Feeling Small, in a Good Way!/Un Weekend des Geantes

The Royal De Luxe is in town! Exactly what is the Royal De Luxe? It's certainly much more than puppet theatre, more than a concert, more than a street festival. This troupe, funded by the city of Nantes, travels the world to bring living Giants and their story to the streets. As you can see from this video, these larger-than-life marionettes are more human than I could imagine possible. They not only walk the streets with ease, they dance, they eat, they sleep, and they interact with each other. I was moved to watch la Pétite Geante (the little giant) awake in the arms of her uncle the Scéphandrier (the diver), who almost seemed to smile at her as she blinked her sleepy eyes. Nantes could not be more supportive of this unique art form that began here in - it seems the entire city was out to see them! I truly felt like a part of the fabric of this special place as we all ran together, following the giants wherever they went, right up until they debarked on the Loire to visit the rest of the area for the Estuaire festival, which is ongoing.

On a more somber note, this past saturday also marked the 65th anniversary of the D-Day disembarquements in Normandy. Mariette (president of the Nantes-Seattle-Jacksonville Sister City Association, my supervisor and constant companion), myself, and Pauline and Bob- two other members of the Sister-City Association- were invited to attend the ceremony at the American cemetary above Omaha beach in Colleville-sur-mer. While I have visited the military cemetaries of my grandfather and great-uncle in the States, it was truly moving to be at this site where men gave their lives only feet away from their final resting place. It was difficult to imagine that this site of peace and tranquility along the beautiful coastline was a battle scene, not too long ago. Local families in France adopt the graves of fallen soldiers whose family remain too far away to visit regularly (see photo). This day is remembered annually, and is continually a part of the memory of French society in many forms. Click here for remarks given by President Obama at this ceremony.

Et pour mes collègues francophones!

Je me trouvais très emue par le spectacle Royal De Luxe ce weekend passé. Il me semblait qu'en courant après les géantes parmi tous les Nantais que je faisait vraiment une partie de la tissue de votre ville magnifique. La qualité superieure de ce spectacle témoigne à la sensibilité nantaise sur la valeur de l'art dans la qualité de la vie. Je me trouve encerclée par la beauté naturelle et artistique partout à Nantes.

J'ai été également émue par la cérémonie de la 65ème Anniversaire du Jour J à la cimitière Américaine à Colleville. J'y était invitée par l'Ambassade des Etats-Unis à Paris, ainsi que la présidente de l'Association Nantes-Seattle-Jacksonville Mariette, et deux membres de la même association, Bob et Pauline. Les vétérans qui m'entouraient là étaient des vrais géants, des héros inconstatables de notre proche Histoire. Voir les fleurs et d'autres hommages des familles français posés sur les tombes des soldats américains m'a touché aussi. Nos histoires sont toujours liés grâce à ceux qui se souviennent toujours que les Américains et les Français ont lutté pour la même cause.

Cliquez ici pour les allocutions des chefs d'état qui assistaient à cette cérémonie.

A droite/Right: Myself, the honorable Consul Edward O'Brian of the American Consulate in Rennes, and the talented Bob Destiny, leader of a Gospel choir in Nantes and member of the AJSNJ