24th December

Life has been good to me, I now am able to work on December 24th! As a teacher I have never been into school on that day but today I am at work. The only person at work except for the caretaker, isn't it great! So I have put on some music - christmas stuff of course -  and am going to do some work. Thought it might be nice to share that ;) Added to that it is snowing.

To one and all                                  A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS -

The life we live

Having just spent yet another evening completely alone, I thought how lucky I am. No I didn't that is shit I thought like I often think, of how much time of my life I have spent alone. I often wonder why. People who know me think that I am gregarious and confident, but I find it very difficult to find acquintancies. Perhaps I am difficult? Yes, I think I am. Postmodernist, north, south east and west... words, words, words and no emotion, no real existance. Not even here! Were I to die tonight, noone would know. Yes, tomorrow they would cry, tomorrow they would forget and go on living their own lives. And that I suppose, is what it is all about. About living ones own life, in ones own way. Living it well or living it badly.

What sort of photo should I add here tonight? I like to add a photo, I tell myself it will attract a comment but comment I never have. All the world is our stage and yet we strut about on it alone, and we die alone. Oh, how depressing that all sounds! Let's have life and fun.

POST!!!!!!!!!!!!

Les, nos retraites!

Il y a quelques semaines j'a manifesté à Lyon contre la reforme des retraites. J'ai passé avec le cortège devant des toilettes publics et j'ai vu ceci:

Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé!

Bah oui, il est arrivé et ce que je suis en train de déguster en ce moment est très bon le voici!

"Beaujolais Nouveau 2010 Honoré Lavigne"

Dulce est decorum est by Wilfred Owen

DULCE ET DECORUM EST(1)

Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares(2) we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest(3) began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots(4)
Of tired, outstripped(5) Five-Nines(6) that dropped behind.
Gas!(7) Gas! Quick, boys! – An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets(8) just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling,
And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime(9) . . .
Dim, through the misty panes(10) and thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.
In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering,(11) choking, drowning.
If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud(12)
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest(13)
To children ardent(14) for some desperate glory,
The old Lie; Dulce et Decorum est
Pro patria mori.(15)

Wilfred Owen
8 October 1917 - March, 1918

It is when I read and listen to this poem that I think what is war about. All those lives, on all sides, all those lives taken and for what? But could we, as the humans that we are today, do without struggle, do without conflict, do without war? Unfortunately I think very little. Will things change? Not for the moment. But nevertheless, let us remember those who have died, on all sides, so that you and I may live as we do today.

LET US REMEMBER

LEST WE FORGET

http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/owen1.html

Remembrance

Remembrance Day

They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn

At the going down of the sun,and in the morning

We will REMEMBER them.

---

The 11th November is the official rememberance day in Britain. Rememberance Sunday is the Sunday nearest to the 11th November. In France there is an official holiday on the 11th of November and people take time to remember.
This 11th November I took some time to look over the net and found some good poetry and sites on the theme of Remeberance Day, which I would like to share with you, reader.

---

The poppy was first described as the flower of rememberance by Canadian Col John McCrae. It was during a lull in battle that he wrote this poem.

We shall not sleep

In Flanders' fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses row on row

That mark our place and in the sky

The larks still bravely singing fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below

We are the Dead

Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow

Loved and were loved

and now we lie in Flanders' field

Take up quarrel with the foe

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch, be yours to hold high

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep though poppies grow

In Flanders' field

by John McCrae

---

Apparently an American, Monica Micheal, was the first to have the idea of selling poppies to help care for the disabled soldiers and their families.
Monica Micheal was born on the 15th August 1869 in Athens Georgia (USA) and studied to become a teacher. It was two days (9th November) before the Armastice was signed (11th November 1918) that she came upon John McCrae's poem. It moved her to write:

We shall keep the faith

Oh! You who sleep in Flanders' Field

Sleep sweet to rise anew

We caught the torch you threw

And holding high we keep the faith

With all who die

We cherish too the poppy red

That grows on fields where valor lead

It seems to signal to the sky

That blood of heros never dies

But lends a lustre to the red

Of the flowers that bloom above the dead

In Flanders' fields

And now the torch and poppy red

We wear in honour of our dead

Fear not that ye have died for naught

We'll teach the lesson that ye wrought

In Flanders' fields

by Monica Michael

Thus was born the idea of selling Memorial Poppies to assist disables veterans and their families.The movement caught on and for the rest of her life Michael was known as the 'poppy lady'. She died in Athens on 10th May 1944. Four years later the US post office issued a commemoritve stamps. If you should ever be driving between Athens and Monroe on highway 78, remember Monica Michaels, you are on the stretch dedicated to her memory!

---

Dulce et decorum est

Bent double like old beggars under sacks

Knock-kneed, coughing like hags we cursed through sludge

till on the haunting flares we turned our backs

And towards our distant rest began to trudge

Men marched asleep, Many lost their boots

But limped on, blood shot. All went lame all blind

Drunk with fatigue, deafened to the hoots

Of tired, out-stripped Five-Nines that dropped behind

GAS! GAS! Quick boys! An ecstasy of fumbling,

Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time

But someone still was yelling out and stumbling

And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime...

Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light

As under a green sea I saw him drowning

In all my dreams, before my helpless sight

He plunges at me guttering, choking, drowning

If in some smothering dreams you toocould pace

Behind the wagon that we flung him in

And watch the white eyes writhing in his face

His hanging face, like devil's sick of sin

If you could hear, at every jolt the blood

Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs

Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud

Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,

My friend, you would not tell with such high zest

To children ardent for some desperate glory

The Old Lie: Dulce et decorum est

Pro patria mori

by Wilfred Owen (1893-1918)

---

WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE P. Seger

Where have all the flowers gone

A long time passing

Where have all the flowers gone

A long ago

Where have all the flowers gone

Girl, they're picked up, every one

When will they ever learn

When will they ever learn

Where have all the soldiers gone

Long time passing

Where have all the soldiers gone

A long ago

Where have all the soldiers gone

They've gone to graveyards every one

When will they ever learn

When will they ever learn

When will they learn, ever learn

Changing the hour!

Having been to London for a few days I missed the clocks going back in France! I put my phone back, my English sim phone, but thought nothing about my French phone so this morning I have got up at 5h15 instead of 6h15! I am really mad at myself. On waking I had the impression that I had not slept very much but got up nevertheless, shaved, showered and got ready to go. I then looked at the Freebox which read the time as 6h16!! I thought myself late and that the Freebox hadn't updated so I unplugged it but it came back to 06h16. Not believing it I switched on my mac - 6h16 and even that didn't convince me I had to go to worldtimeanddate.com just to make sure, and it is now 6h30!! I could have had another hour! And to cap it all the shower basin has cracked under my weight this morning!!! Oh dear, I'll have to do something about all of this.

The Social Network

Having just come out of the cinema after seeing this film I feel that I know and understand a little more about this phenomenon! Although I am on Facebook, I have never really understood what the great draw of it is, as well as the difference between facebook and this blog for instance. At the beginning of the film we see the actor of the character of Mark Zuckerberg both blogging and writing TheFacebook at the same time! I have already talked about all of this in an earlier post.

Before seeing the film I had heard about some of the reviews of the film which here in France seemed quite negative however I found that it was quite positive. Of course like all films there must be a part of truth and a part of fiction.

See it!

La Politique

La manque de reconnaissance est un point de frustration - Dominique de Villepin C'politique dimanche 17 octobre. Que c'est interessant qu'il dise une chose pareil. Il allait introduire le CPE!!!!!

Hors la Loi

This director has made a couple of films to my knowledge about France and Algeria, this one, Hors la loi, which is about the FLN and the independence of Algeria from France, and his first Indigènes, which is about the north african French forces during the second world ware. Both of them are food for thought.

Ce que nous faisons...

Ce que je fais est plus important que ce que je ne fais pas!
Ce que tu fais est plus important que ce que tu ne fais pas!
Ce qu'il fait est plus important que ce qu'il ne fait pas!
Ce qu'elle fait est plus important que ce qu'elle ne fait pas!
Ce que nous faisons est plus important que ce que nous ne faisons pas!
Ce que vous faites est plus important que ce que vous ne faites pas!
et
Ce qu'ils font, est-il plus important que ce qu'ils ne font pas?

Statistics

After having uploaded the lovely spinning planet and seeing all the hits I was having I thought to myself that people other than myself were actually interested in what I had to say! After having looked at the statistics provided by blogger.com there is some incoherence in all of this! What is a hit, does that mean that someone has just flipped past my blog rather than stopping a while and reading it? I have to admit that it is not world breaking news. It is not very well written. But for a few weeks I thought that perhaps someone somewhere in that great wide expanse of the virtual world, people might be thinking about some of the things I say. I suppose it was a dream... then again shouldn't we all have dreams?

End of another summer!

Fade in with music from 'A summer place'...

An open road going to the south, the sea, the sand and the sun...

This was not exactly the beginning of my summer but not far from it!!

The round trip was about 6000 kilometres and we did and saw lots. It has taken me and us from Lyon (F), to  Montpellier (F), Sitges (E), Tarragonna (E), Cadaques (E), Perpignan (F), Marseillan (F), Cassis (F), Cannes (F), Grasse (F), Nice (F), Monaco, Menton(F), Milan (I), Bergamo (I), Briançon, Verona (I) (yes I doubled back there!), Gorizia (I), Ljubljana (SLO), Siofok (H), Budapest (H), Kekskemet (H), Budapest (H), Heviz (H), Zagreb (HR) , Krk (HR), Rijeka (HR), Opatija (HR), Trieste (I), Jesolo (I), Venice (I), Lago di Garda (I), Bergamo (I), Lyon (F).

I left on Monday 28th June and got back on Friday 27 August. Enjoyable but sometimes tiring it has been a good experience.

Venizia!

Spent the day in Venice a couple of days ago.

Where all the boats and tourists like me arrive on the Grand Canal

A view of St Marc's Square

A view of the cathedral from the end of St Marc's square

Well, I couldn't not have taken a photo of a gondola!

The symbol of Venice

Off the main tourist area Venice is tranquil

The Arsenal

Obviously off the beaten track but not that far from all those tourists!

The other direction from St Marc's square

Will put some put up some photos when I have a better connection. I had bad memories of Venice but really enjoyed my half day stay although it is always tiring, hot and full of people. Yesterday we went over the road bridge to the city. I didn't know that it even existed!! I wanted to go to Murano to buy some glass but parking the camper was so far away and then we would have got a ferry and so on and so on. It gives me a reason to go to Venice again, next time for a weekend and staying in an hotel. We then made our way to Lake Garda,  the eastern side of which is really beautiful but they want to keep campers away!

Torri Del Benaco, Largo di Garda

Nothing said but most parkings have height bars over them or the fee is exorbitant for campers, like 5 times more than for a car! I looked closely at an Italian camper and saw that he had just paid the fee for a car. Perhaps we foreigners are too honest. We spent the night on a car park near the end of the lake for which we had to pay the guard 10€ to let us out! Not a bad way of starting your day! There were 11 or 12 campers so 120€ in your pocket a day then the salary on top or am I being cynical? Now on our way to Bergamo.

Lake Balaton, Hungary and Heviz spa town.

Stupidly I closed the navigator before saving so here I go again!!

According to Hungarian sources, lake Balaton is the largest body of water in central Europe. It is the place that everyone seems to come and not only from Hungary but throughout Europe. There are some lovely spots around the lake. On the north shore there is the town of Tihany where the first record of written hungarian is kept. On the southern shore there is Siofok, a town to let your hair down in. Balatonbery where there is a great naturist campsite and beach, Keszethely where you can visit a rather pretty palace and where I went yesterday: HEVIZ

In all the blurb I had the impression of a quiet little village, whith a volcanic lake in the middle, with spas around where people could relax. Well... I suppose it is a little like that!

A view of the lake

Heads in the lake. The water is warm at 38.5°C!

An entrance to the lake

But I followed some signs to the campsite and then a little further only to fine lots of Hungarians in the stream that flows out from the lake. They were swimming and enjoying themselves for free!

and this is the river out of the lake just 300 metres further where you just find the lonely fisherman:

There are some really lovely waterlillies.

There are some really quiet cycle paths in and around the town.

but the town itself is based more on this type of thing.

Life is beauty and all that kind of stuff!!!!

Perhaps that part of life is beauty but there is oh so much more!!!!!

Thought for the day.

So called 'cheap' countries.

It is said that Eastern Europe is cheap, well, I am not too sure about that and I really don't understand why those living here, as I am in Budapest at the moment, do not take up arms and say 'there is something wrong'.

I wanted to buy some shaving gel yesterday and found that it is 2€ more expensive than in France. When I eat out, it costs about the same as I would expect to pay in France. Diesel today costs 326 florint, that is to say at today's rate 1.16€ (todays rate is 281 HUF=1€), that is what I would expect to pay in France. I earn an average salary in France, that is to say 4 times more than the average salary in Hungary, but prices are almost the same, some of them are even higher!

So why do the average citizens in these so called 'cheap' countries put up with pay which is so low and prices that are so high? So many questions and no answers. Although, sometimes I think the same about people like myself in France when you see the excess salaries of some members of the population.

Man needs margins to show he can do better, but shouldn't there be some sort of limit when there are those who have nothing?

What is a Smartphone? Do I NEED a smartphone?

Over the past half year relatives and friends have been changing their phones and getting either Blackberries or iphones or Ainos, all of these, I think, are smartphones but I didn't know what a smartphone is so I had a look on the net and in fact it is pretty easy to understand:

From videojug:

What is a "smart phone"?

A smart phone is any device that has an operating system that you can install programs into, as well as being a personal information manager; managing your contacts, your calendar, your tasks, and your memos. It allows you to listen to music and play video games, and it's really just an all-in-one multimedia device.

But in the end what should I chose? Do I really need all of these things? I have a phone. I have a mac. I have a GPS. I have a camera so in fact I have everything that I need so do I need a smartphone?

Talking about phones there is a good video here:

Here are my phones!

Renny Gleeson on antisocial phone tricks | Video on TED.com

Renny Gleeson on antisocial phone tricks | Video on TED.com

Back in Budapest.

It took some time to get here but that was because I was stopping and visiting, after all that is what it is about, isn't it? Istvan came and joined me for the evening in Siofok which was good. A little mini mini Blackpool type of place. We ate there in the evening but as the only way to get to the lake there is to pay to go to some private beach thing we decided to go a little south to Zamadi where access is free and there are far fewer people. We spent a good day on the 'beach' which in fact is a lawn, going into the lake from time to time. I have the impression that the lake is only 1 metre deep but that mustn't be true as on the north side it is possible to see quite large boats, the type you see on lac Léman, sailing up and down.

Does driving show a person's personality?

I have just spent a couple of days driving from Briançon to Budapest and on my way I have met some fun drivers. But nothing was like the few hours I spent in Slovenia!! The motorways are only 2 laned so people should get over to the right but do they? No! Not only that, after overtaking a rather slow lorry and caravan, a slovenian driver pulled up in front of me and put on his brakes!! A way of telling me that I had held him up, this is rather French in character! Then in Ljubljana I had time to do a left turn at some lights and got a long hoot from an irate woman driver! I do hope that this is not the general characteristic of the Slovenes as it has left a rather negative idea for me. Although as I was going about the town in Ljubljana people were friendly! Who knows?

Toujours Briançon

While climbing to the ‘Col de l’échelle’ on the bike yesterday and minding my own buisiness a group of cyclist approached all dressed in black, red and white, chatting away then suddenly one of them as he came past me headed towards me and for no apparent reason roared at me! Fortunately the acquisition of firearms is restricted in France. Had I had a pistol it would have been one of the occasions where I would have taken it out and shot of the lot of them! There was no reason to be aggressive towards me. Young fools!

I thought I had done at least 5 kms on the was up only to find out when I got back down that the whole climb had only been 2,7 kms!!! As I was huffing and puffing up this never-ending slop I could hear and feel the flies around me. Unlike other cyclists who are a little fitter than I, at every stop my friends the flies flew about me licking up my sweat! Well I suppose if I can help the ecosystem.

One of the problems with the new DC/AC converter is that is screams all the time. On the box it was clearly marked that it could recharge a pc, well mine it can only recharge when I am on the move and at the moment that is not so often! At the moment I am stopped with the motor running – very good for the environment and my pocket!!

I spent last night on the ‘Col du Laurtaret’, just over 2000 metres. It was a great afternoon and evening. Sun, a breeze, a couple of people were out with kites and I read. At the moment I am reading a book by Stephen Fry – the Liar. It is only during the vacations that I actually manage to get any reading done. We talk a lot of climate change but are not really aware of the effects of the warming of the planet. I am no alarmist, but when you are sitting at what must have been the base of a glacier, probably 100 years ago, and look up only to see a smudge of snow on the top, well things are changing. Although I do have a picture of what is left of a glacier in the same valley and lower down.

It leaves me now to say ‘Happy Birthday’ on my blog. Yesterday was his birthday, 4^th August but I couldn’t get the net to work! Let’s hope I’ll have a better chance today.

Holidays!

So I am now on holiday through Spain and France finishing up in Milan, Italy. Things have not been too good. On arriving at Barcelona a warning light lit up, the one saying something about the water not getting to the engine but when I looked everything seemed OK. After a day in a garage the circuit is OK just the switch which is wrong, that will have to be put right in September. Then the clutch went, 3 days to have that done. Well, it is not too bad when you are in Sitges at least there is the sun, the sea and a good time. Elisabeth and Michel were great putting us up, and putting up with us for some extra days. The next few days were uneventful but interesting: Barcelona, again, Cadaques and the Figures but during our visit to the Dali museum somone or some people decided that they would take a look in the camper and broke a window and took anything of any value!! So a morning on to the insurance and the police and an afternoon having the window replaced!!! Just not what I signed up for this summer!!! I can't download my photos from the camera to the mac at the moment so although there are plenty of photos they are still on the SD card!!

Playa del Meurto, Sitges

So this is a Google maps picture of the Playa del Meurto at Sitges, the gay naturist beach. On my trips to Sitges I like to come here and yesterday was no exception. It seemed closer than usual, which is great in the heat, but something has changed! At least 1/3 of the guys on the beach were wearing a pair of trunks.   This is a NATURIST beach, so if you choose to come, be a naturist. If you do not want to show it all, that's fine, there are great, gay, textile beaches in town too.

Something else I learned about the beach yesterday, I don't know if it is true, but it is Spain's oldest naturist beach, since 1930!!

From the 9th-13th July has been Sitges' first gay pride! Strange that his town, the town of tolerance has only just had its first Gay Pride. Perhaps this has something to do with trying to get more people to come as, according to a bar owner, visitor numbers have been dropping off, as places in Croatia seem to be becoming more popular. Just looking around Sitges, I get the impression that there are fewer people. I missed the pride parade so perhaps it was a little different on Saturday.

Time for the beach!

The New world champions - Spain

I am not a football fan by any means but yesterday evening I arrived in Sitges to stay with some friends and of course the TV went on for the final. Everything was quite all around until the goal and thee was a sudden roar from the town - very strange. At then end there were fireworks and horns and the like. It is always good to win.

The sea is calm!

Saturday 10^th July

The sea is just so calm today. The storm that was forecast happened during the night and so once again a wonderfully beautiful day. I went down to the beach at around 11h30 and came back around 14 for lunch and to stay out of the sun for a time. There are more people as there is no wind.

Camped: Europ 2000 Marseillan Plage.

Well will it or will it not be sunny today?

Thursday 8^th

I am writing these reports a day late never mind. So I left la plage des Aresquiers and went to Balaruc where I had decided that I would have a new radio fixed into the camper. The old one could no longer play CDs, not that I have any in the camper at the moment, and can also read mp3 on a flash drive. Although, I don’t know how it works yet!

Later I arrived at Camping Europ 2000 at Marseillan plage. I usually don’t go on campsites as they cost so much but this one is right on the beach and it is clean, squeaky clean. (That is the first time I have seen that word written!) The ‘bloc sanitaire’ smells so hygienic and is hygienic. There seems to be someone in there most of the day making sure that it stays that way. Also this is the place that we as ‘boys’ are welcomed to at any time of the year. It is where we came this year at Ascension.

After setting thing up I decided to go to the beach. I had forgotten what the beach is like at this time of year and it was crowded!! Well certain parts of it are. I like the sea here, not too deep and it seems clean whether it is or not is another matter!

Being an only man on a campsite where there are so many people in fact feels even lonelier than stopping in the middle of nowhere. Noone stops to talk, they will reply to a ‘bonjour’ but that is that. I wonder what it will be like when Istvan is with me? Last year at Ballaton people spoke to us, will they do that here? We’ll see.

Time to go off to the beach for a couple of hours before it gets too hot, it is already starting to get warm. Bye.

Il a plu un tout petit peu ce matin! Quelques gouttes c'est tout, et le ciel est devenu nuageux mais je suis resté un bon moment. Me voici sur le net du camping, c'est bien je trouve qu'ils offrent ce service gracieusement. Bientôt je vais retourner à la plage pour les derniers rayons de soleils.

On voit souvent les mêmes têtes mais on ne se dit rien! Peut-être je devrais être plus 'talkative'. Je lance les trucs de temps en temps, il faut plonger directement, pensez-vous qu'il va pleuvoir beaucoup? mais sans succès. Je pense que les gens en generales ont trop peur que parler veut dire sexe et ce n'est pas le cas! Bon l'autre chose que je voulais partager c'est des photos de la plages, il y a une partie de la plage juste à côté de notre section (gay) des échangistes où on trouve un monde enorme dans un tout petit partie de la plage. Quand je suis arrivé hier il y avait une partie de la mer où il y avait un monde! Une photo peut dire mille mots donc la voici.

Ceci est la plage direction Sete et Marseillan

La secteur échangistes!

I don't want to be judgemental but when the police give out PV (fines) of 80€ to gays for being in the dunes and all sorts happens on the beach with this group, well, it seems a little unfair! But is life fair? No of course it isn't.

Camped: Europ 2000 Marseillan plage

Summertime and the living is easy!

Thursday 8th

Still nothing concerning the job application. I think that I have been overlooked. Tant pis, that's life although I know that I would have made a really good head of department! 

So, today I am off to Marseillan plage for a couple of days. Enough time to get the fridge cold as there will be electricity and to spend some time on the beach swimming and sunning myself. Then I shall be off doing a little tourism in the area between here and Barcelona. 

I need music in the camper, so will have to see about having a new radio and aerial fitted so that I can receive well and play some of my stuff.

As you can see from the posts below, I have changed the size of the photos so can now upload them easily. As far as I can see I have not lost clarity but I am no expert. I heard the 'cigales' for the first time yesterday and here is a very bad short film just for you! Well it seems that you are not going to get the vidoe as the video link in blogger will not open for me and I am having problems uploading to Youtube! Technology!

If at first you don't succeed:

Wednesday 7^th

Shit, shit, shit! Amina had invited me for a tagine tonight and I had completely forgotten. Miguel rang around 5pm to remind me, but 300 kms away from Lyon it was just not possible for me to go to have a tagine! I really feel bad as this is not the first time that I have completely forgotten a date. I really should not drink: no that is not possible or I should write things down. I would have waited around in the region, I would have gone to their place today and swam in the pool. I really must not do this sort of thing again.

All that said, I am so happy to be down here with the smell of the sea, or the étangs! I have spent the day at les Aresquiers have a look here 'La plages des Aresquiers' 

I got up and went to the France Passion place which was OK to buy some Muscat but the welcome, well lets say I have had better! Oh that is just so cliché! Let’s say that she was a bitch! So I decided not to stay there and that my places just here there and everywhere are so much better! I had decided that today was going to be a beach and bike day so I went to Vic la Gariodle or whatever, and parked up and took the bike to the beach. The beach was just great even better than Marseillan plage but the big down is that without a bike you have to walk for about an hour to get to the ‘gay’ part of the beach. Not that I want to have sex or the like, but I do like to be amongst my brothers!!

Around 2pm, 12 with the sun, I came back to the camper and went to find a McDonalds. My idea was not to eat but to use the net; I did both! And I can still feel the meal. They must put something in the food that doesn’t go well with me. At the time of eating it goes very well, it is just later.

I am reading a book called ‘Stonewall, The riots that sparked the Gay Revolution’. It is fascinating. Of course it takes the US perspective, but I would like to know a little about the Gay revolution in France and in Britain. It was only a few days ago that I went into Thierry and Jean Pierre for that saying that they don’t mind accepting everything that has come from the Gay Revolution but that like so many others they do nothing to help – not even come out! Not that I have done that much, but I have come out to family, friends and work! I could do more. It is only by doing things and being bolshy that anything comes about. We don’t need to get killed anymore, like some of our elders who have helped us. We just need to be there, to be out and to say YES, I EXIST and I am no different to you.  The book is really interesting as it talks about homosexuality and society in 1940s to 60s America and how this lead to GAY LIBERATION!

There is a poem which says so much about a time when, like now even, there are few role models. It’s about young kids who have run away from home because they are not accepted and have to prostitute themselves to live.

I sell my love for dollars,

If you can spare the time,

A hug is but a nickel

A kiss is but a dime.

I’ll go to bed for twenty,

All night for just ten more,

Now don’t get the idea

That I am just a whore.

For if I didnet sell my love,

Where else would it go?

I have no one to give it to;

No one who’d care to know.

So open up your wallet

And show me what yo’ve got.

And whether I should love you

A lttle or a lot.

This was a poem published in V, a San Fransisco publication of the late 60s and was called: The Hustler.

William called! Great to hear from him. Next year sailing in the Med?

Camped: Just near the entrance to Les bois des Aresquiers

Tuesday 6^th

I took it slowly this morning, waking up, reading, having breakfast and going to a McDonalds to find an internet connection. There was one at the McDonald’s in Annonay but I didn’t have much battery so couldn’t really stay on long but enough time to have a look at my emails and to put something on my blog. I then went down into the valley to another McDonald’s where I ate something and spent a little more time on the net. On leaving I had made a decision: I would not hang around Lyon in case of an interview, I would leave and come down here to the south. In fact I am in a place called Vic la Gardiole In fact, I had made up my mind to try out some of the ‘France Passion’ places. I went first to Beausemblant but it was in the hills and was not what I had expected. I had expected a field and there was a sort of just parking area with tar! That was the thing that made me come south.  In France I never take the motorways with the camper, it is just so expensive but the national roads are just slow and today, packed with traffic. I should have arrived here at 18h25, I got here 3 hours later! The journey was not without some events;  a driver of a lorry who seemed to be going to sleep but in the end was reading something going at 100 kph!! I also stopped off at a ‘France Passion’ place at Bagnols sur Cèze to be greeted by 2 dogs neither very big but both very vicious! I was getting out of the camper and the smallest growled, showed its teeth and went for me. A lovely welcome, I must say! Needless, there were no campers there. I turned around a left the place hoping to crush the vicious creature, but without an success!

There are just so many roundabouts now in France! From almost none 30 years go to at least 100 from north of Valence to here, with at least 50 of them in Nîmes!! Oh yes, and I tried the net again at the McDonald’s in Roumoulins, ??? and they DO NOT HAVE THE WIFI and I bought a coffee! However, the McDonald’s in Nice as you enter from the north does! Thank you. What will tomorrow have install for me?

By the by, Looking at the map I have found the name of the mountains which run just to the north west of this region –Montagne de la Gardiole. Added to which, what I see from here thinking it is the sea in fact, is not it is the a number of étangs’ ‘swamps’ is the translation but they are not really swamps, they are not lagoons either as there is no enterance to the sea, no that is not true there is an entranct to the sea at Carnon Plage, so they are technically lagoons. The Canal du Rhone Runes through them. The train runs along them too and I remember reading once that it was during a train ride to Narbonne that Charles Trenet wrote ‘La Mer’. It was his inspiration.

Camped: Just off the National Vic la Gardiole

At last the Med!

Although I arrived yesterday it was really quite late. This morning the traffic woke me up and so I went to see the France Passion place. It was the car park of a caveau, not really the place I wanted to stay in so I bought a bottle of Muscat and moved on to Vic la Gadiole parked up the camper and took the bike to the beach where I spent the morning. A little later I shall find my way back there, it is just a little hot at the moment. I'm uploading some photos onto picasa at the moment but it is taking ages and I would like to get back to the sea as it is now past 4pm so as the sunshines around 14h so it is getting a little cooler.

My photos are a little big, I am going to have to make them a little smaller as they will not upload but the photos from today are at picasa: I'll put the link up tomorrow, I can't wait any longer!

http://picasaweb.google.fr/Simon.McILGREW/LesAresquiesFrontignanFrance#


Tomorrow I am going to Marseillan Plage. I have booked in at the campsite so should be able to make my fridge cold!!!! It is really a pain that it is not working on the gas!

I am following a blog 'Dancing with Crazy' and saw this photo today, quite funny!

Just noticed

Looking at my photo of the Abbaye de ND des Dombes, I see that it is a little like the entrance to Birkenau camp! The two buildings on each side of an arched entrance!

Anyway, I spent this morning reading by the Lake and thought of going around the lake again but... I am now going to try to find the first 'France Passion' camper area but have just passed by McDonalds so popped in for a 280 aux oignions and a net connection. It is really beginning to piss me off that CPE can't say if they are going to invite me for interview or not and when. I can feel it in my bones, I will be in Barcelona and they'll then ask me for interview! I suppose that is life or is it? Do others have problems like these?

Summer holidays

Monday 5^th

I have spent the day around the camper. I got my bike out and went for a short but very energetic ride! Read, ate and have now come to the Crêt de l’Oeillon high above the Rhône and Rhône Valley. I am not sure what I am going to do now. There is a lake a little further on which looks interesting so I might try to make my way there.

Well, what a lovely lake: It is a reservoir for the fresh water for Annonay. The dam (barrage) was built and opened in 1867! There is a lovely one-way road around the lake where people walk, jog, cycle and ride their horses. Apparently there are 2.6 million litres in the lake!

I had hoped to see Christian, we haven’t seen each other for so many years but this is not a good time for him. His Mum is in hospital and just had a scan and they will have the results tonight. He is going to pick up his dad from the ‘Maison de repos’, where he has been convalescing after a kidney and ‘rate’ oh merde, I have forgotten the English translation! I know it too! So we will not be seeing each other just now, another time then.

It is a lonely life in a camper – alone! But I am trying to do all I can to make it feel less so. What? Well, I am reading and that really helps because you have tens of people with you. Yes, I don’t say much in fact I don’t think I have uttered a word to anyone today. No, that is not true – I have said ‘bonjour’ to people I have passed on my bike! I think that my lot is to be alone, to live and spend my life alone. All of this started when I was very young and sent to school. I give the impression of an outward going, confident person but that is not me. I find it difficult to speak to those I don’t know. After my time with Lynn, I spent 5 years alone, and then I have spent the last 2 years alone too. Yes, Istvan is part of my life, but we spend very little time together, living in 2 different countries. How strange listening to France Musique and to find a programme on ‘The Sound of Music’, which is opening, at Chatelet next Sunday, and in English at that!

Camped: On the left bank of Lac de Ternay

Sunday 4^th

I had realised that I had had so much to drink or was it just the Champs at the end of the evening. Anyway, I had slept in the camper outside Marie and Robert’s place. It was Michel, Robert’s brother arriving for lunch that woke me! We had a leisurely, and for me non alcoholic lunch. I could still feel the alcoholic poisoning in my system. I decided to leave around 16h and to make my way down the Rhône to the Ardèche. I have come to the ‘Parc National du Pilat and spent the night near a little place called ‘Bassin’ just outside of Le Pelussin, the middle of nowhere.

Camped: Bassin, Loire

Saturday 3^rd.

This evening I am meeting up with the gang in Macon and we are going to eat Frogs! The meeting place a restaurant le Bouche??? at St Laurent sur Saône. I dcided to have a look around the Dombes so went to Versaillieu first where I had lunch. I wanted to be by an ‘étang’ but it isn’t easy, if nigh on impossible to get the the water’s edge. I carried on to the monastery of Notre Dames des Dombes and visited the place. It is no longer run by Cistercian Monks but by some multidominational group. It offers retreats to people who feel that they need a little peace and quiet and makes all sorts of things from apples. Chatillon sur Chalaronne was my next port of call, where I visited the parc of the town which was once the garden of a rather nice country house. Today I got the impression that it is some sort of horticultural institute. The weather had been really hot and muggy, so it was a welcome change when the storm broke! Thunder, lightening the lot! A yet only 10kms away at Macon and St Laurent, not a drop fell. It was around 17 when I finally arrived at St Laurent and got my bike and found the restaurant. I then decided to have a ride around St Laurent and on the other side of the Saône in Macon. There is a really good esplanade been created there. There are also the markings for the 2 greatests floods, the worst is 1840 when the river rose some 8 metre above its usual course, and 1955 at 7 metres! I also found out that in the past St Laurent was the limit of the Dukes of Savoie territory and the Holy Roman Empire. The evening was not uneventful! A lovely meal just the end was a bit of a letdown! We finished the evening in St Priest with a bottle of bubbly.

Camped: St Priest

Friday 2^nd July

After taking a lot of time and getting everything done I finally left the flat around 15h.  After going to St Jean Automobile to pick up the stuff that has been there since the crash with the Punto, I then made my way to Meximieux to see the Insurance company. That now seems to be sorted out, I just need Thierry to complete the forms when they arrive and to get everything sent off to the expert. As I was not far from Montluel, I rang and was asked to stay for something to eat.

Camped: Port Galland 

Un hérison dans le jardin!

Quelles emotions! Je viens de recevoir les DVDs des nouvels de Mrs Gaskell. J'ai 56 ans et je ne savais pas qu'il y avait des histoires comme celles que je viens de regarder. Il faut que j'achète les livres. Donc il y a 'Cranford' qui vient de terminer, et bien sûr de se terminer assez bien malgré les décès de plusieurs personnes. Ca a dû être la vie avant mi 20 siècle: une vie de naissance de mort et de vie sans épouse ou époux. Bon, et pourquoi y a-t-il le sujet 'un hérison' car en allant fermer les volets qu'est-ce que j'ai vu? Un hérison en train de traverser le jardin. Oui, je sais, c'est quoi un hérison? Mais je ne vis pas à la compagne, je vis en ville!!!! Que c'est beau la vie!

Life is good

There are times when everything just seems so black and hopeless, then there are others when life seems just so good. I have been looking at some of my photos just from holidays I have taken this year and I must admit that my life is really very good.

Have a look at this link:

Peniche

Jobs and covering letters

My boss' job has just come up and although I am not sure that I really want it, I feel that I must apply for it, for my own self-esteem and who knows, perhaps something might come from it! But it is just such a pain having to write this Covering letter. As a Tefl teacher, this is one of the things I ask my students to do, but it is not until you have to do it yourself, that you realise that it is not so easy. I suppose it does give you a moment to sit back and to think: what would I do in this position? Well, it has done for me.

Stations and things

Stations seem to be my thing at the moment. It must just be the idea of travel, travel overland, travel by train. I suppose it is the way you see the landscapes, get up and straighten your legs and get from place to place reasonably quickly, well, at least in Europe! At the moment I am in Budapest and yesterday I was around and in the station Nyugati Pályaudva. Not quite St Pancreas in London, but interesting nevertheless. The stations itself is the traditional 19th century thing which has not been really refurbished, which is a pity although some of it has been renewed and there is a new area just to the side of it. Anyway here are some pictures of it.

The Weather!

Isn't it always the case? You experience good weather for a week or so and you think 'Ah, the summer is here!' So the next time you go away you don't bother packing waterproofs and what happens, the weather turns and you don't have what you need.

Last week I was in London and I had taken long sleeved shirts, long trousers, sweaters and rainware and the weather was hot and sunny. This week I am in Budapest and it has been great for the last 3 days, but today it is not just rainy but stormy and I have no rainware! Typical.

Too many pictures...

Well, in fact, I don't think so.

This is a criticism that is often levied at me.

"You don't set up your shots"
"Your pictures don't bring the onlooker any information"
"You don't get rid of bad photos" (this is true)

But I don't care. This digital world has given me the opportunity to make photos, look at them and use the ones I really like. The rest keep. If others don't want to look at my photos, well DONT!

St Pancreas Station, London

In my last blog I said something about St Pancreas and a sculpture so here and some pictures I took recently.

or perhaps they are saying 'goodbye'