Roses everywhere, near disaster...and good bye

Monday May 31

Did I tell you that there are roses everywhere in France? When we drove or took our walks, we often remarked upon the sight of roses everywhere. I had always believed that roses were difficult to grow, needing special care and very specific soils and temperatures.

Solesmes and it's neighboring towns certainly seemed ideal locations; roses grew like wild flowers.

It was Michael who explained the numerous varieties one can grow; it was that visit with Michael that produced the "seed" in our heads: we would grow climbing roses at home.

It was an ordinary day on Monday except that we would be having tea with Mary, followed by dinner in Sable after our evening visit with Michael.

Solesmes was still bustling with people ( 3 day weekend) and the neighbors were having one heck of a shin-dig in their new home. The night before had them continuing with their moving - loud voices and car doors slamming until well past mid-night. Dad commented that they "didn't seem to fit in Solesmes at all".

Tea with Mary, in her courtyard garden, was very informal and very nice. She proudly showed me the trellises Dad had put in for her the day before and then presented us with an Anniversary gift. She kept saying, "I wanted to give you something special, just couldn't think what or what I had", and decided on "The Confessions of St Augustine", a new copy she had just ordered for herself. This was so unexpected and touched me deeply. Dad mentioned the old house at the end of the road (next to the noisy neighbor's garage) and Mary told him that, indeed, it was empty and it was for sale. This information excited Dad who made noises about buying the place so that we could have a family home in Solesmes...one we could rent out if we needed to. (He still mentions it now and then, even asked Michael how much he thought it was selling for).

Not thinking we would see Mary again, we said our goodbye's and left in time for Vespers and Michael

The evening was warm and beautiful as we found our way to dinner in Sable. We couldn't find anything open (feast day...all restaurants closed?) but did happen on a little bistro and ate a light dinner there. After walking through Sable for a bit, we headed back home. Thankfully the Solesmes intruders were gone and the neighbors were partied out; it was quiet time in Solesmes again and we enjoyed our last evening walk.

Tuesday June 1

Michael was no longer "on the altar". As well, he had told us the day before that he would be saying 8am Mass at Mary's Altar, one of 4 small altars on the sides of the Church where priests say their daily Masses. So there we were, early Tuesday morning. What a lovely, intimate Mass. Just Dad and me and another woman. There was still the 10am Mass Michael had to attend and we agreed to meet - one last time - at 11:30 in the garden.

Our last visit with Michael was sad for me. I hadn't spent this much time with him in decades and had thoroughly enjoyed my time with him. But Michael did have one little surprise left for us: he handed Dad Lita's iPod - the one Uncle Bill had given her 2 yrs ago - the one so full of "all kinds of wonderful music" that, as a family, we had decided someone needed to download it all so that we could all enjoy it. Michael had taken the iPod last summer so that he could "play with it" and now he was handing it over to Dad - hoping Dad could organize "the mess" (because there were no files, just thousands of hours of music). Dad was thrilled with the prospect and did, in fact, download everything when he came home. And so our time with Michael ended. We promised that we would return soon and saw him off as he went to meet with one of his women, Lucy. :)

We had planned to leave Solesmes by 1 and so busied ourselves with cleaning the house, emptying the fridge, packing and giving the car one last "polish". But I was nervous: I hadn't remembered to ask Mary for a book during our "tea" and wondered if, just before we left, it would be okay to just drop by her house and ask her?

It was time to get my books. Earlier, Mary had given Dad a book she thought he would enjoy and having finished it, he had forgotten to return it to her when we met for tea the previous afternoon. With that excuse in hand, we walked to Mary's to find that her son , John, and his girlfriend were down for a day visit. Mary was delighted to have us meet them. She would have very much liked it if we could stay for a while ( she thought her son and Dad would have lots to talk about) but she understood our need to leave as soon as we could. I mentioned needing to borrow a book - said I would return it to her as soon as possible - and she was delighted to give me 3 to choose from. "These are light reading, which is what you want on an airplane. They are a little naughty in places, but you just can't seem to avoid that, can you?" But before we ventured into her library, she asked John to take some pictures of us in her garden. (She had taken some of Dad and me the previous afternoon as a souvenir for herself) but now wanted some of the three of us. I gave John my camera and asked, "Some for us, too? For our blog?"

With our new friend, Mary.

To the left you can see the trellises Dad put up for Mary. This is where we had our tea and is one of 2 courtyards. The other is at the entrance of the house. (Will you LOOK at those flowers!)

We said goodbye to Mary one last time and returned to our house to gather our luggage, return the keys to the Monastery and say goodbye to Solesmes. And that's when the "trouble" began.

I couldn't find my glasses! I had taken them to Mary's, thinking I might need to them to peruse books. It was the last time I recalled having them. I searched everywhere in the house. Emptied every piece of luggage at least 3X, looked everywhere I could possibly look. I had been soooo happy to have my 3 books to choose from and now I wouldn't be able to read them. When Dad returned from delivering the keys ( I was still searching and giving the house a last minute dusting and sweep) I asked him to go to Mary's...I must have left them there on the table next to the bookcase. I waited and waited, hoping and hoping.

"We searched the house inside and out and your glasses aren't there. They have to be here", Dad told me when he returned. I wanted to cry. I almost did cry. I knew they weren't with me. Maybe they had dropped on the road as we walked home? Out I went to search the street and sidewalks as I headed back to Mary's. Nothing. No glasses anywhere. I couldn't help it, I had to search Mary's house myself. By this time Mary and her visitors were enjoying "a bit of fruit" before lunch and there I was, intruding again.

Mary seemed as distraught as I was: "I was sure that since you hadn't hurried back, that you had found them".

We searched some more until I gave it up. I can't tell you how awful it was to know that I would be spending the entire rest of the day and evening, never mind the flight home, without being able to read. And then Mary came to the rescue again.

Before I knew what she was doing, she had gone to her desk and pulled out not one but two pairs of her old reading glasses, hoping that at least one might help me. What were the chances? I tried them both and found that I could read quite well from one lens of one pair. From nothing to something? That was a deal breaker for me and I thanked her profusely, promising to send them back with the books I had borrowed earlier.

Leaving her house, I saw ahead of me John's girlfriend searching the sidewalks and streets with Dad. She had gone into the bar and the local restaurant and asked if anyone had seen "glasses on the sidewalk"; I had caused quite an uproar. But we were finally off to Paris. We had to return the car to the airport and check in at the local hotel before catching our flight the next morning.

The drive was fast - this time Dad cruised for a while at 110mph. And even though we had left late enough to hit bad traffic, we were in Paris by 4. Returning the car was the biggie: would we "pass" or be fined for the dent?

We passed! A thumbs-up (literally) from the check-in guy and a huge sigh of relief from us.

And that was it. A very unremarkable afternoon/evening/night at the hotel, except that Dad was able to hook up his Mac only to say later that it was "depressing" to be back in the world again (and the Yankees were on a wining streak) and it cost us $80 for 3 beers, a hamburger and chicken pattie for dinner!; and the reading glasses proved to need remedial work...closing one eye to read proved to be too strenuous.

Voila! And this is how I was able to survive the last 2 days. At the airport I told Dad, "Time to gear up my glasses", to which he responded, "Oh God. I don't know you. Go sit somewhere else!"

Last reflections:

It was a glorious trip. When Michael asked, had we enjoyed it as much as we had hoped, the best way I knew to answer (besides yes) was that I knew we would continue to reap the benefits in the weeks to come; it was just one of those special times you know will stay with you for a long, long time. And this has come to pass.

Spending as much time as we did in Solesmes couldn't help but having us feel "at home" there: our time with the monks; our stay in the little house; our time with Michael; our many walks about town.

Posting our trip has stirred memories; it has also solidified them.

Solesmes is no longer, and never will be again, a place we once visited.

PS The Good and the Ugly:

The Good: We now have roses. Dad's new-found passion has taken over and the house is going to look gorgeous in about 2 years time. And he's just started!

The Ugly: We didn't get away with the shoe polish after all. Must have come off in the wash because we just rec'd the bill and YIPES! the damage cost us as much as the rental (which was not cheap).

Oh! I forgot to tell you about the cat: late Saturday night, as I sat reading at the table, this big cat jumped through the window and landed in the chair next to me! (No screens in France). Scared the you-know-what out of me! I tossed him out and then he came back for another visit, just as bold as can be. That was it; I tossed him out again, closed the shutters, closed the windows and went to bed. Crazy cat.