Cairo Reflections, Snow in Vaison

We have been home for less than a week so before my short-term memory fails me again, I wanted to note a few more things about our time in Cairo.

• We got to see a free performance of the Dervishes – the whirling dervishes. It was fantastic and we were lucky to have gotten into the packed-to-overflowing room…

• We went to a small hall and heard Zar music – the traditional music of Egypt and Sudan – performed by a group called Mazaher. In fact, I am listening to a CD that Tish purchased before we left. Great!

• Our experience in Alexandria made me reflect on the arrogance of foreigners as we expect there will be someone who speaks our language…

• It is COLD in Vaison la Romaine with temperatures less than half of what they were in Cairo, but it is nice to be able to drink water from the tap and to eat the salads and fresh greens…

Snow in Vaison la Romaine

A year ago, I wrote about the light dusting of snow that fell in Vaison la Romaine but fell in quantities enough to close the autoroute and Marseille airport. This year we got about eight inches of snow here in Vaison. It looked pretty as it fell but it shut down this town. No school, no crèche, few retail stores… In fact, Ellen and I walked over to the Cinema and it was closed. The only places that appeared were open were the bars…

In Cairo, I watched men at a construction site where some of the workers had hard hats, many did not. Some of the workers had work shoes, others wore sandals. In Vaison la Romaine, the work safety standards aren’t much higher. This evening, Ellen and I watched a dump truck creep down the street as two men (wearing the requisite reflective green work overalls) stood in the back of the truck and shoveled sand onto the roadway… Vaison la Romaine was not prepared for a snow like the one that fell today. Hopefully, it will melt quickly and not return…