritual deities. Rex Mundi was the false God – the chaotic god of material things, the Demiurge, and the embodiment of evil. Sadly, someone tried to attack the Rex Mundi in the church once, did some damage, too, so the caretakers put some protection around it.

For Mary.

There are so many discoveries and histories…theories…with this church. The Languedoc region is thick with Cathar history, the Templars, Inquisitions, and Mary. And if you’re really into Chateau history and all things Mary, you’re a ‘Rennie.’ :)

If you’d like to learn more, check out the late Sir Henry Lincoln’s videos on YouTube, Henry Speaks. Fascinating history and Henry explains the sacred geometry studies in the region, too, i.e., how it all connects.

There are many studies and writings on Mary. One of my favorites is The Meaning of Mary Magdaline by Cynthia Bourgeault. It’s subtitled, Discovering the Woman of the Heart of Christianity. I think I flagged every page.

More from Henry with his books, too, like Holy Blood, Holy Grail, the pre-cursor to The da Vinci Code. And The Holy Place/Sauniere and the Decoding of the Mystery of Rennes-le-Chateau.

There’s a little book store on the grounds.

Found some great books for my studies, including this one which the author only sells (the hardback) at this little shop.

Started reading when I got back. So good.

“We were both familiar with the colorful story about the small town of Rennes le Chateau and the priest Sauniere who in 1886 during a major repair work on the altar of the local church, had apparently found a number of documents containing information which from one day to the next transformed him from a port minister on the fringe of society to a rich man with unlimited funds and a fashionable circle of acquaintances.

Sauniere had spent part of his fortune on the restoration of the church. He further built a new house, ‘Bethanie,’ as well as the tower, ‘Tour Mandala.’ 

Sauniere died in 1917 leaving the secret with his housekeeper of many years, Marie Dernaud, who promised to disclose it on her deathbed.

Unfortunately, when that day came in 1953, she was paralyzed by a stroke and thus was unable to disclose anything at all. Apparently the secret of Sauniere was buried with her. 

Since then, the mystery had been made the subject of many speculations, several of which had revitalized the legend of Mary Magdalene and her alleged escape from Palestine to the South of France after the death of Yeshua” [p. 273].

Adrian, who works at the shop, helped me secure a taxi to get back to Limoux. He had to phone four different taxi services to find a driver for me. I told my daughter, when you travel, there are always angels on your path.

The Tour. Great capture during Stage 19 today. Si jolie. (So pretty.) J’adore France.

Crazy sprint finish today with a surprise winner…not so much the team. Jumbo Visma. The whole Tour has been insane and crazy fast. So fun to watch. Only two more stages going into Paris on Sunday! 🥂

This one in reference to yesterday’s Wout Route…

Clever. And so true. :)

And this which sums up not only stage 18, but the entire Tour and how Jonas and Tedej respect each other and their sport. This connection occurred after Jonas clipped is pedal and wobbled and then when Tadej slid out misreading the line on the descent. Scary fast. And Jonas waited for him. Tadej reached for his hand as he caught up almost as if to say, “It’s yours.” He had attacked so much, trying to gain time, and then he handed the baton. And he didn’t attack again. Tender, and sweet moment to witness. 💛

Bonne nuit.

❁

Dayle in Limoux – Day #17

L’ étape 18 ❗️

What just happened. My lord. Even if you don’t follow the Tour, you must find and watch Stage 18. [GCN/Eurosport].

#TDF2022 🚴🏻 The next generation.

Racing manuals were being tossed out of windows yesterday. Wout exploded out on the attack at kilometer zero. Incredible to witness.

Only four teams remaining in the Tour have a complete team due to injuries, illness and COVID. Wout’s team, Jumbo Visma, is down, too, yet UAE, skeleton group down to four riders. Even so, Tadej Pogacar said at the end of the race that with a full team they couldn’t have beaten Jonas Vingegaard, who now wears both the KoM jersey

[🔴⚪️🔴]

And the yellow. Three more days of the tour, yet barring any injuries or positive COVID tests, the podium is seemingly set. Monster of a tour–the fastest on record! As a cycling fan, watching it unfold has been outstanding. Like Lance said on his podcast re-cap, “I don’t know even know the sport anymore.” Crazy unbelievable athletes. No fear.

Then, on a hot hot hot day, another one, with increased humidity, lovely…time to refresh in the Place de la Republique.

Blanquette du Limoux. Si bon.

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Gorgeous capture. Last day in the Pyrenees.

À bientôt.

❀

Tomorrow, the Feast of Mary Magdalene.

Dayle in Limoux – Day #16

‘No one feels deeply at home on this planet; it is not where we come from, and it is not where we are ultimately headed. It is a place we stay but for a little while, beautiful and blessed when we allow our perceptions of the world to be overshadowed by God’s – We are here because we have a mission: to be the love that is missing in this world, and thus reclaim a darkened world for light.’

-Marianne Williamson

It isn’t our home, we’re only here for a short while.

We’re stewards. And we’re wrecking the place. The leaders have failed Gaia and most likely the future of all humanity. Many species will survive, perhaps thrive, after too many years of recovery. Humanity though? Gone. Metaverses and AI don’t count. This is Gaia’s home. If we could only change our perspective from taking to giving, to repairing, and saving in honor of those who have been here, and those yet to come. How can we be that ‘light’ in our corner of the world? I spoke about this with someone I met after the Tour stage in Limoux who lives in Modesto, CA, in her 70’s, who teaches still in a private school and is depleted by what’s happening in the United States. She feels she can only be an example, and create light in her corner of the world, for her students and their parents, guardians, and families. She is ‘reclaiming’ that light for them. We are desperately running out of time and we must, must, stop allowing aged white capitalist men to continue to make directions about how we heal our earth so we can live. The planet is burning. And politics is killing us.

🖤

I learned yesterday from someone at the Tour that getting a driver’s license in France is one of the great mysteries. An acquaintance of theirs has been trying for 2.5 years! The health care is amazing and plentiful, yet those DL’s? Precious. BUT. There is a car we can drive in France, as young as 14, that doesn’t require a license. It’s called a VSP. After doing some light research, I was out walking about and saw one parked in the street! Love symmetry.

Two-seaters. This one is a Citroën and all electric! Top speed? 45 kmh, or 28 mph. About $5,000.

VSP is a Voiture Sans Permis, or, ‘car without a license.’ They sell for around $6,000 new. This one is an ‘Ami’, friend in French. Love France.

And here’s a photo I found I wanted to share with you as I mentioned a couple of posts ago about Templar Knights and how they sharpened their swords. I saw this in an ancient village in France back in 2019, BT…before time.

I’m trying to find the name of the church. Anyway, this is often how they would sharpen their swords. I just learned, too, that mummified remains were found at Rennes-les-Chateau were there’s a Mary Magdalene church honoring the Divine Feminine.

I plan on being there Friday for Mary’s Feast Day on the 22nd. Rennes-les-Chateau is loaded with Sacred Geometry and the number ’22.’ The address of where I’m living in Limoux! Sacred geometry is found all over the ancient Languedoc region, discovered and reported by Sir Henry Lincoln. I’ll have more after my visit on Friday.

Soon, too, back at this place. My most personal sacred space in this region.

About six kilometers from Alet-les-Bains. It’s situated in a tiny hamlet with three houses and two farms. It dates to around 830 CE, however some believe other structures were on this site during Roman times, with an ancient standing stone that protrudes through the small church floor. Here’s a picture of Sir Henry leaving the structure in 2019. He died on February 24th of this year. He was 92.

The exterior of the church.

Discovered inside, Mary Magdalene. The energy in this place completely envelops. Palpable and powerful. More on St. Salvayre soon.

French blue and birds in a window. Si française.

À bientôt.

❁

Dayle in Limoux – Day # 15

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L I M O U X, F R A N C E ❗️

Look!

❤️🤍❤️🤍❤️🤍❤️🤍❤️🤍❤️🤍❤️🤍❤️🤍

Another gift from Le Tour de France!

Matches my pin from the 2004 Tour on the Champs Elysées in Paris when Lance won #6! Next Tour, the matching bike cap. :)

Gathered to watch the riders peloton through Limoux not far from my studio near the Place de la République. Met some amazing folks from France, Belgium, the U.S., and England.

And this is Claire. She speaks four languages, her husband, Henrik, 8…how is this even possible…they’ve lived all over the planet. So kind and fun and full of knowledge about the region and living in France.

We shared some shade, although much more humid today with the heat dome over Europe and the wild fires and the winds. Learning so much about life in France and local living.

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To be away from the United States, the ugliness and violence, vitriol, petty focuses, the constant political and destructive noise is incredibly freeing with possibilities and potentials becoming so much more clear.

After the team cars and sponsors came through the riders were getting closer to continue their route to Foix!

And Wout! Again! 💚

Love these guys. Sláva Ukrayíni! They were so happy to be at the Tour and honor Ukraine.

And then they were gone.

Here’s a nice re-cap from GCN/Eurosport for today’s stage. There’s a link to connect.

‘It was an emotional victory for Hugo Houle, who descended into Foix to take Canada’s first Tour de France Stage Win in 34 years.’  http://gcn.eu/tdf2022

If you subscribe to their streaming service, you can watch the replay, Stage #16, and listen to the announcer describe the tender story of Hugo Houle’s brother as Hugo approaches the finish line. Beautifully expressed and timed right as he crosses the finish line and raises is arm in the air, pointing to the sky, for his brother. Hugo currently rides for UCI WorldTeam Israel–Premier.

My Sun Valley buds will appreciate this one. His shirt! (From former Yugoslavia, which he claims.)

And! A local celebrity. The mayor of Limoux, to the left of the speaker.

The Tour has been a diversion from a burning planet. Read this earlier:

“My scientific mind understands that this summer will be one of the coolest for the rest of our lifetimes unless we decide to treat the climate crisis like the emergency that it is,” said Andrea Dutton, a climate researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison

“The first truth is that we live in a nightmare. This is exactly what climate models projected was going to happen: intensifying extreme weather, severe public health consequences, and incredibly frustrating Congressional inaction. There is no reasonable scenario where the warming stops at 1.2°C, so it’s definitely going to get worse,” she said.

Super. But the U.S. continues to talk about the ‘fist bump.’ We need a Climate Strike. We don’t move until the leaders start saving the planet. Gaia is burning.

Read this, too:

‘Canadian law makers are debating giving refugee status to Americans seeking refuge from political and social violence.’ Cool. This is where profit, greed, corruption, and ideological extremes have landed us. Reframing the comment from Andrea Dutton, “It’s definitely going to get worse.”

Picked up some newspapers from a small marche on the way back after the Tour. Found this!

An expose of Joan! Wonderful. Quintessential authenticity. ✢

Love walking into these mini-marches and see an array of European newspapers, many perspectives and writers, like Charlie Hebdo.

À bientôt.

❀

Dayle in Limoux – Day #14

‘As I relax into the flow of the miraculous, then miracles will find me.’ 

-Marianne Williamson

Miracles & magic, flowing in France. Thanks be to Gaia, la lune. A day of hydration and rest, an early evening walk with temps down to a cool 92. :) Never thought I’d appreciate 92 degree weather. Yesterday at the stage finish in Carcassonne, pushed the heat limits a bit. Needed to hydrate and stay out of the heat as much as I could today. Tomorrow a blur of color as the riders make it to Limoux for stage 16, final destination Foix.

A lovely picture of the ladies in Limoux who meet and chat for hours, taken from my window. J’adore.

French blue and aged hardware. Priceless.

As promised!More history on this structure I shared a couple of days ago. The history here in the Languedoc region continues to knock me out. I can see this from across the river from my little balcony.

The portail, now named by us the Spanish Gate, is the end of a long passage that cuts through the row of large town houses that line this part of the river, just north of the Pont Vieux and fronting on the Rue Blanquerie.

The riverside here was fortified around the 14th century [1300’s] the French were installed in the town across the river, and the Spanish Arabs (Moors?) were behind these walls. In order for the Spanish to move up and down the river without emerging from the walls and getting shot at by the French, they built a tunnel that passed along the back of the wall.

This tunnel, then, traversed across the Spanish Gate, just behind the protective doors. 

None of the standard history of Limoux makes reference to the Spanish or Arabs being at war with the French here about the 14th century. Then we did find a couple of obscure references to the Spanish being here, in the 14th and 16th centuries.

In 1340, Spanish bands from Capcir ravaged the region [of the Pays de Sault, the area of the Aude southwest of Limoux].

During a war with Spain in the 16th century, François I was captured and held prisonner by the Spanish. The same reference states that the Spanish invaded Roquefortez between 1525 and 1526: Roquefortez was a collection of the four hamlets Le Bousquet, Roquefort, Buillac et Kounozouls, 15 km south of Quillan and 35 km south of Limoux.

[beyond.fr]

Notice the slit in the fortress wall. I learned about these during my last journey in Languedoc. ‘An arrowslit (often also referred to as an arrow loop, loophole or loop hole, and sometimes a balistraria) is a narrow vertical aperture in a fortification through which an archer can launch arrows or a crossbowman can launch bolts.’ Used for defense. The Templars would sharpen their swords on the stone walls as they entered a fortress. Those markings still exist today. I’ll try to find a capture in some old photos.

In love with Limoux.

A bientôt.

❀

Dayle in Limoux – Day #13

Started ce jour with the bells of Saint-Martin. Then, the adventure began!

Ode to Le Tour. Found it at a local marche…the bike of the maillot jaunt.

Knew it was going to be unbearably hot with the heat dome over Europe, fires burning.

I was thinking last night that although the Tour is winding through Limoux, the final stage before rest day on Monday was finishing in Carcassonne. I decided to take the bus (sometimes a train, not sure how it’s determined) and see what I could find. What I didn’t anticipate when I was riding into Carcassonne is the Tour route would effect our drop zone which is typically la gare, the train station. We made numerous detours and then landed in an area I wasn’t familiar. The driver, who apparently took a wrong turn and had to back the bus up…impressive…didn’t speak any English and after trying to communicate in my weak French, she  mimed that I should follow the other people. Many didn’t know how to trek the long walk back to the train station, so we grabbed our phones and fired up our maps. Finally made it to the city center and just started looking for the tour. Already rationing my two large bottles of Perrier because of the heat with no idea what was about to unfold!

Then, the adventure began! 

I spotted splashes of yellow. 🟡

I started trekking to find the route to the finish. I found a spot just past the finish line and since it was early and a lot of the spectators hadn’t filled in yet, I settled into my space.

There was music and announcing, and sponsors of the tour handing out all their tchotchkes. Very fun. A bike cap, a Skoda bag, a polyester vest…trop chard to wear…a bucket hat, too! Just like Emily in Paris. :)

My favorite sponsor gift and probably kept me from heat exhaustion, literally, was a sparkling canned beverage. Yummy. Their vender came back and gave me three more (!) and somebody else was handing out bananas. She was so sweet. Trop chaude!  So grateful. It really helped.

I couldn’t sit on the asphalt because it burned my bum it was so hot. Five hours of standing in 41 C heat…106 Fahrenheit. Brutal. And so fun. I kept thinking about the guys racing in this heat. I was standing and trying not to pass out. They were biking hard and fast, sometimes their speeds clocked in at 72 KPH (45 MPH on the stage). Many climbs. The Tour put special heat protocols into place because of the dangerously high temperatures. Some of the guys, it was reported, wanted the stage to actually be cancelled due to the heat. With a warming climate and the devastation it is causing, maybe the Tour will need to be moved to the edges of the season in the Tours ahead. Our world is changing…fast.

When the riders get close, all the vehicles start driving in! The sponsors, the team buses, the team cars, the press motorcycles (So fun seeing Bradly Wiggins come in with his motorbike driver. And then there’s a fun parade with the sponsors and their vehicles.

Jumbo Visma’s bus! Many excited to receive it. When they went past, many in the bus didn’t look happy. Come to find out they lost two riders today, one to injuries over the course of the Tour, and another rider after a crash due to more protesters who were blocking the middle of the road.

The Tour is a massive and masterly organized operation; they set-up and tear-down for every stage and it’s all seemingly seamless.

That’s how they get those awesome finish shots. With the camera operator in place, we all knew it was getting close.

All the superfluous vehicles and dignitaries removed, it was quiet. Then the overhead finish screen, “4 kilometers to go!” Cameras ready, the pounding of the placards begins. And then the guys bolt around the final bend. Sprint finish! Wout in the green, couldn’t make out the other two, thought it might be Fabio Jakobsen from Quick Step who replaced Mark Cavendish. (Thought about him so much today; would love to have seen him.) I positioned my camera, hoped for the best, yet I wanted to watch it live! The clip worked although it was holding it low so I could see the riders! It was thrilling and so knock-out fast. How is that kind of power, control, and stamina able to be sustained after 106 degree weather and 202 kilometers! It’s nuts. Incredible, unbelievable athletes. They love Le Tour in Carcassonne. Moi Aussi. (Me, too!)

I’ve been trying for hours to get the video from my iPhone to this website…not working. So I did some screen captures. If I’m able to figure it out, I’ll edit and re-post later. Crazy exciting!

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WOUT! Right in front of me!

And Sepp Kuss from Jumbo Visma. They’re going to need him so much now after losing two key riders. Incredible domestique and all around talented rider, 27 years old from Durango, Colorado. One of my favorites to watch. So happy I spotted him! Looks depleted and beat. Much needed rest day tomorrow.

The best. Vive Le Tour! 💛

And a sweet post-stage interview with the sprinting finish winner for stage 15, Jasper Philipsen. Rock ⭐️. He’s worked so hard for this moment. Very emotional. First stage win at the Tour. At the 12:15 mark.

AND! Images of the podium. So. Many. People. I was the only one I could see wearing a mask besides the riders and worker bee’s. 😳

The beast. Wout van Aert keeps the sprinter’s green!

Jonas Vingegaard keeps yellow and his time distance from Tadej. They are so equally matched.

Stage winner and first Tour de France stage win, Jasper Philipsen.

Battling for the yellow…still holding the youngest winner jersey, Tadej Pogacar. His team, UAE, and Jonas’ team, Jumbo Visma, are struggling with dropped teammates, after Jumbo’s dominance. The Tour is wide open!

King of the Mountain jersey winner, Germany’s Simon Geschke. Lots of fans at Stage 15!

And these guys. Best seat on the Tour! They had a clear shot of the finish and the podium.

Or, maybe this guy. :)

18 years since I’ve been at the Tour watching Lance win his 6th with his gold helmet down the Champs-Élysées. (Thank you, Theodore.) Carcassonne was

A M A Z I N G

Incredible experience. Beautiful country and people. Now, I need to keep hydrating, cool down, and replenish for Tuesday’s stage 16 as it goes through Limoux, about 1:15 pm local time!

Bonne nuit.

❀

Dayle in Limoux – Day # 12

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Le Soleil was intense. 105 today. 105. About 40-41C. On Le Tour race organizers were using water trucks to cool off the roads where someone reported the heat coming off the asphalt was about 158 degrees. This isn’t ‘just summer’ [climate change deniers]. Europe is burning. Gaia is burning.

Tomorrow, stage 15 into Carcassonne before the rest day, and then Limoux!

Love this capture of Tadej and Jonas climbing up to Mende today.

The market closes early on Sundays so stocked up on water today, lots; trying to stay hydrated. Toasted friends 5,000 + miles away for an event I couldn’t attend with the original sparkling wine before Dom found the recipe.

The monks had it going on in 1531. Champagne doesn’t come close to compare. Blanquette de Limoux is lovely and light and pure.

Vivez des moments intense. “Live intense moments.” Just do it. :)

It cooled down to 95 at 9 so ventured out to the square after conquering the French washing machine and hanging my clothes on a line to dry almost instantly in the heat. Time for that Blanquette de Limoux and a bottle of ‘intensity’ while reading Cathar history and planning excursions.

Cathar Cross

So many places to discover and explore. The Feast of Mary Magdalene is July 22nd. Really want to explore her cave in Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume. After Jesus’s death, it is believed Mary Magdalene made her way to France to a small town in Provence called Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte Baume. To be there on her day would be quite special, being, too, with the many pilgrims who have traveled there to commemorate her life after the time she spent with Jesus.

Or or or Rennes-le-Château where there’s a church created and dedicated to Mary Magdalene.

François Mitterrand visits Rennes-le-Château, March 2nd, 1981.

From the 2018 film Mary Magdalene. Couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve seen it. Written by two women, Helen Edmundson and Philippa Goslett. It’s extraordinary.

We only come out at night; we only come out at night. The days are much too bright. We only come out at night. -Smashing Pumpkins

They do. Hoards. My new buds.

À bientôt.

❀

Dayle in Limoux – Day #11

First, this.

Hard praying Joe Manchin is her first case. If he’s still alive. If we are.

NYTimes

How One Senator Doomed the Democrats’ Climate Plan

Senator Joe Manchin III of West Virginia led his party and his president through months of tortured talks, with nothing to show for it as the planet dangerously heats up. [Click image for article-paywall removed.]

Sidebar. When Lebron James made the comment about Brittney Griner I said out loud,  “Right on.” He backtracked because of the flack. But he spoke truth. 100%.

“Now, how could she feel like America has her back? I would be feeling like, ‘Do I even want to go back to America?'”

Same.

Las fleurs from the marche in Limoux!

Lovely market in the square today and every Friday morning. This market is a little more utilitarian than the Tuesday markets, i.e., local produce, fabrics, flowers, clothes, eye glasses…incense! I was able to stroll through the market and drink two cafe au lait’s before the 100 + degree mark. Yikes. Europe is burning. In France, literally.

French President Emmanuel Macron today:

Solidarity is national: three thousand firefighters from all over France are fighting the fires that are hitting the south of the country. I salute their courage and their commitment alongside elected officials. At the front, they save lives. We are thinking of them and of the evacuated residents.

Solidarity is European: a year ago, when Greece was facing terrible fires, we mobilized as Europeans. This noon, aircraft from the Greek rescue forces arrived in the south to support the action of our firefighters.

REUTERS

Wildfires rage in southwestern France with over 1,700 hectares burnt

About 600 firefighters, supported by six water-bomber aircraft, were on Wednesday battling to bring under control two wildfires in southwestern France, which have already burnt more than 1,700 hectares [4,200 acres] and prompted the evacuation of thousands of tourists.

“Important human and material resources are being deployed to master the fires (…) local and national reinforcements are expected,” said the local authority for the Gironde department, where the blazes are raging.

France, already hit by a series of wildfires over the last few weeks, is suffering – like the rest of Europe – from a second heatwave in as many months. [It’s brutal. -dayle]

The biggest of the two Gironde fires is around the town of Landiras, south of Bordeaux, where roads have been closed and 500 residents evacuated, with the blaze having already burnt more than 1,000 hectares.

The other one is along the Atlantic Coast, close to the iconic “Dune du Pilat” – the tallest sand dune in Europe – located in the Arcachon Bay area, above which heavy clouds of dark smoke were seen rising in the sky.

That fire has already burnt 700 hectares and led to the preventive evacuation of 6,000 people from five surrounding campsites. They were brought for shelter to a local exhibition centre.

“Other campers woke us up at around 0430 in the morning. We had to leave immediately and quickly choose what to take with us. I had forgotten my ID, luckily someone took it for me. But I don’t have my phone (…) and we don’t know what is going to happen,” Christelle, one of the evacuated tourists, told BFM TV.

[Those villages and towns close to forests were not allowed to display fireworks for Bastille Day.]

Wildfires raged across tinder-dry country in Portugal, Spain, France and Croatia, burning homes and threatening livelihoods, as much of Europe baked in a heatwave that has pushed temperatures into the mid 40Cs in some countries. [Reuters] 40C is equivalent to 104 in Fahrenheit. -dayle 

From NBC NEWS:

Over 20 wildfires are burning in Portugal and Spain, and around half of Portugal has been placed under a red weather alert.

~

More captures from the marche today. Love Limoux.

And a very hot kitty. ღ

Yes, please. Want!

Le Tour is getting closer! Tuesday, étape 16. Can’t wait. 🚴🏻

From étape 12 yesterday, Alpe d’Huez. Good thing Covid is over. 😐

It’s like a Where’s Waldo’ image. Try to find Sepp, Jonas, and Tadej.

#Anxiety #Why #Sepp’sFace

In the newsletter from the Flourish Foundation this month, a social-profit in Sun Valley, Idaho [Hailey], Harry Dreyfuss, the creative director at Flourish Foundation, shares his quarantine epiphany on love, relationships, and self…all ONE.

I inadvertently ‘met’ Harry once when I opened the door of his home thinking it was my book club’s meeting place that month. I remember seeing this amazing light blue guitar lying on the dining room table. Cool. Then Harry came down the stairs. Oops. Yikes. Awkward. He couldn’t have been k i n d e r. “I think you want the house next door.” Yep. :)

This is a sweet message I read today from Harry; wanted to share.

 

More on Kindness… Marrying Yourself There was a moment during quarantine when I had an epiphany concerning love and relationships: whether I ever find a long-term romantic partner or not, there is one person to whom I am already in an arranged marriage—myself. Myself and I are stuck together, and like it or not, I need to make this relationship work. I have no other choice.    So, I made a vow to my brain. It went something like this. “I may wish you were smarter, and kinder, and full of better angels, but I can’t actually force you to do anything. Instead, I must live with the ideas you have, the impulses you have, and the body that you have. What I can do, however, is make a vow to honor those creative ideas, good or bad. You churn out the ideas, and I promise to act upon them.”    I did this mainly concerning writing. I vowed to write down all my brain’s ideas as an act of loyalty, without judgment about how bad or good they were. There’s a kind of mantra created by Julia Cameron for artists to use towards their inner muse: “You take care of the quality; I’ll take care of the quantity.” This means you will guarantee to actualize all the ideas your muse creates, and your muse will try to ensure that at least 20% of those ideas are actually usable.    I was made to think about that vow and that internal wedding as I read Ryan’s piece about kindness last week. As he puts it, there are constantly moments where our minds generate an urge to do a kind thing, but it is then up to our conscious mind to actualize that impulse or not. My vow concerned artistic impulses, but there is a similar relationship possible here. Your mind—your bride or groom—is offering you an idea for how you can best love the world in that moment. What would happen if you made a vow to honor those ideas when they cropped up?    It may be a hassle. It involves interrupting your day, your business as usual. But the interruption is a sweet one, hazardous and vulnerable as it may be. And we all know what it is like to get into a groove of kindness. Taking those risks, allowing yourself to creatively engage in a loving way with the world, ultimately can lead to an ecstatic feeling, a minor form of bliss, which can make each day an exciting one.    Perhaps the most inspiring thing I’ve ever heard said about love comes from Toni Morrison, who is urging people to recognize the ecstatic and moral obligation we have to honor our need to love one another:   People say, “‘I didn’t ask to be born.’ I think we did, and that’s why we’re here. We are here, and we have to do something nurturing that we respect before we go. We must. It is more interesting, more complicated, more intellectually demanding and more morally demanding to love somebody, to take care of somebody, to make one other person feel good… Love just seems to make life not just livable, but a gallant, gallant event.   Have a nice life, Harry

https://www.flourishfoundation.org

❀

Dayle in Limoux – Day #10

Bastille Day!

After days of revelry leading up to le 14 juillet and a local military parade with dignities early this morning, the village of Limoux was quiet. And hot. So hot. 39 C which is 102 Fahrenheit. Another solid week of heat coming up, too. The planet is burning. And the leaders dance, and the Buffetts and Kochs double down on oil. Don’t look up. ‘This is what we call a planet killer.’

This from inews.co.uk:

“Early models indicate a ‘heat dome’ is building over Europe that would trap the continent into high temperatures into August and could create the conditions for a record-breaking summer of blistering heat to rival that of summer 2003.”

https://inews.co.uk/news/more-heatwaves-hit-uk-july-august-met-office-warns-1738108

You might want to do some research on this one.

‘We are called to be architects of the future, not its victims.’

-R. Buckminster Fuller

From Seth Godin, contributor in the book:

“On Saturday, in dozens of countries around the world, the volunteers behind the Carbon Almanac will be holding book signings to celebrate the launch of this project. I’ll be doing three, and I hope you’ll stop by and say hello if you can. It’s a world record signing because it’s the only world we’ve got–and we are all authors of our future.”

[To learn more visit thecarbonalmanac.org.]

Back to Bastille and note from Pete at Radical Tea Towel.

‘For centuries before 1789, politics in the Kingdom of France concerned itself with kings and noblemen.

The common people, on the other hand, were counted as nothing – and the same was true across Europe.

It wasn’t that the masses were blindly submissive to their exclusion. Bread riots and peasant revolts – like the French jacqueries – were a regular occurrence.

There were even a few organized political movements by the working classes, like the Levellers and Diggers during the English Revolution.

But it wasn’t until the Parisian masses stormed the Bastille prison that the people entered into European politics in such a way that they could never be expelled again.’

‘Things weren’t going to plan for the King.

He had wanted the three Estates – clergy, nobility, and commoners – to rubber stamp his fiscal measures and go home.

But the Third Estate – the common people – wanted something in return.

In June 1789, members of the Third Estate began to call themselves the ‘National Assembly’ – they did, after all, represent the vast majority of the French population.

They also took the famous Tennis Court Oath, a promise not to disband until France had a new constitution.

Reactionary nobles close to the King became nervous.
He had wanted the three Estates – clergy, nobility, and commoners – to rubber stamp his fiscal measures and go home.

But the Third Estate – the common people – wanted something in return.

There were mass protests in Paris on the 12 July, attacking royal offices. The French soldiers in the city did nothing to intervene – perhaps because they supported the revolutionaries. (Sound familiar? 1.6.21 during the insurgency. -dayle)

The next day, a citizen’s militia was formed, and the Marquis de Lafayette elected its commander.

It was not by the hired soldiers of some foreign aristocratic elite, but by the French people themselves.’

Longue vie à la France❗️

It starts to cool off–oh, you know, to about 90–around 10 pm. So, although getting dark, went exploring along the river Aude. More captures!

Le Pont Neuf is the oldest in the town of Limoux that connects the two cities, being the villa is completely divided by the river Aude. Dating back to the 1400’s, it originally was made entirely of wood. Often, the Church of Saint Martin in its view.

▲ More history on this capture soon. :)

And the tour! Starts to head west after the teams climbed Alpe d’Huez today. Incredible beauty in this country. Why can’t we just stop everything, pas plus, and save the planet. Nothing else matters if we don’t. I mean, nothing. What are we doing.

Choose your life. 💛

Amidst everything, Just a few countries away, Ukraine. And loosing Liza.

‘Her name was Liza.
She was 3 years old.
Her mother survived but her leg was blown off and she is fighting for her life in intensive care.’

[Social media post.]

The picture of Liza on the left was taken about an hour before Putin’s missile strike  killed her.

Borders, power, and evil. When does this stop?

“Terrorist attacks, infrastructure destruction and civilians massacre. […] Cannot defeat Armed Forces in battle, so it resorts to barbarism.”

-M. Podolyak, Adviser to the Head of the Office of President of Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Pas plus.

Dayle in Limoux – Day #9

F

I

R

E

W

O

R

K

S

‼️

Pre-Bastille Day celebrations! I thought the U.S. knew how to do up fireworks. My lord. Incroyable! So many from Limoux gathered at the river with a canoe parade before the fireworks with lights and torches. I was able to see them right from my little balcony. Couldn’t believe the display; a 20-minute grand-finale. So fun! In the square before the celebrations for liquid nourishment since the temp dropped to a cool 90 at 8:30 pm.

Blanquet de Limoux, the f i r s t champagne. Sorry, Dom. We know where you found your champagne. It was the monks.

In the south of Carcassonne is a place called Limoux, next to this is the beautiful abbey of St. Hilaire. An abbey is a type of monastery that is used by members of a religious order. The St. Hilaire Abbey is one of the most renowned monasteries of the Aude department in Languedoc. Long ago, the monks produced a type of sparkling wine which Limoux became known for: the Blanquette de Limoux.

History regarding one of the most beautiful abbeys in France
The history regarding the Abbey of St. Hilaire dates back to the 8th century.

In 1531 a monk from the Abbey of St. Hillaire discovered how to make the sparkling wine that Limoux would become known for: the Blanquette de Limoux. As discovered in 1531 the sparkling Banquette de Limoux is therefore much older than Champagne, which was discovered by Dom Pérignon in 1668.

Considering its history, the Blanquette de Limoux is the most famous wine in the city, it is made from Mauzac grape, which provides a unique taste of apples.

Très délicieux!

La Lune is full. Fireworks to the left of me, moon to the right, here I am stuck in the middle in Limoux!

Bonus:

And fires are flaring in France, too.

The planet is burning. The heat is extreme. 99 degrees here in Limoux today. Tomorrow and deep into next week, triple digits. How are the Tour de France bikers tolerating this. Pre-race the Jumbo Visma team was donning ice vests.

I could have used one of those today and I wasn’t climbing the Col du Galibier. Hydration!

Another intense day tomorrow for Tour de France étape 12, the Iconic Alpe d’Huez for Bastille Day. Brutal. Stage 11 was intensely hot and full of seemingly never ending climbs. And so incredibly exciting–strategies and surprises! Have to share. This is how intense the stage was today. Lance and George watching earlier:

When seasoned pros who know cycling upside down and inside out, this was pretty telling. Incredibly fun to watch and to be in France DURING the Tour de France is craziness! L O V E

The fires burning in the region are near Bordeaux. From The Independent/UK:

Apocalyptic wildfires tear through Bordeaux forest as
two major forest fires have devastated a natural region close to Bordeaux, ravaging nearly 1,000 hectares of pine forest.

Around 6,000 people have been evacuated from the tourist area of Pilat, close to the city and an additional 150 people were evacuated from Landiras due to another blaze.

Footage shared by the local fire service shows the apocalyptic blaze ripping through the forest, filling the orange sky with smoke.

Southwestern France is currently going through an intense heatwave with temperatures around Bordeaux, reaching near 40C.

40 C is 104 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s Limoux’s forecast this weekend, too.

We have to save it now. 🌏 She’s tired of waiting for us, and her impatience with the human species is showing. Gaia has given us so many chances.

Remember, love is everywhere.

Demain! 

❀

Dayle in Limoux – Day #8

Si Français.

Annie leaves for the U.S. tomorrow at 3 am through Toulouse, Amsterdam, Salt Lake City, and then Sun Valley. Magical she was here in France the same time as her maman.

ℒℴved.

Serendipity. Synchronicity. Symmetry. The Universe’s most special gifts to me. Merci merci merci. I will miss you, Annie Glenn.

Another gift from the Universe today, although captured eons ago, we get to gaze upon her magnificence now.

NASA wrote:

Better together. International collaboration gave us the most powerful space telescope ever made, and the deepest infrared views of the universe ever seen. With our partners, together we #UnfoldTheUniverse.

From VOX:

“Think about that: In every pinprick of sky, there are thousands and thousands of galaxies, at least.”

And then, the Universe gives again. The moon in Limoux.

La lune. She’s almost full. And the swallows murmur.

Readying for Bastille Day! As called in France, ‘Fête nationale française,’ and legally le 14 juillet.’ THURSDAY! I should be able to view fireworks from my balcony. Going to immerse myself in the splendor of love for country. It’s been awhile.

“An enormous fortress of prejudices, privileges, superstitions, lies, exactions, abuses, violences, iniquities, and darkness still stands erect in this world, with its towers of hatred. It must be cast down. This monstrous mass must be made to crumble. To conquer at Austerlitz is grand; to take the Bastille is immense.”
― Victor Hugo

Collecting maps now. :) The Tour is getting closer to Limoux. Too many dropping because of COVID. Mask up. BA.5 is real…and here. Viva Le Tour!

À bientôt.

❀