Inspired by Eugène Boudin (1824 – 1898) – Near the beach cabins (1866) – Lead pencil / Watercolour – 4,80 x 9,45 inch

This July in Le Havre is definitely exquisite! An awesome weather, with blue sky, few clouds and mild summer temperatures. I feared spending 4 weeks holidays in the suffocating summer heat and afternoons at the beach with children screaming, sending sand in the eyes, pushing. And of course, the endless parties with friends and the never ending aperitifs or rather aperitifs breaking up with argues, extended statements, depending on the amount of alcohol drunk. No, that was last year’s scenario in Antibes. I hate the south of France!What is great about choosing Le Havre is no one attempted to follow. It feels like we are just us, small family, meaning without the children, but playing scrabble, drinking tea, reading novels, listening to Mozart during the evenings. Tremendous!

This morning, Pierre opened the door to the garden. I headed into the grass with delight, played with the birds, scraped the earth, discovered bulbs, dragged my lengthy body on the terrace. After lunch, in theory, it’s … Yes! I was right, Isabelle put on her hat, carried out her wicker basket filled with a thermos of iced tea, blackcurrant madeleines just coming out of the oven, a summer novel and Monsieur’s newspaper.

No living soul yet, or almost. The bliss of a beach cabin waiting for the retired couple. Isabelle sorts things out. She takes out the folding chairs, the small side table and settles down, a sigh of satisfaction escapes from her mouth as she opens her book to page 69. She fancies romantic stories mixed with police investigations. Daily, sharing a glass of sweet sherry with her husband, she gives him a summary and he listens to her with a distracted ear but shows a half-amused, half-puzzled face. And what about me ? Well I pay real attention to what is said, moving successively both ears. I am very fond of those moments.

Time goes by so quickly. I remained sitted stolidly, a few meters away from the cabin, looking out for seagulls. Out of the blue, I hear “Heliot! Come here ? “. I stand up immediately to join my owners busy wagging my tail.