It is Bloomsday once again: difficult to believe that an entire year has past since the last. A scan of the events listings turned up no trace of any Vancouver observance so I turned to Google for guidance, and was advised that, if any excuse were needed, then I had one for a spur-of-the-moment trip to Paris. A new screen adaptation of Ulysses, entitled Bloom, is to be screened in Paris at 10 this evening in association with the Shakespeare & Company bookstore:

Starring Academy Award Nominee, Stephen Rea, IFTA Award Winner, Angeline Ball, Hugh O’Conor and Patrick Bergin, Bloom is an enthralling story of love, loss and lust — a fantastical adventure into the imaginations and desires of Stephen Dedalus, Leopold Bloom and Molly Bloom.

They bill it as an all-day event (although, oddly, the celebrations seen to get underway at 2, so perhaps Parisian days are of a different length than ours) with speakers including Brenda Maddox, discussing and reading from her biography of Nora Joyce.

And if the prospect of Paris does not appeal, then I offer you Sophia, where

Bulgarians will be able to mark for the first time Bloomsday by joining a 24-hour literary reading of the Bulgarian translation of the classic novel, organized at the Red House Culture Center in Sofia. The reading starts June 16 at 8:00 am and will continue without interruption until 8:00 am on the next day.

If I am to make Molly’s soliloquy then time is of the essence, which is why I’ve instructed my travel agent to find the most efficient routing Vancouver—Sophia—Vancouver, damn the expense. In preparation I’ve been boning up on my Bulgarian. I figure that, with sufficient dedication, I should be able to read along with Molly by the time that I arrive:

O и Морето морето почервенява понякога като че ли пожар и знаменитите залези и FIGTREES в градините ALAMEDA Да Включително странните малки улици и розови и сини и жълти къщи и ROSEGARDENS и jessamine и GERANIUMS и кактуси и Гибралтар като момиче където аз бях цвете на планината Да Кога аз поставих розата в моята коса както andalusian момичета използуваха в ще изтощавам ли червен цвят Да и как той ме целуваше под мавританската стена и аз мислих добре също така него като друг и след това аз го помолих с моите очи да пита отново Да и след това той ме пита Аз щях Да Да казвам Да Моята планина Флауър и първо аз постави моите ръце около него Да и рисува него надолу за мен така че той можеше да усети моите гърди изцяло да парфюмират Да и неговата същина ставаше подобна луда и Да Аз казах Да Аз ще Да