Patrick Cottin is a self-employed
psychoanalyst, who lives with his partner, Vesna, and her 10yo daughter,
Elena, in a comfortable 2 storey house in Le Teil, about 7 kms out
of Montelimar. Being the summer holidays, he was also fortunate to
have his 14yo son, Axel, staying with him.
Axel and I got along very
well. Sometimes it's just good to act like a big kid. Some of the
things Axel and I got up to during my stay in Montelimar were:
- throwing nuts into the
air and catching them in our mouths
- 50m swimming race in the public baths (can you guess who won?)
- jumping over a park bench in unison
- dancing the Zorba in a service station (and later, `Sur le Pont
Dávignon' - on the Avignon Bridge)
- doing one armed hand-stands (alas, this feat was only achieved
by Axel)
But let's get back to Patrick
…
Patrick works out of his
own studio in Bedarrides, an ancient village (pop'n 4,000), just outside
the well known city of Avignon. It's a cosy and modern 3-storey studio,
with a single room on each level, and a staircase that is definitely
for slim people only. The reception is on the ground floor, his consultation
office and toilet are on the first floor, and his relaxation room
with laptop computer and coffee-making facilities (his favourite room)
are on the top floor.
Apart from his profession,
his passions are for sculpture (in his younger days) and for computer
art (which he works at every minute he can). In fact, I was so impressed
by his art, that I committed myself to developing a web site for him
on my return to Melbourne. Creative genius should be shared universally.
About 5 years ago, Patrick
also created a set of cards (similar to tarot cards) for using words
and symbols to read into a person's future, using their sub-conscious
mind. Though he used much of his psychoanalytical training for the
development of this card set, and believes it has real merits re foretelling
the future, he still only uses it as a novelty, for his own amusement
and that of his family and friends.
I related to Patrick in
a few areas. Firstly we are both around the same age with salt and
pepper coloured hair. He prefers wearing dark clothes, as do I, and
is mostly seen in black slacks and black T-shirt. Then there is his
dieting! You're probably aware of my SEx Diet (find the link from
www.JamesTaris.com) so you'll know how intrigued I am about dieting.
But Patrick had his own simple system. Each year, Patrick goes on
a self imposed diet for a whole month. This seems to be adequate enough
to bring him back to a comfortable weight without the sweat and tears
of a round-the-year dieting routine.
