For Whom The Bell Tolls

By Maryanna Gabriel 

Southern France

As the season here on this island starts to turn I contemplate the thought that we travel for many reasons, sometimes it is a quest, a call of the spirit as a certain place might beckon, whispers and images that repeatedly occur until at last with a deep sigh we resign ourselves and connive on how to open the pocket book to make it so. At least this is how it is for me. Try as I might, as I gnawed away at the thought, I could not get myself to say yes to the Camino in Spain. When I wanted to years back I could not, and here we are now and my soul just says, but you hate crowds, you hate heat, you don’t relate to the point of the walk, or even to St. James. Right. Having read three books of those who have, spoken to a person who did, seen one movie and followed a blog, I had to resign myself to the truth, this bell was not tolling for me. If I wanted to walk I asked myself, where did I want to do it? Southern France, my soul said. Really, I replied. Good idea. Why not? So this is what I am doing. Staying true to one’s soul is the best way to sort through a lot. 

Putting Myself In The Picture

By Maryanna Gabriel

"My Secret Place"

While the population surges and the streets are gridlocked on this long weekend on Salt Spring Island, my children laugh at me when I complain about the throngs. It is rather a presumption, I know, with the world being quite busy with people, one quite expects it in a city, but here I seem to have a false expectation with a nineties model of the way we were. It kind of feels like the equivalent of Santorini of the Greek Islands. I am happy to say, to change the subject, that I am in an art show this weekend. Some people that live here can be giving after all, a local gentleman, Yves Rouselles, understanding that part of the character that makes up this island is artistic, is hosting a show in his large barn right now after having successfully done the same recently in Vancouver.  Each painting is $199.99 - “The Even Cheaper Art Show”. I was happy to see I made it through the rigorous jurying, there were over 300 individuals who submitted. I was still surprised that I was a part of throng a half an hour after opening, one could barely move through the plinths and people. It was beautifully and professionally hung, the quality of the work was exceptionally high. It reminded me why I love the creative culture here while needing room to move.