Travel isn’t complete without learning about totally unexpected things. Like Qigong.

This Must be Uzès.

Qigong is a Chinese alternative healthcare practice integrating physical postures, breathing techniques, and a focused mind. It’s kin to Tai Chi and Karate, but the body movements are gentler and much slower.

I would never have thought I’d be exposed to Qigong while in France. However, a new friend, Bernard, spoke about it, then demonstrated it when we spent the morning at the public park near my neighborhood.

Bernard and I met yesterday in the alleyway beside my apartment. I stopped him to ask for directions to the recycling center. He didn’t know about the trash since he was also a visitor to Uzes. But he did know about some places the locals go, like the park.

Bernard speaks English well enough for us to converse easily, and he loves to talk. Most conveniently, he is a retired elementary school French teacher, so he was willing to help me learn a few essential words and phrases in French. Within a few minutes of meeting, Bernard and I were fast friends. So today, I joined him on his walk to the nearly hidden public park.

Hidden playground
Getting to the park required only a short walk down the main street of Uzes and a climb down a very rocky, steep hill. At the bottom of the hill, the path led to an abandoned, crumbling gristmill and a small waterfall fed by the L’Eure River.

Vallée de l’Eure, Uzès

In a few more yards, the path led through the woods and opened into a public park. 

On weekends the park must be crowded, but there were very few people in sight this day.

Within minutes of getting to the flat, grassy area, I was lying flat on my back, gazing through the leaves toward the blue and white sky.

Could life get any better than this?

Qigong lesson
While I was sky-gazing, Bernard stood not too far away and started waving his hands and arms as if going into a trance. I remembered he had told me about Qigong, so I wasn’t the least alarmed at his behavior. In fact, when he finished a few of the hypnotic, dance-like movements, I got up from where I sitting and asked him to show me a few simple Qigong poses.

He kindly obliged my request and led me to my first Qigong lesson.

Dejeuner and an art show
Energized from the morning’s hike and my introduction to Qigong, I invited Bernard for lunch at a Thai restaurant downtown. It seemed fitting we should stay in an Asian mood.

We chose the fixe prix menu with fish as the “plat” (main course). I had a salad with shredded chicken for the “entree” (first course). Bernard ordered the “egg rolls with pork and vegetables. All in all, the meal was tasty but not fabulous. The wait staff and surroundings, however, were excellent.

Art show crashers
When no one knows you, and you don’t speak the language, you can barge into a private art exhibit, right? They’d have to physically throw you out if you didn’t understand “Where’s your invitation?” in French. That’s the confidence I had strolling into an art gallery later in the afternoon. It was really their fault I showed up uninvited. They had a live band playing so loudly that I had to check where it came from. Right?

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Another treat to cap off the day!

To find out more about Qigong, visit:
Qigong
Note: Bernard has left Uzes to visit family in Nimes, then returned to his home along the French border of Germany. Merci mon ami et adieu