Before I tell the story about meeting the president, I want to express my heartfelt sadness and conern for the people of Italy who have been affected by the earthquake Sunday night.  I am in the middle of a series of posts about our trip to Italy a few days ago, so I am fresh with the impressions of the fantastic Italian people.  I wish them the best possible recovery from the tragedy.
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Of all people to come to Venelles, Monsieur le Président, came to our village Tuesday. 

When the mayor of our village of Venelles called Pascal last Friday, we were on our way to Italy and so the call rolled over onto Pascal’s car speaker phone.  I got to listen to their conversation, which consisted of the mayor informing him who was coming to town and could Pascal supply some of his fine products to show off the good stuff our village can produce.  At first, it being near April 1st, we didn’t quite swallow what he was saying.  Venelles has less than 2000 residents, so not a place used to receiving heads of state.

 President Sarkozy and me on the right!

No one had any idea about this until Friday.  The president was coming to the PACA region (basically the southeast corner of France which is Provence and the French Riviera) to have a round table on economic development with industry leaders.  The reason Venelles was chosen was two-fold: we have a sports facility that is easy to secure (it is isolated up on a hill with one access road near the freeway) near Aix en Provence, and apparently our mayor knows someone high up in the Sarkozy cabinet.

When we got back after the weekend, the town was abuzz.  We had to go get security badges at the mairie, the town hall, on Monday and witnessed the town hall staff and local police force in full preparation for the next day.

The seats waiting for the presidential delegation.

We also prepared gifts of Pascal’s products (including absinthe) for the president, the first lady and the four ministers accompanying on the trip, which we had to leave at the mairie.  Pascal has already received a thank you letter from the president so, who knows, Carla Bruni might be wearing our perfume.

The Mayor of Venelles with his “écharpe,” the very Frenchy tricolored banner they wear.

On the day of, we were asked to be there hours before the meeting started so that everyone would be in place and organized.  We arrived early with absinthe, an absinthe fountain, and other of Pascal’s drinks for the press.

On the way over, the village was full of police stationed at every possible roadway.  Closer to the sports hall, there were police absolutely everywhere – in the woods surrounding the building and at all the nearby exits.  It looked like wartime.  When the motorcade is in the area, all exits and roadways are blocked.  We were already at the locale so we didn’t see that happening.

 The mayor of Aix en Provence with the flower on her lapel.

After setting up the drinks for the press we went over to the building where the meeting was to take place.  It was still early so there were still some good seats left, about 50 yards from the president.  As we chose our seats, the mayor calls Pascal over to him and tells us we are sitting behind the president.  Alrighty then.

So we took our seats which were 3 or 4 feet from the president’s chair.  I got to witness the protocol people getting ready for the meeting.  The auditorium was in high vibe, everyone excitedly talking to each other.  There were about a thousand people.

Finally, the hour approached – the meeting was to start at noon.  About ten minutes to noon, the room started to hush and everyone was waiting for a sign that the delegation was arriving.  I saw one of the protocol people mouth “Le président arrive,” and I think other people saw that as well, because the room was now in full anticipation.

The mayor of Marseille

At noon exactly, the mayors walked in, followed by the ministers of education, of economy and finance, of commerce, and of veterans of war.  We were told by the protocol people that we could take photos as they walked in but not once they were seated.  Being hyper aware of protocol yet hyper wanting to get as many pix as I could I was torn.  My desire for pix overruled the protocol angel hovering over my right shoulder.

Me trying desparately to get my camera going.

I could tell when the president entered because the auditorium was ringing with applause from all sides.  The meeting commenced and it was pretty fascinating to observe.  Sarkozy talked about the need to catch up with the U.S. in terms of an efficient line between university research and commercial exploitation of the research, and even that universities need to have campuses like the beautiful campuses of California and England, instead of forcing students to study in sad isolated environments. (French universities consist of rooms and buildings only with no campus and no central casual meeting place for students.)  Of course, they discussed many things but I’ll leave the details for another time.

I have heard the president speak on tv and at the meeting he once again proved to have an vast and quick intelligence.  I actually think quite highly of his ideas and energy.

The meeting lasted a little longer than the hour slot.  When Sarkozy got up, Pascal assertively shook his hand.  As I was trying to capture that on camera, my right hand was occupied, besides, me being Miss Protocol, and I didn’t know what was the thing to do, I just watched him pass by.  But guess what, after he shook Pascal’s hand, Sarkozy took my left hand in his, looked me in the eyes and we had “a moment.”  It was so cool. 

It was really something to be able to be up close to a head of state and one of the major world players.  To see how he conducts a meeting of vital importance. And to watch the whole dance take place. To see how he is dressed – you don’t get fancier than the president of France so I was paying attention to his clothes, so I could see what the penultimate well dressed man wears.  I am happy to say that the whole event was very “humain” as you say in French, very human.  Hope that makes sense.

The “gift car” filled to the brim.  Our gift for the president is on top of the pile.

theAfter the meeting was over and the president and ministers were whisked away, I walked through a room holding all the gifts from Venelles.  The official “gift valet” walked in with our bag for the president trying to figure out which of the rest of the gifts he needed to bring only for the president because the “present car” (the car meant just to pick up the gifts that then brings them up to Paris) was already almost full.  Since I had been at the mairie the day before and sort of knew which gifts were for whom I was helping him and his assistants with what gifts were what.

The press room

After, we went to the press room where all the photographers and journalists got together to report and edit. The photos were remarkably beautiful on their computer screens and each photograph’s style very different from the others’ and each as perfect as the others.  The journalists were typing furiously from shorthand.  All the major French media was there from tv, to radio to print. Associated Press and Reuters were also there.

I got chummy with some of the press guys who follow Sarkozy around the world and were in London and Strasbourg last week for the G20 summit.  They told me stories about Sarkozy that you will only learn on oath.  Pascal gave some bottles to one of the photographers in exchange for some pix that we were in behind the president – that’s how I got the picture at the top of the post.

To see Pascal and me being clowns behind the president, take a look at the Le Trip Facebook page.  Click on the photo with Sarkozy and it will open an album.

So, in your opinion, did I meet Sarkozy?  He didn’t get my name.  It’s a question I’ve always wondered about.  People say that they have met so and so, and that often means they were in the same room depending on the importance of the other person.  Know what I mean?  What do you think?