Langon (France) | Labor Day - 13 Jun, 2023

 

I have expressed previously how much I love visiting cemeteries. The cemetery in Langon, France, caught my attention today. This was the only colored plot that I say today, and I love how it contracted nicely against the adjacent dark-grey-blackish stone crypts.

Today is Labor Day in France, and all forms of public transportation are closed. Instead of walking an hour to my pick-up point for my rideshare, I decided to rent a bike by using the VélÔToulouse rental program. The first 30 minutes are free. After that, it costs 1.20 Euro for 24 hours. This is a great program, and there are many rental stations across Toulouse.

Well, I thought renting a bike was a simple fix. Unfortunately, I quickly learned that not everything is always as easy as we would like it to be. Because of Labor Day, many streets are closed to all traffic except pedestrians due to planned protests near the city center of Toulouse. There is always a twist when traveling! 😂 Finally, after several detours, I arrived at the arranged meeting point at 9 am. Luckily, Solenn is also experiencing some delays due to detours but arrives a few minutes later. We spent 20 minutes attempting to leave Toulouse while being foiled by one-way streets and detours.

Solenn is in her early 30s and owns a yoga studio. A business she started about 1.5 years ago when she returned from traveling. "I was scared at first to launch this venture on my own. Then I found a really nice building for not much money. The way things fell into place made it really easy. I am so glad I did it," says Solenn. We discuss how sharing an idea with others is an important step in cultivating an idea. "It is like growing a garden. You plant the seed, water the ground, then let mother nature take over," she says. 

Solenn and I discuss places we've traveled, the food and culture of northwest France, meditation, and yoga. She teaches Hatha Yoga, which is similar to Gentle Yoga in the United States. Traveling with Solenn is easy this morning. As we approach Langon, I notice how much I enjoy the morning. Solenn drops me off on the edge of Langon at a service station. She is headed to Bordeaux, France, for a few days to catch up with a long-time friend.

Langon, France, is located between Bordeaux (northwest) and Toulouse (southeast). It is a rural part of France and an area I look forward to learning more about. 

Walking to Langon from my drop point for about 20 minutes, I reflect on how my time with Solenn came to be. There are so many different choices that could have been made by either of us. For example, I contemplated three different rideshares when I made my reservation. All three were leaving around the same time. Although Solenn's departure time was my preferred time, I remember feeling that there was another reason why I needed to travel with her. I did not have the same feeling when contemplating the other two. 

Last night I didn't take the time to explore the sensation I felt while making the reservation. So, I cannot explain the reasons why I made this choice. I do not understand them fully. However, I cannot write this experience off as pure coincidence either. This is the second time I have shared a ride with a stranger in a foreign country, and we have much in common with them. When I think of all the possibilities and types of people I could have shared a ride with, I am amazed by how improbable it is to experience this outcome. I've had several of my friends tell me it is me. I am the reason why these experiences happen to me. As these types of experiences are not common to others. For example, I shared a ride with Linda last August and had a similar experience with Solenn. 

There have been many things that I have experienced in my travels that are beyond explanation. It feels wonderful to have these experiences. I am also aware that they are happening because I have opened myself up to these possibilities. I've learned to enjoy these gifts when they present themselves. I love how they return periodically while interacting with strangers or when I am in new places. I feel blessed.

In Langon city center, there is a small fountain. Since it is Labor Day, the town feels like a deserted version of itself. It is as I imagine Covid must have been here in 2020.

After walking by a few barbershops, all closed, I decided to try to find something to eat. Though I have yet to see an open restaurant or grocery store.

I notice a restaurant that appears to be open today. A areA few folks are sitting on the patio, but I cannot tell if they are actually eating. I wander in and ask the server if I can sit at a table and if they are serving food. "Since it is Labor Day, the kitchen is closed, but we have things to snack on," she says. I have only half a dozen things to choose from. Most involve bread. I ask for the Rillettes de Canard (Ree yet), not knowing exactly what I ordered. She returns quickly with a small pot of meat, bread, and a small bottle of lemonade. 

Rillettes de Canard roughly translates to "Potted Duck." Rillettes, often made with pork, chicken, goose, rabbit, etc., are traditional ways of preserving food. It reminds me of Creton (Kreh ton), a dish from Québéc my mom prepares, which is also eaten with bread. As I enjoy my Potted Duck, I think that would be a great thing to do with wild duck and goose. 😋

The Garonne River is pretty in this part of France. The river is less muddy than it is near Bordeaux, France.

I have a few hours before I am supposed to meet up with Céline and decide to walk to a cemetery that I noticed when I first arrived in Langon. I recall that I have not yet visited a cemetery in France. I love discovering how different cultures remember and celebrate the dead. There are so many other traditions and customs.

This cemetery consists of above-ground stone and concrete crypts. The patina and the lack of polished headstones caught my attention. I love how the plants (i.e., weeds) grow on and through the crypts.

On many of the crypts, beautiful ceramic decorations are left behind by those who still visit their loved ones. I love this book of Souvenir (remember).

And this rose-covered wooden cross appears to be embedded into the surrounding moss and rock.

As I wander through the cemetery I remember how long it has been since I last visited a cemetery. The last time I was with Jerome was in Theth, Albania. The site pictured below is one of my favorite sites here today. 😄 I love how the crypt is tilted to the right and appears to slowly be melting into the ground. A reminder for me that all things are ephemeral, including monuments we built to remind us of the past.

I finally met up with Céline late in the afternoon in Langon. "Do you know the small village of Saint-Macaire? It is on the north side of the Garonne River. It is a beautiful little medieval village of about 2,000 people," she asks. No. I have never been and am not familiar with it but would love to see it, I reply. "Now that you are here, you can discover the REAL France," she says, laughing. The picture below is taken below the tiny village near the Garonne River.

It feels great to see Céline again. After catching up, she asks, "What would you like to do while you are here in France? Do you have anything that is calling to you?" I don't have much I desire to do apart from the retreat at Plum Village. However, while I was in Italy, I found that I really wanted to walk again, like on the Camino. But I want to do a shorter trip. I reply that it would be a great way to explore more of rural France or Germany, but I am not familiar with these areas. "Ok. We have time to figure something out," she says.