La Vie en Noire

ANOTHER SIDE OF FRANCE

Our first stop is Lyon, the city of food. We have time to visit Michelin-starred restaurants and traditional critics’ picks if we choose to. But we’re also guided to gems like Lyon Dakar Restaurant, where we feast on Senegalese fritters (acras) and stuffed pastries (pastels) while the owners regale us with music, dance and stories of their history in the city. Up the road in Chasselay, we learn of the Nazis’ brutal killing of Black Africans fighting on behalf of France during the Second World War. Our tour guide expresses gratitude at the cruise line’s decision to add this destination to its excursions list. “I didn’t know about this,” she confides after the visit. “Until the cruise line started bringing passengers here, I hadn’t heard of it.” South of Lyon, near Vienne, we enjoy a jazz trio performing African American classics at Le Caveau du Chateau winery; east of Avignon, in Bonnieux, we tour the exhibition at Fondation Blachère, which is dedicated to contemporary African art. Driving into Marseille, we listen to recordings of singer Nina Simone and poet-novelist Claude McKay, then stroll the streets of the neighbourhoods, such as La Joliette, that inspired them. We’re also introduced to new-to-us Black American artists — Augusta Savage, Palmer Hayden, Nancy Elizabeth Prophet — whose works are housed in the Musées de Marseille. Back on board the AmaKristina, we commune. We praise professional singer and musical director David Onka as he belts out Prince tunes (and a few of his own). We high-five over delicious meals prepared by chef Bri Bullard, a Toronto-based Bahamian, as she remixes African American dishes while pointing out their ties to Europe and Africa. We also learn. Guest speaker Boris Klein, who has a PhD in history and lectures at Switzerland’s University of Neuchâtel on the history of the Caribbean and colonization, shares insights on the impact of colonialism on the colonized, the history of slavery in France and the devastating Code Noir, a legal document that sanctioned the inhumane treatment of enslaved men, women and children in the country. As I listen, I’m reminded that adding new information and perspectives can only deepen our understanding of place — and the past. Over the course of our 10-day journey, I watch my mother blossom. At her age, 77, her travels have rarely focused on her own culture. “This is amazing,” she whispers more than once as our tour guides share some nugget about Black France that escaped history books. “So much happened right here!” Among this group of strangers, she has found solidarity and comfort, bonding over shared history that fosters pride, awe and outrage.

COMMUNITY, CULTURE, CONNECTION

By the time the cruise is completed and we’re boarding buses to the airport in Marseille, guests are quiet, scrolling through their own photos or exchanging e-mail addresses. It’s been a jam-packed and emotional 10 days together. Some will continue on to explore Spain, hosted by cruise director August, on a multi-day post-tour add-on that keeps exploring Black culture and history. Others will return to everyday life, where celebrations of Black culture might not be as loud.

As we say our goodbyes, I recall the story that a guide shared on our first day in Lyon. “La Rhône and la Saône meet in Lyon and fall in love,” she says, referencing the confluence of the two rivers. “Their intertwining is so seamless [that] you might never know they were once separated.”

Perhaps travel will find its way to that place, too. This cruise, at least, has proven to be the perfect first step to merge an industry with a culture. CAA