Saintes Maries De La Mer

oh so many stories i could tell of this place & my short time there. it was important for me & i want to go back.
i got to know a manouche family who i’d visit & chat with by their caravan in the parking lot (the town’s parking lots were full of cars, trailers, caravans for the festival). they invited us in for coffee one time & for a fire at night.
i fell in love with their dwarf goat…yes you read right- dwarf goat. sweetest thing ever. they also had a nasty dog that barked loudly & a big goose that really protected them.
i felt a reals ense of connection there, contrary to what most people say of roma, being exclusive & impossible to get close to. i was often asked if i was roma or part so that may have helped. of course them alot of the men are huge flirts, but that’s french & spanish men too. even the little boys would approach me & light up a smoke, act all suave & tough when they came up to my waist! well, like i said, i could tell a very long story about this place…but i’ll stop here.
a visit to saintes maries to see sainte sarah & the sea – go if you can & be open & respectful & alert. there are wonderful stories to hear, music to hear & people to meet. there are also people there just to pickpocket & rob the tourists. there are way too many people taking photos of gypsy families without giving anything in return. that’s why, sadly, i have no photos of this trip. only in my mind…and they are beautiful.