Category Archives: travel

En Famille

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In 2008, my husband and I visited Paris for one sunny week in April. One of the highlights of our trip was spending an afternoon in Luxembourg Garden where we saw children sailing toy boats on the man-made pond and Ed sat down to play chess with an accommodating French gentleman. These memories have inspired the following photo essay.

“How is our friend Maude?” Edmund asked, stretching out his denim-clad legs and crossing them at the ankle. “Still driving Duncan crazy?”

Elizabeth Ann looked at her twin brother with a bemused smile. They sat together on a bench in the Jardin du Luxembourg. The clouds drifted across a watercolor blue sky, but the warm sun shone down dappling the pool of shallow water in front of them with spangles of light.

Edmund’s wife, Joy, stood at the edge of the expansive granite basin with their daughters, Angela and Victoria. At the far end of the man-made pond, the Palais du Luxembourg rose like a fairy tale vision.

“Maude is great and so are Duncan and the twins,” Elizabeth Ann replied, as she watched her nieces.

The girls each clutched a wooden pole. They leaned carefully over the rippling water, using the poles to steer two toy sailboats.

“Marjorie and Dylan are four now,” Elizabeth Ann went on. “They are so curious and observant about everything. Maude says they come up with some pretty hilarious questions sometimes.”

Edmund chuckled. “Too bad they all couldn’t make the trip with you.” He had met Maude and Duncan on several occasions over the years. All three worked as academic historians and Edmund often joked that he had more in common with his sister’s best friend than she did.

Early that morning, Elizabeth Ann had flown to Paris from Edinburgh, where she had been visiting her old school friend. She had met Maude while studying abroad in London.

“I know,” Elizabeth Ann agreed. “But they had scheduled a trip to visit Duncan’s parents this weekend.”

As he nodded in understanding, Edmund lifted a hand in greeting to a stocky, dark-haired man who returned the wave with a grin as he strode past.

“Who was that?” Elizabeth Ann wondered.

“Before you got here, I challenged him to a game of chess,” Edmund said. He gestured with his chin at a gathering of tables shaded by a grove of lime trees. At each game table, competitors stared intently at the black and white pieces arranged around the tabletop.

“You did?” Elizabeth Ann raised her eyebrows. “Does that guy speak English?”

“Nope.”

Elizabeth Ann laughed. Only her brother would have the confidence to challenge a stranger in a foreign country to a chess match.

“Who won?”

“Oh, he did. But I gave him a run for his money.”

“Très bien,” Elizabeth Ann praised and then stood up to welcome Angela and Victoria as they made their way back to join their dad at the park bench. Joy followed, smiling fondly at Elizabeth Ann.

“Auntie!” the little girls cried, laughing and skipping in their rush to give Elizabeth Ann exuberant hugs.

“Did you watch us sailing the boats?” six-year-old Victoria asked.

“Sure did,” Elizabeth Ann said.

“It was so fun!” Victoria slipped her hand into her aunt’s.

Elizabeth Ann squeezed her niece’s small, warm hand and bent down to kiss the top of her head.

“Hey, Dad,” Angela said. “You promised us ice cream. Can we get some now? I’m starving.”

“I did, didn’t I?” said Edmund. “Let’s see . . .” His voice trailed off as he pulled a guidebook from his back pocket. “I think there is an ice cream shop not too far from here.”

“Do you want ice cream?” Angela asked Elizabeth Ann.

“Always. I hope they have cinnamon ice cream,” she said.

“I never heard of cinnamon ice cream.” Victoria wrinkled her nose.

“It’s really good,” Elizabeth Ann insisted.

“My favorite is peanut butter cup. I hope they have that,” Victoria informed everyone at the same time that Edmund said, “Here we go. There’s a café on Rue Soufflot where we can have some Berthillon ice cream.”

He turned to Joy. “That’s the brand the travel agent recommended, right?”

“Definitely. He said it’s out of this world.”

“Sailboats, chess, and ice cream . . . could this day get any better?” Edmund joked. “Life is good.”

As the family set off, Victoria walked between her parents. But Angela followed behind with Elizabeth Ann. “I think I’ll get cinnamon ice cream like you,” she confided.

Elizabeth Ann put her arm around her older niece’s shoulder, her heart warmed by Angela’s earnest tone.

Edmund and Joy were so fortunate to have two sweet little daughters. Maude and Duncan were blessed with their children too. Walking along the leafy Parisian street with Edmund, Joy and the girls, Elizabeth Ann considered her brother’s words with bittersweet emotion.

Life was good, but she wondered when she would have a family of her own and hoped she would not have to wait too long.

Holiday Friendships

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In December 2019, I sailed away on a Star Clipper cruise with my extended family. We spent a glorious week beach hopping on a number of idyllic Caribbean islands. Early in our voyage, we visited Jost van Dyke, the smallest of the British Virgin Islands. Nicknamed “the barefoot island,” Jost van Dyke is renowned for its casual beach bars including the legendary home of the original Painkiller rum drink, the Soggy Dollar Bar on White Bay.

The photo essay below captures a typical moment at this and other tropical shoreline destinations.

Star Clipper vacation photos, 2019

Clio glanced up from her paperback copy of Jamaica Inn. Her mind swirled with images of a rocky coastline, crashing waves and lonely moorlands. She blinked and Daphne du Maurier’s Gothic setting melted away.

“Clio Penrose, is that you?”

Closing her book, Clio straightened in her cushioned rattan chair and looked around the sun-drenched beach bar. A tall, dark-haired woman wearing an aquamarine sarong and jeweled flip-flops edged by a group of tanned girls who were draped languidly in a semi-circle of pastel-colored beach chairs watching the world go by from behind their oversized designer sunglasses.

“Clio Penrose,” the approaching woman repeated with a familiar smile. “It’s Lila Bellamy from Connecticut.”

“Oh my gosh, Lila! I can’t believe it.” Clio gestured toward the seat across from her. “Sit down . . . join me.”

Lila set the brimming plastic cup she had carried from the bar on the table beside Clio’s paperback and settled into her seat. “Wow! It’s so good to see you. Sophie will never believe I ran into you.”

Once upon a time, Clio and Lila’s younger sister, Sophie, had been inseparable holiday friends. From age seven to fourteen, Clio had spent her summer on the Connecticut shoreline. Each year, her parents rented the same seasonal cottage right next door to the Bellamy family.

“How is Sophie?” Clio asked. “Is she here with you?”

Lila shook her head. “I’m here with my husband and our son, Kyle. They’re out kayaking,” she explained, waving a hand toward the turquoise water where children splashed in the gentle waves and farther out sailboats dotted the horizon. “What about you? You’re not here by yourself, are you?”

“I’m staying at the Sand Castle Hotel with two college friends. They took the ferry over to Anegada this morning.”

The two women shared a companionable smile and after a moment, Lila said, “Do you remember Jack Bishop, who lived at the end of our street in the house with the apple orchard?”

“Sure. Sophie and I loved buying those apple pies for one from his family’s farm stand.” Memories of riding bikes down a sun-dappled country road with her long ago friend filled Clio’s heart with nostalgia.

“He’s my husband,” Lila said with a grin. “I bake those pies now. I’ve become the keeper of the secret family recipe.”

“Awesome. How cool is that?” Pushing her chair back, Clio looked over at the bar. “Remembering those pies makes me hungry. I’m going to order some conch fritters. Can I get you anything?”

“That’s so sweet, but I’m good,” Lila said. “Jack, Kyle and I are going to have lunch back at our hotel.”

“I’ll be right back.” Clio crossed the soft, white sand and caught the bartender’s attention. While he put in her order for the fritters and then made her a rum drink called the Painkiller, she watched a couple of sun-burned tourists trying to master the ring game.

She held her breath as the metal ring tossed by the guy clinked against the hook he was aiming for but then fell away, swinging back on its dangling cord.

“So close!” his blonde partner squealed. “This game is impossible!”

Clio tended to agree with her. “Does anyone ever win the ring game?” she asked the bartender.

He shrugged his shoulders and grinned at Clio as he grated fresh nutmeg over her drink. “If they do, they receive a free drink.”

“Ah,” she said and added, “Thanks,” as he handed her the white plastic cup imprinted with the bar’s logo.

When Clio returned to the table, she found Lila flipping through her book. “I’m a huge Daphne du Maurier fan,” she explained.

“Did you know this is my sister’s favorite book? She’d be impressed that you’re reading it.” Lila put down the book and took a sip of her drink.

“Actually, I think I did know that.” Clio recalled a letter teenage Sophie had written detailing the travails of the heroine, Mary Yellan, and complaining that Hitchcock’s film adaptation didn’t do the novel justice.

“Sophie’s a high school librarian now. She works at an all girls private school outside DC.”

“I’m not surprised. I don’t think I ever met anyone who loves books and reading more than Sophie. What a perfect career for her.”

Lila’s phone pinged and she looked briefly at the display. “Jack and Kyle are back, I’ve got to run.” She held up her phone, “Before I go, will you pose for a quick selfie? I’ll send it to Sophie. She’ll really get a kick out of it.”

“Of course.” Clio scooted her chair closer to Lila’s. She held up the paperback displaying the melodramatic cover and smiled for the camera.

Lila snapped the photo and then handed her phone to Clio. “Type in your cell number so I can send you the pic too.”

One of my favorite shots from the cruise.

A moment after the women bid each other goodbye with a warm hug, a waiter arrived with Clio’s conch fritters. She drew the plate toward her, ready to enjoy her snack, and opened the text message from Lila. She downloaded the selfie, adding it to her camera roll and then scrolled through the vacation pictures she had taken during the past week, but remembering another beach on Long Island Sound and the friend who had meant so much to her.

Connecticut shoreline, 1984

Her phone chirped and she saw that she had received another text. Thinking Lila had followed up on her first message, Clio clicked the link and to her delight, she read:

Clio! It’s me, Sophie. You’re reading Jamaica Inn? What do you think? Isn’t it just so deliciously dark and romantic?

And just as if no time at all had passed, Clio picked up the threads of their friendship and began to type.

Lily-of-the-Valley: a token of happiness and good luck

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Wherever I travel, my itinerary includes a visit to the local botanical gardens whenever possible.  Through the years, I have wandered down so many garden paths, snapping photos of eye-catching blooms and breathing in the heavenly perfume of the flowers.  Some lovely gardens that are well-worth a visit include Monet’s water garden in Giverny, France, the Huntington Botanical Gardens in San Marino, CA, and the Halifax Public Gardens in Nova Scotia.

 In June 2019, my family and I spent a sunny afternoon roaming a botanical garden that is a bit closer to home: the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens.  At the time, a fragrant patch of lily-of-the-valley was in bloom.  The delicate scent of these tiny bell-shaped flowers, calls to mind memories of my mother getting ready for an evening out with my father.  Beautifully dressed and made-up, she always completed her ensemble with a spritz of Muguet perfume from the elegant glass bottle on her dresser.

My childhood memories and the pictures I took in Maine have inspired the following photo essay.

lily of the valley

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens (photo by L. Walkins 2018)

Anneliese Twigg sits at her French grandmother’s round kitchen table swinging her legs and tapping her heels against the wooden chair as she finishes her lunch.  Across from her, Mémé is knitting. She knows how to make hats and mittens and even stuffed animals with her needles and colorful yarn.  Anneliese hopes her grandmother will teach her how to knit someday.

In the center of the table, an old jelly jar filled with water holds a bouquet of lily-of-the-valley.  Anneliese reaches out a pudgy hand to pull the sparkling glass closer.  She studies the quilted pattern adorning the sides of the vase, and traces her finger over each square.  The tiny white flowers sway like silent bells.

Breathing in the lovely fragrance of the lilies, Anneliese remarks, “They smell like Mama’s perfume.”

Mémé looks up.  “In France they are called muguet.”  She sets down her knitting and catches the ball of yarn in her gnarled hand as it rolls off the edge of the table.  “I am going to tell you a story about why these flowers are so special.”

Sitting a little straighter and flipping her long blonde braid over her shoulder, Anneliese smiles.  “Okay.”

“Hundreds of years ago in France, there was a girl named Elisabeth.  She grew up in a royal chateau outside Paris with her brothers and sisters.”

Anneliese’s grey eyes widen in delight.

“And do you know what else?” Mémé asks.

“What?”

“Elisabeth was your eleventh great grandmother, so this story is part of our family history.”

“Really, truly?”

Mémé nods and gives a little laugh.  “Elisabeth had three brothers.  The oldest boy, Francis, became King of France when their father died.  He and his wife, Mary, who was Queen of Scotland, ruled for just one year, and then Elisabeth’s younger brother, Charles Maximilien became King when he was just ten years old.”

Anneliese, who had turned ten just two weeks ago, gives her grandmother a skeptical look. “How can a little boy be a king?”

“That is how things were done then,” Mémé says with a shrug.

“But what about the flowers?”

“I am coming to that.  Just listen, ma petite.”  She folds her hands on the edge of the table and goes on with the story.  “At a royal May Day celebration, someone gave Charles a sprig of muguet to wish him good luck.  He was so charmed by the kind gesture, he decided to create a new holiday.  He called it the Fête du Muguet and from that day on, he gave bouquets of lily-of-the-valley to his sisters and all of the ladies of the court on May 1.”

“For good luck?” Anneliese guesses.

muguet

Lily-of-the-Valley (photo by L. Walkins 2018)

“But of course,” Mémé says gently.  “This tradition has lived on even until today.  When I was a girl in France, my sisters and I would go into the little forest behind our farm to gather the muguet that grew wild underneath the trees every year on May 1, which also happened to be my birthday.”

Leaning forward to once again smell the flowers in the pretty little jar, Anneliese says, “I wish I was born on May Day like you, Mémé.”

 

 

 

Friendship: a lifelong gift

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Ten years ago, my husband and I traveled to San Diego for a family wedding.  We also spent a few days sightseeing.  One afternoon, we rented a tandem bicycle to ride along the waterfront.  Our memorable experience has inspired the photo essay below, which features characters from my novel Sandra Cahill’s Best Friend.

Tandem Bike

 

“Come on, Emma!  It will be a blast,” Sam insisted.

Emma looked at the silver blue bicycle and then at her three friends.  Rachel and Sarah each gripped the handle bars of a cruiser bicycle.  Sarah’s bike was sea green, while Rachel had opted for flamingo pink.  Both cruisers were equipped with a wicker basket on the front.

Emma tucked her shoulder-length dark hair behind her ears and glanced again at the bike Sam had chosen, a tandem bike.  Finally, she nodded and said, “Okay.  But I call the front seat.”

“This will be awesome,” Sam said as they wheeled the rented bicycles out to the Mission Bay bike path.

“There’s supposed to be a great seafood place a few miles down the beach,” Rachel said.  “We could ride out there and have a nice lunch.”

“Allegedly, their fish tacos are award-winning,” Sarah added.

“Allegedly?” Sam said, winking at Sarah.  “What evidence do you have to support this claim, counselor?”

Sarah, who had just opened her own law practice in La Jolla, pulled out her iPhone and tapped on the screen.  “Rachel’s cousin gave it five stars on TripAdvisor.”

“My cousin, the personal chef,” Rachel said.

“Sounds good to me,” Emma said, putting on her bicycle helmet.

“Me too,” Sam agreed.  “Lead the way.”

Emma pushed off, steering the tandem bike as Sam pedaled behind her.  The front tire wobbled but a moment later, the friends fell in sync and they coasted smoothly along the path, following Rachel and Sarah on their brightly colored bikes.

san diego1Feeling like a kid again, Emma grinned as she breathed in the salt-scented air.  She pedaled harder, enjoying the stretch of her muscles and the afternoon sun on her shoulders.  She and her friends had spent many childhood summers riding bikes together along the Connecticut shoreline.

“Hey, Sam.  I can’t believe these views,” she called.  To the left of the palm-lined roadway, the tranquil bay sparkled.  The white sails of a trio of catamarans stood out against the bright blue horizon.

“I know.  I love it here,” Sam agreed.  “I miss California.”  After college, Sam had lived in Los Angeles but then moved to Boston.

They rode happily around the scenic bay until at last they reached the small fish restaurant.  On the covered deck overlooking the beach, they settled around an acacia wood table and ordered a pitcher of sangria.

“This place is cute,” Rachel remarked, unfolding her napkin and looking around.

san diego2Hanging baskets overflowing with geraniums and impatiens swayed in the ocean breeze.  A mural depicting Andean musicians surrounded by swirls of musical notes decorated the back wall.

The waitress delivered their drinks.  Sam picked up the pitcher and poured four glasses of the fruity red wine.  Sarah lifted her glass and said, “Thank you so much for coming out to visit me this week.  I’m so happy to have all four of us together!  Just like the good old days.  Here’s to lifelong friends.”

They all clinked glasses and Emma said, “Do you remember that song we used to sing in Girl Scouts?  The round, “Make New Friends?”

Rachel started to sing softly, “Make new friends, but keep the old.  One is silver and the other gold.”

One by one, Sam, Sarah and then Emma joined in the round.  As they sang, Emma looked around the table at her oldest and dearest friends.  The memories they shared and would continue to make in the future were as valuable as gold.

 

 

 

 

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Cruising Along the Seine

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For several years, I have been researching my family history.  My father is of French-Canadian descent.  Our family tree extends all the way back to sixteenth century France.  My tenth great-grandmother was born in Paris some time in the mid-1500s.  Because of my French heritage, it is always a treat to travel there.  I took these photos of the Seine in 2008 and included the setting in one of my Martini Family Chronicles.

notredame

After a quick lunch of crêpes bought from a sidewalk stand, we stood in line waiting to board the tourist boat on the Seine.  All around us, guys and girls held hands or had their arms wrapped around each other. One couple leaned against a lamp post totally making out.  I felt like we were about to climb aboard the Love Boat. Where were Julie McCoy and Captain Stubing?

I met Maude’s eyes, wondering if she felt like a third wheel.  She shrugged and then pushed up her sleeve to consult her watch.  “Hey, guys. You know what?

I looked at her expectantly.  “What?

“I want to do some shopping before dinner.  My sister gave me some money for perfume and I wanted to find a scarf.

“We can go to Les Halles after this, can’t we?”

​“I don’t want to drag you guys around while I do my errands.”​

“We don’t mind, do we Sebastian?”  I pulled at his sleeve and he glanced up from the map in our guide book.

“If Maude wants to go shopping, she should go,” he said.  “We can meet up again later.”

The line moved forward, but Maude stepped to the side, saying, “Fab!     I’ll meet you both back at the hotel and we can have dinner. Around eight?

“Are you sure?” I asked, poking Sebastian in the ribs, hoping he would convince her to stay.

He just said, “You know our Maude.  Once she makes a decision, there’s no moving her.  She’s like a rock.”

“It’s settled then.”  Maude gave a cheery wave and took off.

Watching her disappear into the crowd, I said, “Do you think Maude minds being on her own?”

“To be honest, I think she planned to leave us some time to ourselves.”

“Really?”

“Certainly, and I’m rather grateful.” He kissed me lightly on the lips and then grinned.  “Alone at last!”

All the while, we had been inching up to the head of the line and now boarded the bâteaux-mouche.  We found seats on the starboard side.  Across the aisle, two French girls whispered and pointed at Sebastian, throwing openly admiring glances at him.  

I shifted closer to my boyfriend, so my thigh pressed against his. I swallowed as a wave of insecurity engulfed me.  Sebastian was cute and so charming. He would probably have girls throwing themselves at him the moment I stepped onto the plane for California.

As if sensing my mood, Sebastian draped his arm across my shoulders.  “Look, there’s Notre Dame” He pointed to the Ile de la Cité as the boat glided past the looming cathedral.  The gargoyles peered down at us from above.

The whispering girls turned away and I tried to relax.  A soft breeze ruffled my hair and cooled my cheeks as the boat glided smoothly downriver.  On the shore, a man in a beret played “La Vie en Rose” on his accordion. Here we were caught in a perfectly romantic Parisian moment.  I shouldn’t ruin it by worrying.

​Sebastian softly sang along to the accordion, exaggerating his French accent.  I had to laugh. He was crazy. I beamed at him and snuggled closer. Judging from the gleam in his eyes and his infatuated grin, he was crazy about me too.

Home again, home again . . .

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Reading is one of the great joys in life.  Visiting new and intriguing literary destinations in the pages of a novel has always been a favorite pastime for me.  Even as a young girl  I would never go anywhere without taking along a book.  I gloried in getting to know some of the world’s best-loved literary heroines from Jo March and Laura Ingalls to Mary Lennox and Elizabeth Bennett.  I was particularly drawn to the talkative orphan with long red braids, Anne Shirley, reading and re-reading L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables series many times.  Although I admired Anne and was entertained by her mishaps and antics, I was equally enchanted by the village of Avonlea on the north shore of Prince Edward Island. 

 In June, I finally visited Anne’s beloved home.  My husband and I set off on a Canadian road trip as soon as the school year ended.  We visited St. Andrews-by-the-Sea, NB, Cavendish (Avonlea), PEI and Halifax, NS.  All three destinations were delightful, but Prince Edward Island was by far my favorite.  As we settled into our rustic motel in Cavendish, I felt immediately at home.  That sense of welcome along with the photos I took during our visit inspired me to write the following photo essay.

lupines

The lupines were in bloom, lining the roadsides all across PEI. (photo by L. Walkins, 2018)

From the top deck of the ferry, Luna spotted her sister on the shore.  Stella’s bright blonde hair stood out like a beacon against the deep blue sky.  Slowly, as the ferry chugged across the Wood Islands harbor, the features of Stella’s smiling heart-shaped face came into focus.  Luna took off her straw sun hat and waved it over her head in greeting.

Picking up her overstuffed backpack and hooking it over her slim left shoulder, Luna hurried down to the main deck and joined the line of passengers waiting to disembark.

When the crew had the boat safely tied up in port, Luna followed the crowd out into the June sunshine.  As she stepped off the metal gangway onto her island at long last, a sense of peace flooded through her.

“Luna, over here,” Stella called.  She stood beside two bicycles leaning against the weathered wall of the marina office.

Luna joined her sister, dropped her backpack at her feet and the two girls shared a warm hug. Barely a year apart, they were often mistaken as twins.

“I can’t believe I’m back on PEI,” Luna said as Stella simultaneously cried, “Welcome home!”

They laughed and Stella continued, “I’m so glad you’re here.  How was Halifax?  What about art school?  It must have been so awesome.  You haven’t turned into a city girl, have you?”

Luna held up her hands to ward off her sister’s torrent of questions.  “Whoa,” she said. “I’ll tell you everything when we get home, and of course I haven’t turned into a city girl.  No way.”

Nodding at the bikes, she went on, “Is this how we’re getting to White Sands?”

Stella shook her head as Luna grinned at her.  “Don’t be ridiculous.  The car’s over there.”  She waved vaguely toward the parking lot.  “We definitely should go for a bike ride later though.”

“Sounds good,” Luna agreed.

Stella grabbed the backpack and led the way to the yellow VW bug the sisters shared.  A few minutes later they were cruising down Shore Road.

Luna rolled down her window and drank in the view of the countryside rolling by.  Blossoming lupines lined both sides of the road, creating a pink and purple picket fence in front of the white clapboard houses and farm yards they drove past.

“Do you remember that old picture book, Miss Rumphius?” Luna asked her sister.

“Is that the one about the librarian who went around the country scattering lupine seeds?  I love that story.”

“Exactly,” Luna said.  “The illustrations are really amazing.  I can still picture some of them so vividly even though I haven’t looked at the book since we were little.”

IMG_1791

Prince Edward Island 2018  (photo by L. Walkins)

“Your paintings are just as good,” Stella said loyally.  “And maybe some day, you’ll publish a picture book that everyone will remember.”

“I hope so.”

The sisters fell silent and Luna continued to gaze out the window.  When they slowed down at the traffic light by the red and white lighthouse, she sighed in contentment.  In a few minutes, she would walk into her mother’s cozy kitchen where Mom would have tea and her favorite scones waiting, and later she would take a long bike ride with Stella.  It was good to be home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you remember?

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My lifelong friend, Avery, lives in Malibu, an ideal vacation destination.  I have been out to visit her several times over the years.  We always have a grand time together.  In April, I flew out to LA once again, looking forward to the different excursions we had planned.  One afternoon, she took me to Point Dume, where we walked along the cliffs overlooking the sparkling Pacific Ocean.  While we were admiring the ocean panorama, we spotted a playful whale in the water below.  We watched with delight as it cavorted in the surf.  In the piece below, my character, Grace Martini and her sister, Charlotte, have a similar experience which brings some nostalgic memories to the surface.

CIG_IMG112

 

Grace followed her sister up the steep path.  Both sides of the track were lined with yellow coreopsis.  The rampant wildflowers danced in the ocean breeze beneath a bright blue sky.

Some lines from Grace’s favorite poem popped into her mind.

… all at once I saw a crowd, / A host, of golden daffodils; / Beside the lake, beneath the trees, /  Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

William Wordsworth would certainly appreciate this view at the top of Point Dume.

Charlotte paused a few steps in front of Grace.  She shaded her eyes with one hand and gestured at the panoramic scene with the other.  “There’s Zuma Beach,” she said, taking a swig from her stainless steel water bottle.

“It looks the same.  Just as stunning as ever,” Grace observed.  She pulled her camera from the pocket of her linen capris to take a picture.  “I wish Elizabeth Ann were here.  She always loved this hike when she and Edmund were little.”

“Remember how they used to race each other up the path from the boardwalk?” Charlotte said, setting her bottle on the sand beside her.

“With Harold right behind.”  Grace smiled at the memory of her dignified husband galloping up the bluff like a kid.  Harold was spending this morning on the golf course with Charlotte’s husband, George.

Charlotte stretched her arms up in front of her.  Reaching for the sky, she pressed her palms together in a graceful mountain pose.  “This would be a perfect spot for a yoga class.”

“Why don’t you take some of your students on a field trip?” Grace joked as her sister lowered her arms and grinned.

“Maybe I will.  Let’s keep going to the overlook platform,” Charlotte said, picking up her bottle and leading the way along the edge of the cliff.

Grace snapped one more picture for her daughter and hurried to catch up with Charlotte.  When she joined her on the overlook platform, Charlotte beckoned eagerly.  “There are dolphins playing in the water.”

Scanning the deep blue expanse of ocean, Grace clapped her hands when she spotted three dolphins diving in and out of the surf a few hundred yards off shore.  One suddenly leapt into the crystal clear air,  momentarily silhouetted against the horizon before slipping neatly underwater again.  “Did you see that?”  Grace turned to Charlotte, who’s eyes were gleaming with pleasure.

“Amazing,” Charlotte murmured.

The sisters watched the frolicking dolphins for several more minutes.  They laughed and exclaimed over their antics and Grace managed to take a couple of photos.  As the dolphins moved further out to sea, she sighed.

“When the twins were about eight years old, Edmund was obsessed with dolphins and whales,” Grace reminisced.  “He convinced Elizabeth Anne that they should both become marine biologists.”

“And today, Edmund is a history professor and Elizabeth Ann is a restaurant critic,” Charlotte said.

“I know.  Apparently, childhood dreams don’t always come true.”

“I suppose not.”  Charlotte brushed her wind-blown hair back and once again led the way along the coastal hiking trail. “But I believe life usually turns out the way it is meant to.”

As they carefully descended the bluff taking the path that would bring them down to the beach, Grace decided her sister was right.  She wouldn’t trade  her own life with Harold and their two children for anything.

 

Wishes and Waterlilies

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While traveling in the U.K. several years ago, my husband and I, along with my cousin, took a lovely day trip from London to Paris.  Looking forward to exploring the French capital, we boarded an early morning Eurostar train at St. Pancras station.  As the train sped through the tunnel beneath the English Channel, we planned what we would see in the City of Lights.  Claude Monet is one of my favorite artists.  Although, I had been to Paris before, I had never seen his famous waterlily murals at the Musée de l’Orangerie.  When we disembarked at the Gare du Nord, we set off to the Jardin des Tuileries where the Impressionist art gallery is located.  Memories of standing in admiration before the enormous panels painted more than 100 years ago, inspired me to include a scene set there in this excerpt from a short story featuring my character Elizabeth Ann Martini.

Les Nymphéas at the Musée de l’Orangerie 2010 (Photos by L. Walkins)

Sebastian kept a firm grip on my hand as we strolled through the Tuileries Gardens. We followed a path past flower beds of tulips and daffodils. I paused for a moment to watch a group of children sailing wooden boats in the basin of a pond-like fountain.

​ “After the museum, what do you say to a cruise down the Seine?” Sebastian said, pulling me along. “We should totally play the part of weekend tourists.” He squeezed my hand and I gently extracted my fingers from his.

​​ “Look,” I said, glancing over my shoulder at Maude, who trailed behind us. “The Eiffel Tower.” The shadowy silhouette of the iconic landmark shimmered in the distance like a dream. “I can’t believe I’m actually here in Paris.”

​​ Maude caught up. “Just wait until you see the waterlilies at the Orangerie. Les nymphéas sont très . . . magnifiques.”

​I had to suppress a grin. Her labored attempt to speak French was admirable but slightly comical. Maude herself admitted she was dreadful at foreign languages. Since my high school Spanish obviously wouldn’t be much help, we were lucky to have Sebastian along. My brilliant boyfriend was practically fluent in French, so he had done most of the talking at our hotel the night before and in the café where we had ordered coffee and the most delicious croissants for breakfast.

​”Come on,” Maude said. “No dawdling. We have a lot to accomplish this weekend. We want Elizabeth Ann to see as much of Paris as she can before she has to go back to San Diego.”

Her words hung in the air and suddenly I had a lump in my throat. In less than a week, I would be home and Sebastian would be thousands of miles away. I reached for his hand, matching my steps with his as we followed Maude’s determined figure through the garden.

​Claude Monet’s waterlily paintings spanned the walls of two galleries in the Musée de l’Orangerie. I stood in the middle of the spacious, airy room and pivoted slowly marveling as the swirls of sage, mauve and periwinkle shifted to bolder shades of navy, gold and forest green. I felt like I was inside a kaleidoscope. ​Sebastian and Maude stood on opposite sides of the gallery, each studying one of the humongous murals.

​ “Elizabeth Ann, come look at this,” Sebastian said.

​ I crossed the room to stand beside him. He draped his arm across my shoulders. Swirls of cottony white blended with luminous shades of blue to depict clouds reflected on the surface of the water.

​ “Tell me if you can spot a woman’s face in the lily pond?”

​ As I let my gaze wander over the massive canvas, a shadowy silhouette of a beautiful woman seemed to float up from the depths of the pond.” “Ooh!” I pointed at her. “Is she right there?”

​ “Exactly,” Sebastian said with a grin, pulling me closer. “Smart and observant as well as beautiful.” He leaned in and let his lips brush lightly against mine.

​ I stepped away and gave him a wistful smile. “These paintings are awesome,” I said clearing my throat. “I can’t wait to see Monet’s water gardens in person tomorrow when we go to Giverny.”

​ “Just wait until you see his house. You’ll love it. He lived there for forty-three years. He designed two additions to the original house and chose all the colors for the different rooms.” Sebastian led the way into the next gallery. Standing in front of one of the murals, he grabbed my hand and went on, “Someday, maybe I’ll build us a house just like it in the Cotswolds.”

​ Was he serious? My heart fluttered and my cheeks grew warm as he talked, describing in intricate detail a country home with a large kitchen and wild garden out back. Although he did his best to project a worldly and cosmopolitan image, Sebastian was not a city boy. He had grown up in a tiny English village not too far from Stratford-upon-Avon.

​”Maybe we could even have a conservatory. You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Elizabeth Ann?”

​I stared at him and tried to imagine living anywhere but southern California. My heart warmed as I pictured us having tea in our conservatory surrounded by African violets and ferns.

Would Sebastian and I really become an old married couple settled in an English country village someday?

So Many Books

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In May 2014, my friend, Avery, and I took a Literary Road Trip across Massachusetts.  We visited the homes of Edith Wharton, Louisa May Alcott, Emily Dickinson and Nathaniel Hawthorne.  My favorite literary home was The Mount in Lenox, where Edith Wharton lived for ten years.  Author of the well-received The Decoration of Houses (1897), she designed and decorated the house herself.  Set in the Berkshires, the estate’s grounds and gardens are just as lovely as the elegant home.  I took many photos during our pleasant afternoon, including these pictures of Edith’s library and garden. 


Clarissa stands in front of her floor to ceiling bookshelves.  Behind her, a cheerful fire crackles in the grate.  A persistent rain taps at the windows, but the softly lit room is warm and cozy.

Drawing her cardigan sweater more closely around her narrow shoulders, she lets her gaze sweep across her library.  Catching a glimpse of her weary countenance reflected in the glass doors that open out onto her veranda, she sighs and combs her elegantly manicured fingers through her disheveled silver bob. After three weeks traveling around New England to promote her newest cookbook, she is back home at last.

As the library door swings open with a gentle squeak, Clarissa turns to smile at her secretary, who sets a tea tray on a low table in front of the fire.  The tantalizing scent of cinnamon drifts across the room.

“Hello, Lydia. Something smells delicious,” Clarissa says.

“Cook tried out your new recipe for cinnamon buns.” Lydia takes a seat by the fire and smooths her wool skirt over her knees.

“Cinnamon buns remind me of Christmas morning,” Clarissa remarks.

Lydia laughs, pouring two cups of tea. “The tour went well?”

“Yes, yes. The audience in Brattleboro was particularly enthusiastic.”  Clarissa joins the younger woman and accepts a cup of tea once she is settled in her favorite William Morris wingback chair. “Everyone seems to be a baker there.”

As she sips her tea and chats with Lydia, Clarissa gazes around the snug room once again. Content to be back among her books, she looks forward to spending the rainy afternoon with a good novel.

gardensWharton

Life is good

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When I was in my late twenties, my friends and I took a vacation to Miami, Florida.  We took a cruise to nowhere, explored the shops at the Bayside Marketplace and Coconut Grove, visited a historical home called Villa Viscaya and of course spent time on the beach. One afternoon I spotted a pink hotdog stand on the sand.  Down near the water, a man was flying a bright pink kite.  The color combination provided a tempting photo opportunity.  Later, while looking through my  vacation album, I wrote the descriptive piece below.

miami

Miami Beach, March 1991 (photo by L. LeVasseur)

Brushing her hair out of her eyes, Juliette watches him from the boardwalk.  His fluorescent pink kite is a solitary point of color in the overcast sky.  The kite hovers on the horizon and then plummets toward the rolling waves.  She feels her pulse quicken and her freckled face flush as the kite dives toward the blue-green surf.  But with a determined flick of his wrist he stops its abrupt descent and sends it soaring in the strengthening breeze.

She breathes out a sigh of relief and sets the picnic basket she has brought with her on one of the tables surrounding the cheerful pink hotdog stand, which has closed for the day.  Perhaps they will come back tomorrow at noon and have hot dogs and curly fries for lunch like teen-agers.  Now, they will content themselves with her home-made macaroni salad, deviled eggs and apple pie.

Pulling her denim jacket closer around her slight frame, she waves as Leo catches sight of her.  He reels in the kite, walking slowly up the beach to where she waits. He looks relaxed and comfortable in his shorts and snug windbreaker.  She notes that he must have gone to the barber and admires his closely cropped graying hair.

He greets her with a kiss and says, “Hello there.  How was your last day of school?”

She smiles a little sadly.  “It was fine.  The kids gave me farewell gifts and they all said they would miss me next year.  The teachers surprised me with a cake in the faculty room at lunch.”

“I’m glad they appreciate you,” he says, opening the picnic basket and helping her set out their supper.  “You’ve certainly devoted many years to the school.”

She nods and holds out her hand for his plate.  She puts a mound of macaroni salad on the plate and asks, “How was your first day of retirement?  What did you do all day?”

Helping himself to two deviled eggs, he says, “I had a great day.  I read the paper and worked in the garden this morning.  After lunch, I ran into town to do some errands and now I’m here enjoying a delicious supper with my beautiful wife.  Life is good.”

Juliette gives him a fond smile and as they eat, they laugh and talk, making plans for the next day and the months ahead.  They will spend time with their grandchildren.  Leo will plant more roses in the garden.  Juliette will take up quilting again.  They will travel to France and visit the village where her parents met and fell in love.

At last, they both take a final bite of the sweet and spicy apple pie.  They pack up the remains of the picnic and stroll hand-in-hand down to the water’s edge where he launches the bright pink kite once again over the ocean.