We’re two weeks into this adventure. Le temps passe vite–time flies!

On Saturday, June 6 we took a long walk to Parc Longchamp, where centuries ago an engineer devised the means of bringing fresh water to the city. There had been a plague due to unsafe water, and he solved the problem with his ingenuity.

It was breathtaking to turn the corner and see such an amazing sight, the largest fountain I have ever seen. (See the title image on this page for the entire view that lay before us.)

We climbed the stairs to find another impressive view in the opposite direction. That is Notre Dame de la Garde that you see on the highest point in the distance.

There is a “zoological garden” that stretches for several hundred meters behind the fountain. Years ago there was a zoo there, but now it is simply a warren of pathways where one can stroll apart from the city streets. We saw a group doing yoga in a gazebo and another group that was working out using exercise straps. The paths run through former animal enclosures and cages. It was obvious that the philosophy of the zoo in those times was not the same as today, where animals are provided habitats as close to their natural origins as possible.

We stopped at the Old Port to get some lunch, but it was so crowded, we decided to move on to our own neighborhood, but not before I spied this couple of buskers on the street. (Buskers perform on city streets, usually for money. Remember Bert in “Mary Poppins?” He was a busker.) I love spying these in the big cities, and it’s worth a Euro or two to take their picture. Their sign translates to: “My child was born on the autism spectrum and we need a lot of therapy. Thank you.”

Home for lunch and work/rest in the afternoon. In the evening we returned to Lulo Bar, where we knew a little more about ordering the tapas we had there last week. Since the seating is right at the top of the Cours Julien stairs, there is a cool breeze. Last week our waitress was from Scotland. This time our waiter was from Colombia. Not unlike the international wait staff we encounter at the Lake Okoboji resorts back home.

June 7…While my family returned to the Kleber Church for worship, I decided to attend the All Saints Anglican Church near the Old Port. It was wonderful to share worship in English with this small congregation, using liturgy that is familiar to me as a Lutheran. (It all goes way back to the Book of Common Prayer.) The priest was a substitute that day, but the group happily helped their friend celebrate the 60th anniversary of his ordination, with champagne and simple hors d’oeuvres afterward. Now that’s a different way to have coffee hour!

David Pickering (visiting priest) shared a little bit about his vocational career with me. His wife Christine Portman has also assisted in ministry as a religious teacher, and she is a spiritual director. (I suspect she does a lot more than that, but that is as far as we got.) We have a spiritual direction vocation in common, and we spoke a bit about our beloved online communities. She assisted David in worship this time. What a lovely couple dedicated to serving God through ministry in the Marseille area during their retirement.

I also visited at length with another delightful couple, Gemma (a vet tech in Australia) and her partner Josh, who does research on enzymes at Aix Marseille University. I was fascinated by his description of his work. Who knows what impact his efforts may have at some point? He told me that there is much to be discovered about how enzymes work. Half the fun of traveling is meeting interesting people like these new friends! I truly experienced the light of Christ through them.

After saying goodbye, I walked a few blocks to the Vieux Port and found Le Meteor brasserie, where I ordered an Alsatian type of flatbread, with a creme sauce, cheese and lardons, chopped bacon. Such a lovely sunny day to have an aperol spritz along with my tarte flambée.

Next I walked several blocks to Le Cathedrale de la Major. The present structure was erected as a basilica only about 130 years ago.

I sat quietly in the nave for a while, then again in a chapel dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Exploring a bit more, I noted the statue of Veronica wiping the face of Jesus, which I recognized from the stations of the cross we follow during Lent.

Whenever I visit the cathedrals in Europe, I like to imagine the many people who have worshiped there, from the buildings’ beginnings up to the previous Sunday. We are all united in the great company of Jesus’ followers. As I received communion in All Saints with the other worshipers both local and foreign, I was moved to tears again as I felt the love of Jesus drawing us all together in gratitude for his mercy.

In his homily during worship, Rev. Pickering connected the theme of resurrection in the lectionary texts for the day. Not only does Jesus have authority over physical life and death, he is also the embodiment of creating new life out of the deadliness of despair, sin, and the other sufferings of human life. I appreciated how he brought the fruits of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22 into the conversation by describing how resurrection happens wherever love overcomes hate, joy replaces despair, peace replaces the violence we do to each other, and so on. (These were not his words, but he told me that these fruits were the source of his remarks about resurrection that can be detected in everyday life.)

His inspiring words resonated with my thoughts about experiences I have had here that also have that resurrection energy. Lovely interactions such as the butcher in the farmers market who was so enthusiastic about selling his wares. (I certainly enjoyed the pâté en croûte he sold me. It is a kind of meet mixture with a crust around it, sliced and sold individually.)

There was the young woman in the same market who was delighted to see Sydney in her stroller and asked for her name before weighing my legumes, my vegetables. Or the college student who directed me to a vending machine where I could buy a bottle of water for the hike adjacent to the campus. The waitress who cheerfully served me the least dry white wine when I requested it. The ladies at La Fournée, the corner patîsserie, who patiently endure our broken French even though they seem so very busy. The wonderful older grocer at Fran Prix who has found gluten free options for us, and opened the drawer under his vegetable display to show us the freshest potatoes there. The man in the pavilion at the park who gestured and spoke slowly enough for me to understand his instructions to find an ATM.

Life abundant, that is what Jesus promises us, and offers us every day in the ordinary moments of life if we open our eyes and hearts to recognize it. Somewhat like noticing the amazing tessellation on the floor of the cathedral, so easy to miss but truly gorgeous, as well as a connection to other ancient religious art. We often say we should look up for inspiration, but sometimes it is as close as what is beneath our feet…

…or holding our hand as we climb and count the stairs. Abundant life wherever we go!