Amitié

In Fougères, a medieval city encircled by stone ramparts, where the original castle still stands but the marsh that once surrounded it has long since been covered by cobblestones, we gathered around a table for lunch. Our Rotarian hosts poured wine and talked about the finer points of American and French culture.

"I love America," the president, Jean-Claude, told us. He talked about the apartment his wife's sister has in Boca Raton and how much he enjoyed visiting Los Angeles and New York. "After September 11th, I visited one of the firehouses near Ground Zero." Here, he paused, les larmes aux yeux (tears in his eyes). "I gave them a flag from our Rotary club and said that la France recognized their bravery." He reflected for a moment. "You see, there has always been this connection between the French and Americans, this amitié – friendship."

The conversation flowed elsewhere as we moved from roast duck to strawberry tarts, from full red wine to strong black coffee, but the sentiment hung in the air. After the meal, we progressed to the country home of Armand Tuffin, French general and friend of George Washington, who came to the aid of America during the Revolutionary War. Our Rotarian hosts lead us to the field behind the stone house where a two-hundred year old magnolia tree towered above the green field.

"This was a gift from George Washington to Armand Tuffin," said Jean-Claude. " Here, American soil has blended with French soil."

We admired the vielle dame. In places, her bark crumbled beneath our fingers, but blossoms still covered her branches. Jean-Claude cupped a bud in his hand, waving us closer and smiling.

"You see, even now, our friendship blooms."

After paying our respects, we returned to the van. We crossed green fields, where cows grazed and grey moss spanned stone walls, arriving at last at one of the American cemeteries that mark this part of France. So close to Normandy, where American troops stormed the beaches during the second world war, it is the final resting place of those who gave their lives for the Allied cause, the soldiers whose blood once blended with French soil.

We knelt and touched the earth. The white crosses, each etched with the name and state of the fallen, shone brightly against the green lawn.

"This," Jean-Claude swept an arm across the expanse of the more than 4,000 graves. "This is amitié."

* * *

On Saturday, we spent the day at the annual conference for District 1650. We were enthusiastically welcomed by the Rotarians of the district and even performed our own Floridian version of the Beach Boys’ hit, California Girls. The theme of the conference focused on Rotary’s humanist role in the international community, and we were honored to take participate in the event.