the road less traveled

Seattle Skyline, September 2011

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Colors

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Granma called, she wants her chair back

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Want a ride?

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Omaha Beach, September 2011

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Sadist Ferries

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Always coming up with new ways to torture your ex

Bray, co. Wicklow, Ireland, July 2011

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I apologize for the crappy, blurry, overexposed pix. My camera is completely fubar, and I'm not the queen of Photoshop just yet.

Paris, France, April 2011

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Grave of the Unknown Soldier underneath the Arc de Triomphe with WW2 veterans holding the flags

Why so serious?

By the Eiffel Tower metro station

Réverbères, Paris, April 2011

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Streetlamps at the Louvre

And on the Champs Elysées

La Tour Eiffel

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Girls are useless (the movie)

From under

Paris, France, April 2011

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Le Pont des Arts, by the Louvre Museum. Couples come here and put locks with their names on it written in Sharpie or engraved. Some put their wedding dates on there too. I wonder what happens to the old ones, because the ones I was didn't date back from before 2010.

Human statues at the Louvre

On the Seine River

A sign in the métro

Champs Elysées, April 2011

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From the Arc de Triomphe

La Défense

Le Printemps, Paris, April 2011

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From the air, May 14, 2011

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Roissy CDG Airport

Normandy

French coast

Dublin, Ireland

Chambéry, France, October 2010

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That might be enough for breakfast. Although...

Les Arcades

La fontaine des 4 sans cul (the fountain of the 4 without a butt)

"Retirement at 60!" (Yeah right...)

Place St Léger

The town I grew up in! Home Sweet Home!

(Tunnel of the cat, named after the mountain next to the Lac du Bourget, la Dent du Chat (the cat's tooth))

Le château des Ducs de Savoie

Rue de Boigne

Rossbeigh, Ireland

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This is not a boob.

Valentia Island, Ireland

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the two islands in the background are Skellig Islands. I didn't get to go there because it was too windy that day.

Portmagee, co. Kerry, Ireland

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???

Fogher Cliffs, Valentia Island, Ireland

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Tetrapod Trackway, Valentia Island, Ireland

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There was this place called Tetrapod Trackway, where you could actually the trail of a tetrapod's tail, but it was really disappointing because it didn't look like much. At least the view from there was nice. It was down a narrow trail. Note to camping cars: please don't go down paths were there's only room for one car. I almost didn't make it, even tho you were waiting on the side.

view from the grotto and beyond, Valentia Island, Ireland

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Slate quarry grotto. This Vrigin Mary is standing above the entrance (you can catch a glimpse of it on the pic above this one)

Killorglin, co. Kerry, Ireland

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In every village in Ireland, there will be at least 2 pubs, and they'll always be crowded.

Funny signs

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I should put that by my desk at work.

That's gotta be my favorite sign.
These were taken at the Street Performance World Championship in Dublin last June.

(a random sign in Dublin)

Munchau, Germany, January 2010

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L'homme idéal, Hollande

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C'est bon, je rigole...

Maastricht, the Netherlands, New Year 2009-2010

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There was this keyhole on a wall and I'm not sure if it's a mailbox because it looks pretty small. But it looked pretty cool.

This pic isn't Maastricht, but I don't remember where it is in the Netherlands.

The wall going thru Maastricht, dating back to the Middle Ages.

Gluwein, what else?

If you're on a diet, you may wanna skip this post

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Galette des rois

Cookies with mini Smarties (unfortunately, they lose their color when baking)

Blueberry tart with crème patissière

Apple tart with apple sauce

Chocolate cake with a layer of Baileys whipped cream. Chocolate icing sprinkled with coconut. (orgasmic, according to a friend of mine) The recipe said 80 g of choclate but that didn't sound nearly enough, so I put the whole tablet (150g.) Trust the expert.

Pastry puffs with crème patissière (not that fake chantilly you get at Dunnes)

White chocolate muffins with dark chocolate chips. I invented yummy.

No pics of the Millefeuille, Charlotte, etc, because they didn't actually last long enough for me to snap a pic.

Marmiton

Pont-du-château, France, October 2009

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The village where I'm from. It means bridge of the castle, because, you guessed it, there is a bridge and a castle.

Pont-du-château, France, October 2009

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Dawn street

An adorable kitteh peeking from his balcony.

Nïmes, France, October 2009

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les arènes

Danette in a grocery store, France, October 2009

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3 aisles of dairy products, is that paradise or what?

If you don't recognize what's in this picture i am so not talking to you

la grande Motte, France, October 2009

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Iceland

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Fun facts:
Tectonically Iceland belongs neither to European continent nor to North America since it is a raised part of the oceanic crust, not a continental land mass.
Iceland is as big as England but only has 300,000 inhabitants, 60% of whom live in the capital, Reykjavik.
They have no indoor swimming pools, as all swimming pools are heated with geothermal energy.
They have no army.
They have no railways.
They have no last name. They use patronyms, like Gunarrson (son of Gunnar) or Gunnarsdottir (daughter of Gunnar). In the phonebook, they're listed alphabetically by first name.

Hraunfossar, Iceland, August 2009

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Husavik, Iceland, August 2009

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There's a church in every little village in Iceland but it's not because they're religious but because there shouldn't be a church more than 2 hours away from anywhere.

Fashion victims, Icelandic style

There's something fishy about these coins

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Goðafoss, Iceland, August 2009

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Yours truly

Þorgeirr Þorkelsson Ljósvetningagoði (born ca. 940) was a lawspeaker in Iceland's Althing (parliament) from 985 to 1001. In the year 999 or 1000, Iceland's legislative assembly was debating which religion they should practice: Norse paganism, or Christianity. Þorgeirr, himself a pagan priest and chieftain, decided in favor of Christianity after a day and a night of silent meditation under a fur blanket. Pagans could still practice their religion in private. After his decision, Þorgeirr himself became a Christian and threw the idols of his Norse gods in the waterfall, since then named Goðafoss, the waterfall of the gods.

Troll country, Iceland, August 2009

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When it's been there for a while, lava ends up covered in moss

Along the way, Iceland, August 2009

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A farm with the glacier in the background

oh, a waterfall!

No fish in this placid lake, but it's so quiet there are a lot of birds nesting there

Námafjall, Iceland, August 2009

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And that's an easy name, Iceland, August 2009

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Jökulsarlon and Vatnajökull glacier, Iceland, August 2009

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A 2-month old iceberg. The black is volcanic sand.

Vatnajökull glacier

A bit of trivia: A number of films have had scenes shot at Jökulsárlón, includingBeowulf & Grendel, Tomb Raider, Die Another Day, Batman Begins and A view to a Kill (James Bond).

Svartifoss, Iceland, August 2009

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Svartifoss (Black Fall) is a waterfall in Skaftafell Natl Park. It is surrounded by dark lava columns, which give rise to its name. The hexagonal columns were formed inside a lava flow which cooled extremely slowly, giving rise to crystallization.

Icelandic mailbox

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Red in Iceland, yellow in France, blue in the US, green in Ireland... Go figure.

Vik, Iceland, August 2009

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Vik's black sand beach

The Reynisdrangar, black basalt columns sculpted by the sea. A folk tale says that they are former trolls which were caught outside at dawn.

Vík lies directly beneath the Myrdalsjökull glacier, which itself is on top of the Katla volcano. Not only is Katla an active volcano, but it is also well overdue for an eruption. Locals fear that such an eruption could trigger an enormous flash flood of glacial runoff, potentially large enough to obliterate the entire town. The town's church, located high on a hill, is believed to be the only building that would survive such a flood. Thus, the people of Vík practise periodic drills and are trained to rush to the church at the first sign of an eruption.

Seljalandsfoss, Iceland, August 2009

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Gullfoss, Iceland, August 2009

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Geysir, Iceland, August 2009

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Þingvellir Natl Park, Iceland, August 2009

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Around 870 Iceland was settled by people from Scandinavia and the British Isles. Early on, district assemblies were formed, but as the population grew there was a need for a general assembly. The descendants of Ingolfur Arnarson who dominated the region of southwest Iceland had become the most powerful family in the country, and other chieftains felt a need for a general assembly to limit their power. Grimur Geitskör was allotted the role of rallying support and finding a suitable location for the assembly. At about the same time, the owner of Bláskógar (then name for the Þingvellir region) was found guilty of murder and his land was declared public and obligated to be used for assembly proceedings, the building of temporary dwellings, the use of the forest for kindling and the grazing of horses. The Þingvellir region was chosen for this reason and the accessibility from the most populated regions of the North, South and West. The farthest distance a goði (chieftain) had to travel was 17 days traveling from the easternmost part of the country where mountains and glacial rivers proved bothersome obstacles. The foundation of the Icelandic parliament is said to be the founding of the nation of Iceland, and the first parliamentary proceedings in the summer of 930 laid ground for a common cultural heritage and national identity.

Iceland 2009: air trip

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Off to the airport...

Loading...

Taxiing...

Off we go

(Heathrow, London)

And there we are.

Cat and the laser dot

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My cat Moussie playing with a laser dot

Airplane and wings

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I know, it's missing part of the tail...

Flower

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Just a flower I like

Chocolate!!! Basel, Switzerland, May 2009

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It's insect month in May in Switzerland, dunno why, but there it is...

About 4 kilos worth of chocolate

Rhine River, Basel, Switzerland

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Mischja, May 2009

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How can you resist that face?

gargoyles, Basel, Switzerland

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Foutains, Basel, Switzerland

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in the townhall's courtyard

Basel Town Hall, Switzerland, May 2009

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detail of the ceiling inside the courtyard

Basel, Switzerland, May 2009

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A funny-looking tram

Everything looks better in Switzerland, even the McDonald's

Happy Earth Day

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Parc de la Vanoise, France (the most beautiful place on Earth)

World of Warcraft: Valley of Trials, Durotar

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Meet Znog.

Inch, Dingle Peninsula, Ireland, Easter 2009

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I remain fascinated by single people lost in the middle of a landscape.

Dingle, Ireland, Easter 2009

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Dingle harbor

Dingle shops. All the shops in Dingle are a different color.

"There's wine from the royal pope
Upon the ocean green,
And Spanish ale shall bring you hope,
My Dark Rosaleen"
(This impassioned ballad, entitled in the original Roisin Duh (or The Black Little Rose), was written in the reign of Elizabeth by one of the poets of the celebrated Tirconnellian chieftain, Hugh the Red O'Donnell. It purports to be an allegorical address from Hugh to Ireland on the subject of his love and struggles for her, and his resolve to raise her again to the glorious position she held as a nation before the irruption of the Saxon and Norman spoilers. Translated by James Clarence Mangan.)

A few years ago, there was a dispute as to what Dingle should be called, if it should be Dingle (English) or An Daingean (Irish). Now, we're in a recession, so nobody cares. As far as I can tell, all the towns in Ireland have their name written in both languages on the signs that welcome you there. On license plates however, the city is written in Gaelic.

Connor Pass, Dingle Peninsula, Ireland, Easter 2009

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About 800m above see level... You could feel you were getting up and smell the bog and yet feel the ocean not too far away... Ireland is magic.

Ballyheigue, Ireland, Easter 2009

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This right there reminded me of Carmel, California, although it's not the same ocean...

My favorite picture

It's not just the patrol that ends there...

Ladies View, Ireland, Easter 2009

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A place called Ladies View because Queen Victoria's ladies-in-waiting stopped there back in the 1800s and thought the view was absolutely stunning. I wasn't particularly impressed. I say these ladies have seen nothing in their lives and must not have gotten out very often.

That was the best part.

Torc Waterfall, Killarney Natl Park, Ireland, Easter 2009

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Killarney, Ireland, Easter 2009

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A real church, not like those American ones that look like they're made of matchboxes.
I wanted to visit the other church in Killarney but when I went there on Thursday there was mass and M and I almost crashed it. The day after in Dingle I also wanted to visit the church and there was also mass going on. Doh.

Leprechaun crime scene

A nice house in Killarney Natl Park that dates back to 1864. Well I dunno. That's what it says above the front door. Looks like the house of Goldilocks to me.

Disrupting the chronology, December 2008

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Mmh?

What? Cheese?

French cheese?

Oh, American cheese.

Nevermind.

Seattle, 2002-2006

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The Space Needle

Seattle from the plane

Sunset on Mount Rainier

My favorite picture (I know, it's blurry)

The Puget Sound area, with Bellevue in the background

Wedding cake, 2003

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Our wedding cake kicked ass. And because we were both translators and were both writing a book, it had to be books, with something written in French for me and Japanese for him. The cat and pen were not edible.

Carmel, California, May 2002

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The day before graduation, when the present was good and the future full of promises.

Monterey, California, Summer 2002

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Jellyfish at the Monterey Bay Aquarium

The view from my roof. I used to go up there to do homework or just watch people down in the street.

French frontyard, Pont-du-château, November 2006

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That one just looks like a witch's cauldron to me.

Pill bottles pyramid, Seattle, 2006

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All mine, precious, and if I remember correctly less than 6 months worth.

Isil the cat (after surgery)

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(pronounced Isseel)

My cat had to have his American chip removed because he got a European one put in. When I got at the airport in Europe from Seattle, I just passed by the authorities and nobody asked to see my cat and check if everything was in order.

He had to wear a collar because he licked the bandage to shreds, then he was pulling on the sutures. (poor grammar, I know)

Thomond Park Stadium, Limerick, January 2009

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Menethil Harbor, WoW

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Mabbu and her pet Kobol (after Battlestar Galactica's Lords of Kobol). Also a silver tabby cat that you can't see. What would the world be without cats?

Broken heart fountain, Limerick, Ireland

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Galway, February 2009

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Billboard, Paris, France, October 2008

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A billboard in the Parisian metro, for Disneyland Paris. "It's delicious to be mean"

Aix-les-Bains, France, October 2008

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I went to a spa in Aix-les-Bains (southeastern France) for a couple days. The owner of the place had a cat, Chipie, who was free to roam in the spa. She took the elevator, wandered the hallways, even came into my room. I doubt such a thing would be allowed in the US.

La Croix du Nivolet, a small mountain in the Alps surrounding the city.

Le Lac du Bourget, France's biggest natural lake.

Un pêcheur dans une barque sur le lac du Bourget.

The train station in Aix-les-Bains.

The Cliffs Of Moher, Ireland, August 2008

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They look more spectacular in real life.

I wondered what it would be like to fall from the cliffs.

Somewhere along the road, Ireland, August 2008

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Somewhere along the coast, the Burren, Ireland, August 2008

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Baby cliffs, only 100 feet high. This last picture I don't know if I orientated right.

I am the queen of blurry pictures. And I like people standing by themselves in the middle of a landscape. Usually they happen to be fishermen.

The rock head, Ireland, August 2008

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Somewhere along the coast... After a couple pints of Guinness, you'll see it wink at you.

Aillwee Cave, Ireland, August 2008

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Another crappy picture, but I needed a pic to talk about the cave. It was an hibernation spot for brown bears (now extinct in Ireland). At one point the guide turned off all the lights and it was dark, just pictch black dark, cold and scary. You start hallucinating after about a half hour to an hour in a dark like this.

On this picture you can see stalactite that are a thousand years old; there were bigger one that were 4,000 years old, and I must have misunderstood because I heard the guide say something like "since the beginning of the world" which is impossible unless you belive in that creationism crap. Anyways. Nice visit. And the best part? I didn't get claustrophobic (350 feet underground) nor did I freak out on the bridges.

The Burren, Ireland, August 2008

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This is a crappy picture but it's just an attempt to show what they call the "Famine walls." People built useless walls so that the landowners would give them money so they could buy food. You find these walls all over the place; just stones stacked up together.

Dun Aengus, Inishmor, August 2008

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After a 45-minute bike ride and a 20-minute hike up the hill, you arrive at the main fort of Inishmor, Dun Aengus. The camera doesn't come close to doing it justice. It's absolutely breathtaking, and one of the most amazing things I've seen in my life. When you get to the fort, a structure that dates back to the Iron Age, believed to have served as a pagan religious center, you can walk right up to the edge of the cliff. There are no railings, and I heard that some people fell to their death, pushed by a gust of wind.

This is me extending my arm, putting my camera over the edge and snapping a picture because I didn't dare look down myself at first. I'm afraid of heights.

Aran Islands, Ireland, August 2008

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The Island of Inishmor is located 45 minutes away from the mainland by ferry boat. You can also access it by plane. According to my little travel guide, a certain day of August 1970, "a hurricane blew up and [the locals] were called down from their houses to sit in the plane to prevent it from being blown away. For many years afterwards, when the power went out, locals were again called down to the airstrips to line up their car headlights either side of the runway so pilots could land."

People on the island speak Irish. All the signs are in Irish only. This pic was taken in the bus from Limerick to Galway.

This is a picture of the sand on Kilronan, the island's main city.

Galway, Ireland, July 2008

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Galway is a lovely touristic city by the ocean.
To me, all the oceans look the same. I was reminded of Monterey, California, even though it doesn't look remotely like that. The soft breeze of the salty air, maybe.

Cork, Ireland, July 2008

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An edifice that stands on a plaza in central Cork.

Cork's cathedral

Details of the cathedral

The cathedral from behind

Cork is a lovely city. It felt like home.

Paris, July 2008

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I was back in Paris for a weekend. The nice thing about Ireland is that you can get out of it easily. The nice thing about Europe is that it really doesn't take long to be in a totally different country.

My private jet

Paris from the sky

Dinner?

Did I mention I'm fascinated with gargoyles?

And by steps too?

I turned round a corner and there she was again... I couldn't help but smile. Notre Dame and I go way back. The first time I went there I felt a sense of peace I've rarely felt.

Limerick, June 2008

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This picture was taken inside the cathedral; you could take a piece of paper, write a prayer on it and hang it with the others.

I kid you not. This is a sign hanging on the door of a local fast food restaurant.

Limerick, May 2008

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That was the last day my friend Isa and I went to feed the birds on the river Shannon. She left 2 days afterwards.

Limerick, December 2007: Horses

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I came back home one Sunday afternoon to find horses grazing in front of the houses. You see horses grazing everywhere in Ireland; being in the neighborhood, without fences, was apparently the most natural thing in the world. The morning after, they were gone.

Limerick, February 2008

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them

Parenthèse: new logo

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Paris, May 2008: random pix

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Taken in the Galeries Lafayette, a cute but untranslatable pun.

The Metro, a classic. Near Notre-Dame.

These two pictures were taken in the Galeries Lafayette, a famous department store, from the cosmetics department on the first floor. You just have to gaze up. It's pretty impressive.

A Smart car, the smallest car you'll ever find in Europe. From what I hear, it's gaining popularity in the US.

A silly picture of a water fountain in front of Notre Dame taken by my friend M.