4th rv a traveler's memoirs- sea fever 2

         Sea fever

                     

                 2.
 As depicted before, he made a round trip to the seashore,
from the south through the east till the west of his country, South Korea. 
Looking back upon the past days and nights on a European journey,

he would not deny that it was the little sea cherished in his mind

that enticed him to do so.
However, in case of his first overseas travel toward Europe,  he was
a bit surprised to think that it was a word of 'Bohemians' that lured him
into the long flight alone. The word was kept in his mind's backpack 
throughout the journey ,If any backpack traveler will read the passage
'below', he will be sure to love the word  of' Bohemians'
"Bohemians and the Gypsies, in the most prevalent perceptions of both,
shared some characteristics. Both groups are known for their vagabond
lifestyle, for their merry poverty, for their disregard of money for the pursuit
of music, color, and relationships. They are groups that have different
priorities than the dominant cultures of their societies..."

Bohemia is a region of Czech Republic; the nomadic, often vilified, group
called the Gypsies or Romany are called "bohemiens" in French. 
He knew  well  through books that this word come to describe the poor artists
of Paris in the nineteenth century.
While staying comfortably in a hotel in London, the name of which
he forgot, but didn't forget the alluring tea fragrance,
he was reminded of the word, and even regarded himself
as a bohemia, asking to himself:
Then what is different between me and them?
Bohemians have different priorities than the dominant cultures
of their societies? Me, too.
They ignore money for the pursuit of music and color? So do I.
As you know, I hated to have a job and yearned for the artistic life.
Into the bargain, I resemble Rip Van Winkle in that I am a good-for-nothing.
Then what is different them and me?

But, at the same time, he  criticized himself, thinking
that he is not a true Bohemian, but a pretended Bohemian
who has a steady income but chooses to live in Bohemia
for the fun of it.

In London, he was greatly fortunate that he happened to encounter,
at a roadside bookstall, 'Café Society', which since then has been
kept in his study as one of his favorite book. Reading the passage,
below, of the book in London, he came to be impatient to go to
Paris to step inside the 'Café Lapin' in Montmartre :
In the cafes of Montmartre, Modigliani met painters who were
looking for new ways of representing the visual world. They
were called 'La Bande a Picasso'. At one time or another
the members of this casual fraternity included Andre Derain,
Marice Vlaminck, Georges Braque, Juan Gris.......Many of the artists
who went to the Lapin liked to think themselves as Bohemian

In Paris, in the Café Lapin Agile at the entrance to Montmartre,
a waiter was kind to say to me in English," This bar founded in 1860 
was and remains a haunt of unknown artist. Picasso, Utrillo and Modigliani
were patrons at one time. Picasso painted 'Au Lapin Agile' and gave
the painting to the bar owner who later sold it, 1920, for USD 20." 
And the waiter added a question looking him in the face with a smile,
" Are you from Japan? We Parisians welcome Japanese. As you know, 
Henri de Lautrec, the painter of 'Moulin rouse' loved Japanese woodblock
paintings"
He thanked the waiter for  the episodes he told and, of course,
replied politely, " I am not a Japanese, but a Korean".
More than anything else, he happily remember the sweet voice of
an old French seated facing him in the Lapin. He introduced himself 
as a retired taxi-driver  and added, " I hoped to be a poet in my
youth, You know Apolinaire?
Moon replied ," Yes, I read one of his poems, 'Le Pont Mirabeau'.
and asked smiling," Would you recite the poem here?"
Below was the first phrase of the poem he recited:
Sous le pont Mirabeau coule la Seine
Et nos amours
Faut-il qu'il m'en souvienne
La joie venait toujours après la peine
Vienne la nuit sonne l'heure
 Les jours s'en vont je demeure
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