Fireworks and Feelings

We have had a big week-long international arts and technology festival in our local town, La Ferte Bernard, with an emphasis on robotics. The boys loved it as there were stands all over the place where you could remotely control the robots and get them to do things. Plus the town square was converted into bouncy castle heaven with about 10 different things for them to expend their energy on. On the last day, yesterday, there was a big fireworks display down by Le Lac (loch/lake) in the evening. It was supposed to start at 10pm and the evening was warm and balmy, the Lac was mirror calm and the scent from the mock oranges was super sweet in the air. A very large crowd gathered on the banks, mostly families, and we waited. Then, about 10.30pm the music from the loudspeakers stopped and everyone waited expectantly. The air seemed charged with anticipation. Then, into the black of the evening came the sound of ‘No More I Love Yous’ from Annie Lennox and I came over all emotional and had tears filling my eyes. There we were, on a beautiful evening, watching a beautiful fireworks display, surrounded by happy French folk, feeling very foreign, listening to the lilt of a Scottish voice, and what seemed like a million miles from friends and family. No I wasn’t homesick but I did feel very emotional.