Read Mongasque Writer Ren Novella's Short Story Pythonesses

The narrator recalls two events from his childhood in Monaco in this piece by René Novella, found in the Monégasque section of our Global Anthology.

Two predictions have marked my childhood and adolescence, respectively.

The first, which did not come to pass, was stated by a Polish woman who lived on The Rock, not too far from my grandparents’ abode. She was bound by friendship with one of her neighbors and my grandmother. During the nice season, all three would arrange to meet, after dinner, to go on the Sainte-Barbe promenade to take the air until the carabiniers’ clarion rang at ten o’clock.

One evening, my grandmother, her friend and I—then nine years old—had been waiting for the Polish woman for quite some time, when my grandmother’s friend decided to call out for her. She yelled a few times: “Mrs Polof!” but no one appeared at the window of the small apartment occupied by the Polish woman. I then suggested calling her by her name: Mrs Smokovski. My grandmother and her friend looked at each other thunderstruck. They made me repeat this strange patronymic a number of times. The window opened after the first call. The Polish woman appeared and motioned to us she was coming down. Joining us, she excused herself for the delay and explained that her watch had stopped. She congratulated my grandmother’s friend for having remembered her name, difficult as it was to pronounce. But when she learned that it was me who had whispered it, she put her hand on my head and declared: “He will become a great man.” Dear Mrs Smokovski: you were a Polish woman, not a gypsy woman.

The translation comes courtesy of Éditions du Rocher, which published the story in its original French as part of the book Ces mots non envolés.

landscape with balloons floating in the air

KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.