First Group Down!

Well since my last entry, things have evolved a bit. All the change I spoke of seems to be no more. My very wise Colleague, A, advised me and asks, what is the most important thing to you right now? You must do everything you can to make whatever that is happen. She tells me that being with the love of her life is what's most important. Fortunately, this job affords her that luxury and she has thus decided to stay on full time and continue to plan and organize the year from the US. Although this means I become head chef of running the tours, I can't help but be a bit saddened that I will not be running the whole show as previously decided. Who can complain though? Less responsibility means less ways to screw up and more time spent with what is most important to me!

The week before guests arrived was all prep. Tons of meetings and something dare I say I enjoy...driving around aimlessly in the countryside looking for poppy fields.

Later on this fab field was discovered...

To much dismay, no fields were found, however the amount of rain that has been falling since I got here 19 days ago is so abundant, one can only hope “May showers bring June flowers?” Not such a great notion for the painters who are about to leave rain drenched and with more knickknacks then I have ever seen purchased. Do people shop more when it’s raining? Yes! It’s the only safe place in town.

Tomorrow marks the departure of my first group and I can't tell you how much I won't miss them :) Having artists around you 24/7 for 2 full weeks begins to tilt your perceptions of reality a bit too much for my comfort. The weeks started off well with a woman having a full blown asthmatic attack the minute she walked through our doors. After deliberation with the paramedics and the doctor who made her remove all and I mean ALL her clothing to listen to her chest, we were off to a great start.

The first week was drenched but the guests were ok staying around the villa and painting the scenes of the town. What surprises me most is that with over 50 artists that have come through these parts, I have never once seen a painting of Billy Holiday, Gucci glasses or any of the other crazies who wander the streets of Limoux, a true staple of the towns character. Since I haven’t mentioned this previously, I’ll explain…

Limoux has the second largest sanitarium (coocoo house) in all of France. This is due to it being one of the sunniest (you could have fooled me) towns in France, receiving and I quote over 300 days of sun a year. Bollocks! Anyways, back to the point, all this sunlight produces Vitamin D, which happens to be extremely good for patients of mental illness…thus the Nuthouse. Most of these guys are pretty harmless and tend to just walk around doing their own thing most of the day, while also performing the utmost civic duties; entertainment for the sane of Limoux.

I can say that the dynamic of the staff has greatly improved since last year. The only possible explanation to this bizarre phenomenon is that we all have boyfriends ;) Oh and that we're all a year older ha. So we’re off to a running start and engines are a blarring! With a 4am drop off tomorrow and a new 10 person two week group coming in, my planned vaca with my honey at the end of the month will be well deserved.

A bien tot.
XO

Nat