I wake up shamefully late in Menerbes. But this morning it’s the sun who snuggles down into a white feather doona like the one on my bed and refuses to come out until noon.
Hoping he’ll sleep for some time I grab my camera and hurry up the hill into the oldest part of the village. Not for the view – the cloud is so thick you can’t see over the ramparts – but for the narrow laneways, stone wall houses, the 12th century church and cemetery. In this misty light the medieval village looks ominous and moody.
Photography is all about light. I like the way the fog hides things. It reflects and diffuses. Fog and mist don’t usually create shadows. They hide things with light.
This paradoxical thought comes to me as I’m photographing the cross in front of the church. The very church the Catholics battled to regain in the Wars of Religion.
And right there I have my own writing epiphany. Connections are made. Religion and The Light. Dark as the absence of light, yet light is not the absence of dark. Evil hidden in the open. These connections resonate with the writing I’ve been doing in powerful and illuminating ways I’m only starting to unravel. You’ll forgive me for not being more specific. It’s going to take me the writing of a whole novel to understand them.
The Writers' Life 
Wow! Layers of memory in those wonderfully atmospheric pics. Love the idea of the sun snuggling, too.
Anne, this village has as many layers as the mille feuille pastry specialty of the region. Archaeological, geographical, historical, architectural, cultural, religious, artistic, gastronomical… Every day I discover some new layer and what’s incredibly exciting is how they all resonate.
Re The Light: If you can get your hands on Old and New Testament Commentaries you’ll be able to follow the symbolism of light all the way through, appropriate bible verses given, comments etc. I look forward to your novel. Will it have one of your captivating doorways or windows to let in the light?
That’s a great tip, thank you, Anne. How will the light come in? Mmm… I’m just writing away to find out.
I love the nature of your epiphany, Karen – darkness the absence of light; evil hidden in the light; evil the absence of good. Wow! Your mind has been traversing the ancient pathways, alleys and turrets of Menerbes and soaking up the moody atmosphere to great effect. So excited to hear your are contemplating a novel.
Me, a novel!? Who would have thought? The shape of the narrative appeared all by itself after I’d immersed myself in days of free writing. There are too many subplots, all converging, for the short story form.
Is evil the absence of good? I’m going to enjoy thinking about that one. Thank you, Di.