Eva Longoria in Versace

Every year, during the Cannes Film Festival, I always think of the little island of Ile Saint Honorat, home to the Benedictine monks who have a vow of silence. As a child, I used to visit the island during summer break while my family vacations in Nice or St. Tropez.

So, here I am today, looking at Desperate Housewife actress Eva Longoria (photo right) looking just perfect in her turquoise chiffon evening dress from the Versace Atelier Collection during the premiere of the film ‘Blindness’ at the Cannes Film Festival, and all I could think of were my summers in Nice.

My mother’s family is from Nice, tracing their roots there since the 1500, (at least that’s when my mother stopped when she was going through the family history). And, though her house in Nice is what Americans would consider a second home, I have a lot of happy memories over there.

Over there, I felt like a normal kid, especially when we spend the day at the monk’s island of Saint Honorat where my brother and I would explore the tiny island or swim in the Mediterranean.

Ile Saint Honorat stands as a port of calm and serenity in the vivacious and trendy lifestyle of the French Riviera. The rich and famous do not go here, though they can see the island from their luxurious yachts. But the locals love it and use it as a sanctuary for a day. With a ferry going to the island every hour at a very reasonable cost of 5 euros, one can visit the island to enjoy its medieval and almost harsh environs.

There are no motorized vehicles. Everyone has to walk! There are no sandy beaches, except for a tiny one that also doubles as a quay. The water is clear and full of life, yet one has to be careful because of sharp rocks.

It is not a place for the faint of heart; but for those who are brave enough, it is a true sanctuary. One can visit the Trinity Chapel (circa 400 A.D.) and the ruins of the fortified monastery (circa 8th to 11th century).

And for the religious, they can visit the church to say a little prayer. The church bells ring every hour, the only thing that tells time unless you brought your own chronograph.

Though not a place for tourists, there is a small shop that sells the products made by the monks – from religious jewelry to wine made from the vineyards on the island, the profits used to maintain the monastery and provides a living for the monks. But do not think for one second that it gives the monk a comfortable life. The Benedictines lead a monastic life.

Between prayers and toiling on the fields without modern machinery to help them, it is like living during the 11th century except that there are tourists and visitors roaming the islands during the day. An unwritten rule on the island is that one does not speak to a monk if you see one. Some of them have a vow of silence. Most of them had chosen a hermetic life.

Ile St Honorat

[IMADGE MEKKER]