Causeway Islands Park.  November 2012.  Paul Goldfinger photo

We had parked at one of those beaches along the causeway to Sanibel.  A van was resting by the water’s edge. A woman was fishing. She seemed so relaxed, just looking out at the water.  After a while she went inside.  I was curious and walked over, not approaching too closely. The license plate said Quebec.   Just then she came outside and lit a cigarette.  She looked in my direction.

“Hi,” I said.  She smiled and said hello.  I asked her how the fishing was, but I quickly found out that she spoke very little English. I managed  to muster up a little high school French—bonjour, oui oui, ou est, tres bien, smile, smile, etc.  I learned that she was from France—she was having fun here, but the conversation soon fizzled.

But it was nice to meet her anyhow; I was impressed with her mode of vacationing and how much she was enjoying the simple pleasures of Florida. We were in France a few times, and I found the French to be pretty laid back.  That’s thought to be partly why they have fewer heart attacks–ie the French paradox—even though they do smoke a lot over there.

Here’s a little something in French—by Eartha Kitt