It was an interesting day in France today. The tension of the elections was ever present, lingering over every interaction with French people. Many other tourists seemed oblivious to what was going on, carefree in their photo taking, but almost every French speaker we saw was in serious conversations with friends and family about Le Pen and Macron, the police were out in huge numbers heavily armed with alarmingly large guns, and the mood was somber. This was an area that voted heavily for Le Pen, who was predicted to lose (and she did).
We enjoyed the sights of Nice, but I don’t think we really experienced its character due to this distraction. And I’m kind of thankful we will be in Italy tomorrow because I’m not typically a political person, and it will be refreshing to get away from all of this. At precisely 8pm, we were walking in the street, and an impromptu group got on a megaphone to announce the results and lament about someone with less than 25% support in the initial elections becoming president of France. Shortly after, someone walked up to us and urgently demanded something of me in French. The only words I caught were “Le Pen”. He was obviously upset. I stammered, and he repeated his demand louder. I managed to sputter “je ne comprends pas!” and he walked off muttering in an exasperated tone, “tu ne comprends pas !”
We are living in an era of human history with less violence than almost every before. People like you, me, and Steve are free and very safe to travel and experience with an open mind many other cultures all over the world, thanks to our mutual respect and support. And yet there are some who are still fearful, and I don’t understand why. Steve and I are finding the world is full of many amazing, generous, and happy people, and all it takes to be one of these people is to open your mind for a minute, listen, and respect others for who they are and what they do.
Politics aside, we enjoyed our day. It was a super easy ride, flat, on bike lanes along the coast to Nice. We had a nice lunch in Nice, did some exploring and lounged at the beach.
What a fantastic commentary. …. Last post you mentioned you were slim and fit….. one can only dream about eating the food you describe and staying slim …. all you have to do is ride 3000 kilometers … easy !