A Pinay in Europe

Backpacking Tips

Tip # 1

Make sure that your backpack is not too ridiculously big as to attract photographers like myself!

Menton, France

Tip #2

Do as the Germans do: Bike-pack with your motorbike!

Corfu, Greece

Another bike-packer. Seen coming down from Anek Lines (Corfu-to-Venice)

Venice Port, Italy

Tip # 3

You can start it young!

Corfu ferry terminal, Greece

Tip # 4

Be chic. Be cool. Look good.

Your “make-the-train-ticket-lady-swoon” looks will give you an added advantage like getting the best seat, less queueing time on the counter and even getting your 10-bed hostel room booking upgraded to 5!

Venice Port, Italy

Tip # 5

Buy your food from the market. It’s a great way to try the local cuisine and regional specialities without breaking your budget. Pick up a loaf of bread, some cheese and sausages. With just few euros, your provisions may last you for two days or more.

Tip # 6

Comfortable footwear is a must!

Tip # 7

Taking a picture of a loved one when backpacking could rid you of homesickness

Tip # 8

Backpack with a recumbent bike if you have a bad back

Tip # 9

Let your passion (for shoes, as in this photo) shine even while backpacking

 Tip #10

If you are an incurable shower-freak, nothing is wrong (really!) with lugging your own water tank…

Tip #11

The sun can be a real burner especially in the summer so a hat is a must.

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Our theme this Monday  is very timely for the summer holiday season.

Travelling cars - H and I travel a lot by road and that’s where we see them:  different makes, different nationalities (of the owner-riders, at least), different sizes, forms and shapes.  And just by observing, I find myself concocting mental images on the type of travelling life the people inside these cars lead.

You see caravans plying on highways all times of the year but the highest traffic comes in July/August.

This is the typical scenario:  a big car towing a big caravan

But there is also the reverse: it’s the caravan towing the car. 

Other holidaymakers find caravans too big to negotiate on roads so they stick to little trailers that could carry their camping gears including bicycles

This is a camping trailer.  Just a little puttering and it will transform into a large awning complete with a kitchen and sleeping compartments.

Instead of towing a caravan, some holidaymakers prefer a campervan as it is so much easier, as this German van, where you can practically strap everything on it:  bike, kayak, surfboard, more storage boxes as well as a satellite antenna.

This is the travelling caravan belonging to the ”Compagnie des Songes”,  a group of stage actors who holds stage shows all over France and abroad.  A nice job, I think, as you get to travel for free and earn money at the same time!

This is a serious campervan…the sleeping compartment is that part above the driver’s seat.  Inside you will find a kitchen, a dining room, a sitting room with TV and sometimes fitted with a bathroom complete with a chemical toilet.

A more serious campervan - almost 1.5x longer than a bus and compartments such as the kitchen extends out when on parking mode.

Sometimes the holidaymaker prefers to stay semi-permanently in one place so he rents a space in a campsite for years (renewing it each year), build a chalet around it for added space, such as this one we saw near the French village of Evian at the border of Switzerland. 

We stayed in this “green” campsite in Germany when we did the Rhine Valley trip.  It is so pleasant and overlooks the ruins of a castle up the hill.

A campsite near the Yorkshire Moors in England where we pitched up a tent.  It looks  like a glorified parking lot, isn’t it?

This is not a caravan park nor the front yard of a 2nd-hand caravan showroom.  This space is called “Aire d’accueil aux gens de voyage”, literally means “welcome stop for gypsies”.  As there are about half a million gypsies living in France, the government enacted a law requiring each commune to reserve a land space for these travelling  people, majority of them originates from Eastern Europe.

***** 

So there you are, travelling cars not only for holidaying but also for working and mobile living.  As travelling is my passion, it’s my ardent wish to be in all three….How about you?

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Bastille Day, “Quatorze Juillet” (14th of July) or Fete National (National Day)…..they all mean the same thing: France’s Independence Day. It commemorates the storming of the Bastille that occurred on July 14, 1789 when the ordinary people of Paris stormed the prison known as the Bastille, thereby triggering the French Revolution.

What a festive atmosphere going around us today.  While the President of the Republic was watching the traditional military parade in the Champs Elysees, people all over France were celebrating.  The cafe owner where we had our morning cup of chocolate  greeted us  ”Bonne Fete!”  We noticed public buses plying with two French flags flying on their top front, one on the left and another on the right.

And we’ve seen more, here are the photos I’ve taken today:

French flags are displayed on all town or village halls (Hotel de Ville) despite it being a non-working holiday

It’s a popular day to hold weddings, that would make their wedding anniversaries a national day, cool!

Mions, an outskirt of Lyon

A drinking celebration held the previous day in Toussieu, outskirt of Lyon

Fire Stations in major parts of France holds the traditional Dance Evenings.  It has become so popular that every swooning single French girl will not dare miss!

Even Google made a special logo for the national event.

The whole of France was brightly lit up with fireworks for two consecutive days - the 13th and the 14 - this one I took tonight.  Sorry for the awful image but I’m only using a Point-and-Shoot since my  SLR dropped dead…

What are we waiting for!  Let’s celebrate with an apple tart and ice cream!  Bonne Fete!

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The chimneys of Lyon as viewed from the Croix-Rousse hill

 H and I are in Lyon right now, our new home for the coming years in view of his new job.  We are both excited, this is an entirely different area of France, very close to Geneva and the High Alps, many places yet again to explore!  I’ve been exploring the old town and have accumulated  staggering images which I can’t wait to share with you.  I’m in the middle of looking for accommodation just outside the town, some place green and away from the traffic.  Wish me good luck!

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Our theme for today is very timely - Backpackers. 

It’s the time of the year when you see them just about everywhere and it is fascinating to observe how they struggle to lug all their possessions - most often voluminous and most likely numerous, defeating the purpose of lightweight travelling.  Here they are and if you are a backpacker like them, it will give you an idea how you would look like in the eyes of observers like myself..

The shoes-loving backpacker

Thank goodness for public benches…

Backpacks are like children, they don’t pay fares but are allowed to take free seats

All limbs are taken

A backpacker forever

Taking a backpacker-type of nap

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This has been my third attempt at exploring Paris without a map and so far, I find it the  best way of discovering its best secrets.  I  scour each and every rue (street) and get extremely fascinated by the the staggering details of a bygone era.  And  I thought I knew Paris from the back of my hand but I was wrong!  Each time I venture into an unknown street, I am endlessly discovering something new and something different.  And believe it or not, I’ve been going to and fro this amazing city since 1999 but it’s only today that I saw the bigger picture of the Jardin du Luxembourg!  I think this is the most beautiful garden in Paris!

 By the way, you will notice some strange effect of my images.  Well, I am using now my Point and Shoot (since my Canon 40D stopped working) and experimenting on its Pin-Hole mode and I think the result is amazing!  I find the traditional shots getting to be boring so from now on, I shall try all the special effects of this camera.

So arriving at the Place Saint-Michel Metro stop, I began my walk..aimlessly.

The name “Pont-Neuf” is New Bridge in French but it is actually the oldest bridge in Paris constructed from 1578 - 1607, listed as a historic monument in 1889 and entered Unesco’s World Heritage List in 1991. For me it is the most romantic-looking bridge of the capital!

This street which was first opened in 1672 was a part of theland where the residence of the Dukes of Savoie used to be, hence the name.  And since it had that Royal beginning, the price of property also has a Royal figure:  around 14,795euros/sq.m
‘Jeveuxetrephotographe.com’…..in English, Iwanttobeaphotographer.com, the name of this photography school in rue de Savoie.
A gastronomic restaurant specializing in Haute-Cuisine, where you dine like a King, as the building used to be the monastery where Louis XIII was proclaimed King in 1610 after the assassination of his father the King Henry IV. The royal bill would average 110 euros for lunch and 162 euros for dinner.
Another gastronomic restaurant listed as a historic monument opened its doors in 1766 and renowned clients were Alexander Dumas and Victor Hugo. Food is a bit affordable and if you have 45euros in your pocket, you can experience a gastronomic lunch of a lifetime.
This is the oldest cafe in Paris, founded in 1686, and situated in the covered passage of La Cour du Commerce Saint-Andre (1735)

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I just love photographing women and all about them especially when the setting is in Paris.  They are not necessarily all Parisians, mind you, but it must be the chic air and all that French-y surroundings that make them stand out.  I really don’t know, but just the same, they are very photogenic subjects. 

After browsing at the photos here, you will probably agree with me.

In Paris, you have the freedom of expression and that includes the way you dress.  It’s because this is a melting pot of fashion, culture and faith, that whatever you wear, as long as it is decent and not against the law, nobody will bother you.

The boots give me the feeling that she is from Britain and she looks great in her mixed dressing.

That’s right, instead of throwing away a nice pair of shoes just because you have grown tired of them, another female passersby might find them a lucky find!

The French writings could easily be responsible in giving her that chic air!

Pregnant but still sexy.  Yes, you can find the right fashion shops to complement your bulging curves, only in Paris.

The Eiffel Tower background has given a “haute couture” appeal to this woman who was merely tasked in delivering this costume to some client.  Imagine if this shot was taken in the desert or in the middle of a ricefield, would you think it will give the same visual result?

This is an art gallery in the Marais.  The curves of this mannekin are almost perfect, so beautiful, that it even pairs well with the Jewish candelabra in the background.

and of course, no props beats a puppy on a leash…even if it’s the size of a rat.  It’s a surefire way to get people’s attention…

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(continuation of Photowalking in Paris)

I must have said it before, that one of my most favorite photographic subjects are the tourists.  I like it most when they are patiently queueing up to get into some tourist attraction.  This is the time when my people-watching passion comes to each all time high. 

- getting in line to see the gothic eglise of Saint Chapelle  (13th C).  The gilted gate belongs to the Palais de Justice which is just next to the chapel.

Criscrossing directions by the Notre Dame de Paris

The Jardin Ephemere infront of the Hotel de Ville has a platform where tourists line up to take their photos through a grilled frame.  This frame puts you on an angle where you could see the garden in its anamorphose form (3D).

To assist visitors to the capital, tourist information kiosks are set up strategically  This is where you can get free maps and brochures. 

The colourful ads of this sightseeing bus changes every season.  Nice!

- the bateaux mouches and other sightseeing boats are cruising heavy again

Like shouting “I am on top of the world”…in the courtyard Hospital Hotel-Dieux next to the Notre Dame cathedral.

It’s still quiet with a few ice cream lovers when I passed by this Brasserie in the morning.  An hour or so later, a long line of gelato passionates was crowding this same spot.

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H and I have been extremely busy the past few weeks, travelling from north to south of the Hexagon, and back, attending to pressing matters so that when we finally declared  “enough is enough” and he went on to start his new job which kicked off with a 3-day seminar in Sweden, I suddenly found myself in utter peace and quiet so the first thing I planned is a Photowalk in Paris.  Gosh, the last time I was in the Capital was two-weeks ago and I miss it already!  It’s just a shame that my Canon 40D has stopped working again after I accidentally dropped it on hard concrete a week ago…ouch!  But not to fret, I have my Point-and-Shoot which is better than nothing.

With this trip, I had to incorporate briskwalking as I needed the open-air exercise.  It’s the only fitness regime I am very comfortable with, and having a camera with me will even make it doubly-pleasant!

Here are the images taken today on my Photowalk in Paris

I arrived at the Place Saint Michel (5th arr.) and saw this bubblemaking street performer. 

I was about to cross the street to the direction of Notre Dame Cathedral when I noticed some hullabaloo going on.  The frontage of this pizza-restaurant is smashed to pieces!  I thought it was a victim of arson but there is not a single sign of soot!  I asked an old man also watching the scene and he said it was hit by a truck at 6 in the morning!

Tonight, while watching the Evening News, it was reported that the truck driver suffered a malaise, lost control of his vehicle and smashed into the restaurant.  He is now in critical condition. 

After the accident scene, I walked to the Hotel de Ville to find out about the garden that has been installed there.

“Jardin Ephemere”….  literally translates to “A passing garden”.  This is the 3rd year that the Hotel de Ville has been installing a garden on the square to raise awareness to the city’s biodiversity. 

When seen from the front, you will notice that the landscape spans almost the entire length of the Mayor’s office (HdV)

But seen at a different angle, it becomes an anamorphose vegetation in 3D with its geometric lines.  This is the work of François Abelane.

Next to the Hotel de Ville is the BHV (Bazaar de Hotel de Ville) with its “Sale” banners.  The Summer Sale is ongoing and will last till the 26th of July.

I have no map whatsoever so I decided to just walk on every street surrounding the HdV.  Maybe I could find something mysterious or weird.  This wedding party seems to be on the way to a photoshoot.  It’s very often that I see wedding shoots in the capital.

This vintage car seems to be permanently parked infront of Chez Julien restaurant.  A marketing publicity to attract customers.  Well, it does attract photographers like me, too.

This is the decoupaged corner wall of Chez Julien.  I read that the interiors is of the retro-chic style and a 3-course menu for a couple averages at 100euros without wine.  Hmmm…I shall take note of it, but will go only when my DSLR is back from the dead, of course, I would not miss photographing everything inside including the food presentation!

Why do French gendarmes all good looking?  I nearly begged them to post for my camera but fear of getting arrested overtook me… I’m glad that the P&S camera is so small, it allowed me to take this shot without getting noticed.

This tympanum of Hotel de Chalons (1625) is sublime.  Shame that they don’t build this kind of architecture anymore…

The Memorial of Shoah

Shoah is the Hebrew word of “Holocaust”.  This is the Museum which houses all documents relating to the Jews, victims of the Holocaust during the 2nd world war.  The outside wall contains the names of 76,000 Jews, among them 11,000 children, deported from France during the Nazi regime with the collaboration of the Vichy government.

There are still medieval buildings left standing in Paris such as this one in the rue des Barres, near Eglise Saint Gervais Saint Protais (4th arr.)

and these two wooden beam houses:  l’Enseigne du Faucheur and l’Enseigne du Mouton (both 16th century) at rue Francois Miron

The side of the building is crooked!

The medieval street rue Clocheperce (1250)

Just a stone’s throw to Notre Dame cathedral is this lovely Auberge/restaurant, Au Vieux Paris d’Arcole whose building was built in 1512.  Because of its floral and vegetal facade set in an alluring medieval structure, it has become a tourist attraction and a most photographed site.

Next to it is another restaurant and I couldn’t help but get closer to photograph the Bourgeoisie interior.

…….

Ooooppss, my camera battery has gone dead so photowalk is over.  Till next time!

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