So D and I have returned to the country of our origin. Or... at least the origin of our relation. I always liked France. I always felt good here. And so far, the negative aspects of France and the French are still more amusing than they are annoying.
Lyon is a beautiful city. I love the two rivers, especially the Rhône. I think I love it even more since I know that it's flowing towards Camargue and that beautiful delta with its white horses, pink flamingoes and black bulls, and that fascinating Gipsy festival in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer.
The story of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer and its festival is really interesting. It is believed that the three Marys that first saw Jesus's empty tomb, Mary Magdalena, Mary Salome and Mary Jacobe, ended up here after having been adrift in a boat. However, the saint worshipped by the Roma is Saint Sara, believed to have been either the daughter of Mary Magdalena or their Egyptian servant. She is also referred to as Black Sarah, or Sarah la Kali.
Interestingly, Kali is also one of the names of the dark Indian goddess of destruction, also called Durga, and considering that the Roma's are believed to have originated from Northern India, this makes for some interesting theories of cultural hybridisation.
Well, in any case, the festival is held on the 24th of may, the day of Saint Sarah, but then there is also a festival in October. Hopefully I'll manage to make a little visit to beautiful Camargue then.
