Writing Again

October 25, 2026

I didn’t think I was going to add to this blog, I thought I had said everything and life had settled into a routine. All that is true but I find myself writing again.

Even my little corner of France has been affected by the manifestations—the protests started by lycéens protesting about the state of the school buildings, lack of teachers, lack of toilets, class sizes. Legitimate protests that have been overtaken by others, have become about the cost of living, have become violent, destructive and criminal.

Seeing the pictures of Nice and other beautiful cities damaged, businesses destroyed and looted is distressing, sickening.

The first I knew was when I turned the corner on 29th September after a pleasant morning walk and wondered if I’d be able to walk past the lycée to my home. There was a crowd of students, some calmly holding homemade protest signs, their demands in felt tip on cardboard, others (the majority) shouting, throwing rocks and fireworks at the school building, setting jumping jacks off in dustbins. A number of police were watching from the bottom of the road. I asked an onlooker what was going on and was told it was a protest.

"They’re just young," he said. "High spirits."

I walked through the mass, they took no notice of me. Although I felt myself ducking when missiles flew about, they were nowhere near me. I got home, a little shaken but more puzzled and confused. It was not something I’d experienced before. That was the first day and the protesters were dispersed an hour later. There was some trouble at a lycée the other side of Menton but nothing since. Nothing like the mayhem seen on the news and social media in other parts of France.

The only sign that it ever happened is blackened melted tarmac on the pavement and road outside the lycée where an industrial bin was set on fire.

The only inconvenience to me was that all the communal rubbish bins were removed to prevent further fires (being good citizens, the residents continued to put their bags of rubbish and recycling separately for the daily collections, just as if the bins were still there). Then after three weeks new bins appeared, all back to normal.

This happened just before I went to Arles with friends. Concerns were raised amongst us about going after similar incidents were reported there and events elsewhere were escalating. Thank goodness we didn’t cancel. It was a great trip, what a beautiful city, fabulous food and great shops. Our hotel https://www.lecalendal.com between the arena and the amphitheatre was the perfect spot for exploring the history from Roman times through medieval to ultra modern. Small enough to walk around but with something of interest at every turn. With a backdrop of bright blue October sky it couldn't have been better.