Monthly Archives: February 2012

Photo Of The Day From France: 1960s Advertising Art

Here’s a blast from the past with some vintage advertising.

For those of you of a certain age (ahem!), do you remember those tiny transistor radios that we used to take to the beach or the pool?

This charming old Coca Cola advertisement is on the window of a now-closed cafe at Utah Beach, one of the sites of the D-Day landings in Normandy, France. The Utah Beach Museum is across the street from the out-of-business cafe and apparently both of them originally opened in the 1960s.

I just couldn’t miss the opportunity to have a flashback moment.

Enjoy!

Vintage Coca Cola advertising in the window of a now-closed French cafe

Photo Of The Day From France: Les Braves

The wind whipped the flags behind us and the gusts were so strong that I was compelled to lean against any available building or post when I had a chance. But the sky was gloriously layered as Mark strode between the metal blades of the sculpture and the beauty of it all took my breath away.

Les Braves is not the usual type of memorial that one sees on battlefields. It is a soaring piece of contemporary art that was commemorated in 2004 at the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy during World War II. The French government commissioned this magnificent piece created by the woman sculptor Anilore Banon.

Les Braves monument on Omaha Beach in Normandy, France

We were fortunate to be there when the tide was out enough to walk around. But as you can see from the video on Banon’s site, the monument is surrounded by water when the tide is high and that too is quite a dramatic sight.

I have intentionally used a smaller version of the image so that you can click on the photo and EXPAND it to see the stunning beauty of that place, the somber moodiness that the weather created, and most of all, to take in the striking work of art against the sea and the sand.

To me it appears to be a glistening collection of swords impaled in those previously bloody sands, hilts buried in the beach and blade ends rising heavenward. But they also have the appearance of very contemporary and glowing angel wings. I suppose that it is up to each of us to interpret it according to our own personal vision and response.

Photo Of The Day: A Classical Corner

Today’s photo is from a visit to the historical Castle Howard in Yorkshire, England.

This elegant statue, sitting alongside a glowing stained glass window, is in the corner of an art-lined passageway in the castle.

Statue and stained glass window in Castle Howard, Yorkshire, England

Perhaps France For Now?

There are days when we can barely believe that it has been 14 months since we left Australia to live and work in Europe on our ‘Grand Adventure’ that was meant to last for a mere 6 months. As I edit photos for my various stock agencies, it is a bit startling to comprehend that some of the images from England, Scotland, and the Netherlands are either a full year old or very nearly there.

Living out of a set of suitcases and snap-lid containers, packing and unpacking every few weeks — well, let’s just be truthful and say that it is getting more than a little tiresome on occasion. For several months now we have been acknowledging a growing sense of travel fatigue. And it never fails that when you need one particular item of clothing, it’s always right at the bottom (or even worse, in the middle!) of those two practically-body-bag sized suitcases that came with us from Oz.

We carry rather a lot of technical gear too — computers and multiple cameras, lenses, 3 back-up drives, a printer, and more — much more. So all of that needs to go into separate bags that go in and out of the van every time we arrive and depart. And did I mention the basic household items and cooking supplies?

Each time we leave, it takes us several hours on the day prior to departure to get organised and go through the checklist as we repack. Then on the day of departure it takes approximately 2 hours for the darling Mark to repack the van so that it all fits into the back like puzzle pieces. Guess what? We are both tired for an overlapping day each and every time we change locations!

Checklist and paperwork for getting a Carte du Sejour -- a French residency card

We just need to stop for awhile — and we are completely uncertain if this is the final stopping place (country-wise), but FOR NOW we’ve decided to give France a try. The photo above is my checklist from the Prefecture in St. Lo and my paperwork. I am getting my residency card for France — the Carte du Sejour. Mark doesn’t require any of this since he’s already an EU citizen by holding a British passport.

The plan (which, to be truthful, is always in flow!) is to wait here in Normandy for a few more weeks until the laminated card comes back from the government offices in St. Lo. When we went into the offices yesterday to inquire about the time, they told us that it would take at least another 15 days and I have to come pick it up in person since they won’t send it in the post. Today Mark is in Coutances getting his Auto-Entrepreneur paperwork done so he can work as a freelance artisan here in France.

Once we have all of the paperwork in hand, we’ll go down to the south of France for a much shorter time than originally planned, and then go on to Italy for awhile. And after that? It’s likely to be either a trip to the USA to visit family or, if our schedules don’t line up, looking for an apartment to rent here in France for at least 6 months and finding some renovating or building work for Mark. I really need to get stuck into the editing work for several uninterrupted months since there is that big a backlog!

The idea of completely unpacking and seeing ALL of our clothing for the first time in 6 months is rather thrilling, too!

Writing and editing in my pajamas

Now, while the house is quiet and Mark is out, I’m going see just how much I can get accomplished in the next few hours. Feet up, MacBook on my lap, good internet connection — life is good. But it will be even better once the key that opens the front door goes into our OWN little home — no matter how long we live there!

UPDATE

Oh my — not going quite a smoothly as expected. Mark has to show the registration office here in France some paperwork indicating that he had a business in Australia and that he was in business for himself for over 3 years. Well we certainly do have all of that paperwork, but it’s in a box in storage in Australia! Who in the world would think to travel overseas with your former business paperwork with you?

I’ll keep you posted as I try to determine how to get the Australian government paperwork that we need. Sheesh! Another time-wasting challenge that I really don’t need! There goes my productive work day. (sigh!)

Photo Of The Day From France: Strolling At Dusk in Villedieu-Les-Poeles

The light was thin as the sun slid behind the hills beyond. So this image was best served by turning it into an atmospheric black and white which highlights some of the charming architecture on the main street. Villedieu-les-Poeles is a simply lovely town and well worth a visit when you are in Normandy.

Strolling at dusk in the lovely French town of Villedieu-les-Poeles in Normandy

Funny Photo Of The Day from France: Crepes Anyone?

If you happen to get hungry while shopping for the copper pots that that this town specializes in, perhaps a crepe or two will do nicely. This funny little sidewalk-sized advertising board was seen in Villedieu-les-Poeles in the Normandy region of France.

Bright and funny creperie sign in Villedieu-les-Poeles, Normandy, France

Full Body Scanners Coming To Australia with only No-Scan-No-Fly Available!

I normally write very calm and measured or funny and informative travel articles on this website. I have avoided political statements and since they weren’t particularly relevant to the theme I had established, it hadn’t occurred to me to use this as avenue for a rant. But I have just discovered some news from ‘back home’ in Australia that has alarm bells clanging in my head.

It is, in my opinion, simply appalling that the Australian government has decided that it is wise, safe, or admirable to introduce Full Body Scanners to Australia. This will leave the travelling public over there with no option but to drive or take a train within the country or simply not travel overseas at all if you object to being scanned and having your body dosed with radiation.

The media reports that I have read thus far are simply not mentioning the cumulative health effects of radiation and the studies that have been done in both the USA and Europe that show that this is an unknown and potentially dangerous path to be heading down. Doctors in many countries have told their patients that if they have damaged immune systems, have just had chemotherapy or radiation for cancer, have devices implanted internally that could be damaged by the radiation, or who are already at risk for the cumulative effects of radiation to simply opt-out of full body scans.

This proposed roll-out of these machines in Australia doesn’t even give the travelling public the option of the humiliating but less health-damaging pat down that they do in the USA unless they have what is deemed to be a very serious health condition. This is plainly not a well thought out plan and I am shocked that this is being foisted on the Australian public and international travellers under the guise of the so-called ‘war on terrorism.’

I am complete unconvinced of the truthfulness of the quotes in this article in The Australian.

“The “no scan, no fly” amendment closes a loophole in the legislation, which allows passengers to request a pat-down instead of having to pass through a metal detector.

Transport Minister Anthony Albanese said mandatory body scans were necessary to ensure the safety of airports.

“I think the public understands that we live in a world where there are threats to our security and experience shows they want the peace of mind that comes with knowing government is doing all it can,” he said.

The Government has compared the strength of the radio waves emitted from the body scanners as the same as those from a regular mobile phone used several metres away.”

This is simply ludicrous to make these claims when the EU is banning, removing, or cancelling the installation of these same machines. This November 2011 article in a British newspaper details the concerns that are being addressed in Europe. So why is there so little regard for the health and welfare of the Australian travelling public or for international travellers who come and go on holidays or business?

If you too are concerned about the long term effects of radiation when you travel and you don’t qualify for the exemption-via-doctor’s-note option, take a few minutes from your busy day and write to…
1. The Parliament of Australia regarding Aviation Transport Security Amendment (Air Cargo) Bill 2011 at the contact links for the (a) MP list or the (b) Senator list.
2. Contact GetUp: Action For Australia and urge them to QUICKLY begin one of their very successful online campaigns to contest this legislation.
3. Make online comments in the COMMENTS BOX of articles such as this one in The Australian.
4. TWITTER your objections to all of your followers.
5. FACEBOOK your objections to all of your followers.
6. Forward this page with all of the links to your own private email list.

Let’s hope that we can stop this dead in its tracks before it is too late!

A Wanderful Life

The Neverending Journey