It's been a funny old weekend. I, like millions of others, have spent this month tuned into what is occurring on the roads of France in the Tour de France. France feels homely still. I have always felt a sense of allegiance to anywhere in which I have spent a great deal of time, be that here at home in Flitwick, or at University in Canterbury, or now indeed in France. When something happens in one place, I feel affected by it. I immensely enjoyed my year abroad, and I know that the same can be said for the large majority of those who have done the same experience. Yesterday was the 14th July, or Bastille Day; the French national day where everyone is 'en fete', they sing and dance and enjoy spectacular events.
However, the weekend began in tragedy. On Friday night a train crashed on the outskirts of Paris just as people were heading home to celebrate the holiday. This weekend I spent the weekend in Shropshire visiting a friend, but on the way I picked up a French newspaper 'Libération' which moved me to tears as I sat in Kings Cross station. I've translated the editorial from the newspaper:
A train accident as bad as the one at Brétigny, the day of the start of the holidays, represents a national tragedy. For their victims and their families, for the railway community but also for the entire country. We'll remember the emotion on Guilaume Pepy's the CEO of SNCF for a long time and his tears live on television as he visited the accident site. The train, more than any other form of transport, belongs to the history of the nation, and this tragedy touches all the French, who are all, one day or another passengers on the SNCF. The train is taken daily by tens of thousands of us without concern of its safety. And, in that aspect, the SNCF has an excellent record which it, and it's workers take in pride. Fatal accidents have been quite rare over recent years, which makes the exceptional accident at Brétigny even more tragic. At the moment it would be inappropriate to speculate what the cause of the accident was, and a full and transparent inquiry must be held, not to do so would be to damage the confidence of the SNCFs users.
The newspaper did not make for easy reading with headlines such as "Dans ce wagon, il y a surement des enfants". But major events, both good and bad rally a nation together and this was seen in France (in the negative event situation) and at the Olympic Games in London (in the positive aspect). It almost made the celebrations to come over the weekend much more poignant.
In truth, I've always liked France, their language and their culture (I'm in the wrong degree if I don't), and so have always tried to read French newspapers. But now I feel in a small way I share in their events both good and bad. On the night of the 14th July I watched a wonderful classical music concert at the base of the Eiffel Tower 'Le Concert de Paris' on TV5Monde which was followed by a wonderful firework display, despite feeling incredibly tired, I felt a feeling of joy.
I don't know if others feel a similar way, but perhaps once you've lived somewhere and you've moved away, you've never truly left. A piece of you remains, and a piece of it remains in you.
