ENIDRAS IN FRANCE
After visiting the Netherlands,
Enidras, accompanied by Mr Mussel, crosses the North Sea, the Channel, the
Atlantic Ocean and finally arrive in the Mediterranean Sea. They are happy to
find the heat and the sun .... Well, that is what they thought. As soon as they
arrived on the French Riviera, huge storm broke out. Giant waves carry them
here-and-there; they are drawn into the waves and hit incessantly by tree
trunks and branches found in the sea. They swim in the waste left by men;
plastic bags, bottles, remains of food packaging, old shoes .... They are
devastated by this scene of desolation. Suddenly, they are trapped in an old
fishing net! What
a disaster!
Meanwhile, Miss Ray is worried.
She is waiting for her European friends. She goes looking for them braving the
raging storm. Suddenly, she hears the call: "Help! We are
imprisoned!" Miss Ray realizes these are the voices of Enidras and Mr
Mussel. She tries to free them but is unable to, she is too weak...
She hurries to call her friends
orcas and dolphins from Marineland, who rapidly release the sardine and the
mussel.
Suddenly, a gentle voice brings
them back to reality. They listen to this beautiful melody, and are overwhelmed
.... They head toward the voice and at the foot of the old walls perceive a
beautiful mermaid with long blond hair and a long tail with glittering scales,
lying on the rocks. It is a mermaid who took advantage of the storm to escape
the Picasso painting "Ulysses and the Sirens"!
Miss Ray explains to Mr Mussel and Enidras
that fishermen, dressed in their yellow raincoats and their big boots, fish
"poutine"; baby sardines which will be used to cook traditional
dishes like pissalat (used for pissaladière). Enidras looks for comfort from
her friends because she is not very reassured to know these are sardines, like
her.... Fortunately, Miss Ray explains that the sardines must be caught prior
to getting scales and that this fishing, which already existed in the XVIII
Century, only takes place between January and March every year... Enidras is
happy again: her scales are beautiful and shine under the bright sun!
When the eyes of the three
friends finally turn away from the fishermen, they realize that the mermaid has
gone! Determined to find her, they go looking for her.... That's when they
discover a wooden shipwreck almost completely covered by algae ... It must have been there for
a long time... Not very reassured, Enidras, Miss Ray and Mr Mussel
make their way inside the wreck. In a dark corner, they barely see rows of
amphorae, used to transport wine, olive oil and salted fish. In one of them,
they even discover hazelnuts miraculously preserved despite the centuries. By
scratching the soil a bit to remove the sand, they discover pieces of dishes,
pitchers, plates, glasses .... Objects
used by the sailors of the time ..
Suddenly Miss Ray calls her two
friends: "Come and see, I discovered a chest!" Mr Mussel closes his
shell with all his strength and manages to open the chest. With eyes wide open,
they discover a treasure of old coins! Proud of their discovery, they imagine
themselves as archaeologists and immediately think about warning the employees of
the Antibes Archaeological Museum so that everyone can enjoy these treasures!
Heads full of impressions, they
forget about the mermaid and are now heading toward the port of Antibes to have
a well deserved night rest. But they have not yet reached their destination ...
The port is huge, it houses 2,000 boats and is the largest leisure marina in
Europe! Enidras and Mr Mussel admire the beautiful yachts docked on the “quai
des milliardaires”; boats measuring up to 50 meters .... True floating palaces!
Antibes port in 1860
Antibes port in 200
They finally percieve the rocks where they pass the night, quickly fall asleep, with stars in their eyes ... They dream of the storm, of their friends orcas and dolphins from Marineland, of the beautiful mermaid by Picasso, of archaeological treasures from the wreck and imagine they will become rich and live in the beautiful yachts in the port of Antibes ...
They finally percieve the rocks where they pass the night, quickly fall asleep, with stars in their eyes ... They dream of the storm, of their friends orcas and dolphins from Marineland, of the beautiful mermaid by Picasso, of archaeological treasures from the wreck and imagine they will become rich and live in the beautiful yachts in the port of Antibes ...
To be continued…
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