There are parts of the French lifestyle that feel timeless—celebrating major holidays, shopping at the market, taking national exams in high school… and yes, spending a Sunday at the beach. After a rainy day and a windy day, we got a sunny day. One out of three—not bad.

That Sunday, at 11:55 a.m., anxious customers were filling their cart, buying whatever was left at the local Super U. The aisles were packed but the shelves empty and I saw two old ladies fighting for the last piece of Comté cheese. Then we all lineup to pay, a painfully slow process since many people still insist on using either payment methods that are way too modern for Saint Michel’s tiny supermarket—“Non, désolée, the card must be inserted, there is no tap-and-go, monsieur”—either old-fashioned cheque that must be filled in by hand—“Is there a ’s’ at euro, Gérard?”

At 12:15 p.m., the last customer paid for his merguez sausages.

At 12:17 p.m., smoke begun to rise up in the air from BBQs in most backyards. Sunday lunch is a lengthy affair in most families, especially when on holidays.

I hurried to go buy baguettes during lunch hour so that I wouldn’t have to line up at the bakery, then we all went to the beach.

I walked along the waterfront. It was definitely 2017 but it could have been 2007, 1997, 1987… there were no smartphones, no brand-new cars, no drones (but kites!), no motorized gizmos (but trottinettes), old-fashioned waffles and butter cookies as snacks and made-in-France plastic toys.

I took Mark on the rocks I used to climb when I was his age. As the tide went up and the beach filled in, time paused for a few hours.

Saint Michel on a cloudy day
Sunset on the beach between Saint-Michel and Tharon
Saint-Michel beach
Saint Michel on a cloudy day
Saint Michel on a cloudy day
Low tide in Saint-Michel
Low tide in Saint-Michel
Low tide in Saint-Michel
Sunset on the beach between Saint-Michel and Tharon
Sunset on the beach between Saint-Michel and Tharon
Low tide in Saint-Michel
Low tide in Saint-Michel
Low tide in Saint-Michel
Low tide in Saint-Michel
Low tide in Saint-Michel
Low tide in Saint-Michel
Tharon beach
Tharon beach
Low tide in Saint-Michel
Tharon beach
Tharon beach
Tharon beach
Tharon beach
Tharon beach
Tharon beach
Saint-Michel
Saint-Michel
Saint-Michel
Low tide in Saint-Michel

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4 Comments

  1. Martin Penwald August 6, 2017 at 7:53 pm

    Messing up with his side of the family? The Law and Order crowd?

    Reply
    1. Zhu August 7, 2017 at 7:34 pm

      Nah, my mum’ side of the family. It’s a friendly joke… there are kind of always making fun of him as the penniless artist.

      Reply
  2. Isa August 8, 2017 at 3:53 am

    I think it’s beautiful that Mark gets to live the same vacations you used to as a kid. You’ll both have treasured common memories of it 🙂

    Reply
    1. Zhu August 9, 2017 at 2:38 pm

      That’s true! I like the fact that in France (and in Europe in general), things don’t change as fast. Old buildings are still standing, old stores are still operating, etc.

      Reply

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