Out and About in France

So here I am in Metz, a French city in the north east part of the country. From first view it looks interesting and inviting. Added to which there is a McCafé from where I am writing this blog. Nice to be able to have a reasonable coffee and to check to see if people are thinking of one and for once that was the case, I have had some emails. Out and about in France, in fact it is more Out and About in Lorraine. I've been spending the Toussaint break having a look at a part of France that I have never visited before and it really is worth coming here. The people are friendly and the countryside is worth seeing. One thing I didn't realise is that this corner is so linked with the rest of Europe, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. Yesterday I spent a large part of the day visiting Le Hertzberg, which is a fort in the Marginto line, a line of defence built after the 1st world war but seems to have served more the nazis than the French. War, I suppose this area has that impregnated in it after all it is an area of France that has been fought over more than once.

Se nourir en Lorraine!

Avec tout les supers restau me voici chez McDo à Nancy...mmmmmmm que c'est bon. Au moins il y a le net et on peut rester connecter au monde!

Médecine à deux vitesse

En France nous avons la chance de vivre sous un régime de solidarité, au moins ceci c'est ce que l'on nous raconte. En générale ce régime est un des meilleur du monde mais petit à petit et sans que nous l'appercivions notre système de sécurité sociale et surtout les remboursements de médicaments est en train de changer. Nous payons de plus en plus pour que le système marche mais il y a de moins en moins de médicaments remboursés. Petit à petit nous allons vers un état à deux vitesse, ceux qui peuvent payer les médicaments dits "confort" et ceux qui doivent attendre que leur état de santé soit tellement diminué qu'ils se trouvent à l'hôpital. Est-ce que ce système que nous voulons? Je ne pense pas.

Music and life!

What a weekend! I suppose there are just so many of you out there who just get out and about all the time but not old me, however this weekend... well...

I already told you about Friday night but Sunday! What an unexpected surprise when I found myself being taken to the theatre to help out. Perhaps 'help out' is rather a big term for what I did, showing people to their seats, in fact not even that, more like keeping the front 3 rows free! That, however, is nothing to what the artists did. The first act was a couple of lads who go by the name of 'Toufo'. Very funny and really warmed up the audience. You can see them here: http://www.myspace.com/toufo mais tout est en français, donc c'est plutot pour les francophones entre vous. Then came 'Les Blérots de Ravel': http://www.blerotsderavel.com/ encore une fois pour les francophones quelle vitalité, et quelle musique. Allez les écouter et les voir.

Codes and Passwords and all the rest

Is life easier today? How should I know, I have only spent a short time on this planet but people say that life is easier. Frankly, I am not so sure! True, there are all sorts of new fangled devices to help us out; I wouldn't be without my dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, toaster, car and of course my MacBook, but remembering everything is just so difficult! You must put more than 8 letters and numbers and even then, well who knows. So, I am not sure that life is easier today!

Accessories for Macbook

For some time now, just over 2 years, I have had a MacBook. I love it. It is small, it doesn't get viruses, it isn't heavy and easy to carry, but when something has to be changed, well, you really have to ask yourself if it is worth it. I had to change the battery on my former MacBook, which was stolent in Rome, and that cost €110! Today I have had to change the mains power pack because the delicate cable from the transformer to the Mac has broken, and this has just cost €89. My real question is why do these things cost so much? You can buy main power cables for very little these days!

Jazz at La Clef de Voûte

Yesterday evening was well spent listening to jazz at La Clef de Voûte, place Chardonnet, in Lyon's Croix Rousse district. Not having done much of this sort of thing I was wondering what this might be like. Live music is my thing. Not playing but listening and watching. There's just some sort of magic you feel when you see the musicians and singer. Their smiles, the passion, the flash of a regard, it just feels so good. Only negative thing is that the chairs are not too confortable, but who cares when you are there, part of the audience?