TANGO ON THE NIGER?
Robyn, the girl who always wore a gardenia in her hair, the most glamorous creature I had ever met, (see Djenne home coming diary of Oct 18, 2010) is still fabulous, as you can see. This picture may seem a mystery – it does not have much to do with Mali or Djenne Djenno, granted… But there are not only one, but two reasons why it graces this entry:
One reason is that Robyn and I spent a few days several decades ago at a Health farm called Champneys at Tring. I am now writing this from another Champneys, this time in Lincolnshire, where I am spending a few days to get into shape for what will probably be a difficult new season. I alternate between the steam room, the pool, the Pilates lessons, the ‘aqua-jog’ and the Jacuzzi. And then I spend some time on my computer finalizing what will be the first website for the town of Djenne. OMATHO- the Malian Office of Tourism- has been pestering me for years to help them so I have worked with my website designer and we are nearly there. More later…
The second reason for the picture is that I stopped by at Birgit’s in Amsterdam on my way back to the UK. There I made the acquaintance of a young woman whose father runs Ball-room dancing holidays. He has just taken a small group to the south of France for a week’s Tango holiday. Now this might be something! She promised to talk to him about the possibility of extending his journeys further southwards… I can just see us tangoing in the garden or on the sunset terrace! A week’s tango classes followed by TANGO ON THE NIGER as we tango our way to Mopti and Timbuktu. Yes! Yes? Yes!