A Stream, A River - 1 April 2011

Friday, 1st April, 2011 

Spring is moving fast and we decide to visit a stream about 2 miles from here. We had passed it a couple of weeks ago and it’s still talking to us. For me it’s something about the bank and the way the trees lean out over the water. A phrase from Leonard Cohen’s song, Suzanne I think, “they will lean that way forever,” plays in my mind. And indeed, revisiting this place on foot today there is a timeless quality. Once again these little glimpses gives us enough to work with for half an hour. Then we walk on. We hear what sounds like a big river a hundreds yards away and walk towards it and as we do, I feel  something menacing, almost malevolent about this place. Another few steps and we are hit by a heavy scent, so strong it catches in the throat. What plant could that be? And then I realize it’s probably one of the factories in Grasse, which is the perfume capital of Europe. This river is coming down the mountain from Grasse and is carrying, perhaps, some sort of run off from one the perfume “plants” a blend of tobacco, earth and laundry detergent. We’re out of there. With great relief we walk back to our serene stream.

These are the early days in spring when I feel that the "air turns green" and I'm drawn to trying to describe this moment in photographs of utter simplicity.

Maggie is a perfect fit.