Bonjour! As I write this I am in France, though by the time you read it I will have landed in London.
How lucky am I?
I am here in Europe as part of my six months Academic Study Leave (also known as a sabbatical) from my role at Curtin University. Although some days it feels like a holiday, I have been working:
First, I attended the Child and the Book Conference in Rouen where I presented a paper about juvenilia, and listened to many other wonderful speakers talk about children’s books, and creativity and so much more. I also made new friends from around the world.
Then, after a few days in Paris where, among other things, I went to the top floor of the Eiffel Tower, I headed south to a small village near Carcassonne, where I stayed in a French farmhouse for a writing retreat, curated and hosted by The French House Party and guided by amazing tutor, poet and all round nice person, Anne Caldwell. We wrote, talked, walked, were fed (so much wonderful food) and laughed. And, as with the conference, I made new friends from around the world.
I have two notebooks overflowing with notes, drafts and ideas from these two events, and still two weeks of travel left. In the meantime, a poem. If you have never been to France before you might be surprised at my obsession with cheese over these past weeks. I’ve always liked cheese, but when you are in a country where cheese (good cheese!) is part of every meal, it can become a bit of a focus. In fact, at one meal I skipped the main course and happily ate bread and cheese because it was just so good.
So, in the midst of a session where I was writing some pretty heavy stuff, I found myself pausing to jot down a little ditty about my obsession.
Simple Pleasures
Stinky stilton
bonkers blue-vein
holey-moley swiss.
Oozy camembert
crumbling cheddar
easy-cheesy bliss!
(Sally Murphy, 2024)
Oddly, for all my obsession, I do not have a single photo of cheese amongst the seventy billion I have taken on my trip. So, instead, here is one of the poppy field next to the farm house taken at sunset one evening.
Here’s to cheese, and travel, and learning new things and meeting new people. And, of ceruse, here’s to poetry! Patricia is hosting Poetry Friday today, and you can see the Round Up on her blog.
Oh, Sally, your sabbatical sounds heavenly! And your ode to the simple pleasures of cheese made me smile. Enjoy!
Every sabbatical should begin with cheese! How wonderful! Enjoy!
Enjoy your wonderful trip, Sally! And yay to all the cheeses and your wonderful poem.
WOW! You are beYOND lucky. I’m delighted for you…and jealous, of course! How fun that your obsession with cheese led to such a fun poem. This is a poem that Bridget M. will love, for sure. Enjoy every moment from this work. I’m also a bit jealous of two notebooks full of notes! How wonderful. I’m wondering though, what is a juvenilia?
Sounds so fun! Enjoy!
Ah, Sally, -poet’s progress for you. So much packed into this French furlough. I’m with you on French cheeses. Your little ode to cheese is a sweet slice. As Waren Zevon once wrote-enjoy every sandwich! Well done on the conference presentation. Loved the poppy field. Enjoy London.
Lucky you! Enjoy the…uh…fish and chips? in London!
Sally, I admit I am green with jealousy over your trip around France and the writing and the cheese! Love the (not at all cheesy) poem also! Thanks!!!
Sally, you found an excellent way to “pause” from the ordinary and enjoy all your loves in France. Continue to take in the countryside charm and delicious cheeses.
Wow! That’s a trip of a lifetime! Thank you for sharing your travels and allowing us to enjoy the stilton, sunsets, and poppies vicariously. What incredible self-restraint – I’m pretty sure I would have eaten the cheese, the bread, AND the main course. : ) Happy travels!
Hmm what a delicious post Sally, sounds like you’re having a marvelous time. Thanks for your tastey poem and lovely poppy filled image, Enjoy the next two weeks!
Oh, Sally, you sound so happy! And no wonder. What a joyful and wonderful sabbatical you will have (already are having)! Yay for you and hooray for cheese. I too would skip the main meal for cheese and bread any day.
And I would be happy to share the cheese with you! Thanks for dropping by.
I’ll take the picture and imagine the “easy-cheesy bliss!”, Sally. What a fantastic trip you are having! c’est merveilleux! Keep on travelin’!
Thanks Linda. I do think poppies are more photogenic than cheese.
what an amazing post! I’d love to go to France and you’ve inspired me to go someday, even just to enjoy the cheese.
Go Janice – it is amazing. And the cheese is so worth it!
Oh, Sally! What a wonderful experience and thank you for sharing it with us. I love cheese, too and my husband mentioned going to France and I may have to take him up on it!
Love cheese, but LOVE those poppies even more (not to mention the sunset)!! What a blessing to have this time to travel AND write. Soak it all up, Sally!
Thank you Patricia – I really am counting my many blessings.