Joie de Vivre Moments - French Cat and London Lemonade

Joie de vivre, a feeling of great happiness and enjoyment of life. 

How marvelous it is to curiously explore new places. In adopting the pace of a flâneur, casually ambling through cities, villages, and countrysides, joie de vivre moments reveal themselves. Little, larger, or life-changing, these unanticipated moments stop my tracks with something sweetly unusual, bewildering, fascinating. Concentration is required, rather than autopilot, to decipher this befuddlement. What am I seeing/hearing/smelling/feeling/tasting here? I don't understand. Do I have a frame of reference for this? What is going on? I like this! My curiosity is definitely piqued by what I consider a learning moment, a challenge, and so very often a petite plaisir, a little pleasure.

Or a big one. You never know. That's the fun of stumbling upon a joie de vivre moment. 

Examples of these intriguing moments are: the first time driving on the left side of the road (if that is new to you), learning to greet strangers with bonjour or buongiorno (and they respond in kind), passing mile upon mile upon mile of centuries old rock walls in Ireland's farmland (think of the hands and backs involved in gathering and laying all those stones), ubiquitous ancient castles strategically perched high in the crags (the history within those mighty fortresses), a full, honey-colored moon hovering above a hilltop Italian village (what this little village may have experienced in her lifetime?), and bell-tower bells counting the time, marking events, ringing invitations to pause together through those emotive ding-dongs.

Or, a joie de vivre moment can be as simple and as mystifying as a tethered cat.

Dogs tethered on ropes or leashes I have seen. I understand dogs need to be restrained. Horses, too, in certain circumstances.

But cats? 

One sunny morning in France, my husband, Tom, and I were strolling the streets of old Beynac, the ancient village just outside the walls of the castle, admiring architecture, shops, little restaurants, and galleries when suddenly I saw an intent feline, watching the world go by. Then, I noticed the leash. That is the moment my mind had to consciously catalogue what it saw. I stood there, transfixed, as my mind's gears and wheels did their work.

Questions immediately came to mind. Why? What would happen if the cat had no tether? Would it run away? Would it hurt someone or damage something? Was the cat not at its regular home but being cared for away from home thus requiring restraint for some reason? Was the cat ill? Was there a danger to the cat against which it was being protected?

No sure answers appeared for there was no one to ask nor was any information available.

Who cares that I don't know the why, I thought? This was the discovery of something unusual. 

A cat on a leash seems insignificant, I know, but the uniqueness of it jolted me with wonder. No, seeing a leashed kitty didn't make me happy. It was that I'd never seen it before, this scene before me. That cat was perfectly content, a pretty animal. My mind was bathed in the clarity of the brand new, the wonder-full. Here something completely foreign introduced itself to me. I saw all of it, without presumption. The child-like quality of my encounter conceived enjoyment.

A single month-long trip contains dozens of moments like this if I include even smaller things like counting out foreign money - each time a little less challenging - discovering new-to-me products while doing everyday shopping in supermarkets (toothbrushes with replaceable heads), the differences in the working of paid parking devices (why can't they all be the same?), and the deliciousness of street-vendor crépes.

Another example of a joie de vivre moment which intruded upon me all of a sudden, ocurrred while I was pleasantly engaged in conversation around a table in a little pub in London. An ordered glass of refreshing lemonade arrived by a busy server's hand. I had automatic expectations of how it would look and taste. As I absent-mindedly chatted, I took a sip. Brain jolt!. What is this?  I froze as my focus naturally went into deduction mode. What is this delicious flavor I have never experienced until this very minute? It is lemon, yes, but so light. Such tiny bright bubbles. My mind immediately began to process my questions and answers to pin down my personal conclusions, what is different, what is the same, do I like it? 

I more than like it, I love it. This is not like American lemonade, but it is every bit as tasty and refreshing.

The world slows nearly to a stop during joie-de vivre moments. Collisions with merry unexpectedness change me. Forever. Life's innate drudgery ebbs away replaced by color, brightness, happy satisfaction. Yes, even little things like counting foreign money, never heard of products in the aisles of French big-box stores, and  paying for parking while others wait for me to figure out the curmudgeonly machine. 

Eyes to see and ears to hear. A tongue to taste and skin to feel. A nose to smell. Soak in those moments, my friends. They are the sugar and spice of life.

More joie de vivre moments to come, including my encounter with French parking machines.

Bonne Journée, mes amis!

* photo of lemonade was taken in Sarlat, France, but London lemonade is just as lovely