The Tellers

A belgian band that might just become good one day, 2 young guys with their album out - 'hands full of ink'. Something around Kings of Convenience with more pop in it. Check my favorite of their songs Hugo on myspace, or their website at Tellers.be.

Recent Fonti trip

Last w-end we went to Bleau again, it becomes our second home this autumn - fist visit in september to Rocher Fin, JA Martin and Diplodocus, and here we are back again in Potala and Padole. With friends this time - Dominique from Belgium, Max from Italy - or Paris, his second home now. It was all nicely pigmented by a wine fair at Milly-la-forêt, where we started and finished the day on Sunday with wine tasting from various French domains.

This is Renaud on the last problem of the day at crowded, but very enjoyable Potala. We were on our way to the car, but this roof looked irresistible in the sunset. I did not dare finish the problem, but that's when i take pictures :)


This is me the w-end in septmenber at Diplodocus, trying the last problem of the day...


Sunset at Padole, a lost climbing area for once, where we only found rocks and crazy paintballers. Are those paintball bullets degradable? Those environment-unconscious french...

Remembering old Days - Totoro!!!

Yes, i loved that anime and the song from it - and many other Miyazaki and Takahata creations. Probably the best one is the Grave of the Fireflies, i did cry watching it. So there.

Borges or Long Time No See

Decided to pick up a book at the library yesterday and this is what i ended up with - Ficciones (in French/Spanish version too!) by Borges. As i shamefully couldn't remember at least one title of his works i've read - i decided to remake my education on this subject.

I do remember looking for his and Cortazar's books in dusty old, but mainly empty libraries in Lviv, Ukraine - apparently considered communist sympathizers, they were translated - but still hard to find in any interesting quantity. I did finish reading Miguel's Manual in France - but don't think i ever came back to this ugly, blind old man. His short stories are definitely recommendable!

Here are a couple of quotes:

"you who read me--are you certain you understand my language?" from the Babel Library,

or the best quote from Uqbar - in my translation from French - "Copulation and mirrors are abominable - they both multiply the number of humans!"

or this, maybe inspired by his promotion to Poultry and Rabbit Inspector position by Perron's regime - "Dictatorships foster oppression, dictatorships foster servitude, dictatorships foster cruelty; more abominable is the fact that they foster idiocy."

Escalade en Alsace

Vosges are much closer to Belgium than Alps and such - but for some reason i have stayed away from these mountains. They are definitely rather hilly, but climbing there is rad - engaged, quality and picturesque! Maybe it is only one-pitch long, but you get your adrenaline's worth for sure!

I have only been to Krontal (on the way to or from the Alps), Martinswand and Gueberschwihr before. This time, Vosges du Nord with the new topo were the target. It happened so that each place we visited was also a tourist attraction because of chateau ruins near-by. Windstein climbing is directly climbing over what used to be a castle - and Langenfels is the area in front of the Fleckenstein remains. The latter was more enjoyable for the mediocre climber i am, with even a couple of project options for the future. Given all the picturesque villages and good wine, this is certainly a region i'm going back to!

Escalade-Alsace website has a good routes database and topo info on the area, and thanks for the new topo guys!

Interpol

My favorite song from the last album -


thx to Micah for the discovery. Maybe it's because i also somehow like their pics.

Prevert Minute

Déjeuner du Matin - Jacques Prevert

il a mis le café

dans la tasse

il a mis le lait

dans la tasse de café

il a mis le sucre

dans le café au lait

avec la petite cuillère

il a tourné

il a bu le café au lait

et il a reposé la tasse

sans me parler

il a allumé une cigarette

il a fait des ronds

avec la fumée

il a mis les cendres

dans le cendrier

sans me parler

sans me regarder

il s'est levé

il a mis

son chapeau sur sa tête

il a mis

son manteau de pluie

parce qu'il pleuvait

et il est parti

sous la pluie

sans une parole

sans me regarder

et moi j'ai pris

ma tête dans ma main

et j'ai pleuré

Group of Seven

Painters working in the 20ies, at the time of Emily Carr, totally unknown to me with my ultra-European cultural upbringing, these guys made my eyes happy for a moment there, running through the last floor in Van's Art Gallery five minutes before the closing time. Twisted Impressionists, unfulfilled Fauvists, their wild streak could go back to Gaugin or forward to Pollock. Why not say original?

And how could i not react to these, almost tourist brochures of the Rockies - or a spider monster -

or this - almost Van Goghan peach tree - but not quite the same?

Oh, and certainly a hello and thank you to Masters. Not to forget Emily and the Haidans - at least alive in her paintings...