Nicholas Delbanco and his wife, Elena, lived in Provence as newlyweds; they returned recently to celebrate their 40th anniversary. His moving, beautifully written then-and-now story ran in the New York Times this week and I didn't want you to miss it--you can read it here. If you love Nicholas' writing like I do, you may want to pick up a copy of his 1989 book Running in Place: Scenes from the South of France, available in a 2001 paperback edition on Amazon here.
What a great read for a lazy Sunday afternoon...
ReplyDeleteI want to read more of his words...
It did remind me of the magic of Provence...
Fabulous article. Bittersweet. I often wish that I had had the chance to live in Provence 40 years earlier. Before the days of numerous designer eyeglass and telephone shops and when the artisans could still afford to live and work within the city. But there are bits remaining...and I'm thankful to be here. Thanks for sharing this, Julie.
ReplyDeleteNice article. It also led me to some others at the Times. It's funny how many people have formed their image of Provence from reading Marcel Pagnol and seeing his films.
ReplyDeleteNever the same and always the same. Thanks for highlighting this article.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful article. It generated some deep emotions for me, given my history with Provence.
ReplyDeleteI love the concept he lays out that every year to find old Provence one needs to travel a kilometer further inland. There is truth in that. There is also something to the contrast of the beauty of Provence lived the simple way, and the beauty of Provence the expensive way. Both capture an essence of the place, just one is served up on old cracked dinnerware, the other fine china.