United States or Cameroon ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
The Basin of Berre A neglected harbour The diluvium Formation of the Crau The two Craus Canal of Craponne Climate of the Crau The Bise and Mistral Force of the wind Cypresses A vision of kobolds.
Jean-sur-Mer, a little village near Beaulieu, was taken for the season. The Villa Mes Rochers stood in a walled garden, which sloped gently to a terrace on the edge of the sea a place for tea in the afternoons when the mistral was not blowing. Here they settled down for the winter. It was a pleasant, easy life.
The violence of the wind is consequently due to the difference of temperature between the hot air of the plain and the cold air of the mountain. An old saying was to this effect: "Parlement, Mistral et Durance Sont les trois fleaux de Provence."
At length the seas subsided, and the fleet, picking up allies as it went along, cautiously hugged the land as far as Minorca, where the mistral, the terror of seamen, rushed down upon the huge armada masts strained, yards cracked, sails were torn to rags, and there was nothing for it but to row row for their lives and for Charles.
"Elise" I think her name is is a "character" almost as well known in Provence as the Master himself. So she looked sharply at us, while I produced a letter to M. Mistral which had been given me by a humble associate of the "félibres," a delightful chansonnier we had met at Les Baux.
They were followed by MM. Azais and Pozzi, who recited some choice pieces of poetry in the Gascon patois. M. Mistral came last the celebrated singer of "Mireio" who, with his faltering voice, recited a beautiful piece of poetry composed for the occasion, which was enthusiastically applauded. The day was wound up with a banquet in honour of M. Dubray, the artist who had executed the bronze statue.
Now Balmile had come hitherto in a very poor plain habit; and this day of the mistral, when his mantle was just open, and she saw beneath it the glancing of the violet and the velvet and the silver, and the clustering fineness of the lace, it seemed to set the man in a new light, with which he shone resplendent to her fancy.
M. l'Abbe Donis, curate of Saint-Louis at Bordeaux, whom he had often helped with his recitations; the able philologist Azais; the young and illustrious Provencal poet Mistral; and many representatives of the Parisian and Southern press, were present on the occasion. The widow and son of the poet, surrounded by their family, were on the platform.
May 14. We left Avignon this morning, with a more favourable impression of its cleanliness and comfort than any other town had as yet left on our minds. The road to Nismes, winding up a hill on the opposite side of the river, above Fort Villeneuve, is remarkably adapted also to display its numerous spires, and the grand Gothic mass of the legate's palace, to the utmost advantage: and we watched with something like regret the disappearance of these objects over the brow of the hill which we had ascended, more especially as on this spot the eye takes leave, for some time, of every thing agreeable. The view here consists of a high dull flat, with hardly a tree, and the road of rolling stones and dust; and a high wind prevailed, which seemed a combination of the Bise and Mistral, aided by all the bottled stores of a Lapland witch, and very nearly blew poor Durand off his box. After passing Fouzay and Demazan, two Little villages, adorned each
But Mistral has told about all this far better than I can tell about it, and I shall quote here, by his permission, a page or two from the "Memoirs" which he is writing, slowly and lovingly, in the between-whiles of the making of his songs: "To-morrow's the festival of the Kings. This evening they arrive.
Word Of The Day