Archives mensuelles : juillet 2019

Susan’s Summer 2019 Week 7

The first week of the second half of Susan’s summer in France.
The center event was the heat wave that struck France and the Paris area.
Over 105F (41C) Paris all time highest temperature ever recorded here.
Beside, few real events to report.Even though we do not have an access to an airplane, we paid a tribute to aeronautics at the Flying Museum of la Ferté Alais.Lots of superb planes, original, restored or rebuilt.Here a Corsair and a Zero, the two beloved enemies on the Pacific front during WWII.Here a luxury airplane. Al Capone owned one, may be I should too.Before leaving the field, I had pay a tribute to the beauties present on the field.We left my future house in Nozay to settle in my daugther’s house in Bourg la Reine.
This enables us to visit Paris with shorter rides.Even though we travel incognoto, a theater play tells my adventures.Ok I might be the King, but Susan is now crowned by Napoleon I.
She reaches a step beyond. I am jealous.After being crowned by Napoleon himself, she successfuly burried him and made the following remark;
“What a huge coffin for such a little big man”.And I may add “what a big roof for a small coffin”.Later we walked to the Ecole Militaire for the view on the Paris Penis.
Do not be scared, even children can look at it.After dinner, we walked back to the Metro station.
A superb view on the Calder’s mobile in front of the UNESCO building. Unfortunately, paranoia forbids a free access to a world treasure paid with our taxes.Here I hoped to share with you another le Corbusier piece of Art.
Nope. Forbiden. I am disgusted.
Let’s return home, I mean Bourg la Reine, not Fort Lauderdale.

Bye till next week.

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Fake Seal

25 Juillet / July 25 2019

Trump a toujours prétendu, même si c’est une flagrante contre-vérité, que son administration est une machine parfaitement bien réglée (Fine tuned Machine). Ce qui suit prouve que, soit c’est encore un de ces mensonges, soit qu’il pratique avec humour l’auto-dérision.
Regardez avec attention le sceau présidentiel qu’il applaudit.

Bankrupt Pinnochio Bonespur (alias DJ Trump) has always claimed, though blatantly untruthful, that his administration is a perfectly tuned machine. The following proves that either it is one more of these lies or that he humorously practices self-mockery.
Look carefully at the presidential seal he applauds.

Le jeu des 7 erreurs / The game of 7 mistakes

Le véritable sceau présidentiel / The real presidential seal

La parodie du sceau présidentiel / The fake presidential sealDe haut en bas / From top to bottom

  • E PLURIBUS UNUM (l’union fait la force/ One of many)
    45 ES UN TITERE ( 45 est une marionette / 45 is  a puppet)
  • Aigle bifide en imitation du sceau impérial russe
    Bifid eagle in imitation of the Russian imperial seal
  • Sur la poitrine de l’aigle les marteaux et faucilles de l’URSS
    On the chest of the eagle hammers and sickles of the USSR
  • Dans les serres de droite, une poignée de Dollars
    In the right talons of the eagle, a handful of Dollars
  • Dans les serres de gauche un set de clubs de golf
    In the left talons of the eagle, a set of golf clubs
  • La queue de l’aigle provient directement du sceau impérial russe
    The tail of the eagle comes directly from the Russian imperial seal

Merci DJ pour ce moment de bonheur à l’image de ton gouvernement. Il aurait été dommage que les Démocrates réussissent à te virer avant cette superbe prestation.

Thank you DJ for this moment of happiness in the image of your government. It would have been a shame that the Democrats managed to kick you before this superb performance.

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Susan’s Summer 2019 Week 6

Kind of half way into Susan’s summer three month trip in France.
The first part of the week will be a family moment in the West of France.Here motor boats have only one engine and the power is usually under 100HP.Family reunion, here the cousins are almost at full count, one only is missing.On both sides of the big pond, such a gathering means FOOD!
Cannot escape.Took a day off on our own to visit the Marais de Grande Brière. I left the WIKI link in French, the one in English is almost non-existent.After a light lunch, we rented a row boat for the afternoon. A nice and slow way to discover this rather well preserved area.Two hours of rowing in an undisturbed, silent environement.Nice encounters, here a Kingfisher.By the end of the trip, a local needed to talk to some one, we happened to be around.
In a dense 15 minutes speech, we became scholars of what has to be known of la Grande Brière. On the other hand, it was too dense to be digested in such a short period of time.Susan was promoted to additional Grand-Ma with the bottle duty.
Both seemed to be enjoying the situation.Before leaving and returning to Paris, we were offered a Flute concert by Salome. This week end a visit to the 100 years of Citroën. I had registered from Florida in March and hoped to be among the happy visitors of the event.
Kolossal error, I was not expected, my payment had not gone through and I had no way to check if I has paid or not.
Furious I left the event without meeting my friends from Seattle who were attending.On Saturday, to calm down, we met with my long time buddy for a appeasing moment.But happilly, my Seattle buddies made it to my future new home.
A 2CV with a Washington St license plate, quite amazing.For them it was a short stop on their way back to Germany.
But at least after 6 years, we met on this side of the pond.
Here a reminder of the good time spent together in 2014.

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Susan’s Summer 2019 Week 5

Monday July 8

Made it yesterday night to our Airbnb in La Rochelle hoping that the temperature would be lower than what we lived in Bordeaux. Of course, as Oleron was on the way, we enjoyed  the Sunday diner there, please refer to the end of week 4.After a nice walk along the board walk, we deserved a light lunch in the Old Harbor. The tower behind identifies the city.Made it too late after lunch to visit the “Marché couvert” from the second half of the XIX century. La Rochelle is an important harbor. During WW II, the Germans set up a submarine base. Not so long ago it was possible to come close to the walls, due to an ununderstandable paranoïa, it is not possible any more, so we grased in the open parts of the harbor, here the fishing quarters. On the way back home, our attention was caught by a statue impersonating a game.
Can you guess? Ok easy, BaseBall, you got it right. Boucaneers is the name of the team.It was low tide and the boats were sitting in the mud, so as a public service,
I made a futile attempt to create a high tide.To end the day, Susan prepared a light diner.
A bottle of Beaumes de Venise, a superb red Côtes du Rhône, died on the table.

Tuesday July 9

As the temperatures lowered, a bicycle ride was scheduled on l’Ile de Ré.Even though we made it late, they provided us with a pair of well maintained bicycles.The boss convinced us to make an attempt to the “Phare des Baleines”, the Whales Lighthouse.
A 30 miles round trip.
We are on our way.A pit stop at a salt production site. And they sell it.This is the sales booth. Pick your choice, pay at the piggy bank. Your honesty is challanged.
Prices are
1€ a pound and half for coarse salt,
7€ the pound of the high quality “Fleur de Sel”.Around Mid-Way, we decided to stop for a short feeding break. Do not be fooled, the oysters got a pint of local Rosé.
Fatal error, when leaving the table, the legs cried for a shorter ride. We decided to visit le Phares des Baleines (sorry the link is in French) on another occasion.Susan wondered if Vines carried grapes.
Look carefuly, the fruits are small and green, but they are here.
The obvious answer is YES!After returning the bikes, exhausted we crashed for a drink before driving back home in La Rochelle.

Wednesday July 10

Susan enters Postal 2.0, she writes post cards, adds stamps and hands the result to the French counterpart of USPS. Guess what, this old fashion way of communication still works.

Today was a scheduled Museum day. To avoid inner city parking nightmare, the car was parked just outside the heart of La Rochelle and started moving on foot.


A typical Rail Road station built in the second part of the XIX century.After the operative back office, the front entrance.On our way to our first stage, the Musée des Beaux-Arts, we visited the covered market that offers a wide choice of fish, meat and of course cheese.Delicatessen and ready to enjoy catering.And of course locally produced oysters.

After the market stop, hit the walk to the Museum.
Museum closed for major structural repairs. Not advertised anywhere.
Ready to eat my cap in sign of furror.So we visited a substitute option, the Bunker, (sorry it is in French) a German artefact from WW II that offers a superb explaination of the life in La Rochelle at that time.By the end of the afternoon, I spotted my boat in the old harbor. It has my name on it.Here is the proof. BTW, in Hebrew “Saba” means Grand-Pa and this is the way my grand-children call me. Is it a sign?On the way back I discovered a superb Japanese tree that requires heavy maintenance in term of triming.
As I ignore the real name, refering to the mandatory maintenance, I call it a vegetal French Poodle.

Thursday July 11

The last day in La Rochelle, a lazy day, little on the to do list, just a visit to the Musée Maritime. On display live a Weather Station Boat and a Tug Boat. Nothing really visual.Nothing visual worth showing, but worth visiting. Here the tug boat.The city of La Rochelle gathers a superb collection of real sail boats, perfectly maintained in operating condition. A dream.Even though the heat wave is coming to an end, the water fountains offer a welcomed cool moment.

Friday July 12

On our way to the July family reunion, we left La Rochelle for a pilgrimage in a small village on the Atlantic ocean.Susan was wondering why they did not cut the SunFlowers to sell them.
A kind of misunderstanding, the SunFlowers are not to be sold as such but they are farmed to be pressed later to get a healthy cooking and seasoning oil. Another discovery.On the way to Les Moutiers en Retz, we stopped at Le Passage du Gois, an access road to the Ile de Noirmoutiers, submerged most of the time, it is usable only during 2 or 3 hours around low tide.
This is of course a Fake News photo op pretending we escaped to be caught by the tide.After crossing the straight by the bridge, we stopped in Noirmoutiers en l’Ile.
One of the most desired cars, a Mini Moke, caught our attention.Susan’s natural attraction for shopping led her into this beautiful shop.The shop is named Athmosphere. Every time the word “Athmosphere” is heard, the French people refer to a well known scene where a pimp lets his women down.
The final words are about changing Athmosphere, in this case meaning changing partner.

Not subtitled but obviously understandable.The famous Lanterne des Morts in Les Moutiers en Retz. This light house dates back from the XII century and is lit when a resident dies and remains lit until he is burried.
A long time tradition.It is time to cross the river Loire. No bridge but a free ferry.It is time to board for a five minute crossing.Susan’s first ferry trip ever. Let’s celebrate.This will be the focus of the evening spent with my nephew’s family.

Saturday July 13

Made it to our destination at noon time. Violette celebrated our arrival with a Great First, she started her first non bottle meal. Semi success, after the initial try, the bottle was welcome.

Sunday July 14

Susan is in charge of Baby Sitting Violette.In the mean time, the boys are having fun.After lunch and the necessary nap, a walk along the beach.Upon returning home, before a family BBQ, a call to the US.Nineteen people around thee tables. A nice final stop to this week 5.
No more traveling for the next 5 days.

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Susan’s Summer 2019 Week 4

Monday July 1

Left Andorra to join my friends in Anglet a city on the Atlantic Coast in the Pays Basque.Low cloud cover, cool tempatures, making it to the col du Port.
Port pass in English but if you use the French sequencing it is called Pass Port.

Tuesday July 2

This is to prove that we made it.Another picture to prove we made it to Biarritz. Could not escape the standard picture.Marie & Philippe drove us around the area.
Let us remain as Latin as possible, the men sit in the front, the ladies behind.A typical architecture of the Hinterland of the Pays Basque.
Found fresh nuts,  an opportunity for a lesson in Natural Sciences later.Here a remainder of the Old Europe when, before the European Union, borders tried without any success to slow commerce and people migrations.
Bankrupt Chicken Bonespur in Washington should try to understand History and stop bragging about a stupid, costly an useless wall.Here with Marie, our right foot is in Spain, the left one in France.
And on this road, there has never been a border building, even during the nasty days of the Franco dictatorship, the flow was unchecked, the crime rate lower than any where else.
Does this ring a bell?An evening at Saint Jean de Luz for a doubble game of Cesta Punta.Could not escape a meeting with the local Mascott.

Wednesday July 3

A day in Spain at San Sebastian or Donostia depending if you feel Spanish or Basque.A walk on the sea side, Susan and Marie along the sea, Philippe and I remaining on the Broad Walk.
We woke up late as the previous evenig at the Jai Alai took a toll seen below.
We had to explain that thirst was about to create a pair of Widows. Message heard.
Therefore the mandatory first pit stop, just after the walk, was at the restaurant on the harbor.Marie succesfully convinced us to climb the hill where in the Fort overlooking the pass to the Bay. No lift, no chopper but feet, sweat and pain.On the other hand the view from above was worth the pain.I told you it was a Fort. Tried to load the gun and check if the second Amendment makes sense here.The public, Marie and Philippe, cheer the performance.On the way down we met a local.

After this too short introductary stay in Biarritz, a musical dinner beautifully ended our stay.
Thank you Marie and Philippe, you made me rediscover the area I visited 54 years ago.

Thursday July 4

On the way to Bordeaux.Before our final evening destination, we stopped at the Dune du Pilat.Susan made it to the top quite exhausted.I was the only one able to plant the flag of Victory.We needed to refuel the tanks. A sea food platter offered the required relief.DONE! No prisoners, no doggy bag. Head for the last stop of the day in Bordeaux.

Friday and Saturday July 6 & 7

Visit of Bordeaux, few pictures, did not save them. The disaster will happen tomorrow.

Sunday July 7

Left Bordeaux unable to cool the Airbnb, hoping that La Rochelle will offer some lower temperatures. Unfortunately we lost the camera we used for this trip.
TOO BAD!

Hoping to recover the lost camera, we returned to the Fort of l’ile d’Oléron.Susan is kind of disappointed, had to find an activity to restore her smile.The usual suspect, a sea food platter was the obvious solution.
What a lack of imagination.

Tomorrow a last attempt will be made to recover the lost camera, little hope.
On the other hand week 5 is on the way.
It will be enjoyed in La Rochelle leaving for Quimiac on Saturday 13.

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