Footnotes to a Conversation, September 11, 2023
“The only true voyage … would be not to visit strange lands but to possess other eyes … to see the hundred universes that each of them sees.” – Marcel Proust
Night Trains
I took a night train from Spain to France (via Geneva as I got on the wrong section of the train!) many years ago and can still remember the atmosphere of an enclosed space set apart from time and place. In Paris-Briançon by Philippe Besson (I believe it’s currently only available in French), people from different spheres and of different ages and backgrounds come into contact and, on an enclosed train travelling at speed through the dark, feel free to open up and share their stories. The characters are developed with compassion, and I was deeply moved by the depth of emotion which never descended into mawkish sentimentality. [Paris Update]
Travelling with the Flow
The Nile, the Mississippi, the Amazon – the world’s great rivers both separate countries and pull them together. They’re destinations in and of themselves, magical places where almost anything can happen as you drift downriver (just ask Mark Twain or Agatha Christie). The Rhine flows through 7 European countries. It has started wars, ensured economic growth, and inspired great music. In The Rhine, Ben Coates does an excellent job of exploring the river’s history, the riverside towns, its trade and industry, and its people, combining his skills as a narrator who lives and works in Europe with his skills as a journalist. The railway united Canada. In Europe, it’s the river. [Ben Coates]
The Power of Embroidery
If embroidery makes you think of old-fashioned floral designs, think again. Lynn Setterington embroiders people and places in modern-day Britain – Brixton Market, Clapham Junction, bingo in Scarborough, and Leeds Kirkgate Market. [The Guardian]
Footnotes to a Conversation is a weekly Monday feature covering an assortment of topics that I’ve come across in the preceding week – books, art, travel, food, and whatever else strikes my fancy. I also post occasional articles on other dates, including frequent book reviews and travel tales.
If you share my love of nature, check out EcoFriendly West, an online publication encouraging environmental initiatives in Western Canada, and Nature Companion, a free nature app for Canada’s four western provinces.