La Corrida De Nimes 25 May 2007

Okay all here are a few shots from the Corrida in Nimes...

I was able to process these photographs and get a few on here...

I appologize if there are some animal rights people out there who may be offended.

But think about this.. Your steak goes through a lot more to get on to your plate then what these amazing animals do..

Besides one of these images, EL TORRO gets his in..

And girls, I mean really look at these guys!! How can you resist a dude in tight pants...

OLE TORERO!!

~Mel~

Whew!! Finally I am able to post!!

Hey Hey Gang!


Soooooooooooooo Sorry it's been a while.. I haven't had internet access for the past few days.. Well, honestly I have hardly had the time to get to a place to gain access..


Well, needless to say the past few days have been absolutely wonderful..


Thursday, the 24, started off with The Procession of St Sara to the sea.. And the Gypsy Pligrimage to St. Maries de la Mer... The sun as always was blazing hot... And people everywhere.. All here in this tiny village to see St Sara... The day started with what was about a mile walk from the outside of the village. Parking was a nightmare!! Woo hoo!! Just a word of advice... Get yourself a hotel in St. Maries for the Fete... Or plan on walking in if you don't get there early..


It was a wonderful site... Music everywhere... We started the day at one of the local watering holes Les Vague... Who's who in Gypsy music, from the Camrague was there.. And everywhere you turned around small groups centered around one or two guitars would be singing and playing... (i'll add pics later la loca forgot her lead to her camera in the states so I can't add right now) The whole day was amazing! After wondering around the village I decided to make my way to my spot to watch the procession of St Sara to the sea.. I waited at my usual spot waiting for the procession to make it's way to the sea... I waited and i waited... and I waited.. Finally it got to where I was.. It was a bet overwhelming to me to see thousands of people following the statue of St Sara... ( I know I am forgetting something) I will probably edit this later..


For now the procession it's self was a phenomenal site... People were in a frenzy to see and get close to their patron saint..





okay here's one shot from the procession, Mi amiga, managed to pop this shot off of Ricao..


He is one of the legends of Gypsy music from the Camargue..
I promise I will add more from the Fete later...
~Mel~

Saintes Maries De La Mer

Well, its Day 3 in France and my first full day in SMDLM. One day before the Fete. Thinking the procession of St Sara to the sea was today Ah alas twas not... Okay wait before I go any further.... What is the deal with the ROUND ABOUTS IN FRANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ARRRGGGG! Okay where was I? First stop was "le eglise " to see ST Sara.. She's a must stop every time I come here to thank her for bringing me safely here. Next stop food!! All right I was hungry.... tee hee.. After a great lunch I wondered around to see what I could see. I ran into some friends that I had not seen since January.. This is an amazing place. The friends you make here are friends for life and you can be away for what seems like forever and yet when you see them again it's like you just saw each other. After wondering around for a while I decided that my NY pastey white skin was not going to cut it here in the land of dark honey so took my big ole white butt to the beach... Shocking that this white girl did not burn... Stuck my feet in the Mediteranean sea.. Felt wonderful just to be able to cool off..... The sun here is so amazingly hot but it feels like a huge set of warm arms are wrapped around you. After a while in the sun I decided that I needed to go back to Arles and refresh myself and recharge my batteries. I was at the house for little more than an hour when Las Amigas de Gypsy Soul called and stopped by... I hadn't seen thes chicas since the last Fete... It was great to see them again!!! After being refreshed I headed back to SMDLM to, again, see what I could see.... Started out eating AGAIN!! After a wonderful dinner I walked back to the church where there were several small groups of Gypsy musicians getting ready to play... From the sound of it they were ready to play well into the night..
The plaza around the church was packed with people. There were so many groups of musicians that it was so hard to sit and listen to just one.. So wondering became the thing for me to do.. I didn't want to miss anything. After a while I left the crowd and walked away from the church and I litterally ran into Mis Amigos.. Stopped and had desert and drinks with them... It was truly an amazing day. Got to see some dear friends and hear Gypsy music in it's purest form.
|My first couple of days were slow here.... Which for me was a good thing..
But I have a feeling things will pick up just a little...
MEL

Day One 20-may-2007

All right I made it.. Actually the trip from NY was very uneventful. 6.5 hour filght to Madrid... NO SLEEP on the over night flight. grrrrr Hmm I only spent three hours in Spain but I am begining to think that this is a place I could get used to...At any rate the short fligt from Madrid to Marseille was even less eventful.. Everything went so smooth... We picked up our luggage and our rental car and headed straight for Arles... WELLLLLLLLLLLLLLl... okay Me in my infinite wisdom said oh it's easy to get from Marseille to Arles...All right so we took a little side trip.... It took us a little longer to get to Arles.. but if any one asks you how to get to Arles tell them you want to go the Avingnon Tarascon route... TEE HEE..Eh we got here in one piece..Settled in and decided that we were starving... Air plane food does not cut it... so we got back in the car.... ( i have never had a car here so it was my first time driving in France!! WOO HOO!!)We headed straight for St Maries De la Mer... Needless to say It is a good three days before the Fete and the place is packed..Gypsies everywhere... We found this little out of the way place to eat in.. Actually it was serving food so we grabbed the place. We had the priviledge of sharing the place with a wonderful Gypsy family.. I did find it very unnerving, however, that most of the "Payo" Touristas found them to be annoying.. These people are so full of life and love for their children... The whole evening made me smile.. After dinner we walked around the beach for a while. As I was walking not really paying attention to much of anything, I heard the faint strumming of a guitar... ALE!! There were about 4 or 5 Young Gypsie boys sitting on a concrete bench singing and doing the palmas as a 15 year old "Maestro" played on.. It was amazing to see that this music is still aive and it flows through even the younger generation.. We then decided to head back to Arles.. On the way back we were able to catch a flock of flamingos feeding.. AMAZING!!At any rate we made it back to Arles totally exhausted.. But somehow I feel recharged in this place... That's all from day one Mel

"I'm leavin' on a jet plane......"

Well, the day has finally arrived...

After 5 months of waiting and waiting and well, waiting..

The anticiapation is what kills me!!

I am headed off to France...

I take with me a somewhat clear head... A back pack full of books and a dream..

I leave for this journey, like the others before it, with no set plans just a wish for luck. And an open heart. I am looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting some new ones..

I'll write more when I arrive.

~Mel~

A Question

What Do You Dream of My Gypsy Boy?

Do you dream of running white stallions who dance their dance in the hot summer Camargue wind?
Do you dream of jet black bulls who lazily graze on sweet grasses under the blazing sun?
Do you dream of long forgotten times? Times when your life, Gypsy Boy seemed oh much more simple?
Do you dream of far off lands where adventure awaits at every turn or do you simply dream of home?
Do your dreams, Gypsy Boy, create the song that makes your heart sing and your soul dance?
Do you dream, Gipsy Boy, of your true love? Does your heart fill your head with beautiful thoughts of you and your love?
So, when you do finally close your eyes,and your weary head has set to rest on a soft pillow. What do you dream of,

my Gypsy Boy

Que rêvez-vous de mon Garçon de Gitan ?

Rêvez-vous d'étalons blancs courants qui dansent leur danse dans le vent de Camargue d'été chaud ?

Rêvez-vous de jet taureaux noirs qui broutent paresseusement sur les herbes douces sous le soleil flamboyant ? Rêvez-vous de temps oubliés longs ?

Les temps quand votre vie, votre Garçon de Gitan a semblé oh beaucoup plus simple ?

Où aventure rêvez-vous de loin des terres attend à chaque virage ou à vous rêve simplement d'à la maison ?

Faire vos rêves, votre Garçon de Gitan, créent la chanson qui fait votre coeur chante et votre danse d'âme ? Rêvez-vous, le Garçon de Gitan, de votre vrai amour ? Votre coeur remplit-il votre tête avec les belles pensées de vous et votre amour ?

Si, quand vous fermez finalement vos yeux, et votre tête fatiguée a réglé pour se reposer sur un oreiller doux. Que vous fait le rêve de,

mon Garçon de Gitan

¿Qué sueña usted de mi Chico gitano?

¿Sueña usted de sementales blancos corrientes que bailan su baile en el viento caliente del verano Camargue?

¿Sueña usted de toros de negro azabache que apaceietan perezosamente en céspedes dulces bajo el sol que quema?

¿Sueña usted de tiempos olvidados largos? ¿Los tiempos cuando su vida, Chico Gitano pareció ah mucho más sencillo?

¿Donde aventura sueña usted de lejos lejos las tierras aguardan en cada vuelta o sueña simplemente usted de en casa?

¿Hace sus sueños, Chico Gitano, crea la canción que hace el corazón canta y su baile de la alma? ¿Sueña usted, Chico de Gitano, de su amor verdadero? ¿Llena el corazón la cabeza con pensamientos hermosos de usted y de su amor?

Así, cuando usted finalmente cierra sus ojos, y la cabeza fatigada ha puesto a descansar en una almohada suave. Qué le hace sueño de,

mi Chico Gitano

~~Mel~~

Four Days / Quatre Jour /Quatro Dias

All right it's just a little over 4 days and counting until I head back to Arles and the Camargue.

Or as I like to affectionately call it "THE MOTHER LAND". This little corner of the world, in the South of France has managed to capture my heart. This will be my 9th journey to the area.

I found this place a few years back when I started listening to a little band called the Gipsy Kings.. You may have heard of them??? If you haven't keep reading this blog you'll catch up pretty quick :-). As I listened to more of their music I became interested in learning more about their music, their culture and where they came from. More on the Gypsies in further posts. They and their music are huge part of why I return to this place. A little aside: When I first heard "Bamboleo" I never dreamed that this song would take me on a journey of a life time. From the time I first pulled into the train station in Arles, in the middle of the night I knew I would be returning to this place time and time again. It is a place where I have met some extraordinary people, seen some truly heart stopping sites, and heard the most beautiful music that truly does make your heart dance.

I come back time and time again because it's the one place that I can hear my heart's song.

Here are a few photographs of the Arles and the Camargue that I took on previous trips.

~Mel~

Bien c'est juste un petit par-dessus 4 jours et comptant jusqu'à ce que je dirige de retour à Arles et le Camargue.
Ou comme j'aime affectueusement l'appeler « LA TERRE DE MERE ». Ce petit coin du monde, dans le Sud de France a géré pour capturer mon coeur. Ceci sera mon neuvième voyage au secteur.
J'ai trouvé ces quelques années d'endroit soutiennent quand j'ai commencé écouter une petite bande a appelé leGipsy Kings. Vous pourriez avoir entendu parler d'eux ? ? ? Si vous avez ne garde pas lisant ce blog que vous attraperez en haut assez rapide : -). Comme j'ai écouté plus de leur musique je suis devenu intéressé dans l'érudition plus de leur musique, leur culture et où ils sont venus de. Plus sur les Gitans dans les plus amples postes. Ils et leur musique est la partie énorme de pourquoi je retourne à cet endroit. Un petit de côté : Quand j'ai entendu premièrement « Bamboleo » je n'ai jamais rêvé que cette chanson me prendrait sur un voyage d'un temps de vie. Du temps que j'ai tiré premièrement dans la gare dans Arles, au milieu de la nuit j'ai su que je retournerais à cet endroit maintes fois. C'est un endroit où j'ai rencontré quelques gens extraordinaires, vus quelque véritablement coeur arrête des sites, et a entendu la musique la plus belle qui fait véritablement votre danse de coeur.
Je reviens maintes fois parce que c'est l'un endroit que je peux entendre la chanson de mon coeur.
Sont ici quelques photographies du Arles et le Camargue que j'ai pris des voyages précédents.

~Mel~

Bien es apenas un pequeño sobre 4 días y contando hasta que dirija atrás a Arlés y el Camargue.
O cuando quiero llamarlo cariñosamente "LA TIERRA de MADRE". Esto rincón pequeño del mundo, en el Sur de Francia ha logrado capturar el corazón. Esto será mi viaje noveno al área.
Encontré que este lugar unos pocos años apoyan cuando empecé a escuchar una banda pequeña llamó Gipsy Kings.. ¿Usted puede haber oído de ellos??? Si usted tiene no mantiene leyendo este blog usted alcanzará bonito rápido: -). Cuando escuché más de su música yo llegué a ser interesado en aprender más acerca de su música, acerca de su cultura y acerca de donde ellos vinieron de. Más en los gitanos en postes adicionales. Ellos y su música son la partes inmensos de por qué yo vuelvo a este lugar. Un poco aparte: Cuándo yo oí primero "Bamboleo" yo nunca soñé que esta canción me tomaría en un viaje de un tiempo de la vida. Del tiempo que tiré primero en la estación en Arlés, en medio de la noche que supo que estaría volviendo a este lugar repetidas veces. Es un lugar donde he encontrado a algunas personas extraordinarias, visto algún sinceramente corazón que para los sitios, y oyó la música más hermosa que hace sinceramente su baile de corazón.
Regreso repetidas veces porque soy el un lugar que puede oír mi canción de corazón.
Aquí están unas pocas fotografías del Arlés y el Camargue que tomé los viajes previos.

~Mel~

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RYAN!!

Here he is!!

This is my nephew Ryan....

He turned 2 yesterday!! AHHHHH!! It's hard to believe that this little guy is two years old..

It really does seem like yesterday that he just came into this world..

WHEW!! Where does the time go??? Next thing I know I will be shopping for his high school graduation present...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RY RY!!

LUV YOU!!

Auntie ~Mel~

SEIS CUERDAS / SIX STRINGS

La Guitarra

hace llorar a los suenos.

El sollozo de las almas

perdidas

es secapa por su boca

redonda.

Y como la tarantula,

teje una gran estrella

para cazar suspiros,

que flotan en su negro

aljibe de madera.

The guitar

makes dreams cry.

The sobbing of lost

souls

escapes through its round

mouth.

And like the trantula,

it spins a huge star

and tracks down the sighs

that float in its black

wooden cistern.

~~~~ Federico Garcia Lorca~~~~~

WOAH!!

Tee hee
I am way soooooo new to this.... I have been racking my brain trying to figure out how to add pics to my post.. okay here it goes.. Just an aside.... These are photographs I took last summer during the Feria in Nimes. Photography is one of the ways I express myself. I am not quite sure if I was trying to capture any kind of emotions but the pictures ended up telling a story.
Enjoy!!

~Mel~

Hey Hey!

Hey Hey!
Okay here goes my first post...
I suppose I should start out with what this is all about??
This is just a little something that I set up to share my journey with my friends, family, and whoever, wants jump in. My hope is that friends will stop by to say Hey! and also hopefully I'll pick up some new friends along the way.
thanks for the look
~Mel~
Viva la vida!!