For nearly three years I lived in a valley belonging to the village of Bonnieux (pictured above). In fact, my terrace lay right on the border between this village and another called Lacoste (pictured below).
What you are seeing here is the view while standing next to said terrace. I admit that the light is not ideal but if you squint and stare long enough at that oddly shaped structure stationed at the top of Lacoste, you may be able to make out a Chateau. It is fascinating to note that that is the infamous Chateau of the Marquis de Sade.
Note: The Marquis de Sade is a person worth investigating further but for the sake of keeping this blog succinct I am posting his Wikipedia link here (should you be interested):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marquis_de_Sade
Anyways, I thought it appropriate to complete the first installment of my Provence IMofCollective project here, at my old home. There are various reasons for this decision, the most immediate being that the location embodies an essential turning point in my life. When I moved into this house, I was still married and continuing my life as I knew it in France. By the end of my stay, I was in the process of separating from my husband and preparing to return to the United States.
As you can imagine, I experienced an intense array of emotions right here, on this terrace. The scope of those feelings was vast; from the purest pleasures to the most gut-wrenching pain. I also had my art studio in the third of floor of the house, so the space became a vessel containing multitudinal expressions of love and loss.
Aside from the personal reasons for my decision, the location just happens to be a lovely one. The house is part of a small hamlet, also a fraction of a larger farmstead. Our portion was composed of a generous part of the giant barn space, newly renovated and converted into a three story home. Surrounding this home are acres and acres of vineyards, cherry trees, lavender fields, and more. I could not ask for a more quintessential example of Provencial bliss. And just imagine, this was once home.
Sigh….
So, back to business. After much research I collected the materials necessary to install my first memorial plaque. Here is a shot of said materials:
The first image shows two different grits of sandpaper (for smoothing out rough surfaces), a small bucket and sponges for cleaning the surface before application, and a fine-toothed trowel for applying the cement to the back of the ceramic plaques. The second image is a shot of the pre-mixed cement I purchased at a specialty shop for masonry.
Looking back now, after the installation of nine plaques, I realize just how easy this first installation was. Likely this was due to my choice of a surface (a cement terrace), one that was relatively smooth and easy to adhere to. Despite the surface being vertical, the “Dreamer” memorial held snugly to the material. I was able to apply the cement efficiently (the arid climate causes it to dry surprisingly quickly), and seal the edges with very little frustration. I would discover later that not all installations are so agreeable.
Here are some photos of the completed installation:
As well as a side shot with the neighboring house in view:
All in all, a very satisfying process.
Now, this home will always be remembered with affection as my “Dreamer” home.
Not only was it a place where dreams came true, but also it sheltered the turmoil necessary to give birth to new fantasies. Despite it’s complicated history, I have only fond feelings for the place. It treated me well, and in the long run provided me an opportunity to honor a life journey with this plaque.
IMofCollective 