A pas beaucoup de photos, mais ça n'empêche que c'était chouette comme vacances !
France it is !
samedi 29 août 2009
Oléron, c'est trop mignon !
Par Alex le samedi 29 août 2009, 08:18
mardi 27 mai 2008
De Menilmontant à Oberkampf
Par Alex le mardi 27 mai 2008, 23:04
Si mon dernier billet était si enthousiaste à propos de Paris, c'est simplement qu'entre temps j'avais vu d'autres petits coins sympas, des endroits un peu fous - de quoi m'émouvoir un peu... (et pourtant il m'en faut pas beaucoup pour m'émouvoir ah ah). Et tiens, puisque je parle émotions, j'en profite pour mettre un lien, car c'est le coup de coeur de la soirée: allez écouter Midnight Juggernauts (c'était le lien hein), si ça c'est pas fou... Mais bref, les photos:
Pour les vélos roses, je croyais naïvement qu'ils avaient été mis là par un espèce de groupe d'artistes activistes, alors je me demandais contre quoi ils luttaient (le parking sauvage abusif, la défense des arbres en milieu urbain ou contre la morosité des modèles de vélo dans le marché) sans vraiment savoir... jusqu'à ce que le lsurlendemain, ah ah, je rigole de ma naïveté, je retrouve tout un tas de ces vélos devant un H&M, avec un logo en plus cette fois-ci. Et oui, ça n'était qu'une action de street marketing, et je suis tombée en plein dedans (ceci dit c'est pas pour autant que je vais devenir accro à cette marque rose fluo que je ne citerai pas).
Bonus n°1:
Des pigeons sagement alignés, un space invader et un samouraï en graffiti (qu'on ne voit pas très bien, mais croyez moi c'est un samouraï) qui me rappelle étrangement celui de Camdem Town à Londres (par là) - voilà bien pourquoi cette balade m'a ravie...
Bonus n°2:
Il a beau faire un temps affreux, le ciel nous gâte des fois...
mercredi 21 mai 2008
Graph & Cars
Par Alex le mercredi 21 mai 2008, 21:04
J'avais beau dire à qui voulait l'entendre que Paris était lisse et aseptisé, après tout, une fois qu'on cherche bien, on trouve de la vie (et des graffitis). Donc je remballe mon jugement hâtif, comme quoi Paris c'est nul et que je n'y trouve pas mon bonheur, il suffit de sortir des boulevards haussmanniens et des nouveaux quartier type BNF, ou d'y bien regarder, pour capter cette âme tressaillante.
Pour éviter de ne raconter n'importe quoi (ah ah je tressaille), je vais simplement planter le décor autour de ces quelques photos. J'étais à la fin d'une traversée de Paris, balade de plusieurs heures, qui débuta aux boulevards haussmanniens (justement...), pour finir du côté de la bibliothèque Mitterand (la BNF donc, comme par hasard). Et là, j'en avais plein les pattes, et je n'avais rien vu d'excitant, pas de coin fous où l'art de rue s'exprime... que des vieux bâtiments plein de magasins identiques (toujours les mêmes quel que soit le quartier) ou que des quartiers en projets plein de bureaux et de Starbucks (repérez l'exagération). Donc je me dis que Paris c'est pourri (c'est juste pour la rime) et je m'en vais prendre le métro par un chemin détourné.
Et ooooh... et aaaah.
Voilà que je tombe sur une usine désaffectée qui fait de la résistance dans ce quartier tout neuf tout moderne. Un bâtiment qui compense le manque d'âme de tout un quartier...
Tout ça est assez fouilli, pas forcément ragoûtant ah ah, mais au moins c'est vivant... et assez impressionnant, surtout les façades qui étaient peintes de partout. Je me demande comment ils s'y sont pris (des échelles ? des cordes depuis les fenêtres des échafaudages ). Alala, Paris et ses mystères...
dimanche 20 avril 2008
Première ballade parisienne...
Par Alex le dimanche 20 avril 2008, 16:30
Youpiiii j'ai envie de dire...
La brève clémence de la météo m'a permis d'aller traîner mes pattes à la découverte de Paris ce week-end.
J'ai commencé mon petit périple à la station de métro Stalingrad, pour finir à République; et ma foi, j'ai trouvé quelques trucs assez marrants sur mon chemin, de quoi me réconcilier avec cette ville que je n'ai pas encore pris la peine d'explorer. La concentration de space invaders au mètre carré était assez impressionnante, et j'ai trouvé la perle en la matière: un space invader fait de rubixcubes !!! Incroyable... mais vrai !
Par contre, je préviens tout de suite, si les couleurs des photos sont bizarres (trop sombres / trop claires ou que sais-je), c'est parce que j'ai dû bidouillé pas mal pour avoir un résultat potable - la lumière était bof bof la plupart du temps, et je dois admettre que malgré quelques somptueux contre-jours, je me suis obstinée à prendre des photos... em em...
En bonus, un petit accident de parcours... la photo s'est prise toute seule ! j'aurais voulu délibérément prendre une photo de trottoir, je n'aurais guère fait mieux...
jeudi 14 juin 2007
Des joies de la côte Picarde
Par Alex le jeudi 14 juin 2007, 00:52
C'est fou la Picardie, surtout le dimanche en ballade à St Valery
On aperçoit des moutons au loin qui broutent gaiement dans la baie de Somme...
On découvre des églises perchées sur des collines... (si si les petits points blanc là!)
Roh, y'a même des petits villages tout mignons (ça sent la bonne France, hein ?). Ici, St-Valéry:
Mais le meilleur reste quand même la vache qui broute (elle aussi) paisiblement... cette atmosphère de campagne, c'est fantastique.
Tout ça pour dire que se ballader sur la côte de temps en temps, c'est bien agréable !
jeudi 4 janvier 2007
Noël
Par Alex le jeudi 4 janvier 2007, 01:11
Hey hey.
I know it looks stupid showing a Christmass tree now that a new year has started, but I just wanted to show it...
Last year I've been missing it so much that this year I was delighted to have this Christmass tree at home... So here it is, with all our Christmas gifts.
If you wonder what kind of gifts I had... well, it was mostly books ha ha. That's it to be a bookworm.
I know it looks stupid showing a Christmass tree now that a new year has started, but I just wanted to show it...
Last year I've been missing it so much that this year I was delighted to have this Christmass tree at home... So here it is, with all our Christmas gifts.
If you wonder what kind of gifts I had... well, it was mostly books ha ha. That's it to be a bookworm.
samedi 23 décembre 2006
Boulevard Haussmann
Par Alex le samedi 23 décembre 2006, 04:46
On this boulevard in Paris, there are two of the great department stores of the city. During Christmas time, they compete for the most beautiful light or windows.
When I was a kid, my mother used to take me to these stores for Xmas, where I could dream in front of the windows. Every year, with a different theme, some puppets and toys are animated in the shop windows. It is always wonderfull and children queue up to see it.
This year I came back there, but without my mother. I wasn't impressed anymore, I thought it was better back in the old times... But still, the way Le Printemps and Les Galeries Lafayette are decorated for Xmas has changed a lot. And this was impressive... :
Here is Le Printemps...
... and Les Galeries Lafayette.
When I was a kid, my mother used to take me to these stores for Xmas, where I could dream in front of the windows. Every year, with a different theme, some puppets and toys are animated in the shop windows. It is always wonderfull and children queue up to see it.
This year I came back there, but without my mother. I wasn't impressed anymore, I thought it was better back in the old times... But still, the way Le Printemps and Les Galeries Lafayette are decorated for Xmas has changed a lot. And this was impressive... :
Here is Le Printemps...
... and Les Galeries Lafayette.
Hanging out in Lille...
Par Alex le samedi 23 décembre 2006, 04:27
Holidays in Lille.
My american friend went visiting me there a last time, so we went to see the Xmas market and so on to kill time... we also took a ride on the big wheel which is in Lille now...
This is the big wheel on la Grand Place (and my friend ^^ )
and the view from the top of it...
The church you can see is the one I'm living in front of !
Just a picture of inside Lille's cathedral (which is different from my church...), the light was beautiful.
My american friend went visiting me there a last time, so we went to see the Xmas market and so on to kill time... we also took a ride on the big wheel which is in Lille now...
This is the big wheel on la Grand Place (and my friend ^^ )
and the view from the top of it...
The church you can see is the one I'm living in front of !
Just a picture of inside Lille's cathedral (which is different from my church...), the light was beautiful.
lundi 27 novembre 2006
A little sea trip...
Par Alex le lundi 27 novembre 2006, 04:02
This week-end I went to a huge meeting gathering student associations ("Junior-Entreprises") from all the France. The meeting took place in the west coast (^^) of France. We went there for three days so I had the chance to have a lot of fun... The best was that it was near the sea. It was the first I went to the see since I went back to France...
The ocean. The nature. The peace...
Some fresh air...
This was good.
I wish I could go more often to the sea.
The ocean. The nature. The peace...
Some fresh air...
This was good.
I wish I could go more often to the sea.
lundi 20 novembre 2006
Lille 3000
Par Alex le lundi 20 novembre 2006, 18:04
It's not Christmas yet, but Lille is already full of ligths. As I mentionned before, Lille is celebrating India this year. In addition to these giant elephants I already showed, they illuminated the train station and a major building in the downtown area...
This is generously offered by the French Electric Company (EDF), for those who want to know who pay all thiswaste, hum, beautiful lights in the night...
This "La Grand Place", which is the heart of the city.
And here is the train station, will the elephants' street. It's quite beautiful, I agree, I shouldn't complain. I wonder what it will be like when the Xmas lights will be on !
And for those interested (who knows ? maybe some of you will come to Lille !!), Lille 3000 is not only about having some funny elephants and lights everywhere. There are plenty of concerts, exhibitions and other cultural events. You can check it on the Lille 3000 website.
Have fun...
This is generously offered by the French Electric Company (EDF), for those who want to know who pay all this
This "La Grand Place", which is the heart of the city.
And here is the train station, will the elephants' street. It's quite beautiful, I agree, I shouldn't complain. I wonder what it will be like when the Xmas lights will be on !
And for those interested (who knows ? maybe some of you will come to Lille !!), Lille 3000 is not only about having some funny elephants and lights everywhere. There are plenty of concerts, exhibitions and other cultural events. You can check it on the Lille 3000 website.
Have fun...
vendredi 3 novembre 2006
Up Side Down
Par Alex le vendredi 3 novembre 2006, 20:55
There is this shop in my city which is selling cool and trendy objects from all over the world. Furniture, paintings, jewellery,... anything. The products come from Thaïland, India, Africa, China, and I don't know where else.
Everyday, I walk by this shop. And everyday I look at its window layout. And everyday I see this chinese-inspired painting:
Wonderful, isn't it ?
For those who are not familiar with Chinese, there is nothing special about this painting. But once you've studied a little bit the Chinese characters, you cannot help but notice that the painting is just... upside down. Too bad.
I went to see the shopkeeper to tell him. How does he want to sell Chinese things if he just don't know how Chinese things work ??? I thought I would help him doing so. It's been two weeks now. The painting is still upside down.
Is he gonna sell it one day ?
(ha ha... mauvaise langue)
Everyday, I walk by this shop. And everyday I look at its window layout. And everyday I see this chinese-inspired painting:
Wonderful, isn't it ?
For those who are not familiar with Chinese, there is nothing special about this painting. But once you've studied a little bit the Chinese characters, you cannot help but notice that the painting is just... upside down. Too bad.
I went to see the shopkeeper to tell him. How does he want to sell Chinese things if he just don't know how Chinese things work ??? I thought I would help him doing so. It's been two weeks now. The painting is still upside down.
Is he gonna sell it one day ?
(ha ha... mauvaise langue)
A cold day like the others
Par Alex le vendredi 3 novembre 2006, 02:23
It is funny.
Today the weather got kinda cold here in France (at least in the North...).
I was cold.
I don't have any more warm coat for the winter, I still wear the coat I had for the winter in Hong Kong... which means it is like nothing.
I was freezing, and I was enjoying it. I was happy (to a certain extend ^^) to be cold, it meant I was back in France. Back in Europe.
I was thinking so in the street, while going back home. I was telling myself: "oh, maybe you should write a post on your blog, to show people what it is to feel the cold like that"... and once back home, after my fingers stopped burning from the cold weather, I saw Gisi's last post. She is somehow feeling the same...
BRRRRRR... this afternoon's weather. 8°C with a little bit of rain, from time to time...
But this is nothing. It's just the beginning. It is not snowing, there are no storm or anything like in other countries. No reason to complain then !
Today the weather got kinda cold here in France (at least in the North...).
I was cold.
I don't have any more warm coat for the winter, I still wear the coat I had for the winter in Hong Kong... which means it is like nothing.
I was freezing, and I was enjoying it. I was happy (to a certain extend ^^) to be cold, it meant I was back in France. Back in Europe.
I was thinking so in the street, while going back home. I was telling myself: "oh, maybe you should write a post on your blog, to show people what it is to feel the cold like that"... and once back home, after my fingers stopped burning from the cold weather, I saw Gisi's last post. She is somehow feeling the same...
BRRRRRR... this afternoon's weather. 8°C with a little bit of rain, from time to time...
But this is nothing. It's just the beginning. It is not snowing, there are no storm or anything like in other countries. No reason to complain then !
lundi 25 septembre 2006
Back to the French Life
Par Alex le lundi 25 septembre 2006, 03:47
Hello everybody !
It's been more than a month now that I went back to France. As I promised to many people (Cobi, Gisi...) I am now writing my blog in English ! It is so much more convenient !
I will try my best (which means without too many mistakes) to tell you about my daily and not so daily life, back in France... Enjoy now !
I am starting with a few pictures from Lille, the city where I will study for one more year. Lille is said to be a cold and rainy city. Well, everyone can tell, it is not said for nothing. It is cold and rainy around here. Hopefully, we had a sunny month, so I could take pictures like if it was in the middle of the summer !
Look at what I see from my flat, a nice, old church !
Again from my flat, the roofs of the city...
The opera of Lille and a fake elephant... This year Lille celebrates India !
With the opera in the back, our dear Elephant again. Next to the building, on the right-hand side of the picture, this is the street where I live. I'm lucky, it's right in the downtown area !
A sunny saturday afternoon in a shopping street...
I am sorry if the pictures are quite small, I had a technical problem which I'm gonna solve soon ! For the time being, you will have to do with it.
It's been more than a month now that I went back to France. As I promised to many people (Cobi, Gisi...) I am now writing my blog in English ! It is so much more convenient !
I will try my best (which means without too many mistakes) to tell you about my daily and not so daily life, back in France... Enjoy now !
I am starting with a few pictures from Lille, the city where I will study for one more year. Lille is said to be a cold and rainy city. Well, everyone can tell, it is not said for nothing. It is cold and rainy around here. Hopefully, we had a sunny month, so I could take pictures like if it was in the middle of the summer !
Look at what I see from my flat, a nice, old church !
Again from my flat, the roofs of the city...
The opera of Lille and a fake elephant... This year Lille celebrates India !
With the opera in the back, our dear Elephant again. Next to the building, on the right-hand side of the picture, this is the street where I live. I'm lucky, it's right in the downtown area !
A sunny saturday afternoon in a shopping street...
I am sorry if the pictures are quite small, I had a technical problem which I'm gonna solve soon ! For the time being, you will have to do with it.