The French Connection

I'm finding I have a deeper tie to the South of France than just a love for lavender and chocolate croissants.

A Wheatfield with Cypresses by Vincent Van Goh. A depiction of his time in Provence.

Aix has blown me away. I mean truly Le Mistral, the wind that blows off the alps, is in town.

This relentless wind gives Aix it’s brilliant blue skies, as the clouds stand no chance. The people here treat Le Mistral as if it were a living breathing beast that comes to Aix uninvited and on its own accord.

If you’ve seen the film Chocolat with Johnny Depp, set in the South of France, then you know in the movie the wind, Le Mistral, signifies change and acts as an impetus for the main character to move to another town. If you haven’t, it’s definitely worth the watch to fill all your South of France (and chocolate) fantasies. A cup of chocolat chaud while you watch is highly recommended.

After learning about Le Mistral and its connection to Chocolat, It sparked a series of thoughts.

As I walked to class, blown side to side by this wind, it hit me- no not a bag flying in the breeze- but the realization that so many moments in my life have led me to this Provencal town. Upon first watching Chocolat, which was loosely based here, I felt so deeply moved that I decided to work in a local Chocolate shop (Loveland Sweets) for the summer. Store clerk was the closest I could come to my French chocolatier dream.

The other night I had another realization of destiny, lol, over a glass of wine on the square. When I was born my dad bought a bottle of French wine to be held until my 21st birthday, which we drank this year. While making plans to go on a vineyard tour someone suggested we try the revered Chateauneuf-du-Papes, the exact place where my ‘birth wine’ was from. Who would have that 21 years later I would be an hour from the vineyard it was created.

Finally, my true connection to this town lies in the memory of someone I haven’t seen in quite some time. The person that influenced me intellectually and creatively the most in my life was my Grandad, or D-dad as we lovingly called him. He had a passion for art history and would steal me away to galleries and teach me art terms every chance he got. I knew what ‘sfumato’ and ‘chiaroscuro’ were before I could ride a bike. We bonded over an adoration of Monet, Van Goh, and Cezanne. He instilled in me a true appreciation for the arts. His final trip was to the South of France the summer that he passed away. When I sit in class hearing these art terms, knowing the last time I discussed them was with D-dad, I am overcome with a closeness to him that I haven’t felt since I was a little girl sitting on his lap while he read books on art history to me.

It feels as though each step I take here is in his footsteps. On his shoulders I’m able to be here, following our passion and living my dream.

Here I sit, in a library filled with books on French philosophers, artists, and poets, 4,000 miles from home- and yet for the first time I feel like I’m exactly where I belong.

So though Le Mistral may bring its swift winds today, I most definitely will be staying here…and now I’m craving hot chocolate.

Me and my D-dad.