Belfast, Northern Ireland
Well… I did it.
After 20 months of conscious, consistent, daily preparation, I took a leap of faith that I had done enough and… it was enough.
It was the perfect blend of being invisible and being seen. I couldn’t have asked for more.
Invisible, because I fitted into a highly tuned team led by one of the keenest eyes in all of Highland Dance and received the feedback, “Lisa, to be plain, I haven’t even noticed you.”
Seen, because the enthusiasm and support of dancers more than half my age, as well as friends, colleagues and my family, was real and appreciative for what I had been able to do getting myself back into this team. “Lisa, you are amazing, what you have done here is so inspiring!” was praise that for a few moments I have allowed to wash over myself and receive.
It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, but I can honestly say, when I was standing backstage before the first official show of the Belfast Tattoo in Northern Ireland on Friday 6th September, my legs were supple and free from pain, my mind clear of doubt and razor focused on the choreography and formations needed to uphold my place, and my heart was bursting with adrenaline and pride.
I had moments of flying across the arena feeling like my feet weren’t even touching the ground. I thought moments like that were long in my past. I was wrong.
This whole experience did nothing to dispel my childhood belief that I could do anything I put my mind to… the lesson here has been purely what putting my mind to something really means.
This would not have happened without Cheryl Roach holding the door ajar for me and forever sharing clear standards and expectations. She gave me something well defined to aim for which was essential when the path was rocky and the top of the mountain seemed impossible to reach.
My team – Angela, Liana, Maxine, and especially Andrew Gush – your support of my goals, provision of realistic feedback, and confidence in my potential at 45 gave me more hope than you will ever know.
And my loves… Adam and Isla. Having you there to see me was the highlight.
Paris
Another big adventure was started in our family last January, although this one was fairly innocuous at the time.
Isla pestered us to download Duolingo on her iPad so she could learn French. An initial 10 day streak was achieved easily, and at 30 consecutive days she negotiated successfully for a paid subscription so she had more flexibility and functionality using the app.
At 100 days in a row, Adam jokingly suggested to Isla that if she could do 500 days, we would take her to Paris.
Well… if we were unclear whose daughter she was, in true Barker/Carpenter style (much to our increasing concern about her learning the lesson of ‘doing what you say you are going to do’ through our own actions) she quietly, determinedly, and persistently knocked away at Duolingo every day until she achieved her 500 day streak in early July this year.
And…. True to our word, she was a happy girl in Paris last week!
She ticked off her bucket list –
- Seeing the Eiffel Tower
- Walking the Paris streets eating a Baguette
- Buying a Beret
- Taking a photo of the Louvre
- Imagining she was Ladybug having an adventure with Cat Noir.
She has continued her streak and is now angling for a celebration at the 1000 day milestone… we are being very careful what we commit to this time!
Versailles
Next stop on the adventure is Versailles. Comments I share here may not be representative of the entire Barker-Carpenter clan, so I warn you in advance…
Versailles hit our list due to Isla’s homeschooling and our family viewing of the brilliant family TV show ‘Horrible Histories’.
It was an incredible place to visit. The testosterone and ego energy of both King Louis XIV and Napoleon I was impossible to ignore – rooms and rooms of paintings of men fighting and dying on horseback (could have done with a warning for children?) or yet another angle of their fine selves looking powerful – and it seemed unusual to be appreciating the opulence of the Palais and gardens when the very site was looted in the rising of the French people in the Revolution….
It was something to see however, the gardens were wonderful and Isla enjoyed map reading and taking us to all the main attractions.
Marsailles
A fast train journey took us from Paris to Marseilles. We thoroughly enjoyed the Paris Metro and the 300km/hr TGV, definitely a comfortable and convenient way to travel!
Booking into our AirBnB was a success, even though our exchange of keys was done with almost no common language. Thank goodness for body language and hand signals. Isla’s continued Duolingo streak will serve us even more in the future.
Marseilles brought fresh sea bream to our experience. Both at a resturant on the side of the old port, and then cooked by fabulous Adam at our apartment. The Marseilles food market was dreamy… oh, to be able to wander fresh markets for meals each day in our normal life!
We had a fun morning riding the ‘Brain’ (part Bus/part Train, according to Isla) around the Old Port and up to Basilica of Notre-Dame-of-la-Garde.
Wandering La Panier was a delight, kicking off my growing enjoyment of photographing alleyways. (I won’t bore you with my full range of photos here, however watch out for the opportunity to come to a slide night at home )
We also had a lovely time at Calanque de Sormiou where Isla swam until she was blue and Adam and I enjoyed people (and dog) watching. We were prepared for a 40 min hike down to the beach through the national park, however were pleasantly surprised to find we only had a single lane, cliff side drive with no safety rails. Thank goodness Adam was driving.
Cotignac
Cotignac…. I’m in love.
From the moment we drove into the village, the connection was like the opposite poles of a magnet pulling together.
What a beautiful place. I had some involuntary dreams of a future where I travel to Cotignac each year to work on my next book every morning, before wandering the streets or riding a bicycle around the local region for the rest of the day, eating berries, cheese and baguettes….
(Considering I haven’t written my first book yet, nor that the finances to manage that lifestyle are clear…. Small details. This is how dreams to goals to plans to achievements work. The seed is planted. )
Back to our trip …. This was the first place on our trip where it was clear we weren’t locals, nor that the locals could care any less about our tourist $$$.
We arrived with a car that was too big to drive in the local streets. Adam was incredible as he threaded the needle between buildings, one-way streets. people, dogs and cats as we got our bearings and found our next AirBnB. I can say I absolutely could not have got our car in or out of some of the places we had to drive…. Thank goodness for a confident husband.
All our meals were fresh ingredients eaten as we wandered, or cooked up in our own kitchen. We never did quite get into the rhythm of the locals, who were up late but not too late in the morning, shut shops and rested at lunch when we wanted to sit down to eat, and then opened late in the afternoon unless they decided to shut early. Next time I come back I am determined to find the Cotignac groove….
We had some lovely walks around town and up Le Rocher. This little village was a delight – a definite highlight of our trip.
The French Coast
The final part of our trip had us driving leisurely along the French Coast between Cannes, Nice, and Monaco.
Our short stop in Cannes had Isla with another foot splash in the Mediterranean before we wondered along the foreshore into the seaside centre. Our walk back to the car was done in a light drizzle of rain.
Adam and I lost the car for some time… Isla on the other hand was sure she knew where the car was, had the genius idea of using our baggage AirTag to track it, and was INFURIATED when we finally found the car because she had told us three times each time we walked past it! I don’t think she will ever let us forget it.
We based ourselves in Old Nice and had a lovely apartment a short walk from the beach. Lots more exploring, wandering, eating, and watching.
One day we took a drive to Monaco and had quite the laugh driving around enjoying our glimpses into how the other half live. We drove into Montecarlo behind two black Range Rovers marked with Royal plates, drove on the Formula 1 track, Adam drooled over the high end motor cars cruising the streets, and we saw the harbour filled with super yachts.
Nearly everyone was in beautiful suits, and there was a lovely woman in a green pants suit that was clearly high fashion, which also had echoes of Star Trek.
At one point we were stopped by a policeman at a small roundabout as we were indicating to drive up a tree lined hill. “Non,” he said, “Non, you, down. You go down”. While there were no signs or indications of a problem, we shrugged our shoulders and conformed, yet were confused when the Maserati behind us was waved up. The road turned out to be one to the Palace. Our hybrid Mitsubishi rental obviously didn’t cut it.
We have had a wonderful trip and are now looking forward to be home with our animals and our own beds! What an adventure it has been.
After so much preparation, planning, and hard work for Belfast and the intent we set for our time away as a family, it has all been even more than we could have hoped.
I have a wonderful husband, a delight of a daughter, and it is wonderful doing life with them. Time to get home, reset, and to open to what is coming next.
