Uzès, South of France - second Lockdown on All Saints' Day

Nov 02, 2020, 06:51 PM

Recorded by Claire Maurel.

"Sunday 1st of november at noon in a small city in the south of France, quite touristy during high seasons. Today is All Saints Day, it is also the second lockdown in France. I'm walking around the beautiful city square. It is deserted today. 

"One can only hear the sound of the big fountain and the ringing of the church bells, there is few people chatting in the background. It is a day of ancient tradition. 

"Yet, the cloudy sky, and silence amplify a strange feeling of unprecedented and lingering threat. Pandemic. Lockdown. Terrorist attacks. Those terrible words are in every head, in every home. The sounds of the fountain and the bells have been there forever, going through wars and disasters. 

"They are a comforting lullaby that reminds us that everything passes, and beauty remains, always.

"In the Christian tradition, today celebrates the known and unknown saints. Believers or not, Christian or not, today is a day of Faith and Hope. I light a candle back home for everyone of us."

Part of the StayHomeSounds project to map and reimagine the sounds of the Covid-19 lockdowns.