Day 2 in the south and today we headed towards la vallée de la Vésubie for a taste of the great outdoors on offer. I could not put down in words just how gorgeous the region is. The view along the ride is breathtaking (of course, the narrow and windy roads would also literally take your breath away when a bus or 4×4 decide they should be kings of the road and eat into your lane) and if it was up to me, I would be making a scenic stop wherever possible along the route.
After about 90 minutes journey, with the cars safely parked at Le Boréon, we started our hike up the circuit de Trécolpas, pausing every so often along the well-marked paths to take in the scenery before our eyes. Running streams and waterfalls peppered around the national park, and wild alpine flora decorating the landscape with flickers of colour everywhere. At 2,150m sits the natural glacial lac de Trécolpas, the perfect spot for our picnic lunch break. However, as the day progressed, the clouds began to descend ominously. Time to make our way back it was.
Woo a trip to the south!
I’ve been invited to stay with friends in Nice for a few days, and after an overnight journey on the Lunéa, I’m seeing sunshine, blue sky and azure sea once again. Quite a nice change from Paris which has been rather dull and grey lately, and no sea to talk about of course. Paris Plages do not count.
The villa sits high atop the hills of Nice, overlooking the city and its environs. It is a day meant to be taken very easily, with dips in the pool (I now can float!), dining al fresco, leisurely stroll in the old town area of Nice, and a couple of ice cream sessions. No rush, no hurry, no worry. Now, that’s what I call a holiday.
The reconstruction works around Les Halles continue since I last spoke about it. To be frank, I haven’t really explore much of the area for lack of something to draw me there. Or maybe I’m just not looking hard enough. Formerly the site of a market (nowadays housed out in Rungis), and for the time being still quite boarded up in parts, it hasn’t appear too interesting.
Giving it another go, I was out there again today. I circled around the ground-level park and briefly peered into the entrances to the underground-levels of the complex. However, I still haven’t find something particularly inspirational yet I feel somewhat dissatisfied with my effort. Perhaps I need to come out here one day with fresh pair of eyes and clear mind, and not at the end of a work day with soggy brain?
I came across this series of videos today which is absolutely brilliant and inspiring! It makes me want to get out and away, but alas, without an income, it would be pretty hard to finance my travel-and-food habit. Plus, I like my job and the challenges that it brings, even if it’s keeping me a bit too busy to keep the Project 365 to be entirely up to date. (I’m working on it, I really am.)
I hope you enjoy these videos as much as I have, and that they give you some ideas of what to do next when you embark on new adventure(s). I sure have picked up a few things there. And here’s wishing you a good weekend ahead too. Like the majority a subset of the French population, I’m going to find myself enjoying the sun and sea of the French Riviera for the next few days. Will be back all re-charged before you know it. ;)
Updated: my friend was quick to point out not a majority of French goes to the riviera but the rich. Mind, I don’t have their kind of deep pockets. Luckily what I do have are Prem’s tickets and a host family!
“One must be wary of words.”
As warning goes, it is not too far wrong from the truth. We often forget how powerful words can be. One careless word, one inconsiderate phrase, that’s all it takes to hurt someone and cut deeply. The scar invisible, yet nonetheless there. Turn to another facet, however, words are all powerful, inspiring and motivational. These have healing power, to lift one’s spirit up. And empty promises, these are perhaps the most damaging of all. They break trust and create wariness.
This 3D installation by Ben Vautier is set up high on a building at place Fréhel, at the intersection between rue de Belleville and rue Julien Lacroix (en route to my favourite Thai restaurant, Krung Thep). It depicts two puppet-workmen who are busy setting up this chalkboard, all oh so casually. For anyone seeing this for the first time, it’s easy to do a double-take, wondering who are up there working on putting this notice board on.
I’m not a super smartphone kind of person. As a matter of fact, I barely know how to use my low-end smartphone. Thus, Angry Bird is something that deludes me until quite recently. And only then it’s because I’ve heard some friends talking about it, advertisements at the cinemas showing it, my brother’s everchanging avatar on Facebook from one Angry Bird to another, and through video parody (of Adele’s Rolling in the Deep, no less).
Suddenly I’m seeing birds everywhere. Not necessarily Angry Birds though, such as this decor about the door of a shop at rue Tiquetonne. A branching sculpture sat above the main entrance with tens of colourful (wooden?) birds perching along the branches. These are much more adorable and friendly, but could still probably fly well when thrown at someone physically. Hmmm…
A number of métro stations in Paris are not your typical stations bombarded with advertisements and just tunnels and stairs to get places. These are known as cultural stations. At times, the cultural aspect is rather temporary but for others, they’re more permanent fixtures. My favourite so far? Arts et Métiers.
Just to put things in context, Musée des Arts et Métiers is a museum of all things scientific and inventive. It is a shame that this gem of a place is often overlooked by visitors of Paris. In 1994, during the bicentenary celebration of the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, the métro station was redesigned to evoke the atmosphere of Captain Nemo’s Nautilus from “20,000 Leagues Under The Sea”, a science-fiction written by Jules Verne (of “Around the World in 80 Days” fame). It’s quite a perfect tribute, don’t you agree?
Given a mention of Paris and Impressionist art, most would think Musée d’Orsay right off the bat. I don’t blame them. It is a magnificent museum and perhaps my favourite among the many in this city. However, just across the Seine, there is a smaller museum that boasts a quaint collection of Impressionist art. It’s a pity that this place is often overlooked by visitors but for me, that’s good news because it means it’s never too crowded at Musée de l’Orangerie.
The main attraction of this museum though lies in two oval rooms, forming the sign of the infinity loop. Within the rooms, eight rectangular painted landscapes with waterlily can be found. This is where Monet’s masterpieces are on display for everyone to admire. It is so very easy to just sit in quietly (there are benches in the centre of the rooms) and gaze at the paintings. Of course, to get the real thing, I could also take a trip out to Giverny. If only time is not such a premium nowadays…
Culturally, I’ve been taught that cemetery is one place you don’t go to unless (1) it’s part of funeral/burial ritual, (2) it’s a designated prayer day, and (3) it’s dictated as part of specific ceremony. My grandma would be horrified to know that I’m visiting one as if it’s a place of attraction. However, in Paris, that’s what some of them are considered. You could even get a map that marks out the graves of the “stars” of the cemetery.
Perhaps there’s an energy of morbidity around. With Hungry Ghost Festival taking place soon, and having just visited an exhibition on Voodooism at Fondation Cartier, it seems natural to take a walk at Cimetière du Montparnasse nearby. Truly, it’s a very well-kept compound, with a sense of calm and zen. It is also fascinating, given it’s a multi-denominational cemetery, with interesting and varied monuments setting one grave aside from another. Just look at the one above. It could have easily passed for an art display anywhere, if you discount the other graves that you could see in the background.
Mr Chat!
I’ve walked rue Bonaparte quite regularly, thanks to the presence of a number of delicious shops along the street, but tonight, for the first time, I spotted this Mr Chat. Of course I don’t see it during the day, since it’s hidden within the shutters of this shop, lowered only after close of business.
I particularly like it that Mr Chat is so happy, reading away his time. I’m not unlike him actually. Have I told you how book-buying happy I’ve become lately? I’d say, by now, if I am to move, I would need at least 2 boxes for the books that I’ve acquired. And I’ve only live here for a few months. I think this habit is just going to get worse with time, but in a good way, right? I mean, it’s books, and it’s about reading. Surely it can’t be bad… ;)
