I’ve been installed on Ile de Re now for two glorious weeks, most of which has been with the whole family, although Dom’s work obligations have called her back to Paris as well. I’ve played tennis in the blazing sun (and not particularly well, unfortunately), caught up on my movie watching (including a re-viewing of the note-perfect Let the Right One In, which is as much about the worst period of my life, being a pre-teen c.1980, as it is about a vampire forever in need of human companionship, locked since who knows when as a 12-year old). I introduced Aden to the magic of “Le Frisbee”. Somehow, I managed to contract some kind of weird summer cold, I think my tennis partner might be the source, he and his wife and their kids had colds, and after an afternoon of tennis playing (plus transportation in their itty bitty Merc) was when I came down with the symptoms–at first I couldn’t get warm, standing under a hot shower for half an hour did nothing but make me afraid of getting out. I had that weird, psychedelic feeling that a fever brings. In subsequent nights, I exploded with sweat deep in the silent heart of the night. A small cough kicked up, and that matches the progression of symptoms in my friends so…
But today I felt better cough notwithstanding and the sea behind our house was as tranquil as a glass of wine so in I went this morning at 10, knowing that clouds are on their way later in the day.
Despite the de-plugged nature of this vacation period, there has been a lot of activity on the Posies front–I’ve been doing lots of interviews for the press in the USA and UK, and our record release show in Brooklyn sold out 2 hours after going onsale Friday. I’ve heard from a couple of journalist friends of mine in various countries that they are giving the album strongly positive reviews. The dates for our North American tour are filling in well, and we should be ready to begin announcing them soon. Tho’ it’s the summer doldrums in Europe, we’re starting to move some tix for the European tour, esp. in Helsinki, which looks to be heading to a near sellout.
I’m tanned, and lean–although I put on about 5lbs since I arrived here, it appears to be all muscle–it doesn’t take long before the daily swimming I do starts to show up as defined pectorals. I am not a guy that puts muscle mass on my arms, so they’re still scrawny, like a chicken that looks too sick to be good eatin’. The only downside to my eat a lot, drink a lot, do a lot program is that you can’t stop for even one day–thus, on the day I was mostly in bed sick, I was obligated to do crunches in the mid-triple digits.
Food is the centerpiece of each day, I head out in the morning to peruse the marché and see what’s good–it can be vanets, which are small scallops; various freshly caught fish; fresh figs from Spain, local tomatoes, etc. Of course we’ve been tasting wine at every step. Too numerous to mention, and I don’t want to make my favorites so popular the price goes up. But I will mention each year Le Gouverneur, the local red which is a blend of who knows what, since you can taste in each drop the brackish terroir of this island, always in danger of inundation. This year the 2007 is in the stores, priced about five bucks, and totally enjoyable. They make a more expensive wine here, L’Ultimium, which I’ve tried and isn’t worth the €20 they charge for it this year (or the €12 they charged for it last year), and they make some cheap cheap stuff too. Unf., you can forget the rest except in emergencies, but Le Gouverneur is a fine daily quaff. Check out Ile de Re’s wine co-op here.
It’s siesta time sur l’ile. And I have the right, the time, and the inclination. Bye now.
Love
KS
La Noue, FRANCE