D’amour et d’eau fraîche* (1986)

 'To love, to be loved: the lifeblood, the oxygen of life. The essential. The only reason to fight, to work, to refine both soul and body. And yet, neither triumphant love nor steadfast friendship spares us from the sentence of solitude. We all have our shadowy areas, unspoken thoughts... Temptations, discouragements, hatreds, disgusts, rebellions—whirlwinds of forbidden impulses that stir an inner battle we must face alone.'

'Love does not eradicate solitude; it merely tames it, that’s all. It places it alongside the solitude of the beloved; they breathe in unison but do not merge. And isn’t it precisely this intact individuality that elevates the couple?'

*The French expression 'D'amour et d'eau fraîche' translates literally to 'Of love and fresh water.' It typically refers to living simply on love alone, suggesting a carefree existence where love is all that matters, with no concern for practical or material needs.

Post-scriptum (2001)

'We embarked on our journey together aboard a sailing boat; life at sea demands a certain harmony, compatibility of temperament, and respect for one another, without which the voyage would soon turn into a nightmare. Naturally, we continued this romantic adventure on land: our homes were close to being private sanctuaries. Over the years, through thick and thin, we took turns nurturing our intimacy. Our children became part of our love; a few friends joined us on board, and some of them remain part of the crew to this day.'

'There was an unspoken bond between us, so deep I could never express it, a feeling no one ever uncovered or shared, an unknown territory hidden between body and soul, once alive with your presence, now nothing more than a wasteland.'