Vignettes from the Countryside Holiday
By: Jasmine Nihmey Vasdi
watching the dust settle on the ground after the weekend market
crawling through the barracade of rocks to reach the periwinkle lines where the sea meets the sky in mers les bains
feeling the tension between passerbys and terrace hoppers, apologetic and confused waitstaff
someone placing peanuts one by one at the tip of his bistro table for the odd seagull who swoops to claim it and loving the simplicity behind it
eyes glazing over and ears flooding with propaganda
donating, sharing stories and wishes
drunken sunglasses turning everyone into cartoons and day dreams blending with the burnt sienna of dusk
wandering stone alleys echoing of colonial ghosts
grappling with quick elections, moving through other homes
existing in between headlines and garden herbs
foraging deep in forests where the only whispers are from the trees,
who trade tales
of camino hikers
lost in their ways and thoughts
that hug them in return for fresh air