Seeking Provence Old Myths, New Paths by Nicholas Woodsworth

  Seeking Provence

Old Myths, New Paths by Nicholas Woodsworth is a book that will let you see in perspective a place, Provence, that the past decades has idealized by many writers and in particular by Peter Mayle, in his books A Year in Provence and Tojours Provence

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That Provence is one of the corners of the world where everyone would want to  spend some time during their existence is more than true: beautiful and sunny place, Woodsworth, a reporter of the Financial Times, married with a woman from Provence, will discover, once he will start to live there, that life is not so ideal as the one described in so many books. People live a strong existence, plenty of sacrifices; as it happens, let me add, in every countrysides of every corners of the world. Let's speak some bit of Gerard.

Gerard is a relative of his wife and withg enthusiasm and joy owns a big farm with many, many diversified animals; a great love for hunting and outdoor life, Gerard to me is the most beautiful, genuine, powerful symbol of Provence: an example of quality, hard work, an existence that it is pretty hard in the countryside but that done with love is wonderful!

Gerard has many pigs and kill him during the winter-time. A long process; but he is a man in love for good meant and good food; he doesn't add any sophisticated food to the diet of his animals thinking that quality must prevail. Eating well is a mantra to him. Of course that farm includes coats, and lambs and and sheep, and every animals you can think at.

Gerard has a philosophy that I agree with: "You live with animals. You feed them, then they feed you." Sociologists writes that animals take the taste of the people who have grown them.

Gerard is a wonderful person, and reflects the great hospitality of the Southerners French people.

The famous siesta, completely unknown to Nicholas, because born in a country where it is cold in every season of the year, becomes for french people a moment of relaxation. High temperatures can't let people work, and so why not sleeping for a bit? An habit, this one that Woodsworth admits, didn't understand.

Provence is a complete discovery; also when you try to go to a beach and it is all complete at 10 o'clock in the morning. Immigrants of every sorts, Provence is a miscellaneous of populations afforded here during the centuries.

You can just walk along the homes of the citizens of Marseille for discovering rich and warm food. An example? Sardines with a squeeze of lemon.

"I watched old men...drinking pre-lunch aperitifs looking out to sea. You can tell they wouldn't change their lives with anyone" writes Nicholas.

Forget Paris, with his chic existence. No one in Marseille will describe you the city as a sophisticated one. The ladies of Marseille selling fish are seeing by Nicholas as:"...small, tought,wind-chapped and shapeless; only their voices command attention."

Colette in La Treille de Muscat, but also Gerald Durrell, beloved writer of masterpieces about nature and animals were attracted by Provence. "But which Provence? Because there are several ones" writes Colette.

Paul Cezanne is not so remarkable as he wished he had to be, because the museum he visited was disappointing, like also the house where her mother lived and the cafès visited by the beloved painter. The school were Cezanne studied was closed because summer-time.

But...Fall is back and brings with it black olives, white wine, bread, tomato's goat's cheese! for a perfect picnic.

This one is not a travel guide. You musn't consider this one a travel guide, but an analysis, that wants to scrutinize everyone and everything. 

Under many ways it is not the book that you were expecting if you were searching an immersion in Provence.

There is, there is, this immersion: but...It remains cold; the reader because of the personal and detached vision of the writer, never integrated or genuinely enthusiastic of what he sees will live the book distantly. 

The contest where Nicholas lived in, was seen, maybe also because he had to write this book and wanted to give his best, always with a critical eye, looking at people and places constantly critically.

Recommended.

I thank Haus Publishing for the copy of this book.

Anna Maria Polidori