A Pinay in Europe

Christmas is around the corner and Santa Claus will soon come to town so a topic about chimneys is just about timely.
A chimney is a structure where smoke passes from a fireplace through a pipe onto the outside atmosphere. In order for the smoke to flow smoothly, chimneys are usually vertical.

The vertical structures sticking out of roofs are the chimney pots.

Chimney cowls are those things they put on top to prevent rain and wind from getting in and birds from nesting inside.

Different designs of cowls have flourished, each depending on the taste, personality, purpose or budget of the house owner

That’s a lot of chimneys in one house!

A chimney using the stones indigenous of the valley

“Hey, Chimneeta, where did you get your antenna?  I’d like to have one , too!”

Which is the odd one out?

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As is typical in the UK, before sitting down for a meal, drinks are ordered at the counter and consumed at a table or place entirely different from where you will have your food.  This is called bar service, something which is not practiced in other parts of Western Europe.  The hotel restaurant where we had our meal has two reception areas.  We took our drinks in one of them.

Starter:  Welsh mussels with a creamy garlic and white wine sauce 

We expected the mussels to come with their shells which would have made it more visually, if not gastronomically, delightful.

Another Starter (which I ordered):  King Prawns with garlic butter

The prawns are a winner!  They melt in the mouth.  Lovely! 

 Main Course:  Hake in butter sauce.

Another Main Course (which I ordered): Welsh steak, medium rare. 

That thing on top is fried battered onion.

I’m always wary about steaks because they could be very tough and chewy.  The one above confirmed my suspicion.

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One thing that strikes us about Whitby is the proliferation of fish and chips shops.  Every corner we turned to, we saw these establishments getting queued up for up to a hundred meters, or sometimes more, especially at lunchtime.  We expected these queues as this is not the first time we went to Whitby.  As early as 11:30am, we were already seated inside one shop that has a big sign on the door ”Voted by the Whitby Gazette and its readers as the Best Fish and Chips in Whitby, 2008-2009″. 

The food was okay,  service was fast and everything was served in neat china and cutlery.  The only thing that beats the hell out of us is the presence of CCTVs in every corner and in every 2 meter distance of each side of the ceiling.   How can you truly enjoy your food if you know that you are being watched everytime you pick your chips or cut your fish? 

“Maybe they are observing if you will pocket the vinegar ceramic jar or the silver knife!”, I said to H. 

Anyway, let me show you the fish and chips scenes in Whitby.

Coming down  from the carpark up on the hill, we saw this banner posted at the back of a building. 

Boards displayed infront of a shop.

The meal.  There’s not even a single leaf of lettuce on the side, good grief!

They start eating them at a very young age.

Takeaway

Awards have to be mentioned or displayed to attract more customers.

This shop has been described by Rick Stein as the best fish and chip shop in Britain.  No wonder the queues are that long!

Errr….can you explain it in simple words, please?

They eat them everywhere

and with crossed knees, did you notice?

Savouring it slowly

He’s really enjoying it!  His body language says it so.

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Never have I seen a large population of dogs in one town, in one day, than in Whitby in North Yorkshire, England.   This historic place is one of the most visited seaside towns in the UK for many reasons.  And I thought I should start my tale by talking about its dogs. 

Sit back, relax and enjoy reading!

“I can see better, smell better than a CCTV camera”, says this dog who have chosen to sit on the roof of his master’s car.
A flea market on the way to Whitby town

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Watch for more photologs of Whitby.  Coming soon on this site!

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Saorge, one of the most beautiful villages in France, suspended on the heights of the Roya mountain range, is one that only the fit and the adventurous can enjoy. Why? because one has to climb up very steep steps, a maze of alleys and arched passageways in order to discover more jaw-dropping sights! It’s like walking in an open air museum where you can trace how mountain people learned how to innovate in order to survive harsh conditions, and where facilities are not easily accessible.

I just kept getting blown away by what I saw and thought I should share them with you so that this hidden gem can be enjoyed by those who cannot have the chance to come here.

That house seems to be built on top of a fortified wall

This one is for sale. There’s a space to park a vespa truck so it’s not bad.

In case you want to know what is a vespa truck, that’s the one on the left

They use stone tiles for the roof. These red slates come from the rocky mountains of the Roya

Aside from the red slates, there are also the green ones which are also indigenous in the region.

The houses are put together like pieces of lego

Cars cannot get through the village so imagine lifting a newly-bought washing machine to the top

New houses keep getting added over the centuries

And new terraces, too. I just hope they are strong enough not to collapse

This fountain water comes from the mountains and it’s drinkable. There are a lot of fountains in the village as well as “lavaries” or washing areas where villagers in earlier days congregate to do the washing by hand.

Despite the steepness of the steps, a lot of old people live here. They look fit, by the way.

Living here is just a continuous going up and down the steps

If you have fear of heights, then you cannot live here

The village as seen from the carpark

The village of Saorge

A postcard beauty!

Two American tourists hesitating to enter the arched passageway leading to the center of the village.
Tourist #1: “Oh no, I’m not going up there!”
Tourist #2: Yeah, let’s just stay here..”
Mariadams overhearing them: “It’s beautiful out there! It’s the kind of scenery that you will not forget for the rest of your life!”
Tourist #1: How high is the climb?
H: “Just like this (pointing to the footpath’s incline)”

I wonder if they did go, but since they have come this far (the village is 1hour 20minutes to Nice), it would be silly not to see the place inside and out.

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The Church Road on a Sunday afternoon.

We stumbled upon this quaint ceramic shop in Whitby while elbowing our way through the hustle and bustle of Church Street.

Church Street, I must say is the busiest pedestrian road in this most famous fishing town of Whitby because it is there where the highest concentration of old shops, museums, exhibition halls, cafes and even a coffin store are found. One has to explore the street slowly, scrutinizing the shops for their old English charm, and peeking at every hidden alley which is abound with jaw-dropping surprises!

I had the ball of my life photographing all the ceramic displays in this pottery shop. There is something about designer tiles that fascinates me.

The atelier where the artist is nowhere to be found.  If he was there, I don’t think I could have this photo though

So simple yet so charming - the rectangular plant container!

Shells for the bathroom, fruits for the kitchen..What about the hen and the cat?

So much to choose from, I wish I can buy them all

I could have a plate done with my website name written on it:  mariadams.com!  In green perhaps?

That pitcher on the left will look great with a bouquet of red roses on it!

Lovely for hanging plants

Shades of burgundy.  They will look great on my porch!

“Can I have one tile for each number please?” 

I will have to pass on this one.  It reminds me of Valentina, the snake haired villainess

Here’s a charming ceramic wall I’ve seen in another shop at Church Street.

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Author’s Note:
From the “Driving through the Yorkshire Moors (Whitby)” which is still under construction. Trip taken on 27th September 2009

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The Montparnasse District

26 February 2009

Everytime I see the building icon of Montparnasse in the Metro map, I always ticked it off mentally as “seen-it, climbed-up the 56th floor, no need to do a repeat” kind of thing. But yesterday, we stumbled upon a very interesting road just a stone’s throw away from the tallest building in Paris, that which gave us the feeling that we were walking through the “Edith Piaf” era of cabarets, theaters, bars and all.The truth is, never have I seen a single road with a high concentration of theatres, bars, a 4-star hotel on the side and establishments that cater to the sensual delights of the Parisian, i.e., turkish spa, peep shows, sex shops, massage clinics. But you would say, how about the Boulevard de Clichy where the famous Moulin Rouge is! There must be close to a hundred similar establishments: sex supermarket, sex shops, peep shows, sex so and so…but this is a boulevard, mind you..and I am talking only of a road, the rue de la Gaite! Besides, there is a very “Parisian of old” feel in this road! Take for example the facades of the theatres:La Comedie Italienne, founded in 1980, is the only Italian theatre in France. Shows are exclusively of Italian origin - classic and contemporary - majority of which have not been shown in France. Performances are in French.

Theatre de la Gaite-Montparnasse founded in 1867.

A drinking soda seller recovered the materials from the demolished Exhibition theater of 1867, to put up a Cafe-concert hall in the very popular road at the time, the rue de la Gaite. The Concert de la Gaite, or now called Theatre de la Gaite-Montparnasse opened its doors in September 1868 with the grand performance of divas and dancers a la folies bergere.

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I have been arranging, re-arranging, boxing and unboxing old clothes, tired bedsheets and craft materials that I have accumulated for donkeys’ years.  While they are cramping my cupboards and cluttering my home, I am not keen to throw them away.  I don’t have the heart to give them to charity either as it is just shameful to give something that I am shameful to use myself.  This is Recession time so the most I could do is to recycle them into something usable, nice and trendy.

Ideas?  Luckily, I have a modest photo collection of recycled art and things which I took from my travels. 

Who thinks that plastic water bottles cannot be turned into decorative art?
A shop in Paris

Just-bang-them-all Art
An art gallery in Paris

Save your carton rolls for something artistic
Art en Capital 2008, Paris

Save-your-cardboard-and-everything Art
Art en Capital 2008, Paris

Glad I didn’t throw my old stockings!
Art en Capital 2008, Paris

Paper bags
Paris

Even your old paintbrush can be recycled
Paris

No need to worry about feeds and mess
Paris

Now-that’s-getting-too-far Art
Louis Vuitton, Paris

Don’t laugh…that costs 90euros!
Paris

I like her style!
Breil sur Roya

Velcro Art
Paris

Don’t-throw-your-telephone-directory Art
Paris

An-empty-can-of-sardines Art
Jacques Prévert, “Paris la Belle” exhibition, Paris

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