October 2024

It’s been a whirlwind – at least for the first half of the month. We got to Amsterdam on the 25th of September. Much of the time there was involved with packing and arranging what we still had there to be shipped to the farm in France. But we also did get to the H-Art (formerly the Hermitage) Museum for the Kandinsky exhibition. This was terrific. Further cultural moments included the Vivianne Sassen exhibition at the Foam (Richard & I found her photography fascinating; Gin was not impressed); the Rijksmuseum with the Vermeer &

Rembrandts and where we also had a delightful lunch; a brief visit to the Van Loon Museum; the Museum Willet-Holthuysen with its ballroom LGBTQ+ exhibition; the endlessly fascinating archaeological treasures of the Allard Person Museum; and the Stedelijk Museum with at least something from each of the top artists.

I had three visits with Hans, our physiotherapist, and he has helped me for lower back pain. Both Richard and I had physicals with Remco, and both of us are anaemic. We also had our flu jabs. The key raison d’être for being in Amsterdam, however, was Richard’s Dutch nationality ceremony at the Stadhuis. He practiced for days to say ‘Dat verklaar en beloof ik’

and managed to get through it. So, he is now a Dutch man. Unfortunately, with the time for his records to get established we were unable to get his passport. We are aiming for that now in the spring.

There was a celebratory dinner for Richard’s new citizenship at Caramba with Gin, Stephen & Koen, Santima, Laura, Vicky, Zelda, Jimmy & Amir, Michael & Maxim. We were 13 in all, and there were a lot of margaritas. Other social outings included a dinner at DenC with Erdem (we had Lagavulin and super silverhaze both before and after) and at Shiva (again with Erdem, whisky & pot, and the kiss was mesmerizingly lovely); dinner and negroni at WG Café with Jimmy after first attending the closing celebration at Vork where had had some

prosecco; and breakfast with Gin at De Carrousel. By ourselves, we also one night had pizza at Vapiano, and for our last A’dam night, it was the Nepalese restaurant, Bhatti Pasal, on the Kerkstraat.

Somehow in all this, I managed to finish reading José Saramago’s Blindness. Hauntingly gruesome but completely captivating. Once back in Aups I have begun reading Roger Lewis’ Erotic Vagrancy: Everything About Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. I’m finding this turgid but interesting if not also so far depressing.

Consequently, once we boarded the train from Amsterdam to Paris enroute ultimately to the Midi, I could say that we had managed to have given up our last Amsterdam residence and get to the City of Lights on Friday for Pierre Rigal’s R-ONDES-S Dance-création 2024 our first evening there at the Pantheon. Saturday evening was dinner at our favourite Mexican

restaurant (Anuhuacalli) with Marie-Laure, Joanne, Toby and Robin. And the last night was the Jackson Pollock exhibition at the Musée Picasso. What was doubly thrilling with this last was that everyone in attendance for its opening were in a large room drinking, so we were able to visit the rest of the museum with virtually no one else. That was rare and marvellous. For a first time, both Richard and I were able to detect the humour in so much of the Catalan artist’s work. And the day after we arrived back home in the Provence, the furniture etc. shipment was delivered from Amsterdam. Then it has just been cardiologist, podiatrist, ophthalmologist, etc. appointments until we head to London toward the end of November and for the winter.

We have managed to have drinks twice at the Calalou – once with Joanne and once with Joanne and Yvonne. There was also a splendid Friday night dinner at Penny’s with Susie, Pierre & Catherine, Gustave & Malin, and Sue & Robin. Half the group tested positive for covid-19 the following day – one or two being aggressively ill. The following Tuesday, we had dinner just with Penny at Le Belleview. Two days later we enjoyed coffee at our neighbours Anne-Marie and Peter. A bit later we had dinner at Solea with Pierre & Catherine.

This month’s Soteria included poems by Roy Cambell, Michael Longley, Gottfried Benn, R.S. Thomas, Stevie Smith and Dylan Thomas. I had to depart before all finished when Lilianearrived. By phone I have talked to both Jimmy and John. John’s cardiologist tells him that he has months instead of years.

Galtsin Dmitry’s “Wouter J. Hanegraaff and Paganism” article connecting paganism to Western Esotericism was an interesting read. I also found Richard Wolff’s ‘Bottom Line’ discussion concerning the end of the American empire probably much more accurate than many would wish to hear. Another excellent ‘Bottom Line’ broadcast was that of Mustafa Barghouti. And also for cinema night at Penny’s there was the most enjoyable road trip of Will and Harper.

Finally, after I realised that I had not been told my PSA in Amsterdam when receiving the report, I phoned and learned they had forgot to do it. So I did then a test in France, and am happy to learn that it is at 0.85.

And tonight is Samhain!

sonnet #321:

From flow’rs and leaves to seeds and autumn hue,

We each shine forth upon the tree of life,

New growth and fertilizer to start anew,

Earth’s narrative of wonder and sad strife.

Like roots that rise and reach into the sky,

We earthlings dance our way to solar light;

Yet song does end and all must come to die

By turning toward the deep and endless night.

What comes then after us to sing again?

What is the nourishment for others made?

Just turning wheel without a growing gain,

Or hope and decency the tale to aid?

The bloom of youth’s the bestest of the best

To render still humanity most blessed.

Amsterdam

8.10.24