Wow! I had a similar experience with Michel's tale of adventure in Quintana Roo. But I happened upon the book in a Goodwill not long ago - after our time spent living in Puerto Morelos. It was just as thrilling of a read after knowing how much the coast has changed in those short 60 years. If you're familiar with Cancun, Cozumel, and Belize you will definitely want to read this book. If you're not, it's just as intriguing. Thank you Jeanine!
Hola Jennifer!! So great you too found Lost World. Such a great book, the real adventure deal. It boggles the mind to think how primitive it was.Thanks for reading, como siempre, and your fantastic support. Xo
Thanks Mike. Yes, putting yourself out there must up the ante on life’s adventures. And serendipity—is that luck mixed with fairy dust? Because it usually does stir the pot, and in a good way.
Wow, Jeanine, this is an amazing adventure story! Thanks for posting it. I will try to find the out-of-print book online so I can read it. Best regards.
Thanks Mikel. Truly it is amazing. And when he mentioned Puerto Morelos in the book, it just seemed—like serendipity. Some libraries carried it long ago. I’d scoured second hand stores for the book store to have a few copies. Then those all got passed around town bc everyone wanted to read it!
Thanks Lucinda. You know, I am thinking that more and more as I condense my memoir, of all the wonderful people we've met, and like, why us? I guess we were just ready for it.
What an amazing story! Both Michel's and yours. Life is incredible when it serves up these kinds of connections. Thanks so much for sharing this, Jeanine.
Oh, you are very welcome, Claire. Meeting George (and finding out Michel's TRUE backstory!) was unbelievable. George had gone to the Sorbonne too, right after the war (WWII), both he and Ferlinghetti could use their veterans bill to go to a domestic or foreign university--they chose the Sorbonne! And for George, the rest was written in stone--he bought Shakespeare from original owner, Sylvia Beach, who stood up to the Nazis and hid all her fabulous books, who befriended ee cummings and published him, who was friends w/ Gertrude Stein, Hemingway et al. And then she sold the store as she aged to George!! And now his daughter, Sylvia (namesake-Sylvia Beach) and her husband run the bookshop.
What a fascinating tale! It's amazing how small the world is for kindred spirits. Thank you for sharing this incredible story, Jeanine. It is very inspiring.
Thank you Paulette. Serendipity indeed.And our sweet new CA friend will play a part in mentoring us by giving tips and tricks on storing books in any kind of weather. Thanks for reading!
Thank you Clarice. It truly is. We were wild about Mexico and surprisingly, many ‘older’ people we met had either had their own Mexican adventures or their parents did. I think it’s bc CA shares the border and it’s an easy trip. How’s your hand doing?
Yes, Michel was really something. I felt so honored that he reached out to me to thank me for the review. And also his life shows how adventure and travel can influence our future choices. His went 180 degrees!
Really love this piece about your Mexico/Yucatan adventure! Destiny can't be denied! What a thrilling sequence of events for you. I have read this Lost World book (thanks to you!) and definitely found it fascinating. The spirit and resolve of Michel, completely unprepared, to just keep on going in the face of many, often frightening, challenges was remarkable. Thankfully, he was rewarded in finding humanity and honor in the Maya who helped him, and those incredible ancient cities he discovered, and the many other discoveries and exeriences he had along the way. What an amazing life he lived! I must re-read this book. Another thrilling piece from you--Thanks!
Thank you, Barbra. You are too kind. The thing I love is I somehow continue to stumble onto things connected to the Maya world. An all the better if they’re a bit offbeat and not common knowledge. It’s great because I learn something and can share with others.
Wow, how fascinating! Reading Michel’s story, I couldn’t help but think how much the world has changed – it’s probably still possible to have such an adventure today but significantly more difficult in our interconnected world. And his time wasn’t all that long ago… anyway, thanks so much for sharing!
Meeting George was fantastic. He was quite a character. He asked if we needed a place to stay (he had beds in the bookstore everywhere) but we were staying in a darling little place, Hotel Esmeralda, right around the corner. So then he asked us to Sunday tea. His stories were amazing. The next time we were in Paris we again went to Sunday tea. Loved having had the chance to meet him, Priya.
I visited the store again last year after 6-7 years. There was a queue to get in because it was the holiday season. The store was as charming as ever! I imagine, with Whitman playing host, it must’ve been doubly so.
It really has changed, Priya. George died in 2011 (Sylvia was kind enough to let us know and sent a photo of the funeral procession, in Pere LaChaise, a fitting final resting spot for George). In time Sylvia added the coffeeshop around the corner, and when we were last there, 2019, it was simply bonkers. So many people and the queue. So weird. When we first met George, 2002, the store, truly!, was empty. He was sitting on that raised dais, an older gentleman in a worn business suit, and sharp as a tack. When he asked where we were from, I was trying to throw him off- by saying Quintana Roo. (No one knew Quintana Roo). Imagine my surprise when he had - gasp- BEEN there! We bonded immediately. After telling him about Alma Libre, he talked to everyone who came in and announced we were "founders" of a bookstore in Mexico. I'd always said before that, that we opened a bookstore in MX, but I liked the word founder. What he taught me was to make connections btwn the customers in the store, introduce them to each other, and see the conversations begin. He was one of a kind. And also, kind.
Wow! I had a similar experience with Michel's tale of adventure in Quintana Roo. But I happened upon the book in a Goodwill not long ago - after our time spent living in Puerto Morelos. It was just as thrilling of a read after knowing how much the coast has changed in those short 60 years. If you're familiar with Cancun, Cozumel, and Belize you will definitely want to read this book. If you're not, it's just as intriguing. Thank you Jeanine!
Hola Jennifer!! So great you too found Lost World. Such a great book, the real adventure deal. It boggles the mind to think how primitive it was.Thanks for reading, como siempre, and your fantastic support. Xo
Wonderful, isn't it, how serendipitous life can be. This is especially true if you travel. What a great story, thank you for writing and sharing it!
Thanks Mike. Yes, putting yourself out there must up the ante on life’s adventures. And serendipity—is that luck mixed with fairy dust? Because it usually does stir the pot, and in a good way.
Wow, Jeanine, this is an amazing adventure story! Thanks for posting it. I will try to find the out-of-print book online so I can read it. Best regards.
Thanks Mikel. Truly it is amazing. And when he mentioned Puerto Morelos in the book, it just seemed—like serendipity. Some libraries carried it long ago. I’d scoured second hand stores for the book store to have a few copies. Then those all got passed around town bc everyone wanted to read it!
Another great post. Congrats on your Substack growth. That's incredible!
Thanks Jennifer!
Connections, tangents, intersecting circles...serendipity. I believe when you are open to all of it magic can happen.
Wonderful story, Jeanine.
Thanks Lucinda. You know, I am thinking that more and more as I condense my memoir, of all the wonderful people we've met, and like, why us? I guess we were just ready for it.
What an amazing story! Both Michel's and yours. Life is incredible when it serves up these kinds of connections. Thanks so much for sharing this, Jeanine.
Oh, you are very welcome, Claire. Meeting George (and finding out Michel's TRUE backstory!) was unbelievable. George had gone to the Sorbonne too, right after the war (WWII), both he and Ferlinghetti could use their veterans bill to go to a domestic or foreign university--they chose the Sorbonne! And for George, the rest was written in stone--he bought Shakespeare from original owner, Sylvia Beach, who stood up to the Nazis and hid all her fabulous books, who befriended ee cummings and published him, who was friends w/ Gertrude Stein, Hemingway et al. And then she sold the store as she aged to George!! And now his daughter, Sylvia (namesake-Sylvia Beach) and her husband run the bookshop.
What a fascinating tale! It's amazing how small the world is for kindred spirits. Thank you for sharing this incredible story, Jeanine. It is very inspiring.
Thanks Lois. Meeting George was such a happy accident.
Fascinating story Jeanine. The world is a small place really especially when serendipity comes into play!
Thank you, Jan. Serendipity is like magic dust, no?
Yes, it surely is, always there for us if we are open to it!
What a fascinating story and the serendipitous connections. Thanks for another amazing post.
Thank you Paulette. Serendipity indeed.And our sweet new CA friend will play a part in mentoring us by giving tips and tricks on storing books in any kind of weather. Thanks for reading!
I always look forward to your essays. Oh, that will be awesome to learn.
What a lovely story, Jeanine. It's amazing how a book, a trip or a chance encounter with someone can change the trajectory of our lives!
Thank you Clarice. It truly is. We were wild about Mexico and surprisingly, many ‘older’ people we met had either had their own Mexican adventures or their parents did. I think it’s bc CA shares the border and it’s an easy trip. How’s your hand doing?
Wow, amazing story! And what an exciting life lived by the author! This is such a beautiful way to honor him. And congrats on your almost-1000 🥳
Yes, Michel was really something. I felt so honored that he reached out to me to thank me for the review. And also his life shows how adventure and travel can influence our future choices. His went 180 degrees!
Really love this piece about your Mexico/Yucatan adventure! Destiny can't be denied! What a thrilling sequence of events for you. I have read this Lost World book (thanks to you!) and definitely found it fascinating. The spirit and resolve of Michel, completely unprepared, to just keep on going in the face of many, often frightening, challenges was remarkable. Thankfully, he was rewarded in finding humanity and honor in the Maya who helped him, and those incredible ancient cities he discovered, and the many other discoveries and exeriences he had along the way. What an amazing life he lived! I must re-read this book. Another thrilling piece from you--Thanks!
Thank you, Barbra. You are too kind. The thing I love is I somehow continue to stumble onto things connected to the Maya world. An all the better if they’re a bit offbeat and not common knowledge. It’s great because I learn something and can share with others.
Great post Jeanine! And wow, 1000! Amazing and well deserved!
Thanks David! Appreciate it.
Another great post Jeanine, I just love how you bring a story to life.
Thanks Tinashe! Much appreciated.
Wow, how fascinating! Reading Michel’s story, I couldn’t help but think how much the world has changed – it’s probably still possible to have such an adventure today but significantly more difficult in our interconnected world. And his time wasn’t all that long ago… anyway, thanks so much for sharing!
Thank you Anna. Yes. Several decades can make a huge difference.
Thank you, Anna. Yes. The world is smaller now.
What a fantastic story. To meet Whitman and connect the dots to Michel again - Jeanine, this was amazing.
Meeting George was fantastic. He was quite a character. He asked if we needed a place to stay (he had beds in the bookstore everywhere) but we were staying in a darling little place, Hotel Esmeralda, right around the corner. So then he asked us to Sunday tea. His stories were amazing. The next time we were in Paris we again went to Sunday tea. Loved having had the chance to meet him, Priya.
I visited the store again last year after 6-7 years. There was a queue to get in because it was the holiday season. The store was as charming as ever! I imagine, with Whitman playing host, it must’ve been doubly so.
It really has changed, Priya. George died in 2011 (Sylvia was kind enough to let us know and sent a photo of the funeral procession, in Pere LaChaise, a fitting final resting spot for George). In time Sylvia added the coffeeshop around the corner, and when we were last there, 2019, it was simply bonkers. So many people and the queue. So weird. When we first met George, 2002, the store, truly!, was empty. He was sitting on that raised dais, an older gentleman in a worn business suit, and sharp as a tack. When he asked where we were from, I was trying to throw him off- by saying Quintana Roo. (No one knew Quintana Roo). Imagine my surprise when he had - gasp- BEEN there! We bonded immediately. After telling him about Alma Libre, he talked to everyone who came in and announced we were "founders" of a bookstore in Mexico. I'd always said before that, that we opened a bookstore in MX, but I liked the word founder. What he taught me was to make connections btwn the customers in the store, introduce them to each other, and see the conversations begin. He was one of a kind. And also, kind.
Even with writing here, the connection with people is so rewarding. I’m happy to have connected with you through your stories!
And I with your stories, Priya. They are fantastic. Often almost like magic realism. Hello!
“Founded” a bookstore. Perfect.
I love it too!! He was a real gem. Funny, too.