Gauthier's blog

Barcelona 2011 race report

2011-03-31T20:20:00.002+02:00

2011 will be synonymous of Marathon; if not in performances at least in numbers...

Lately, it appears to me I turned preoccupied by the performance and I tend to over train, not regarding my body (I hope it can take much much more), but regarding my mind. Indeed the amount of time spent running vs. social life is awfully balancing towards the run.
Anyway, I crossed first one date on my calendar for March Barcelona marathon, then April Cheverny marathon, and June Sauternes marathon and three days ago I had my access granted for May Richmond Park marathon. So I will run in a year the same amount of marathon than I did in the last four years.
So all this training lead myself to the goals to reach as follow: run a full marathon below 3:25 and a half marathon in 1:32 (though I didn't plan so far to run a half and I don't have any on sight!)

Now let's focus on Barcelona race report; that marathon took place March 6th and was run on urban roads throughout the whole city and most of the city sightseeing has been run along (Camp Nou, Sagrada Familia, Torre Agbar, the waterfront, Triumph Arch, Ramblas...)!
The route was quite flat, perfect for a performance. I was in the 3:00 - 3:30 wave and I had in mind to break the 3:25. My strategy wasn't really ready on the starting line, I didn't know if I will run the first half with the 3:30 pacemaker and run a negative split on the second half or run at the regular pace to finish in 3:25.
I finally choose the second option.
From the beginning I felt my sore legs (due to the city trek I did the day before the race, a mistake I should avoid in the future!) but I managed to keep a steady pace and I went through the half marathon in 1:42 so perfectly on line with my goal. At kilometre 30 I started to fight to keep the pace and by the time I reached kilometre 35 people started to overtake me. My erratic pace was more or less the one for a 3:45 finishing time! I struggle until the end waiting for the finish line to arrive; each time I tried to accelerate I felt million of spins in my legs. I managed to pretend to sprint on the last 300m and crossed the line in 3:29:06. Even if it's a new record for me (I improved my PR of exactly 1 minute and 30 seconds) I was frustrated by that time. All the hours of training deserved a better time, I won't give up; I'll try my luck again at Cheverny marathon - this time I will include in my last 4 weeks of training a real taper period to arrive fit and ready the D-day.

A word to the organizers; they did very well, every 5k there were water points, a webcam recording people according to their chip and a recorded lap time, displayed in real time for the people following the race from their computer.
A little plus, there was our name on the bibs, and sometimes it really helps to hear your name shouted by the crowd.
It was a wonderful route, inside a gorgeous city, so apply right now for the next edition in March 2012. We were 15,000 runners (even in that crowd my stride has never been bothered by others runners) this year and according to me there were much more than 100,000 people to cheer at us.

Basquiat & Clarke @Musée d'Art Moderne Paris

2010-12-19T20:24:00.001+01:00

Previously in March I visited Beaubourg Museum, but that day I did half of my program. I had in mind to visit as well the Musée d'Art Moderne de la ville de Paris.
That Museum, property of Paris' city did a big Buzz early in September when the Mayor decided to censor one of it's exhibit, Kiss the past hello by Larry Clarke.
The first retrospective of Clarke on the French territory was rated for adult only due to the so called pornographic content.
That was a sign for me, I had to go! I went there last week and I don't understand the censorship. The exposition begins with a wink from Larry's mother (pictures of animals @ school) and by his own work:

Tulsa (1963-1971)

A gallery of portrait picturing people using drugs, guns and having sex. These people were friends of Clark himself from Oklahoma.

Certainly a realistic part of the life of people from Oklahoma, telling the disarray and violence of a generation.

The period of Tulsa ended in jail for Clark. He spent 19 months in a maximum security prison; for shooting someone in the arm - he was arrested drunk, carrying a gun and driving...

Teenage lust (the eighties) / The perfect childhood and 1992

These pictures, most of them taken after his move in New York, after the lineage of those taken in the context of Tulsa.

The content can be described as more sexual than Tulsa with teenagers in action.

Skaters

Is a gallery of portraits of skaters from New York and Los Angeles.

There is also a big part of the expo dedicated to Jonathan Velasquez from child to adult. Velasquez is a skateboarder playing the main role of Wassup Rockers, a 2006 Clark's movie.

To conclude, some images may disturb some people, but they show the ordinary life of some people. The expo tells story about young people; which can't get in thanks to the censorship!

I will surely watch Clark's filmography.

The second temporary expo was about Jean Michel Basquiat. Born in Brooklyn from a Haitian father and a Puerto Rican mother; all his work is related to his roots.

He started to make graffiti in Manhattan with Al Diaz and they started the SAMO name project in 1978 (SAM Old shit) which ended in 1979 by SAMO is DEAD.

He's carreer took place in the eighties. He reached his pinnacle in 1984-1986 when he collaborated with Andy Warhol.

I will keep in mind from his work a few symbols: the crown, the halo of thorns, vital organs pulsing blue blood, Charlie Parker (one of his heroes), everything is an homage to his ancestors, and he made many references to his childhood.

He died in 1987 from an overdose, one year after Warhol.

I really enjoyed my day there, hurry up, expos are closing soon.

10.10.10 Race report

2010-11-06T15:07:00.005+01:00

10.10.10, on that easy date to remember, I was on a mission, running (three year after my last race) a marathon.

The beginning of this story took its roots on the early months of 2010 when my injury decided to break up with me after almost three years spinning my left ankle... So I decided to take the story where I left it in October 2007 when I've done 3:41:58 (that time was after 3 marathons, my new PR).

I started running back from the beginning, with only a goal in mind, run again without pain.
My preparation started without race name in mind, I took the workouts one after the other till April when I finally choose Brussels, and in June the goal was set, run it under 3:35:00.
In August, in order to get really fit I started to cut on junk foods, beers and social occupations, focused on one thing, achieve my goal.
In early September I was very lucky to catch a golden staphylococcus, which took almost three weeks of my training, but helped me to loose the extra 5 kilos I had to perform well on race day (in fact I've lost more muscles than fat to finish around a 15 body fat percent).
Finally, after almost 1,000 km in 2010 under my belt, I was on the starting line full of expectations but also with fears.

At exactly 9 am the 2,000 beasts were unleashed.
The first kilometres were flat enough to find and stay in a good pace.
I passed kilometre 10 in 50:36 (a little bit slow), there my fans waving and shouting at me gave me the boost to increase the pace till the half marathon timer; which I passed in 1:44:19, right on the 3:30:00 tempo.
From kilometres 22 and 32 I started to slowly loose my pace, and having sore legs and torn stomach...
Finally, that bad trip ended and I felt the benefits of my training (especially the 45 kilometres workout I did 2 weeks before the race), I resumed my normal stride and started to increase the pace, kilometre after kilometre.
At kilometre 36 the half marathon runners merged with us, this gave me a big ego boost because I started to overtake a lot of these ones to finally finished the last kilometre and the arrival on the Grand Place, as if I was floating and I crossed the finish line on 3:30:36, unfortunately I missed my friends on the finish line due to the overcrowded Grand Place.
I set my new PR and I reached my goal on that day - that time ended a perfect weekend.

After a little rest I will now keep training, with in mind of this two race Barcelona (March 6) or Roma (March 20), with an objective under 3:25:00 and the desire to run it in 3:20:00.
So cross already these two dates on your calendar, I will soon pick the date and scouting for fans to come to support me.
See you there...

Modern art in NYC is over here - anyone knows this artist?

2010-09-04T22:42:00.006+02:00

Close to my hotel, I went to this gallery at the following address: 414 W 13th St, New York, NY.
Great work on it but I didn't take any details on the artist... Anyone can help me on that case?

Modern art in NYC

2010-09-04T22:27:00.001+02:00

The Moma (acronym for The museum of modern art) and the Guggenheim are without contest the most famous and popular modern art's museum.
During my NY trip, I just stepped into Guggenheim's hall but visited the Moma (even if the visiting pace was more than fast).
By last June, there was a big exhibition called Rising Currents: Projects for New York’s Waterfront related to the future of New York with the potential effect of global warming on sea level and the work of several architects to face it.
On the painting rooms, I saw with great pleasure some Andy Warhol's works, especially the soup cans!
I also added pieces to my Magritte's collection after my visit previously this year, in Brussels.
Still on the surrealist floor, one of the masterpiece of Dali, The Persistence of Memory caught my eyes by its dimensions (24 cm × 33 cm); I was expecting a great table, how disappointed I was to see it, barely bigger than a big stamp!
Writing this post, and browsing Moma's Website, I discovered there was a studio called Moma PS1 which is an exhibition space in Long Island. Another reason to pack again to NYC...

Central Park

2010-07-04T21:31:00.002+02:00

Lungs of New York, Central Park, is the place to be to chill, walk, train or show off...
Few minutes away from the busiest avenues of NY, you arrive, drowned by the grass and other places to rest in peace. Each hour of the day has its clientele. The students, the elderly, the baseball players, the yogis, the lovers and 24 hour a day tourists and runners (I could have been both if I've had a bigger luggage to fit in it my running gear)...
I've been quite amazed by the latter. Incredible, you can wonder if the whole energy of the city is not made by the biting soles of runners on the soil!
And I still have in mind a question non solved yet, what are the real NYC people doing of their days? I only saw the people of my age, all beautiful, running all days, commuting from their home to their gym detouring by Central Park or BK bridge and then out all night lifting drinks and having fun. Where should I have to sign to do the same? Life's not fair...

Then I took Brooklyn

2010-07-03T11:09:00.002+02:00

This is not a bridge... Even if the Brooklyn I met was close to the bridge but it was only because I was running out of time.
Indeed if the primary purpose was to visit the borough it ended as a ticking clock race. Arrive before the night to make sunset pictures of Manhattan and the bridge. At least I did this, before having dinner on an awesome restaurant under the bridge rocked by the turmoil of the Hudson (really awesome).
If you wanna know more about Brooklyn either go there or follow this link!

First I took Manhattan...

2010-06-26T20:06:00.000+02:00

Manhattan, there's no need to introduce you. Some rich booze may know you by your cocktail but me, even if I heard your name before I first saw you in the eponym movie (the Woody Allen one!).
For ages I prepare myself to our meeting. I studied your style in movies, I drive and walked your streets and avenues in your doppelgänger: Liberty City (from GTA IV), I felt your atmosphere through Paul Auster's books and others and finally I could say with sighs I went there. I really would have stayed longer but... why there's always a but to make your dreams stop?
I'd rather finish telling: first Manhattan took me and spared me, unfortunately!

Room with a view, and which view!

2010-06-11T10:03:00.000+02:00

Last week I finally discovered New York... After such a long time, the expectations were huge but the result was awesome.
To start, the blue sky was simply perfect and from my hotel room I had a breathless view.
I had my American dream as I have the feeling to dominate the world.
More to come...

Pompidou Centre AKA Beaubourg Museum

2010-03-25T12:03:00.005+01:00

It's done I finally pushed the doors of Beaubourg to enter in Paris' museum reference (at least about modern art).
Considered by many as a wart on the face of Paris with its structure made of pipes the insides will please the fond of modern art as me.
On the 7 levels, I during my journey there took part to 3 levels (without the same intensity as I was running out of time...)
Floor 6: Lucian Freud temporary exhibit - as the name gave you a clue, he is the grandson of the famous Sigmund, sometimes due to the display of his piece, you clearly understand which part of his grandfather theory he liked the most...
Floor 5: the modern collection. The ticking of the clock made me to increase the tempo of the tour! You are welcoming by the masterpiece of Fernand Léger, Composition with two parrots.
And then many rooms with artists as Matisse, Picasso (amazing collection there by the way), Kandinsky, Man Ray, Le Corbusier...
That visit allowed me to put names of artist on paints I saw in the past on books - it helped me also thanks to the comment beside the works to understand the meaning of some of them.
Floor 4: the contemporary level - elles@centrepompidou, on which I have to admit I ran on the alley instead of strolling (due to the lack of time not of the topic!!!). The main purpose of this floor is the display of work by women artists thinking about the question of women in art - some were more than interesting while others make people deranged, I have to go deeper on the latter works.
I will come back to Beaubourg to finish the 4th floor visit and the basements.

Musée Magritte Museum

2010-02-15T18:37:00.007+01:00

Since June 2009, Brussels gave to the surrealist artist a place dedicated to its work and its life, intended to have it as a world reference.
In this museum, more than 200 pieces are exposed on three floors, right in Brussels towncenter.
I knew René Magritte by name and had in mind a few paintings of him before entering the museum. In fact that prolific artist born at the end of the 19th century started as designer of advertising and wallpaper. Quickly he found in the love of his life his wife and Muse; Georgette.
His main work I will keep in mind is about the treachery of images. A paint of a pipe called This is not a pipe. Indeed you can't smoke it's just a representation!
Good place, well documented with a lot of paints (even if some are framed so awfully you wonder why they have not changed yet) and count around 3 hours to make the full tour of the place.
By the way, there is also in Brussels a small museum where Magritte and his wife lived but haven't been there I will not discuss about it.

Tate Modern

2010-02-11T07:05:00.004+01:00

6 years ago, I really discovered modern art, while I was roaming inside the Tate Modern.
I remember in the big hall, called the Turbine Hall (that museum has been erected at the end of the nineties in a former electric power station - same as Battersea in a way, they do have to make it as a museum as well...), there were huge metallic spiders but I can't remember the name of the artist.
Last month, the exhibit was from Miroslaw Balka and called How it is. It consists of a big black box around 3600 cubic meter with no light inside - in fact it's like a blackhole from the outside. The aim is to make you face your fear of the unknown, and keep you walking from the infinity of the darkness (that's my interpretation, I'm pretty sure everyone has a different one). You can stumble upon people walking inside, but once you reached the very end and you turn around there is little light and you can distinctly see the others coming in... Surprising experience!
In the other stages of the museum you have so called art (for examplde, a paint all in red without other effect) to Picasso's paints and other giants... Almost anyone can do modern art you just need to keep believe in what you do, whatever people think!

Canary Wharf

2010-02-10T22:06:00.001+01:00

Canary Wharf, a dreaming name til you see the place. Let me explain, I was expecting a place like Camden or Covent garden... but I discovered enormity! From the massive exit of the underground, through the endless alleys of the mall and finally tall business buildings.
But, no, Canary Wharf is not just another modern financial district, full of traders, it's a place lost of a kind of an Island in the middle of London!
Brief, I like the place even if I've been overwhelmed by the unexpected...

Battersea Power Station

2010-02-06T03:04:00.003+01:00

Since I saw the cover of Pink Floyd's album Animals, I always been attracted by Battersea Power Station.
Here the results of my roaming in that area, from the vision of the station from Victoria station, to the Battersea Park.
By the way, Battersea Park must worth the time to visit during summer time when the exotic garden is open.

Wild animals in London down town...

2010-01-31T15:03:00.007+01:00

Both animals taken close to Buckingham garden, at 12 for the deer... and 6 pm for the fox (in the children garden of St James Park)
I've been quite amazed, the fox has been barely scared by the flash light when I took the picture!

Shaving with a straight razor...

2009-12-21T20:16:00.012+01:00

After 15 years of use, I wanted to get rid of my safety razor (actually it was my first razor ever) for several reasons: cost of the blades, the cuts (even if the ads guarantee it's impossible) and I like the style of the ancient way to shave.

For the tool, I choose a Solingen blade. According to experts, the payback with that type of razor is about 5 to 10 years!
To complete my set, I found an old shaving brush my grandfather used.

That matters the most before shaving is to prepare the blade. The first time I did it, I took an old leather belt and sharpened the razor in a style Clint Eastwood would have admired.

Then, the fear... That blade in my right hand, the foam on my cheeks and, what's next?
With apprehension, I managed more or less to get a shave (not a close one, especially when the blade was on my throat). Need to pratice, volunteers...

Screen capture from the 1973 movie High Plains Drifter.

Brussels

2009-12-09T11:50:00.009+01:00

Last weekend I went to Brussels. My last journey there took place in 1990, and only the Grand Place remained from that previous visit into my memory...
All I did during this visit was only clichés...
I drank beer at every meal, but only Belgian beer. All my thoughts go to the Delirium Café, (called after the famous Belgian beer, with a pink elephant symbol) and its 2000 references...
I also ate fries at every meal (but no mussels...) - by the way the pictures embedded to that post shows a small fries-maker. Among the best in Brussels - standing Place Flagey in front of the former national radio station. The man describing himself as a craftsman. That man sorts the fries, removing all the ones with spots (even the smallest) and acting without no sense of humour at all...
I also stopped by a Belgian comics shop, and after that bought chocolate for Xmas!
To finish in the cliché, I sent my greetings to the Manneken Pis and to his female alter ego: Jeanneke Pis! If the man stood in Brussels from the 17th century, she arrived in the late 1990s. I heard about a dog acting the same but haven't seen him.
After doing all these tourist activities, I will go back next year to visit Magritte's Museum (sold out until February).

Nice display @ Liberty

2009-11-17T11:23:00.004+01:00

After doing all the boring stuffs on the upper floors (house weird furnitures, knitting stuff...), I finally arrived to the one with the classy touch...
I love the effect of these women on the table, their feet seeming to climb an impossible stairs thanks to the optical effect.

Uniqlo

2009-11-16T11:29:00.009+01:00

Back at the beginning of October, waiting for my train into the metro of Paris, I saw hundreds of ads for that Japanese brand, unknown for me so far.
it was 3 days after the grand opening of Paris' shop. Following the address I went to the Opera and I was astonished by the huge queue on that street. Not a long time to understand people were waiting to get inside the shop - around 700 m queue so I gave it up and decided to postpone my visit.
Having a little break in London and its suburb, I went through Richmond's store, not that much people inside and I've had the opportunity to make my own opinion about their products.
Prices fit students' budget but quality fits prices too... All over the store you have advertised limited offer, exceptional bargain and so on!
H&M and Zara don't have that much to worry about...

The Gphone running on Android OS

2009-08-08T22:26:00.006+02:00

Finished my old phone and 2G networks!
I migrated to the G2 GooglePhone HTCMagic operating on an Android OS.
Comments on the mobile: good design, but low battery life - less than a day on an intensiv 3G use...
What about Android... All Google products are directly integrated and easy to use. So many other applications are developped on a free license and are available on the Android Market, but as I feared from the beginning less and less are free...
The OS isn't very stable yet, and improvements are needed in order to make users happy!
So it's a good Beta product, but I hope the best from Android to come.

The Lisbon tram

2009-05-06T21:17:00.000+02:00

With a big delay, here a post on my trip to Lisbon (remember, I came there earlier last winter!) regarding the tram you can bump into. Even warned you're gonna be surprised when your way cross the one of Lisbon's tram (never been to Frisco but some similarities do exist - the Golden Gate vs. The 25 de Abril Bridge and the trams according to my visit of LA from my couch with Dirty Harry driving!).
As you can see on the pictures, these trams are very old and quite shabby.
The Legendary 28 line is the one to be taken if you go there; a wonderful opportunity to climb to the top of the old city til the new area (with restaurant and places to go out).

Winter break; Lisbon

2009-04-05T21:18:00.008+02:00

I went last February to Lisbon, in order to rest before driving myself crazy, overwhelmed by my work.
The winter time is quite acceptable there, temperature from 10 to the dawn, til' 22 at midday... I'll not say it's the best time to go there (you'd rather go in April, before the summer and tourist hordes).
Lisbon's a mix between ancient and modern. You can see in one hand a lot of beggars from Eastern Europe (by the way quite aggressive- they get you running away from the bar tables), people shining shoes for almost nothing and a lot people waiting after their fate (or whatever else) and on the other hand modern headquarters with the people fitting right inside.
I cannot counted all the stairs I went through there, my feet still remembered the contact with the paving stones (awful by the way...).
So Lisbon is a coloured and multi ethnical city, but except for the beggars you have a great feeling of safety at any time.
Wait for the next post...

Il perfetto espresso

2009-01-01T19:15:00.009+01:00

In my quest of the perfect espresso I take the opportunity of Xmas to upgrad my current equipemnt (a caffetiere) with an espresso machine.
The perfect bewerage is done thanks to its 19 bar pump allowing the water to go across the coffee milling and reveal all the strength of its aroma.
The foam on the cup can be compared to the one inside the Guiness glass. That foam went through the sugar test with sucess. Can be drank!
By the way, it's not a machine with capsules...

Bless my ear plugs...

2008-11-24T13:06:00.001+01:00

Weeks ago, I attended Correspondant spéciale Kompakt night at Rex Club in Paris. I'm not a clubber but I can be seen, sometimes, roaming in that kind of places. That time I took with me my ear plugs and for sure I'll say it was the better action I did. Why? Not just because noise damage your ears, as your parents told you (don't they??) but because you'll enjoy differently and deeply the place.

I got special ear plugs, which are designed for my ears and with a special filter allowing to ear voices but not loudest, treble and bass sounds.

Years ago, while I went to a party in Le Pacha in London, I was destroyed by the sound everywhere in that place. I was like hunted by noise in every place and I was stucked in that looking for any restroom to recover.
I remember falling asleep on a couch and a surveillance member team guy shouting at me "No sleep here" as he was fearing any comatose state. I think with my special equipment I would have been definitely out of tiredness!

So the night is young, keep it younger and enjoy the show...

Last post about Ireland - It's Guiness time

2008-08-10T17:08:00.002+02:00

Frankly, the first thing I was asked returning from my short holiday was: how were your drinks there? And by drinks they meant Guiness.
That beer, created by Arthur Guiness more than 200 years ago is synonym of Ireland, at the same level with the green colour and the clover.
In Dublin, the Guiness factory is the most visited place, day after day mass of tourists are dumped from buses to spent at least 14 € to be granted to visit the plant and enjoy a Guiness pint on the sky of Dublin.
Too expensive, having already visited beer factories, I stayed outside and for the same price enjoyed several pints of Guiness.
So Guiness is not only a place to visit, but also the cement and the sponsor of most sports there. They pay for the hurling (kind of hockey) and gaelic football as "normal" football as well, rubgy and so many sport events. But a big threat does exist... It is not a new bill against drunk people but a competitor from the USA with a beer hated by purists, Budweiser...
I was horrified to see that beer in the hands of almost half the population inside pubs. It costs the same price, tastes definitely not the same but take more and more market shares.
Other famous beers I knew for a long time, but tasting definitelt better in Ireland are the Beamish (owned by Heineken) and Kilkenny (owned by Diageo, owner of Guiness as well).
I will miss these good draughts...

Ireland part III - Dublin

2008-08-09T21:57:00.000+02:00

Dublin, was the last part of my journey in Ireland. I wouldn't stay it was the best part.
Not due to the city itself, but due to the expectations I had of Dublin.
Great things to see, St Patrick church, Trinity College, St Stephen Green, the Viking Area... and of course Temple Bar. Temple Bar a long street with a very high density of pubs, making all more & more efforts to seize Dublin inhabitants and tourists. By efforts I mean giving gigs of Pop music or Celtic music.
The one million people living in Dublin are spread on a very big suburbs, the center of Dublin can be easily roamed without tiredness, just by walks.

Ireland part II - Connemara

2008-08-08T21:03:00.000+02:00

Driving South to the Connemara, I was more involved to the Irish specificity.
What defines a village there? A church, a fuel deposit including a very small supermarket and a pub!

After crossing mountains and fields crowded with sheeps, I finally reached the Connemara, a name synonym of dreams.
The Connemara, located in the county of Galway, have so many things to do and see.
Walkers could cross all these areas, having in the same day

Fishers, on the sea or on loughs or on river can fulfill their baskets with salmons, trouts... as walkers can cross all these areas, having in the same day rain, sun and unexpected meetings... and finally workers seeking for the oil of that soil, the peat.

Great time there, but next time I'll go there, I will go trekking, and if possible sleep under the lodge in the middle of nowhere.

Green Week: Ireland trip, part I - Benbulben, my personal Everest

2008-08-07T21:55:00.000+02:00

After a long silence, I am back here. Indeed, after months spent working, I took a break lately and went to Ireland.
If I wasn't surprise by the left driving policy, I was astonished by the different ways the grass show its colours. Wonderful...
I first went to the county of Sligo, 150 km North from the Connemara. There, I got a great welcome wherever you go, but bad, very bad roads, even if they are doing improvements with European funds.
In Ireland, first & best thing to do is walking, and by walking I don't mean trekking...
Indeed, I climbed, one of the biggest summit of the aera, Benbulben (526 meter high) and I did it with my regular shoes, with just my camera and a bottle of water.
I just spent two days in that county, but during that time, I saw mountains, rock shores and sandy beaches with surfers from all over the world.

Auroville... back to the past?

2008-05-18T20:09:00.004+02:00

Last morning, I've been woken up by the radio, with a reportage on Auroville (The City of Dawn), a city erected in February 1968, in South India. As I was mid asleep, I did some research to know if all the stuffs I heard was real or it was just the consequences of my dreaming state! What a surprise when I realized the whole thing was true.

The foundations of Auroville are based upon a few simple rules:

Auroville Charter

1. Auroville belongs to nobody in particular.
Auroville belongs to humanity as a whole.
But to live in Auroville, one must be the willing servitor of the Divine Consciousness.
2. Auroville will be the place of an unending education,
of constant progress, and a youth that never ages.
3. Auroville wants to be the bridge between the past and the future. Taking advantage of all discoveries from without and from within, Auroville will boldly spring towards future realisations.
4. Auroville will be a site of material and spiritual researches for a living embodiment of an actual Human Unity.

Imagine, a town with 50,000 people from all over the world, who left behind all the constraints of their world (I mean for the people who came from Occident) and decided to act if money was over.
They are living as a community, they are farming, cleaning, exchanging food against clothes and so on... even lucrative bussiness is done, but only with the rest of the world.

Anyone can join that city, you just have a few rules to respect; in addition to the charter you mustn't have HIV, make a try as for three months, and then you got for one year the Newcomer Status. At the end of that period of probation, all the inhabitants of Auroville decide whether or not you can become a citizen of Auroville!
Peace and Love!!!

Picture and charter are from Auroville's website.

Bad week for the Olympic Flame...

2008-04-07T20:32:00.003+02:00

After a hard reception yesterday, in London, the Flame did its relay in Paris. I wouldn't say it was a success...
Due to anti Chinese protests, the relay has been cut by Chinese Officials.

Everything was ridiculous from the protection of the Flame, more than 3,000 policemen on the 20 km relay, in hundreds of vehicles to the scene of violence; on TV policemen charging and taking with force Tibetan flags held in the crowd have been broadcasting.

Not a success for that event, which should have been cancelled.

"Light the Passion, share the dream" the motto of the Beijing Games.

Thank you Paypal

2008-01-14T19:12:00.000+01:00

As the Ebay addict I became, I bought last year in October a new Polar watch, the Polar RS800SD. The lowest price I found was in the USA (the change rate between US dollar and Euro really helped).

As soon as the transaction was done, the sender sent to me the package, via USPS and Chronopost International. With the tracking website, I followed my watch, which crossed the ocean, went through the Tolls and finally stored in a warehouse close to my house. Since that place, the watch has been declared delivered to an unknown person by Chronopost but it wasn't me.
I started to complain first with Chronopost, but they were unable to explain me what happened; by the way don't pronounce the word stolen they will prosecute you. I'm wondering how an object can disappear with all tracking devices and electronic signature!!!!

Chronopost refused to give me the money back (at least the declared value by the seller) but they gave me a proof of non delivery.

The seller wasn't helpful to solve that case and I was on the verge to accept that swindle ($430!!) when I opened a case on Paypal.

After several mails between me and Paypal, I finally got today my money back (I just waited 2 months but that time really worthed it).

Thank you Paypal, I will always buy on ebay throughtout Paypal.

Always the sun - BCN III

2008-01-10T19:05:00.000+01:00

Browsing my computer, I found out these pictures (souvenirs from Barcelona) and I thought for myself "Wish I was there...", especially with the contrast of the current weather here!
So much good time there, I should have stayed...
Where to go next?

Torre Agbar - BCN II

2007-10-28T12:02:00.000+01:00

From the beginning you cannot avoid that building, "La Torre Agbar" (wherever you are in BCN it's present), fully different from the architectural art of the Catalan capital AKA Gaudi's style.
It's the work of Jean Nouvel, the French architect who certainly took the inspiration from Norman's Foster work in London for the construction of the Swiss Re Building, in the City.
I won't say it's beautiful but it has something particular in it. It is the sustainable development spirit contain in it? (i.e this building has been designed in order to limit it's impact on the city - reduction of the warming and cooling system, e.g with the help of the orientable windows and so on).
Choose your opinion...

Barcelona - BCN I

2007-10-27T21:46:00.000+02:00

Back to my holidays in October in ... Barcelona, a lovely place, where the sun always shines. Barcelona is the Catalan capital, proud of its history, from the ice age (actually middle age seems more accurate), to the resistance to Franco, the dictator.

At the dawn of the nineties, the city took profit of the organization of the Olympic Games to revamp the town and attract foreign investments (Almost half of this investments in Spain are done in BCN).

Barcelona, has different quarters according to the past invasions, of Romans, Visigoths and Muslims 2000 years ago.
Nowdays, Gaudi's style, even if it's still very present in culture's town, has left a lot of new areas dedicated to business.

I spent 8 days in the district of Gracià, in Barcelona. This district has the particularity to live quietly during the day hours, retired people and mothers driving their children to school can be meet. But as the daylight vanishes, another life arises. Students and young people fulfill the streets and the quiet coffees are transformed to club or hype restaurants.

More details later...

I did it...

2007-10-21T17:35:00.002+02:00

I just managed to reach at least one of my goal for the current year.
I crossed the finishing line of Reims' marathon in 3:41:58...
I started my race on a lower pace that I did previously, reached the half marathon in 01:48:14 and step by step increase my tempo til' the final line. Good point, I didn't stop due to cramps as I experienced in my last two marathons.
The very cold weather (-3 °Celsius this morning and close to zero on the departure line) didn't stop 1,100 people to take the depart. The winner, a Kenyan runner, finished in 2:09:08... So much to do to compete with someone else than me.......

The show is over...

2007-09-16T12:06:00.000+02:00

After a look at this picture, that evening could have been a defeat day but in fact it wasn't. On my way to a birthday party, I ran a half marathon in Agen as a training for my forthcoming marathon in one month.
I crossed the line one hour and thirty eight minutes after the race kick off... Not so bad as I wasn't so tired at the end. Quite encouraging but the victory will be when I go below 3:45 at a marathon.

First buy ever on...

2007-08-05T17:58:00.000+02:00

Ebay!
After a long hunt inside specialized shops and on the net, I found the perfect bike I wanted to make my way from home to work. Not only I found the product I wanted but with a little plus... the design.
I experienced the system of auction on Ebay, as someone reaches a better auction than you did you receive a mail and if you auction is the highest at the end of auction time you win!
Then you are directly linked to the seller in order to pay him via Paypal, and wait til the delivery.
I received the bike within the 5 days I paid him.
The choice of new or second hand on that site is amazing, whatever you need you'll find it. For sure I go further in that kind of buying way.

Marathon de la Liberté

2007-07-22T20:02:00.000+02:00

Last June, I did The Caen's Marathon, on the footsteps of DDays soldiers. Half of the course, is along the beach were people fought against the Evil.

Under terrific heat and very hard course, I crossed the final line (anchylosed by cramps) and peeped at the chrono and saw 4h11.
Far from what I wanted, as wrote in a previous post I did on that blog (running a marathon under 3h40!).

I failed, but I'll try again, in October this time, for The Reims' marathon. I started to train, but my spare time isn't long enough to have regular exercises.

Anyway, I still did not recover, got some pains when I'm running in my legs, more precisely to my right fibula. Hope things will be better, and I won't be obliged to miss the joy provided by a marathon; the atmosphere on the starting line and the victory against your own negativity when you crossed the line.
The lesson you learn in that race is daily applicable: if you want, you can.

Finally released...

2007-07-15T22:35:00.000+02:00

Last 9th July, Interpol released their third album, Our Love To Admire.
After so many listenings on their myspace, my frustration ended.
What a pleasure to hear them again, agian and again... with tracks such as Pioneer To The Falls, The Heinrich Maneuver...
I have nothing to add, just ENJOY...

The alternativ to the expensiv external HD

2007-04-17T20:13:00.000+02:00

From a previous computer, I recovered an internal HD, with many data inside (around 110 Go), which I didn't want to loose. Once my new computer opened, impossible to connect another HD, indeed the two slots were already occupied. First I gave up, decided to forget the content on the HD, but after reflexions, and a full faith in computer tools, I look for on the web for a link between my SATA disk and the USB2 connection of my computer.
On the picture, the product I found for only 20$ (VAT and shipping included). You plug this device to the computer and the HD, which is alimented throughout a small alimentation, and just browse the content.
What a pleasure I had, once I saw again all the forgetted things inside...
Now, I'm thinking about buying a new internal HD, to use as an external one with that "bridge", for almost half price. According to what I read and I saw from my previous experience, the transfer speed are almost the same.

Das Leben der Anderen

2007-04-16T23:22:00.000+02:00

The winner of the Oscar 2007 of the best foreign movie.

Just before the Glasnot and the venue of Gorbatchev to the command of the USSR, the Stasi (the political police of the German Democratic Republic, applies a high (and hard) surveillance of each inhabitant of that "republic"looking for dissidents of that lovely country (I better write, the country where suspicious would have been the motto).
In the movie, a cold but efficient employee of the Stasi, will start to change his mind about that policy (and also his feelings of guiltness, troubled by the art, emotion, liars from both sides), forging reports of its hearing activities when he's going aware of apparatchiks' aim - the power at all costs...
Even if these actions won't be discovered, the suspicion on his behavior will lead him to the bottom of the Stasi until the fall of Berlin's Wall...
The best movie I saw so far this year!

Chausey's Islands

2007-04-15T17:00:00.000+02:00

I took the opportunity of my Easter day off to make a small trip to Chausey's Islands. A small packs of Islands, at 20 km from Granville, a small port from the French side of the Channel.
Good idea to rent a boat to visit this island and then go to Jersey and Guernesey. Instead this program, I took a touristic boat from Granville, but after a 1 hour walk (ths island is very very small), a 3 hour rest on the beach, it took a long time to wait the return shuttle. Indeed, at this period of the year, the frequence of shuttles is very very low...
Anyway, the place is very quiet and with the sun I had during that day, the place was very convenient for the sun bath.

Tell no One

2007-03-10T09:32:00.000+01:00

Guillaume Canet (both actor and director) made an adaptation of Harlen Coben's best seller, Tell No One.
I read the book 2 years ago, and I barely left it til I finished to read the last page. The adaptation will certainly not please all America's readers as the action cannot be compared to Holywoodian blockbusters, but the story has been well introduced in the French context and all the essence of the plot is intact even if some parts of the movie could be described as ridiculous... It's just a film anyway and I enjoyed my two hour stay in the theater.

Ryanair messed up my way back...

2007-03-09T11:00:00.000+01:00

On my way back to Rome I had a very bad surprise when I arrived to the check-in. The plane from Rome Ciampino to Paris Beauvais was expected with a two hour delay. Bad, when you have nothing to do (no book, no food) to kill the time. The delay seemed to be caused by some frog in Rome at the beginning of the day and all day long the delays became bigger and bigger!
I finally took my plane 3 hours later. 45 minutes before the expected arriving time in Beauvais, the Captain made a little speech to announce our flight will finish in frankfurt (Germany) due to the closure of Paris Beauvais airport! It was almost a fight in the plane (unfortunately I didn't have my camera right on me to snap it).
Once we reached Frankfurt, we were told buses were on their way to pick us up to Beauvais. We just waited for 30 minutes in Frankfurt and then after a 7.30 hour trip in bus we were in Beauvais.
I'm wondering what is the policy of Ryanair in that cases but I'm writting a complain letter to have my money back.

Several questions I have and I want Ryanair to answer:
_ Why we cannot arrive in another aiport open and close to Paris (and then take the bus to Beauvais for the people like me, with their car on the airport park)
_ Why our buses used a long way (motorway free) to reach Beauvais (Ryanair didn't want to pay too much)
_ Why our flight left Rome to Beauvais with an expected arrival time a 11.55pm (when Beauvais' airport close at 11.00 pm), and do they know our flight wouldn't have reached Beauvais.

Rome's Marvels

2007-03-08T11:58:00.000+01:00

Last week I finally went to Rome to discover a city I heard so much about.
Awesome. A city where you can find at least almost the last 25th centuries' history written on the landscape (monuments or residue...)
The weather was during this late winter days wonderful. Sunny and almost hot. I walked around Rome for 3 days, and I saw almost everything from the outside.
Some cons for the journey: I didn't eat that much, nothing but Pizza and Pasta, whereas I sought for better food. Two other points, a lot of agrressiv beggers down the street (mainly from the Eastern countries) and the dirtyness of the city; a lot of rubbish and dogs excrements.
Apart these points, a really good moments, and a toawn I'll recommend to anyone, whatever their travel budgets are.

The Servant, Live

2007-03-07T11:58:00.001+01:00

The 28th February, I had an evening dedicated to The Servant.
Indeed, they went to Caen for a concert and a small interview for a local TV. The interview prior the concert stood at the Cityzen Café, a Café in the suburbs of Caen. They played 4 songs in accoustic, including their last single "How to destroy a relationship". They were in front a few people, we were no more than 15 people, very close to the small stage. A great moment, even if the interviewer asked a bundle of ridiculous questions...
After that, the concert was in the BBC (Big Band Café), but in front of a larger audience.
The concert was as good as it was long to begin & they played almost all songs from their 2 albums.
To finish, good concert, but young audience...

Gotan Project

2007-02-02T17:06:00.000+01:00

Yesterday night, for the inauguration of the new concert room of Caen, The Cargö, Gotan Project did a wonderful show. I discovered this band 6 months ago, their music is a mix between music from Argentina and Electronic music. They are usually described as Lounge music, but for me they are more than this.As the tempo of their music started to beat, all the audience was like transported, moving and dancing on the rythm. A great moment. On stage they were ten people, with on their background a screen diffusing images or movies, directly linked with the songs.
For example on the song "Mi Confession", 2 guys are filmed, dancing and singing on a rap tempo, while the people on stage are doing the music.
I got chills, when I remember this concert.

Good or Evil???

2007-01-31T18:42:00.000+01:00

Tomorrow night, a French organization, les amis de la terre, ask people to make a black out for 5 minutes, between 7.55 pm to 8 pm, in order to show the relation between energy consumption and global warming.
If I fully support this relation and the urge to act in the way to save the earth, I am skeptical about the process. Indeed, when all the people who shuted down their lights will start the up, the electrical network will need a huge boost (too big for the nuclear power stations), which will be done by electrical power stations (run by fuel)...

Mass consumption

2007-01-29T20:08:00.000+01:00

Last weekend, I spent some time in Paris and around.
As usual, I really enjoy the cultural activities, but I was frightned by my trip inside big shops.
Indeed, I went to Les Galeries Lafayette, what a surprise; you cannot afford the simplest T-shirt, due to the very high level of prices, but so many people manage to buy items there... In each stage of the building, a huge crowd, was trying to make deals (let me remind you, sales are not yet finished in France), buying things just because they are labelled 50% off...
I escaped the Shop and took a bad decision on my way to my house (I'd rather say 2 bad decisions...) . Indeed, I needed (let say I wanted to have) a small sideboard for my room, and I decided to go to the best place for design but not too expensive furnitures; Ikea...
Same chaos in Ikea, except prices more affordable.
I was amazed to see on the parking (where cars were packed like sardines in a box) so many quality cars. In the store, so many people spending huge amount of money.
I thought I have a decent salary and regarding to my job and my qualifications I was belonging to the top people, but I have to face reality... No one has money, but everyone have credits.
Shall I contract one?

Nelson, on the higwhay to glory

2007-01-15T23:45:00.000+01:00

That night, on the waves of France Inter, in Bernard Lenoir's show (kind of the famous Peel session on the BBC), Nelson did another fantastic performance. I enjoyed far from the crowd, the session, surprised by the intensity of the songs. The first album Revolving Doors (released last November), is even better than the EP Bangkok Riot (released early spring 2006).
Awaiting the new websites of Nelson, you can check their actualities on their myspace and listen at Nelson's music.

A good resolution...

2007-01-14T16:28:00.000+01:00

For 2007, I don't really chose good resolutions (so, I'll avoid not to achieve them), but at least I wanna perform in a better way that I did last October in a marathon. My target, run a marathon in June within 3h30 and 3h40...
To help me in that objective, I bought yesterday new running shoes, after mine ran out of cushions!
I chosed the Asics GT2110, the time will say if they preserve my back, my bones and my motivation...
Soon, I will stop my 2 month rest I started last December!

Mozart short cuts

2007-01-10T19:32:00.000+01:00

Last November, I went to the Opera to attend for the first time ever (for me) Mozart Opera. It was a creation from several Mozart's pieces, achieved or not used to make one story around the theme of Love. The whole purpose could be reduced at just "It's hard to love..."
The story takes place on a luxurious hotel hall during the 1960s, where couples and singles meet, live, sleep and die.
I was surprised by the play, dialogues (sang, don't forget it's an Opera) in Italian and German, and thanks to the "subtitles" I get the meaning and appreciated the rightness of Mozart's judgment and modernism.
That try gave to me the desire to be back inside Opera room, and attend more often that kind of pleasure.

Dr Feelgood

2006-12-07T06:33:00.000+01:00

Yesterday night, I went to a concert of Dr Feelgood a band I never heard about before.
I must say, their performance was quite good, I was very impressed by the play of all of them, their charism and their skills on stage. As they play for more than 30 years now, you cannot expect something else from them.

They respect the dogma of R&R line up, with a singer, a bass, a guitar and the drums. The singer is keen on harmonica and managed to make it sounds good.

They were defined as one of the pop rock band explorer, but I have to admit they are Rock&Roll, with a touch of blues.

From the origin, the bassist and the drummer still remained, the two other have been replaced (death is one of the cause) but the spirit seems to be intact; ''You don't have to be a musician to play rock and roll. You've just got to love it and want to play it." said Lee Brilleaux (the founder of the band) in 1976. He passed away a couple of years ago.

I have to listen at their albums now to see if I find the same intensity in the songs on the album & on stage.

Mushrooms hunting

2006-11-28T23:43:00.000+01:00

For the first time ever, lately, I went into a forest, crawling on my knees, looking at mushrooms.

My only knowledge to make difference between good and bad mushrooms was the spore bearing surface under cap...

To help you, I found here a small cartoon to be sure to make the right choice.

If you wanna be sure to eat the right ones, just pick up the ones with pores, avoid the rest!

Once you got your basket full of the precious and desired pieces, you have to face the dilemna of the preparation.

The way I did and I recommend to you is:

In a pan full of hot olivs oil, put the garlic and the mushrooms, til they reduce (loss of water) and then put the parsley on the mix. Once done, pour the pan with eggs in order to cover the mushrooms with the omelette.

Delicious...

Blogger, beta version

2006-11-25T10:32:00.000+01:00

I just switched to the new blogger beta version. I don't know why I postponed til' now the switch (maybe the apprehension to be charged by Google in a close future...) but now it's done.
I'll try soon the NEW advertised features.

My first marathon

2006-10-27T13:48:00.000+02:00

The 15th October, I did my first marathon in official competition in Vannes (France).
I started on a rythm of 5 min per km, but after 25 km, I experienced the worst cramps I never had. Each kilometer I had to stop, and to stetch myself to avoid injuries. The last 10 km were close to the sea, and a cold wind definitely kill myself and at the end I was barely running.
The arrival time: 4h00m33s (while the winner did 2h30m), was ridiculous, but I managed to cross the line.
I can say now, that training yourself 6 times in 2 months for such a race is not enough.....

Croatia, day 8; back to Paris

2006-10-02T21:52:00.000+02:00

The End of my journey in Croatia arrived...
I left Zagreb with the dawn; I barely had the time to get a coffee on the airport (4€ the espresso, not cheap as the life in the rest of the country), get on the plane to Paris and that's it.
In a few words, I really enjoy my time there, especially the national park of Plitvice but also the rest.
I managed to live there for the whole week without a map (I found all the accomodation places only with people indications - thanks to my Italian rather than my English).
The bad points were about the food (hard to be a vegetarian there, you cannot eat anything but margherita pizza..
The car I rented with Europcar was in a very bad shape, the tyres almost flat, a strange noise coming from the engine (the air admission flexible dismounted) and so on...
For the road indications, I choose to use viamichelin, it was amistake. When you compare the indications from the website with reality, you need a lot of imagination. Most of the indications were out of date.
Anyway...
To conclude, I did more than 2,000 km, took the plane for a return way from Paris to Zagreb, splet in clean and comfortable beds, drank local beers, and discovered so many new things for less than 600€, all included. Not that expensive.

Croatia, day 7; Plitvice and Zagreb

2006-10-01T23:57:00.000+02:00

Been today on the best place ever in Croatia, the national park of Plitvice. It has been classified in 1979 in the register of the UNESCO. Here you can find some details about the park.
The whole turn of the park is not that long, no more than 6 hours, and you don't need any special preparation to do it. The walking path is made of pieces of wood, and you must respect the path in order not to destroy the environment. So, I regret the lack of wildness during that day.
The day ended with a transit to Zagreb, where on Sunday night you have nothing to do. Most places are closed, but at least it's easy to park you car...

Croatia, day 6; Trogir and close to Plitvice

2006-09-30T21:51:00.000+02:00

I left this morning Split and took my way to the center of Croatia. I stopped in Trogir, a small city which failed to meet success, as Split did (and still does). Indeed, the leader of the faction of Trogir decided, by the time of the first century, to support the wrong man, while Split choose the good one. I don't really remember the names, but the "good one" became the chief of the Roman Empire... For sure, it didn't help Trogir to survive. Here a better explanation about the whole story of the tow.
In a few words, Trogir is a small and beautiful fort, built on an island, but where mercantilism killed the essence of the town.
The end of the day, was once again a transit one. I saw on the road edge, a lot of small vendor, selling piece of cheese or just a bottle of one.
I felt there the gap between the coast cities and the deep countryside in Croatia. Here people are just looking for money to survive, not to be IN...

Croatia, day 5; Split

2006-09-29T15:34:00.000+02:00

The city of Split is the first harbour in Croatia.
All the economy is based on it: tourism to Italy and Greece, or goods shipping. The port is really downtown, with inserted inside the train station and a lot of bus stops and concrete beaches. Indeed, all the shores are made of rocks, and to replace the sand they prefer to build large areas of concrete where people get used to put down they towels.
The historical center of Split is build directly inside Diocletian's Palace (erected several centuries ago). The Palace was classified by the UNESCO in 1979.
The other parts of the city are just full of pizza stores, and other turist traps.

Croatia, day 4; transit between Pula and Split

2006-09-28T21:50:00.000+02:00

This day was horrible, a long transit by car; a journey of 7 hours, on a airless atmosphere... The advantage of this transit was the landscape, from the shores of the Adriatic sea, to the desert land from the middle of Croatia, where you can drive for hours without sight of people on an expensive and modern motorway! By the way, I still didn't accept the prices of the toll; let's say about 10 € for 100 km, amazing!
Once arrived in Split I discovered a city, visited by the melting pot philosophy. Split is among the biggest port for tourism and fret in the whole adriatic. A quick tour inside the center of Split, more precisely inside Diocletian's Palace, allowed me to snap some pictures, but...Enough for today, time to go to bed, and let's visit Split tomorrow.

Croatia, day 3; Rovinj, Porec and so on...

2006-09-27T16:06:00.000+02:00

The second day was sunny and extremely hot!
Once again the blue of the sea was incredible, throughout my way, I saw a huge number of vineyards and oiltree parks. For a late of September, I was amazed by the colour of the nature and its smell.
I was astonished not to find easily places to eat, but on my way to Porec, I saw a sign by the road, which was referring to a kind of house. Inside, everything was organised to receive tourists with low prices and abundance of food.

Croatia, day 2; Pula.

2006-09-26T16:02:00.000+02:00

After a resting nigth in a youth hostel (cheap, but with a private beach) I put in my bag my camera and took my way downtown. On that way, I crossed several poor districts, but without a sensation of insecurity.
When I left France, people told me to be careful (with the inhabitants of Croatia), but so far, so good.
I finally arrived in the center of the city, wich is on the sea, surrounded by an old arsenal and a giant shipyard, where the biggest European boats were built; by the way quite amazing to see how boats are assembled, they weld different parts directly on the sea!
The city reminded me old films about Roman Empire, with the colours and especially the huge arena (a 20,000 people capacity). I didn't feel the fight spirit as I was walking on the ground of the arena...
After so many hours walking, the dinner was welcome... Here for vegetarian people as me, it's hard to eat... The local dish is grilled fish, else you can eat pizza or bundle of fruits! Vegatables are beautiful, but not in your plates...

Croatia, day 1

2006-09-25T14:50:00.000+02:00

The journey starts here...
Hardly arrived in Zagreb, I took my rented car at the airport and direction to Pula, in the South Istria. I had a glimpse of the Capital on my way South.
On certain aspect, the city seems quite old, the only public transport is a tramway (some are very old as shown on the pictures, with seats on wood, while new ones are very modern fullfilled with ads...) the architecture of the city doesn't seem achieved, with a mix of several influences and so on.
To reach Pula I took a very modern highway (even the toll and the prices are hype) with a lot of new improvements on the verge to be finished and after a 300 km road, I arrived on the Adriatic shore, but at night it wasn't impressing, let's wait for the dawn to have a better opinion.
I did a small tour downtown to find something to eat, and I was amazed to only see coffee bar and pizza fast food, they you're commonly come to have one slice of pizza and go to the coffee bar. I will talk about them later.
Time to go to bed now!

At least on holiday...

2006-09-22T10:53:00.000+02:00

After a hard work, I finally deserved my holidays. Far from my office and my coworkers, I will fly to Croatia for a week, and another week somewhere only I know (actually not yet).
I hope to share here a lot of beautiful pictures and stories about this travel.
Stay in touch.

What a watch...

2006-09-16T23:26:00.000+02:00

I've been offered a S625X Polar Cardiofrequence meter for my birthday... Thank you people who did the gift...
Anyway, here is not the purpose, I'd just like to talk about the performances of this tool.
Inside the watch, is combined an accelerometer (fixed of one of your shoes) which allows you to know your speed, heartrate, altitude, body temperature and so on... at any time while running.
You have at the end of your training the possibilities to transfer a batch of data to your computer and make analysis & correlations, and even try to improve the quality of your training.
Since I had it, I didn't really improve my running abilities yet, but it definitely helps you to get motivation. Good for my marathon preparation.

Djurgården (lungs of Stockholm)

2006-08-14T19:05:00.000+02:00

Last post about my trip in Sweden?I don't know yet...
I fell in love with the island of Djurgården, for the green areas inside it, the beauty of the shore, the relaxing effect of the species there and so on...
Compared to parks of other big cities, here you can barely see the downtown space, even if you are no more than 1 km far, and you really have the feeling you are in an other world far from all civilization.
The place to go to have a sunbath or if you wanna hide to discover other things.
Would you mind to go on the top of this place, and have a glass of champaign almost asleep on a hammock? If not, join the (very small) cattle of adept!

How to be on the list???

2006-08-10T06:44:00.000+02:00

How to do, to transform a conventionnal bar in the last hype place to be seen? An easy answer is to have a doorkeeper (it is better for him to be a former boxer, with a lot of scares on his face) with a lovely girl handling a list on her hand, and a glass of champaign on the other.
But the question is to be, OK, I wanna be in but how I can be carved on the list? And here starts the rat race! Indeed, the low level of this kind of place, allows you to be on the list with just one condition, send an email, the prior week and make the queue.
Then you have the more select clubs, where you need a fiend who knows a friend... to have your name written on the list.
Finally, the best place, is the most select, no one knows how to be on the list, and no one knows where the party will stand! Maybe there is nothing fun to have, but you will try to be snapped during the party, and then celebrity may start for you, you cannot expect nothing less, regarding to the prices you paid!!!
I found out in Sweden, this kind of place, which stand down the street, on the stairs of a public building (as seen on the pictures) where you entrance depends of a lot of criteria such as the company you have, the way you wear yourself, and the amount of money you seem ready to spend.
All this is just bullshit, but why we can't escape it?

Shopping in Stockholm

2006-08-09T19:50:00.000+02:00

Where is the best place to wander in Stockholm and make good deals? For me the answer is defintely Sofo, a mix between the Londonian Chelsea and the area of Le Marais in Paris, but for a cheaper price.
The people you can meet among the shops, coffee and bars have an attitude fullfilled with decontration and as soon as you approach them, you feel so well, don't ask me why, but it's a fact.
In front of the shops (as you can see on the pics), there are chairs where you can seat while you're pretending hesitating between one stuff or another.
By the way, mind the time if you wanna shop on Saturday, shops do close at 4 pm, while they do at 6 pm during the week.

Stockholm

2006-08-07T19:31:00.000+02:00

I finally went to Stockholm. My journey has been a little delayed for more than a year due to a mishap two weeks before the departure date...
Anyway, that time everything went OK.
Just to open your appetite, a couple of pics of Stockholm by night, they reflect what my eyes saw when I arrived late at night 4 days ago there. They are a litlle bit blurry, as my eyes at 2 am...
By the way I had a book about that town, and I read it yesterday on my way back inside the plane and I found a list called "Things to and see in Stockholm" and then I realised I didn't see (according to the book but not to myself) all the beautiful things...
In a word, I have to be back North, soon...

Marathon preparation: I am not a machine

2006-07-23T13:29:00.000+02:00

I am on my way to a marathon, which takes place in October... I started to train myself for this event 2 months ago, but with only one and half training a week I am not sure to reach the final line! 42.195 km, and the target time decided with my team mates is around 3h15 I'd better give up now.
I remember a few years ago, when I was still a student and full of spare time, I was making fun of the working people unavailable to do sport, but now, with my (few) responsabilities, my tiredness, and my laziness... I changed my mind and my way of thinking, but I am still trying to fill my outlook report at least twice a week!

Honfleur

2006-06-26T19:10:00.000+02:00

Been to Honfleur yesterday. A typical romantic small port in Normandy. Before I went there for the first time, I didn't really know the specialties of Honfleur, but now I do... Art gallerys!
But the landscape of this town, and the atmosphere of it make you feel well, even if huge rainbows decided to soak you like never you experienced in the past!
Put this city in your list "things to see before you die...".

Back on stage???

2006-06-20T20:48:00.000+02:00

After almost one year without playing the guitar, I did a try with a drummer last week. Such a great moment to play, but I realized the gap I have to fill to be able to play again in a band, and I also have to compose some new songs, I cannot stay all my life playing the hits of The Delicious Noodles, even if...
Next steps, work my fingers work, buy an electric guitar and PLAY!

First "bath"...

2006-05-23T06:47:00.000+02:00

Last weekend, a couple of friends and I went to the sea in Normandy (on the beach of Ouistreham, famous beach during the Overlord operation), and we put for the first time of the season our feet in the channel... Ohhhhhhh, what a cold, I am pretty sure the temperature of the water was around 12 degrees.
I am not ready to remove the jeans and my coat, and make the big jump.
Maybe this summer... but I am still wondering what the temperature would be in July!

Google Analytics

2006-05-22T06:58:00.000+02:00

The perfect tool for the people who wants to know the way people arrived in their website.
I applied a few weeks ago to this program, in order to get an invitation (they like to invite people at Google...), and then I just added a line on the code of my blog and that's it.
I am able to know how people arrived on my blog, i.e what type of serach engine they used, the keywords they enter, and even their location.
I can say, e.g, for the last week, people from Russia, India, France, USA... saw my blog, and when they used a search engine, the words typed were as follow "want+to+complain+in+airfrance", "sightseeing+in+Palermo", "pho+bi+da,+paris", "le+jardin+d'en+face"+restaurant"...
Amazing, isn't it? I think this tool will help me to improve my site.
For the 10 people who went on my site last week, I hope to see you around soon.

Deauville

2006-05-19T06:55:00.000+02:00

AKA the 21th borough of Paris, even if it is 2 hours far from Paris (in Normandy), Deauville is a must to see city according to all people living there.
This town famous for the American stars who go here for the American Film festival, but also for Horse auctions and competitions, and other activities of cities close on the sea.
No comment on the people you can meet there, even if the sight might sometimes be amazing.

Who succeed to buy Ikea items without body pains?

2006-05-04T12:46:00.000+02:00

I moved in a new flat weeks ago, and having no furnitures in it I went to Ikea to buy the living and room of my dreams. On the catalog, everything was allright, but, once in my flat, equipped with tools of shit, I was on the verge to open the window and make all my stuff on their way to fly...
I got at least 4 big nasty blisters, but at least I recovered on comfortable & disposable seats...

Charles Bukowski (1920-1994)

2006-03-26T14:27:00.000+02:00

Anyone who thinks human being is the nastier thing on earth must read any novels of Bukowski!
I discovered him throughout his book: "Erections, Ejaculations, Exhibitions, and General Tales of Ordinary Madness" and I have to admit he's good. He had an incredible talent to speak about the things people like but don't want to publicly hear about!
He was considered as a marginal, but any of his public appearances on TV or radio could turn into a mess. He tried, with provocations, to wake us up from the state we were (and still are) in, but he didn't get a lot of success in that task!

Pic from here.

Venice

2006-03-18T22:25:00.000+01:00

Been to Venice today.
I heard it was the most romantic city in the world, OK! I didn't get this feeling, maybe due to the environment (I was with 15 male colleagues!). Anyway, as you can see on the picture, we were lucky with the weather, we had the best conditions.
I'll try to get back to give more feelings about this small journey and upload more pictures, but the place worthes the time to go there, for sure!

Good bye...

2006-03-12T10:04:00.000+01:00

My 2-month-period in Sicily is over. It is with regrets I am leaving this place, but I didn't really manage to take all the habits of this country yet.
I know I won't be able to move in Sicily, the working mentality here doesn't really fit mine...
Anyway, I have to come back here, for holidays, there are so many places I didn't have the time to visit and to remember the good time I had.
Here a non exhaustiv list: Ustica island, the Etna, Syracusa, Aggrigento... but I visited almost all pubs in Palermo...

Bad mixture...

2006-03-08T18:44:00.001+01:00

Today, in my Sicilian plant, we had the visit of the bishop of the area. All the people in the plant were occupied during the hours prior the visit, trying to transform an industrial center in a lounge...
Worse, for 30 minutes, all workers except 3 out of 150, left their working post to attend to the speech of the bishop, with the benediction of the direction!
Whatever, a plant is not a place for religious people or politicians (both coming there to ask for money & to make troubles). For these types of visit, we have Open Gates Days.
Anyway, this is the Italian mentality (a high level of religionism), and I have to accept it. All the workers were gifted, with a picture of their bishop with the pope (narcism), but they were proud of that visit.
So...

Nightmare...

2006-03-06T18:54:00.000+01:00

Last Friday, I did a small journey to Paris from Palermo, via Roma, with Alitalia. My plane encountered some problems (I don't know which, we are too stupid to be informed, according to the plane company)... We made a U-turn to Palermo after 30 minutes, and here started the chaos. With the habitual latin order, we fought to get out of the plane and to try to find a place on other planes to Roma. Two hours later I managed to be in a plane, then in Roma I had difficulties to finally find a place in a plane for Paris. Alitalia promised me a place on a certain plane in Palermo after the incident, but once in Roma it wasn't the case so I had to negotiate in a hard way to have a place on AirFrance, having to listen speech from people of the two companies, saying opposite things! What is the purpose of the alliance Skyteam? I'm still wondering, just crediting points on your fidelity card?
Anyway, I managed to arrived in Paris almost 4 hours later, and I missed the party.
I am not upset about the decision of Alitalia, to send us back to Palermo, but I do for the lack of organisation and the deficience of communication within the Alliance.
I will make a complain, and I hope to get at least a free flight...

6 months on the road to... nowhere to be known.

2006-02-28T20:43:00.000+01:00

I left my flat 6 months ago, and since that date I've travelled quite a lot, slept in 11 different hotels (and still counting), and made many kilometers by almost all means available in Europe, learnt a new language and worked with people from all over the world... all these things for the Company I married.
Before the end of these experiences abroad, I have to say that, to live in hotels is not that easy, even if you have always someone to care about your desires (before you express them), to make up your room, to prepare your food... When this life will be over, I dunno if I would be able to make all these stuff by myself???
I can understand now the people who have a life dedicated to these bussiness travels, when it's new, you like them and can enjoy, but they eventually become quite boring, living in unpersonnal places.
Anyway, that's life and I chose it, so I have to cope with the drawbacks (the people & the place I miss...) and keep growing up! In one month, I will finally settle my feet for a long while, waiting impatiently the next trip...

Back to the kitchen

2006-02-22T19:14:00.000+01:00

The culture of the food in Sicily is very important. Talking about food, is the best way to talk about everything (women, sports, politics...).
And here they have one very typical food, the arancini, with are kind of balls of rice, which is feed with cheese, butter and other vegetables (could be considered as the equivalent of the Samosa here). It is very good, but extremely heavy. The sized like tennis balls, I ate two of them and I feel feed for the whole day! Here people eat them at any time, like you eat apples...
Here, a recipe to try...

Let's try this way

2006-02-15T23:37:00.000+01:00

No comment to add, just a picture taken last week in Lombardia, but this picture seems to express something, but I still don't get it...
With some colleagues, we each snapped this landscape, but this one is the best (thank you Francois)!

Hard to be a flame....

2006-02-14T19:32:00.000+01:00

Even the Olympic Flame has been obliged to reduce its gas consumption, after Italy started today to use the strategic gas reserves.
This can seem symbolic, but when you know, in two weeks, the flame will use the same quantity of gas as 1,500 Italian families on a whole year...
Let's stop the flame!

Pic found here.

Oops, it's cold here

2006-02-07T17:54:00.000+01:00

I left for a week Sicily, to go in the North of Italy, between Bergamo and Milano. The difference of temperature is hard to manage, from 17 this morning to -3 here with snow and a a chilling wind.
The landscape and people mentality is really different from the South of Italy (there, it is clean, and people are more disciplined), it seems more than Germany than Italy! Some parts remember me the landscape of Return To Castle Wolfenstein, but in less dangerous, of course...

Monreale

2006-02-04T18:57:00.000+01:00

I still processed my investigation of the around of Palermo, and today I went on Monreale.
This small city, on the heights of Palermo was the place (during the last century) where the rich people of Palermo went to rest during the hotest days of summer. You have a lot of small gardens (full of palm trees), in which you can seat on benchs, with the sight of Palermo, feeling a light wind on your face...
Also in this city, Catholic people went (and still go) to get married, in the cathedral wich is supposed to be the most beautiful of the area. On this last point I don't have an opinion...

Environment, where is the truth?

2006-02-02T21:39:00.000+01:00

I bumped by accident on this quote from a book of Bjorn Lomborg, The Skeptical Environmentalist,

We are not running out of energy or natural resources. There will be more and more food per head of the world's population. Fewer and fewer people are starving. In 1900 we lived for an average of 30 years; today we live for 67. According to the UN we have reduced poverty more in the last 50 years than we did in the preceding 500, and it has been reduced in practically every country.
Global warming, though its size and future projections are rather unrealistically pessimistic, is almost certainly taking place, but the typical cure of early and radical fossil fuel cutbacks is way worse than the original affliction, and moreover its total impact will not pose a devastating problem for our future. Nor will we lose 25-50 percent of all species in our lifetime, in fact we are losing probably 0.7 percent. Acid rain does not kill the forests, and the air and water around us are becoming less and less polluted.
Mankind ’s lot has actually improved in terms of practically every measurable indicator.

Having read this, I did a little enquiry in the Web about the author; he is a former Greenpeace militant, so he must be up to date to the subject...
I don't know how true are these assertions, but I found a book downloadable here, in which counter arguments are explained. I put it in my To Read List.
Anyway, even if we can produce more, we have to see what is the impact for the futur generations... Just a small precision, this post is not an encouragement to pollute. I found it on a book of production management (for polluting) industries, I hope these thesis won't be used as Licence To Pollute More...

Dig!: The Dandy Warhols, The Brian Jonestown Massacre & Consort

2006-02-01T01:35:00.000+01:00

Just watched the DVD of Dig! , sort of documentary based on the story of two American bands (The Dandy Warhols & The Brian Jonestown Massacre). Watching it I discovered a new band, the latter (I am already keen on The Dandy). Basically the plot is about the rivalry-friendship between their leaders and their life. I did some research about The Brian and I found on their website, that a huge part of their music is available on free download.
The BJM, are quite good, their leader also but eccentric enough to miss the glory path...
So make up your mind about it, and also have a look at Dig!, it really helps to a better understanding of the bands and you have some good moments (such as gigs) to see.

Erice

2006-01-29T18:14:00.000+01:00

On my way to Trapani, I settled for a while my feet in a city called Erice.
This small medieval town (culminating at almost 600 m) was during a long time a military fortress (from the 12th to 18th century), to eventually become the headquarter of the governor of the area.
This place was a strategic area to control the commerce of goods and foods from Africa and Europe, and to this sight it is possible to see all the landscape til several kilometers far.
Nowadays it is a famous touristic place, with a lot of small trips to make all around, this town is linked to Trapani, the biggest & closest city by road or a long funicular (closed during the winter time).
At this time of the year, we were just a few people, but even during the peak off season, prices in restaurant are exagerated...

Trapani

2006-01-29T17:53:00.000+01:00

Today, I went to the West of Sicily, still on my way to discover new stuff about this island. Here, a glimpse of Trapani (city renovated last year to host the qualifications of the America's Cup), the city and on the background three islands (Levanzo, Marettimo & Favignana) famous for the parties organized during the summer by the rich people from Milano and Roma.
A must see, for sure, but another time for me, I didn't have enough time to go, must wake up earlier next time!

Cold weather and Energy Crisis

2006-01-25T18:41:00.000+01:00

The terrific low temperatures in Russia and the resulting cold weather in Europe (snow in Sicily at 600 m!) show once again the problem of the energy. The electricty is not as easy to produce as the turn on/off action on the switch, or the pipe of gas is not connected to an infinite reserve.
So as the provider needs the products, the customers feel the difference. In Europe, the flow of gas is from 8 to 10 % under the average flow, and some people start to become aware of the consequences for their daily life and maybe (we can hope) for the future.
That's why, here in Italy media start again to try to teach to the public the good habits to have: take a shower instead of a bath, shut down the electricity when you are not at home, reduce the temperature of one degree in the house, don't fill too much the fridge to allow the fresh flow to moves...
I don't know if it is the right way, when you see that the temperature regulation in the public building or offices is to open the window and let the boiler run!

Pic founded here

The duality of Sicily

2006-01-22T20:34:00.000+01:00

For the ones you love the sea and the mountain, Sicily is the perfect destination to combinate these two activities. On the pictures here, you can have a glimpse of the beauty of the landscapes, at 25 km of Palermo. But as you can see the roads are in a very bad shapes... I discussed with some autochthons, and they told me, the roads are like this from more than one year (due to very strong rains last year) and just to bring and expert here it takes months, so they fear to be isolated of the rest of the world, if nothing is done in the next few months. I can understand them.

Sightseeing of Palermo

2006-01-15T12:33:00.000+01:00

Short report on the week in Palermo. First the weather is more than OK, it rains during the night, the temperatures are from 8 for the morning and til 16 in the better of the afternoon.
The city itself is really crowded by cars (maybe due to the beginning of the winter sales here last week), everywhere you have signs to show the parking is forbidden so either you don't park either you park wherever you can. Even last night at 4 am impossible to find quickly and easily an authorized park available.
Anyway, except this, as you can see on the collage, the town is full of churches and small streets where two people can barely stand side by side. People from each side of the street communicate, I let you imagine the noise... There are also a lot of theater and cultural centers here, maybe I will go in one day.
So after a couple of trips in the city I am started to be familiar with the city and where to go and not to go, so soon I will have to move around the city and maybe in the mountains of Sicily.

Coffee recipe: Cremina

2006-01-12T18:35:00.000+01:00

So let's share with you the recipe of the coffee I just discovered here in Sicily.
To make it you just need as material, a heater, a coffee maker, a knife and some cups, and for the ingredients coffee, water and sugar, so quite easy to do the job!
The first step, fulfill the water tank and then put the quantity of coffee as you can see on pic2. Don't compress it with the knife, the job will be done during the screwing of the upper part.
Then put the coffee maker (la caffettiera) on the heater. While the water is heating (don't run the heater too hot) put in cup (rigid is better) as shown on pic4 sugar. As soon as the first drops of coffee go out (the firsts have the best aroma), put them with the sugar (pic5) and put the caffettiera back on the heating til it starts to whistle, at that very moment take it away from the heat.
Mix, the mix sugar and first drops of coffee, with the knife energetically til you manage to get a cream.
Put that cream with the coffee and mix the whole slowly (pics8, 9, 10).
Rinse the cup with the coffee, and put back into the coffee maker (do it twice).
Pic13, put 2 drops in your cup, and then serve a small quantity of coffee and enjoy it.

Coffee

2006-01-11T21:28:00.000+01:00

After visiting a couple of countries all around Europe, I am able to say now that it is true, Italy is really the country of the good coffee and I change a little bit my habits on the way to drink it.
By the way I am wondering why Starbucks Coffee is not present there... No one knows???
Anyway, I discovered a really good way to prepare coffee in Italy and I will soon write down here the recipe...

Marathon Man

2006-01-10T18:47:00.000+01:00

Serge Girard, a French runner after completed the cross of USA, Australia, South America and Africa has started in 2005 a long journey, from Paris to Tokyo, running... This means to achieve 460 marathons in 275 days...
You can follow him on the site dedicated to him.
So far, in 23 days he did 1629.8 km...

Racket, what racket?

2006-01-07T19:26:00.000+01:00

Today, I went to the city of Palermo.
First, it is not easy to drive in Italy, it's worse here... I finally managed to arrive in the historic old center of the town and I found a place to park the car. Hardly I got off the car, two strange men came to me and ask me money if I want to be sure to find my car here. They explain to me that if not the police would be likely to remove my car, and showed me the sign "no park here"!!! So I paid, and I feel swindled. But walking down the street I saw a lot of these guys. I also asked people and they said to me, that how it works when you park your car here.
Oh yeah!

To the people who died fighting the Mafia

2006-01-07T18:46:00.000+01:00

This monument stands close to the sea in Palermo. It has been erected in the memory of the people who struggled against the activities of the Mafia in Sicily. I don't know how many people died, so far in that fight, but the struggle is not yet finished. Laws are not fully respected here, and some business such as the road transport are leaded by some godfathers! Everybody is aware of it but nothing is done, why??? Money and money.
Apart this aspect, Sicily could be a very good place to live, anyway...