(En Français plus bas)
When we were young, my parents would take my cousin Bruno and I skiing in the Alps every year in February. One year, as we were on our way to the mountains, I fainted outside a hotel we were staying at. The doctor came and said that my blood sugar was too low. His prescription? Lots of candy! To this day, Bruno and I remember Doctor Candy :0)
I am older now and have become very much aware of what my body and soul need to function well. I am even able to anticipate my cravings or my mood swings and I know how to feed my soul accordingly. I find that, for me, the best medecine is often a dose of light and beauty…
Last wednesday, I started my self ordained therapy by a photo-shoot in the vineyard and then moved on to visiting my favorite brocante in Casteljaloux. On my way there, I spotted a lovely (and very rare) Citroen 2cv on the side of the road and couldn’t resist taking a few picture of it. This car represents so well what France used to be; our “douce France”…
The day ended at home by the fire with a nice cup of tea and a book by Alain-Fournier called “Le Grand Meaulnes”. Like Bagdad Café is my favorite movie of all time (don’t ask me why), Le Grand Meaulnes is my favorite book. I have read it dozens of times…
So give yourself a daily dose of light and beauty! It is one of the best things you can do to counteract the effects of all the negativity and violence that are omnipresent in this world… Doctor’s orders!
Enfants, mes parents nous amenaient à la neige dans les Alpes tous les hivers. Une année, en route vers Albiez le Vieux, je me suis évanoui devant l’hôtel où nous avions fait escale. Le médecin est venu et a informé mes parents que mon taux de sucre était trop bas. Il a donc prescrit beaucoup de bonbons. Mon cousin Bruno et moi nous souvenons bien du Docteur Bonbons. A sept ou huit ans, c’est le genre de médicament qui passe bien!
Je suis maintenant bien plus vieux et suis devenu très conscient de ce dont mon corps et mon esprit ont besoin pour fonctionner correctement. Je suis même capable d’anticiper mes envies ou mes sautes d’humeur et de nourrir mon âme en conséquence. J’ai trouvé, avec l’expérience, que la meilleure médecine (après la bouffe) était une dose quotidienne de lumière et de beauté. La lumière dorée du soleil levant ou couchant étant la version la plus puissante du médicament en question :0)
Mercredi dernier, j’ai commencé ma thérapie quotidienne (auto ordonnée) par une session photo dans le vignoble entre brouillard et soleil. Je suis ensuite allé visiter ma brocante préférée à Casteljaloux dans le Lot et Garonne. Sur le chemin, je suis tombé nez à nez avec une magnifique 2cv de 57 et n’ai pas résisté à prendre quelques photos de la belle. Cette voiture représente si bien la France que nous avons perdue depuis si longtemps, notre ” douce France “…
La journée s’est terminée à la maison prés du feu avec une bonne tasse de thé et mon cher Grand Meaulnes entre les mains. Je l’ai lu des dizaines de fois, mais il me replonge à chaque fois dans le même état d’esprit. Avec lui je suis bien… je suis calme… je suis en paix…
Offrez-vous donc une dose quotidienne de lumière et de beauté! C’est la meilleure chose que vous puissiez faire pour contrer les effets des agressions du monde et de ceux qui l’habitent…
MY FRENCH HEAVEN 
I see the prescription was filled. 🙂
Great doctor you had, I also think light and beauty – and delicious food – are great! Merci pour les photos!
You are most welcome Sofia! Thanks for dropping by again 😉
You’re kidding me! Bagdad Café is one of my all-time favourites. I used to have a video tape of it – showing my age there! And have viewed it so many times. Cabaret and Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf are two others. Haven’t seen any of them for ages.
Such wondrous lighting in several of your photos 🙂
Cabaret is one of those movies that makes me feel uncomfortable. I don’t know why… But Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf is definitely in my top 10! When you come visit one day, we’ll cook and watch movies all night 😉
One I cannot wait to see is August Osage County with Julia and Meryl…
I had a 2CV when I was in my very early 20s (I am significantly older than that now) and I absolutely loved it, slap up windows and all. It was cream and I drove it the length and breadth of England until finally the floor fell out and you could see the road underneath……not ideal!
Yes, those windows were quite something… especially when the top part would fall on your elbow 😉 🙂 Fantastic little car though…
In this case I would definitely listen to my doc…
😉
The wondrous beauty of nature and fine, old wares – candy for the eyes and soul…
😉 🙂
Nice photos and wise words — for me cooking or singing while accompanying myself on the piano are therapeutic 🙂
Wow! You can sing too?!
Light and beauty. Really wonderful post. I love those gorgeous pictures
Why thanks Julianna! It means a lot 🙂
Lovely photos.
I have to agree – Light & Beauty keep me sane. I couldn’t do without my nature walks and get really depressed when I’m stuck at home (my flat is dark for most of the day being overshadowed by the tall Victorian house next door).
I do walk every day myself and I must say it has often made the difference between just crazy and full on insanity 😉
The perfect prescription! That makes my post of today a perfect pill to take on a chilly fall day. 🙂 Lovely post.
janet
Thanks Janet! It must be getting really cold indeed in your beautiful part of the world…
Mostly cold but a teasing bit of warmth thrown in periodically. 🙂 I don’t mine the cold most of the time, but I miss the farmers markets.
Beautiful! The choices we make for ourselves in our daily life impact enormously, and no outsider is able to take care of our inner peace! I can see you have found the perfect way to nurture the inner Stephane! Sumptuous photos, but I have grown to expect little else. 😄
Thank you so much for the kind words Sandra! You know I am a fan of yours, so it means a lot! 😉
And it doesn’t cost $150/hr on the “couch”!
Weel, if you consider the cost of gas in this country, the shrink might have been a cheaper option 🙂
Beautiful, as usual! Wise advice indeed.
I meant to tell you how much I love that picture of you and the bull. Wild wild West of my dreams…
Thanks! That’s Mikey. He is a nice kid. He lives on a ranch that we vacation at.
Taking photographs is very therapeutic, as is a lovely piece of cheese, some salad and homemade bread. But the photographs remain to give pleasure time and again, whereas only the memory of the food remains…until the next time.
Ahhhh food… I feel like Homer Simpson sometimes 😉
My kind of doctor, ordering candy! What a neat car. 🙂
🙂 🙂
I like your doctor!
😉