Koh Samui

Full moon was on the rise when people showed up at the pier ... we were thousand crusing in Koh Pha Ngan, wondering from one place to another searching for smiling and familiar faces. But in vain after some fight back to move still as a group, we all gave up and split to the four differents corners of the party, whishing eachother good luck in one eye lush. We had a good time all night long and told our respectives stories at brunch time the next day.

We had a blast in the decadent and proper way, let me tell you how?

Scooter land

Koh Samui is not the island that everyone is going to party, but rather Koh Pha Ngan where the full moon party is on every full moon. Don't worry, if you are around and it's not the full mood, you will still ahve a party, if will be call the black moon, the first of the last moon, but you will have a full party under the moon.

Ko Samui White Beach, Salty Sea

Koh Samui is an island where you have the main and closest airport, full stars hotels and facilities nearby the party island. At night you take a speed boat and 50 minutes later with your new boat-party friends you land on the promise island. At first you dont really understand why you been taged with a all-incluseve bracelet, but a quick look around make me think of my South-West ferias under the tropic. That night, I was sure that some people would sleep where they fell. We still were a group of 30 or plus people together moving still at the same pace and promise to each other that no matter what we will not lost one soul in this sea of human being.

Lunch on the beach

We were wrong, after the first corner we lost half of the crowd and deide to go ahead anyway, thinking that it was already one o'clock and we should go the the main party if we don't want to miss it. So we walk ahead, buying on our way 5 liters bucket of what ever we could, here local Rhum, Gin or Whisky. An 30 people animal stroke-drinking is a wild animal that needed to be fed on regular basis. So we did it.

Street coconut vendor on the beach.
Does that make him a beach coconut vendor?

We finally reach after 3 or 4 buckets the main playa del Full Moon. Imagine thousand of people dancing barefoot on the beach at the sound of a blasting techno music under a full moon. We lost thousand people from pour group and find them back. I was personally lost twice and been rescue by J. twice as well.

Smile on a sea-bike

A small group of full mooner took the last boat back to the Koh Samui. The departure was the most chaotic fighting ever. Try to convince a fellow english man drunk, that the shoe he thought was his is in reality your tee-shirt. The last people from the island jumped in the last boat from where we saw the sunrise between 2 snoring. The return must had took the same time but I still dont remember it.

One of the many night restaurant on the beach

Full Moon party is a must in the life time of parier but no recommend to boat averse, unless drun all time. Life is hard when you don't know what to do with, but easy if you let if flow

Koh Samui address

Hotel

• Chaweng Cabana, Kho Samui
  Very nice hotel/cabana squeezed between the main road and the beach. A foot step away from the main attraction and a sea shell through away from the white sand beach. Supposed to have some breakfast as well, but I can’t comment on that. I am not sure at what time I came back from the party.
• Le Paradis Boutique Resort & Spa, (formely known as Princess Village)
  Le Paradis has a beachfront swimming pool and a variety of spa treatments, perfect for relaxation and pampering. Very nice place to wander around. Not to menction the bar restaurant overlooking the beach. That was our HQ for the rest of the weekend. Highly recommended for nice a nd relax stationary strategic dreamover.

Restaurant

• Karebu at the hotel Spa Le Paradis.
  The menu is just fantastic. Fusion food mixing west Western & Thai.
  But the best is probably the view you have at dinner time, lsiten to the waves crashing on your feet, or watching the moon rising above the sea.
• Beside the KArebu, I don't remember eating much, only drinking, must have ate something, but don't quite remember, must have been some Whiskey and shrimps or some sort of condiment.
• I remember having an ice cream on my way out to the airport.
  Does it count?

Bars

• Soi Green Mango and its surrounding is a full-tilt bar zone.
  Take off your wallet and dance your ass off all night long.

Hong Kong, China?

Hong Kong but not sure it's in China.

View from the Peak

What is impressive when you arrive in HK like people say around (what is KL?), is the fact that you feel being part a different city. First of all it's a city with the sea around, or an island it's up to you. A city with the sea .... plus it's a big city !!!

Downtown Hong Kong

It's a mix between West and East. It seems that it used to be very western before, but the Chinese side is starting to take over, rather than Singapore is doing the opposite. For me it's a spot that one has to stop to if really interested in Asia, and its cultures.

I think it's Mr Yang,
but not too sure

This city rocks for its resturant over looking the bay, bars full of music as trendy as any other bars in NYC or Paris, and its building suspended in the air attached to a nearby hill.

Transformer Building

This city is a rock and disserve more than a small quick weekend stop over.

Ferry trip skyline

It won't be my last weekend there, but rather my next move, if I find a job there, maybe ?

Hong Kong Sunset

Hong Kong, Addresses

Restaurants

• Hutong
  28th Floor 1 Peking Road TST.
  good Chinese restaurant on Kowloon side with a great view
  This will be relatively expensive
  
• Maxim's
  (City Hall)
  Dim Sum lunch upstairs on Sunday Lunch
  
• Ye Shanghai
  Pacific Place (Admiralty)
  
• Café Deco
  At the Peak
  
• The Peak Lockout
  At the Peak

Bars / Disco

• Volar (Disco)
  Basement, 38-44 D'Aguilar Street, Central, Hong Kong (near Lan Kwai Fong)
  
• Lotus (Bar)
  (37-43 Pottinger Street, Central)
  
• Felix (Bar)
  (At the top of the Peninsula hotel, in TST)
  
• Aqua (Bar)
  29th Floor 1 Peking Road TST.
  
• Isola (Bar)
  IFC
  
• Red (Bar)
  IFC

Hotel

• Cosmos
  375 - 377, Queen's Road East, Wan Chai
  

General Tips

• Pick up a Tourist Map and Guide (free) at the Airport as soon as you get in. They are strategically placed right before Immigration and also at the baggage claim exits to the Arrivals Halls.
• Hong Kong is meant for walking. The density, sights, and sounds of Hong Kong mean that it’s best experienced on your own two feet. Not only can you experience urban Hong Kong on foot, but you can also experience nature by trying the nature trails outside of the urban areas. Here are some suggestions for some great walks around Hong Kong
• An Octopus card is your best friend. The Octopus card is stored-value RFID card that you can use on almost every form of public transport, with the exception of taxis. You can even use them at supermarkets and convenience stores for purchases. You can pick one up at any MTR or KCR station and recharge them at the MCR, KCR, or convenience stores. There is a small deposit to obtain a new card, but the value is fully refundable.
• Public transportation is world-class. Hong Kong’s public transportation system is ultra-convenient and efficient. Use public transport to reach areas not easily accessible by foot. See list below for types of public transport.
• Money, money, money. The exchange rate for Hong Kong is HKD7.8 = USD1 (roughly HKD8) or HK10.12 = EUR1 (roughly HKD10). Exchangers are available almost everywhere. Foreign ATM cards also work in Hong Kong. There is no sales tax in Hong Kong. Also, small tips (in the order of a few dollars) are common but not required.
• Shopping is insane. Mong Kok, Tsim Sha Tsui and Causeway Bay are among the best places to shop. “Retail clustering”, where many small shops selling similar products line a particular street, is prominent in several districts. This is great for bargain hunting if you’re a shopper. Also, feel free to try and bargain at the smaller mom & pop stores. Chain stores and department stores are fixed-price.
• Hong Kong has some amazing vistas. The combination of some of the world’s tallest skyscrapers, green mountains, and expansive ocean make Hong Kong’s skyline and scenic beauty quite amazing (when conditions are good, of course). Make sure you get a chance to view it from the Peak or Tsim Sha Tsui harbourfront.
• Basic facts. 6.8 million people live in Hong Kong, about 95% are Chinese. The official languages are Cantonese and English, with Mandarin growing. Despite conversion of major public transportation systems to low-emission LPG fuels, air pollution has become an increasing problem in recent years, due primarily to factory output in the northern Guangdong province across the border. Be careful if you’re sensitive to air pollution.
• Weather. Cool and dry in winter, hot and humid in summer.

Popular Modes of Transport

• Airport Express: Links the airport to Kowloon and Hong Kong Island within 30 minutes. A great ride on first arrival to get a nice view of the city. You can also check in your baggage at the Hong Kong and Kowloon Airport Express Stations on the day of your flight, before actually arriving at the airport.
• MTR: Hong Kong’s advanced and efficient subway system linking Lantau Island, Hong Kong Island, and greater Kowloon.
• KCR: Hong Kong’s train system which links Kowloon to the New Territories and China.
• Taxis: Inexpensive and plentiful, fares start at HKD15.
• Double-decker buses and minibuses: Really cheap and everywhere, fares start at HKD3 or less. Bus route maps are posted at every bus stop. On some of the hilly roads, the rides on these buses gets interesting!
• Trams: A quick and cheap mode of traditional transport on parts of Hong Kong Island.
• Ferries: These ferries Hong Kong Island to Kowloon and also the dense urban areas to outlying islands like Lantau Island, Lamma Island, and Cheung Chau. Also, you can take a ferry to Macau which takes a few hours by hydrofoil.

Hong Kong Island - Highlights

• Go to The Peak in late afternoon, take the Peak Tram in Central (remember to sit on the right). Assuming the conditions are good, you will get an awesome view of Hong Kong from the top (sunset view and night view). Take bus no. 15 to get down from the peak but this time sit on the left on the upper deck. Get off at Central, then go to Lan Kwai Fong for drinks if it is Fri/Sat night. You can't miss LKF on Sat/Fri night after 1100pm!
• Take a tram ride from Kennedy Town to Happy Valley. Only HKD2 per ride. This route is the shortest and should take you the least time but gives you a good tour of Hong Kong Island. There is also a popular racetrack at Happy Valley.
• Other attractions:
  o Causeway Bay, a shopping mecca
  o Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Garden
  o Stanley Market on the south side of Hong Kong Island
  o Ocean Park, Hong Kong’s biggest theme park (with reef aquariums, panda exhibits, rides and more) and one of the most popular theme parks in Asia
  o Repulse Bay, one of Hong Kong’s most picturesque beaches

Kowloon - Highlights

• Take the Star Ferry to cross Victoria Harbor, from Central to Tsim Sha Tsui (TST) or vice versa. Try the lower deck. When you get to TST, walk along the seaside walk where you can get a great view of Hong Kong Island. The Avenue of the Stars also lines the seaside walk and is home to a famous statue of Bruce Lee. If you are along the TST harbourfront at 800pm, there will be a lights show.
• Go to Mong Kok by MTR, go to the Ladies’ Market which bustles the most in the evening. And don’t forget to bargain. On Sat and Sun, it’s one of the most crowded and densely populated urban areas in the world. Mong Kok (and nearby Prince Edward) is home to many examples of “retail clustering” and has a sporting goods street (Fa Yuen St), electronics street (Sai Yeung Choi St), goldfish market (Tung Choi St), bargain fashion street (Fa Yuen St), flower market (Yuen Po St and Flower Market Rd) and bird market (Yuen Po St). Mong Kok is also home to a lot of local restaurants and street food vendors. Don’t be afraid to sample the local cuisine. For the authentic local dimsum experience, try London Restaurant on Nathan Road in Mong Kok, about three blocks south of Argyle St/Nathan Rd.
• Other attractions:
  o Wong Tai Sin Temple
  o Kowloon Park Mosque
  o Temple Street Night Market
  o Hong Kong Museum / Science Museum in Tsim Sha Tsui

New Territories – Highlights

• Sai Kung is on the eastern side of the New Territories and is home to a nice seafood market. Take the MTR to Choi Hung and then the minibus labeled “Sai Kung” for an exciting ride through the outlying area. In addition to nice seafood, you can also take boat rides at the pier in Sai Kung.
• There are many country parks, walking trails, and other natural adventures

Outlying Islands – Highlights

• If you like traditional Chinese culture, you may consider sparing half a day to go to Tung Chung. Try visiting the Giant Buddha statue (the biggest outdoor Buddha statue in Asia) and Po Lin Monastery. You can also try taking the new cable car attraction, Ngong Ping 360, though I heard there’s often a long wait since it just opened.
• If you’re looking for something more peaceful and local, try taking a ferry to Cheung Chau or Lamma Island from Central Ferry Pier. There are temples, beaches, and local seafood restaurants and markets on each island.
• Other attractions: Disneyland Hong Kong

For more information

Hanoi

Here are some pictures, but I will write soon about this great city of Hanoi. Just need a bit of time, thing I don't have anymore in my hands.

Where can I buy some ?












I will write about Hanoi soon.

Hanoi Addresses

Restaurants

• Quan An Ngon
  18 Phan Boi Chau (Close to the Hanoi Tower) Tel (04) 942 81 62 - 942 81 63
  THIS IS The place to go to in Hanoi. Imagine some street cooking chef all around you in an open square place where you can eat the most delecate food for US$5 per person. Sea Snail, Baked Osters, Nems, Spring Rolls, Soup, Chicken-on-a-Bamboo-Stick-Rolls .... A MUST GO to eat and see.
  
• La 25 Ly Quoc Su Hanoi, Tel 9288933
  Impressive and very expensive menu (US$20), but worth going there.
  
• The Little Hanoi
  Their Blueberry Cheese cake is wonderfull
  
• Street Booth
  Chicken Finger on a stick

Hostel
Hanoi Backpacker's Hostel

This is a very descent place downtown Hanoi, dorms are cheap and clean. Recommended place, from where you can crowl around the old part of Hanoi. Good english touring guides as well. They can organize Airport pick up as well for you.

Ha Long Bay

This is an amazing site on the planet that deserved to be sailed around once in your life.

Imagine thousands green islands spotting out a calm grey sea. Only the sound of your engine comes along you and Mother Nature ... It did not start that way though.

Our small group of travelers (16 all together) planned to spend NYE on the ocean, and we booked our 3 days Ha Long Bay tours with Saigon Travel Cafe in Hanoi. We were not the only ones who planed that. We were thousands of tourists to have the exact same idea. When we arrived after 3 hours bus drive on the North Vietnamese Highway (a story on itself), we were literally hundreds of boats trying to leave the only pier at the same time. We heard crash, noises but never yelling at each other. Our junk was smashed by a bigger one, but we did not sink.

Finally we reached a safe spot from where we could take off to the bay. At first we could not see a thing, but the mist disappeared chunk by chunk and we discovered the space around and the hundreds boats around us. It was a compilation of small tiny drop of land on a quiet ocean of water. From time to time we could see a dinky floating between the different magical elements.

We crawled quietly till the final destination doing some tourist activities like dress-down kayaking, cave visiting, pictures taking or shrimps eating. We reached New Year Eves climbing a imported Red Label and some exotic Smorniff. The twelve sounds were celebrated by a Manchester Vs Paris dive in the bay. Who won? Who cares!

Quand our guide (King or Flower in English) did something amazing which was for me the beginning of my take off to Vietnam land, he sang a song from the country side telling the story of people going to the city and missing their own town. This languorous song was perfectly setup among the dark night and the shooting stars. I closed my eyes and dreamed for some time.



The next day we visited the main Cat Ba Island, which was the center of resistance of the North Vietnam during the war. We talked a bit of the war and saw some excavations, some history, did some trekking too early for me anyway. Starting a 2 hours trek at 10 Am on Jan 1st !!! Talk about new years resolution ! Next year I make none for sure.

Chicken island

Ha Long Bay is magic, and deserved to be seen under a blue sky, like the moon I guess.

Wait'nam, Vietnam

In order to wait a bit for the Vietnam trip reports here are some pictures.











Viet'nam is cool

Fontaine Blow, "The Revenge"

CHECK OUT !

What I like at examland, it's the landing part of the trip. Customs are always friendly, smily and sometime funny. The airport was full of people ready to party like crazy animals who did not see the light for severals days, and wanted to do it one last time.


The 150+ who came at Villa V. had a good time before flying off to all the parts of the world, one to Karachi, one more to NYC, the other one to Singapore, or somewhere else; to see mother land and eat father food.

After the party what's left is a trashed place, but as well a big empty space in your mind and your heart. Something is missing, the sound or the smell, the smiles or the tireness, the complicity or the tension, the new and the familiar, the speed and the slow.


I missed the place already, or maybe the people I must admit. Something special already happen. There is a strange feeling that what happen is already magic and I still in the middle of my dream and don't want to wake.




Shush .... Talk slowly and quietly to not awake youself, this is a cool feeling and you have a satisfied smile on the corner of your mouth.






Can't wait to do the next party in someone else place somewhere, somehow. But for sure I still have 6 months to make it happen, bigger, stronger, and filled my soul, mind and heart with memories that will keep me happy and put a smile on my face for the rest of the time.


Good-By Villa, be safe and drive people crazy.

Chapter 2 is closed, Chapter 3 is coming in few days, and it is going to be a blast again ! Keep it up


Cristmast at home to keep me warm, and refill batteries.

Fontaineblow

Maybe you wonder why this blog is so silent for quite some time now.

Well it is very simple, I am traveling in examland, and don't have much fun stories to tell.
Except maybe that this is the end of some tuff times where knowledge is poring like monsoon, schedule is as busy as Shinjuku subway station in Tokyo and nights are filled with shooting vitamins stars.

Soon monsoon, later tiger, borrow tomorrow, Singapore B-day

Bombaysers de Lille (*)

I will tell you soon everything on how I found Bombay in Lille.
In the meantime, I post some pictures I made during my short, yet intense weekend to Lille.

Rue Faidherbe

2 Kids on the Wall

Coffee and Chocolate

Vieux Lille

Grand' Place in Lille

Walking on Top of the World

(*) Could be translated in English into "A Lot of Kisses from Lille"

Arcachon

During my student break, I went back Home to chill out and rest from my crazy Vie de Chateau here in Fonty. These 4 days and good nights sleep rejuvinate me more than what I anticipated, and give me a boost for the next schooling period. But what I wanted to blog on is what I did over there, during the stay. The family decided to go eat a gauffre in Arcachon.

When I think of Arcachon, I usually think of very sunny days, algues smell, swims in the bay, dives from the peers, late family dinners, or long lunch in my granmother house back then, walks in the forest, and silly plays with my cousins. Going to Arcachon is going back to my chillhood and opening the magic memories box, unpack them and measure the distance made since then.

Arcachon change so much in 10 years, that seeing it made me think of beeing in another city but not the one I knew. The last picture that was close to my memories was the walk to the above Jetée d'Eyrac.



All the rest changed, the sea-front, the Jetée Thier, shops, people around. This place lift up from working-class type to Bobo crowd.

But even though people change, they still doing the same thing they used to do a long time ago in my memories.




Walking along the beach, reading books on the Jetées and kissing on benches.



And finally try to eat chocolat-chantilly gauffre at the near by shop.
Mine was big and doubled chantillied, thanks to my sister who ask behind my back to doubled it, (she was video taped making the deal with the chantilly girl). I loved my gauffre but could not finished it, maybe next time.

Where do I dance/drink in Bordeaux ?

This is pretty tuff to do a list of where to go around since it keeps changing all the time, but let me try anyway.

Bordeaux as a southern city, likes to have her partying done half in the street half inside.

On Thursday night better to go to Place de La Victoire where all students come and have a drink before going back home for the weekend. No point of listing all the bars around the place, but make sure you do all of them.

Saint Pierre is also a good spot to go around, where Calle Ocho and other Casa Latina are safe bet. The tricky thing will be to survive in theses places where you will calliente inside and outside. For more info on the Latinos parties in Bordeaux.

L'Absolute Loungue (14 Rue de la Devise - Bordeaux Phone: 05-56-48-80-00) is a cool jazz-electro bar to sit and drink all night.

Saint Mich' (or Saint Michel) is more working class / authentic, and you will be able to drink a minth tea and listening to Rai on the main place. Dont eat there or run fast.

On the Quai, you can find other places to party shake your butt or drink your ass. H36 was a nice and rich place to go if you are around. Not sure you should cross the country to be there, but you never know, you could be lucky and have some fun there.

The last place is a no-recommendation, but is listed everywhere in guides and books. Quai de Paludade is a new area where young peop' go to check out and check it out. A bit risky if you go alone and want to find a friend.

The list can go on and on for ever, and could be change on daily basis.
I will not do it, and let you discover the new hot trendy place in Bordeaux by yourself.
Is it not the best thing to do in a city by the way ?

What do I eat in Bordeaux with my wine?

Thinking that What to drink in Bordeaux is not a very relevant question I am putting together a list of places to visit as often as possible. Since I still have some acquaintance there, here is a good list of place to spend some time behind a chunk of wood with a fork in one hand and a piece of bread at a knife through of your fingers.

Stomach ready?
Go!


Bordeaux

• L'entrecote : 4 cours de 30 juillet . Bordeaux 05 56 81 76 10,
  €16 / person, classic steak house in bordeaux close to Grand Theatre. Actually this is probably your best bet when you want eat late at night. No reservation, just line up in the staircase.
• La Tupina : 6 rue porte de la monnaie. Bordeaux 05 56 91 56 37
  A classic restaurant, and well respected.
  The duck boudin is a thick, wide disc of dark meat rich with pungent gamey flavours that floats above the well-dressed salad with apple slices it sits on. The texture is dense, as if the maker had originally made a boudin twice this size and then compressed it. The apple cuts sharply to alleviate the richness. It’s a hefty starter, but more is to come.
• Le Toscane : 6 rue du cancéra . bordeaux 05 56 01 12 18
  This is my Mum secret place in Bordeaux. Quite Expensive, but one of the best Italian restaurant on the planet.
• Dubern. 44 allées de ourny . Bordeaux 05 56 79 07 70
  This is an institution in Bordeaux, everyine knows Phillippe Dudern. Usually if you want to have a bourgeois wedding
• Le Café Maritime. Quai armand lalande - Bordeaux 05 57 10 20 40
  Very Hip restaurant, world nouvelle cuisine + gastronomy cuisineThai- Indonesian Cuisine. Very select and fine cuisineIn the old vineyards warehouse on the piers.
• La Dame de Shangaï. 1 quai armand lalande bdx 05 57 10 20 50
  Chinese Jonque transformed into a restaurant. Mixed between French food and Asian food.
• L'Arene Catherine. 34 rue Sainte-Colombe - Bordeaux 05.56.44.76.08
  Simple Bistro, where you can eat as well as see, or been seen.
• Le Jardin des Gatronomes. 1 place Saint Pierre - Bordeaux 05.57.85.90.35
  Bistro bar, with a unique menu, basic but classic.
• Le Comptoir du Jazz. 58 quai de Paludate - Bordeaux 05.56.49.15.55
  This is a place in where you can eat well for a reasonable price while listening to some Jazz music. This is the Jazz reference place in Bordeaux and should not be missed while in town if you like this kind of music.
• Some more Bordelais Restaurant.

Quinsac

• Hostellerie Le Robinson. On the Garonne river, 15 minutes away from Bordeaux. Just the place is worse going there.I wont talk about the food.

Bègles

• Le Chiopot. 281 rue des quatre castéra - 33130 bègles - Tel 05 56 85 62 41
  One of the oldest institution in Bordeaux (Begles is close to Bordeaux)
  At Le Chiopot, chef Jean-Claude Coutenuit is known for his way with beef dishes, though many other excellent options are available as well. Try the bordelaise entrecote steak, which you can view grilling in the massive fireplace, or the house specialty, a salad of tricandilles with a zesty garlic and ginger dressing. Traditional fish dishes are also recommended, including salmon, cod, and escargot. Elegant, upscale atmosphere and helpful service.

Bouliac

• Le Saint James - 3 place camille hostein 33270 bouliac Tel 05 57 97 06 00
  Do I have to present the most welknowed Relais and Chateaux in Bordeaux

Saint Emilion

• Palais Cardinal *** (3 stars) place du 11 novembre 33330 st emilion 05 57 24 72 39
  Gastronomic restaurant, on top of the hill with a beautiful view overlooking vineyards.Very select !
• Hôtel du chateau grand barrail . Route de libourne 33330 st emilion
  Grand Barrail Château Resort & Spa A haven of refinement and relaxation in the middle of the vineyards! Excellent concept Wine & Spa

Margaux

• Le pavillon de margaux.
  3 rue g. mandel 33460 margaux 05 57 88 77 54
  Gastronomic Restaurant, Bistro menu at lunch time with view overlooking vineyards

This is my list and reflect my opinion and should be debated on regular basis with myself. I will more than happy to change and update my list based on people input, if I am invited of (main) course.

Paris again

Paris by Day

Picture taken in Palais Royal by Lin.

Palais Royal

I love being a tourist in Paris, because it helps me to take some distance from the crazy, insane Paris and I start appreciate her for what she is worth.

The lady Paris is beautiful.

Every city is to me a person, and Paris is this beautiful independant woman mid-30s who knows what life is. She has been in love and she has been dumped as weel.

She knows it all!

When you look at her she makes you feel too young, and you probably say M'dam when she ask you a question.

Of course when you answer back to her, she start laughting and make fun at you. But you don't really care beacuse she is beautiful, and you hope that one day you will be able to know half of what she does.

Picture taken in Palais Royal by Lin.

Then later on you know her more and more, and you see her everyday, and you start not remembering that she is so beautiful and special to you.

So you don't want to see her anymore and you want to leave her.

You tell her one day at a terrasse and you leave her there, alone, with her glass of wine in a rainy day.

She does not care because she is Paris and she will have plenty of other opportunities and she will go for the next one.

Many years later you come back to her and you see her.

She is still beautiful and pretty. She makes fun of you and you still can't say a word. She makes you feel too young again.

She is in love but with someone else.

C'est la Vie!

Mont Saint Michel Pictures

During the Mont Saint Mickael trip few camera-holder-lover were also part of the trip. Have a click when time at Angelito, and Lin shoots about the Mickael Hill in the middle of the bay, worth the time to chill out.

Please turn off your cellphone or pager, and enjoy the show.

Mont Saint Michel

After a month of hard work of schooling, I was engage into an expedition that led me and some other members of the Vie de Chateau, in one of the most prestigious place in France: Mont Saint Michel. I was the designated organizer in this event since I have some attachments in the host country. Some 12 or so people, decided in a Saturday late morning, to head up to See the Sea. My heart was beating hard in remembering all the memories that goes along with the salty effect that might be on my lips. We all jumped into 3 cars and hit the road.

The first gang stop over on the way to Bretagne from Fontainebleau was in a small tinny French village where the post office was fighting back the unique bar-restaurant on the 10 feet large central place. We were, all of us, the 12 monkeys, the attraction of the day, and probably the topic of next Monday free market. No explanations were given in exchange of our coffee and the break gave us enough strength to push the route to Cancale.

This village is attached to the rocky coast by a stream of habits and a rope of traditions. In all the name of honor and respect Cancale is as well-know for its oyster as Rome for its Vatican. I heard of people traveling half way through our planet to taste this tinny road along the bay, and visit the lighthouse for good karma and bad luck wish away. I do only believe in the religion of food and do my regular afflictions of wine to pave my road to oven. We all eate in a restaurant facing the port, and enjoyed the local sea food, floading crab and other sea snail with a dry Chablis. The night left us enough light to road back to Rennes on time for a heavy car washed, and a salvation beers at the local bars.

The next morning was celebrated by a French breakfast on a terrasse, staring at people who stared back at us. After all, the best way to be local is to do local. In Rome do like the Egyptian. They stare, we stare!


We finish the breakfast on the way to the famous Mont, and arrive just on time between two sets of Japanese Buses. In my recollection, the Mont was bigger, wider, and wilder and less people friendly than what it is right now. But I was 11 and had no time, patience or interest in whatsoever resembling to an old stone. Today I do, that might be the years that gaining my personnel interest or the time that forces me to respect thing that I see changing in front of me.

Anyway, the Mont was there in front of us, the 5 millions tourists who were present this last sunny day of September. It did not matter for second to me that I had to share this moment with other foreign and un-respectful human being. I was happy to see smile in my 12 Monkeys friends and almost proud that such a place was present nowadays. I let them appreciate the good side of France, and they respected the way France behaved. No complain was said once during this journey, and smiles were on each and every faces.


The trip back was long and delightful, full of joke, sleep and sparks of glazes. We arrived all of us in one piece and tired of our escapade in the French country side. Tired but happy and thankful that we having such a good weekend in our hectic life.

I am sure that, that night all dreams in tha’ house were full of horses, king and old stones. The next morning I was happy to remember one of the dreams that I had that night. The magic of the Mont was on me, let it last as long as possible.

Paris

Paris is still Paris, but not the same anymore.

I went to Paris from my Fontainebleau residence last weekend. I took the train early in the afternoon on Saturday (around 6PM), and after 45 minutes of commute time in the Parisian suburb, I arrived in Gare de Lyon. Few subway station later and some accordéon in the tube, I reach Bastille at 7.30PM just on time to start the bar crawl with some friends. The night was long and full of talk and alcohol, the way I liked them. The next morning we all went to Paris Bercy to hang around on the newly renovated 12th area in Paris.

The best thing that I notice in Paris was probably the smell. Paris smells the same, even 10 years later. I like it the way it is. This is a strange mix of humidity, human smell and train oil that give a particular odour of metro Parisien. I felt at home when my nose was full of Parisian sh*t. I liked it very much.

Then, over my short subway transit, I was pushed, yelled at and more importantly stairred at. I did the same thing evaluating my next opponent for the last seat fight and try to see where would be my best spot in that case.
Few tips that I collected over my period in the big P. city.
Don't fight against an old lady; she will give you the guilty look.
Don't fight against a young lady; she will give you a kick in the knees.
Don't fight against an old man; he will give you the vindictive speech.
Don't fight against a young man; he will give you bad experience for sure.



What you have to found is a poor tourist with a lot of suitcases. You have a big advantage not only in terms of time, while he or she carry his or her stuff, you will be able to install your blanket and start sleeping. But as well in terms of language. If she or he starts arguing that it was her or his place, why not answering back in rude and really fassssssssst French. You will win at each time.

Anyway, this is the same old thing, where you run in the subway and you don't even know why. You have the sad and bad look with no smile and you wonder why people have the same. You complain all the time just by the fact you have to in order to relate to people.

BUT this place is amazing!
Each corner is a picture to do,
Each person has a long story to tell,
Each stone has a glory to make.

I love Paris for what she is, and indulge her for what people make her to become.