Name that tune ...

On this day in 1792: French army officer Claude-Joseph Rouget de Lisle composed "La Marseillaise", the French national anthem.

For some alternative twists on this hoary chestnut of a tune please go here.

Y para la familia (subtitulado en francés y español) vayan aquí.

A voter ... round 1

Between excitement and trepidation ... today's first round of the French presidential election. I voted just around noon (you can guess whom) and just now the tension has broken with the announcement that the next and final round will be between Ségolène Royan and Sarko (caramba!). Let's hope for the best (again you can guess) ... real change for real progress.

UPDATE: 9:22pm - It's, perhaps, going to be a long pre-election night. We're watching TV commentary with Alain (le Chinois Vert), Anne (our neighbor) and Marie (her friend).

UPDATE: 9:53 just saw Ségo speak at Melle (she's headed back to Paris tonight - maybe we'll go over there) and she was faultless. Very impressive and clearly "présidentiable"".

To close, don't forget that HE said: "Segolene Royal is someone I've respected for a long time" -French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy

Les Compagnons du Devoir de Paris

We're invited to a post-baptism celebration here this afternoon. The Compagnons are a French organization of craftsmen and artisans dating from the Middle Ages, but still active today. Their traditional technical education techniques includes taking a tour, the Tour de France from the name, around France and being the apprentice of several competent masters. More info (in English) here.

Volem rien foutre al païs

Tonight we (with Anne C. and Fanchette, who tipped us to it) saw this film dealing with RMIsts who "live and work (not) otherwise". Very interesting, if choppy at times, documentary that was followed by a open debate with one of the film-makers.

Besides the film's link (above) you might want to learn more about: Dinero Gratis.

Art Friday

Had a lunch-time conversation with Myriam about Baumeister's Mauerbild mit Kreis (which she once owned) now on display at the Centre Pompidou.

Now we're off to the vernissage of our friend Gérard Omez at nearby Villa Adrienne.

Paris-bound

After a last visit to the Uzès market this morning (Wednesday's marché is much calmer than Saturday's) to get some olives and goat cheese, we stopped for a noonish farewell drink at Terroirs café - where we ran into Anne-Marie, Nadège and Victoria and a nice moment in the sunshine of the Midi. We missed seeing Nicolas (of la Gare fame) but he caught up with us at Jean-Yves' for lunch. Off soon to catch the TGV at Nîmes for Paris.

Who gives a ...

Excellent dinner at Le Phuket (the only Thai restaurant in Uzès).

Somewhere over the rainbow...

We're heading to St-André de Valborgne, a small village (375 inhabitants) up in the heart of the Cévennes, where Jean-Yves' friend, Sylvia, has bought a property (actually in the picture it is the rather big house at the (right) end of the rainbow). Just a quick round-trip (3 hours all told) to check things out.

Pizza party!

It's a beautiful, sunny day at Uzès today and we're about 25 friends at Jean-Yves' for a party with home-made pizza (cooked in his outdoor wood-burning oven) to celebrate 7-year-old Anna's birthday.

UPDATE: More than 18 pizzas later I can say we are having a really fun time and that if you want to try what turned out to be a superb recipe for the pizza dough then just go here. The day has been incredibly mild - the sun is still out and strong (at almost 6pm) and the temp is at 18°C (65°F), there is (still) wine, cheese and 3 (!) birthday cakes. Parfait !

UPDATE#2: Dinner at Anne-Marie's in Sanilhac with her two daughters (Julie - down from Paris for a few days, who's heading to Colombia for a month in August - any tips/suggestions from readers? and Jeanne - the young horse-woman).

Market Day .... then Jazz @ Montaren

After today's visit to the famed marché in Uzès we (Odile, Jean-Yves, Victoria, Carole and yours truly) are off to nearby Montaren for a jazz dinner concert.

Less is more (more or less...)

I've shared the following podcast with some of you already, via e-mail, but given the postive replies I thought I'd (slowly) share it with all visitors to this blog. Enjoy!

Less is More

Carl Honore, author of In Praise of Slowness, explains how you can get more out of life by doing less. (Recorded July 2005 in Oxford, UK. Duration: 20:00)
Watch Online Download Audio Download Video

Relatively speaking ...

Albert Einstein, born today, once said:

"The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradel of true art and true science." (1)

I wish you, each and everyone, much that is mysterious - today and always - in your lives.

Leave a comment to let me know WHAT is mysterious in your life!


(1) Albert Einstein, The World as I See It, 1931

Exposition Geneviève Lemarchand

Odile's godmother has an expo starting today near Montigny. There's some information here should any of you want to come to Melun during its run.

Musings...

Today in the year 161 Marcus Aurelius became emperor of Rome (a tough job even way back then).

Among many quotations attributed to him is: "Your life is what your thoughts make it. "

What can I say, I'm waxing philosophical today - what do YOU say (leave your comments to his quote). Thanks for the interaction, amigos!

Corking!

I'm off to Cork, Ireland today - my first visit (until Friday due to airline schedule challenges) for a workshop on Thursday.

Anyone who knows Cork a bit and would kindly give me some "tips" then please post your comments here or e-mail me directly. Go raibh mile maith agaibh!

UPDATE: My hotel is just up from the cathedral you see in this photo (Saint Finn Barr's) - just east of the University. Very nice area with a view over the river from my room.

PLANNED: Grand Carnaval do Brasil

Tonight at the CABARET SAUVAGE (Parc de la Villette, next to the Géode - Métro "Porte de la Villette") the biggest and best (and I'm not just saying that because it's put on by our friend Regina) Carnaval in Paris (in case you can't get to Rio just now).

There will be some MAJOR batucada action!

See you there? INFO: 01.42.00.51.33

La pause de vendredi...

Sylvie had me, Odile and Benj over to her place in the 5th for a nice dinner. Good news - there has been some progress on the reconstruction work as she now has bay windows (instead of boarded up) and some additional work has been done on her small, private garden just in front.

We walked along the quais facing Notre-Dame after dinner and came upon a charming little bar called "Pop Corner" which seems taken directly out of the 15th century (venue-wise, otherwise hip and modern). Later we walked over towards the Luxembourg Gardens, where we left her, to retun home on foot (nice timing as the Eiffel Tower was on it's 1am "blink" - visable through the trees behind the high fence).

Sandwiched between heavy-duty work sessions...

Lunch with our dear friends from Uzès at Le Camilou (where Jean-Yves & Benjamin had their HQ years ago).

Sylvia has come up to Paris to handle some oud-related issues ... sadly she leaves tonight and we probably won't hear her playing.

A mid-day break from work ...

Lots of work lately with travel and meetings.

For a break (from or to reality) we're off to see Princesas, the award winning film (3 Goyas!), with the Puerto Rican actress Micaela Narvaez. Come and meet us there if you're interested - Cinema le Brady l'Albatros at 12:30pm today.

Here's a link to one of the soundtrack songs by Manu Chau.

An excellent film - with some well-placed humor - about solidarity, real love, family.

Woof woof!

Heading off, for a little break before a charged week (well, half-week), to Mon Chien Stupide to meet Alain H. and then to hear Isabelle Fénech sing (Léon Gaboriau on accordion and Renato Velasco on guitar).

Afterwards a Bolivian dinner (with Alain - joined by Cordelia) and run into Carlos & Co. , at the "usual place".