I grew up on Ré Island (Ile de Ré), in France. It is a small island in the Atlantic sea, north from Bordeaux. The region is famous for its salt, oysters and muscles, wine, Pineau des Charentes and Cognac, and its long nice beaches of yellow sand and fresh water. Very touristic in the summer, the island is quiet and calm during the winter.
I then traveled and settled a bit in different cities in France for my studies, traveled and settled a bit more in other countries in Europe developing my research career and Fidel’s one, and ended up in Singapore. One very small city-state in Southeast Asia. Exotic, multi-asean-culti, exciting, crowded and busy all around the clock, this island is 10 times Ile de Ré, has a 7am-7pm dark light cycle all year, 26 to 32°C and 70 to 90% humidity all year without strong seasons, so this was a radical change.
After almost 10 years, I exiled in Mount Desert Island in Maine, an island 3 to 4 times bigger than Ile de Ré, very touristic in summer, very very cold and quiet during the winter… Dr. Freud, anything to say?
*”Island stories”, in French language
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