A SALUTE TO FRANCE: A king’s palace in the meadow - Sofia Echo
A SALUTE TO FRANCE: A king’s palace in the meadow - Sofia Echo And like Bulgaria, many Britons have come and settled there. Any unauthorised reproduction or use of it is strictly forbidden. As a members of Atelier 13, a local art club, he and others share insights with each other.Regis now has hundreds of pictures to his credit, some of which have been displayed in art galleries in Dobrich and Varna, as well as on his website. But for all intents and purposes, Regis now sees himself as a Bulgarian, having had 17 years to ponder this over. During this time, he has made about 50 friends in Dobrich, and whenever he goes for a walk, he inevitably runs into some of them. Examples include “metallic flowers”, “crowded together in boat”, and “family trees”.But his biggest inspiration has come from the world around him. Following defeat, he, along with many of his compatriots, fled the country. Fortunately the only fighting he engaged in was with Autobahn traffic as he chauffeured military officers about back in Germany.Ever keen on broadening his horizons, he then joined a cruise line firm, doing circuits around the Mediterranean, Caribbean and Pacific. He also spent a summer baking bread and picking oranges and grapefruit on a kibbutz in Israel.Then, in keeping with family tradition, Regis got drafted. He has also made a few appearances on local television.He says his inspiration comes from a variety of sources. He struck out on his own, this time to Balchik. He will continue the struggle against fascism as part of the French resistance when Germany occupied most of the country. His favourite stopover was St Lucia, which he described as lush and green with sparkling blue waters and white-sand beaches.He also had his share of culture shocks. However, as she can not go to France with him, he stayed in Dobrich with her, and found work at the local language high school.The teachers’ salary was more than adequate, as everything was ridiculously cheap back then. I can never survive there.”When not cooking, teaching or wandering about, Regis delves into poetry and painting. I’m an exception.”It comes as a big surprise when he reveals which country he will definitely not want to live. In 1996, a year after his son had been born, he stayed with a friend, Daniel, a former teacher at his parents’ home in Tulsa, Oklahoma.While there he “helped out” at an Italian restaurant. It had been organised by Bernal LaTude, a former resident of Dobrich. It was also at this time, in 1981, that Regis first set foot on Bulgarian soil, albeit for five hours along the quayside of Varna. No one greeted him there.With seasickness finally catching up with him, Regis traded the ship kitchen for a train station of the French Railway Company, training and serving as an assistant chief. Once again he experienced culture shock – but not so much from his hosts. Over the years, numerous other foreigners came and taught at the school: a Scottish man, an Irish woman, a German, a Texan. Paul had invited him to come and teach at a competitive school in Shanghai, where the pay was par excellence. Regis, you didn’t put the toilet seat back down. Reproduction of this website's content is permitted only with prior written permission from the Editor-in-Chief, should be propertly acredited and provide an active link back to our site. Right before his scheduled discharge in 1954, however, he was shipped off to Algeria. The lives of thousands of passengers were now in his hands. Then at the suggestion of a friend, he went on home-stay exchange programme involving groups of 60 Palois and Dobrouzhanets. Then with uncertainty hanging in the air following the collapse of the old system, the programme stopped.But not Regis. They shake hands, exchange news, maybe go for a coffee.Originally from Pau (pronounced poh) in south-western France, Regis Palacios Prat inherited his middle name from his paternal grandfather who had fought in the Spanish Civil War (on the Republican side). Towards the expiration of his tourist visa, the manager offered Regis a permanent position and sponsorship. Ultimately, my wife thought it best for the family to remain in Bulgaria, so I returned.”In 2006, at 47, Regis once again tried his hand abroad. When we visit my friends, you must remember to...’ After two weeks, I had had enough.
