A day in St.Malo

This seagull was stalking me. He is as big as my cat, I've never seen one so big! He was super tame and let me get up quite close to take this photo.

Picardy visual mediocrity

Amiens on La Somme






One of the many WW1 grave sites in Villes Breton... 60,000 Australians died around this area. Local people are still finding shrapnel - even live grenades and bombs - as much as 50 tonnes a year. In some fields, they still find bones and human remains. It's totally incomprehensible.


This school was rebuilt by money raised by Australian children who had lost their fathers/brothers in the war.


This is a massive bomb crater in Pozieres.

A quintessential French experience

I got caught up with a socialist protest (and consequential transport strike) today, complete with flares, industrial detonators and protest songs. Oh and French rap, which sounds as ridiculous as you would imagine. I think it was all in protest of the government retirement pension age being moved from 60 to 62.

Wigga please, try the NO pension that some people have to live off. (Of course you can't vocalize that, these French people are crazy and will flip over cars. But their food is good.)

Paris - a hipstamatic view #2

I'm having a lot of fun playing with different combinations of "lenses", "flashes" and "film" on my simulated-Lomo program on my phone, much to everyone elses annoyance.


Too pretty to eat.


Mr & Mrs Jones



St Paul metro, Marais


Pretty but I am really getting over churches.





Can't remember what this was, something old probably


I LOVE the art noveau metro signs and ornate wrought iron fencing that is above many station entrances.





Pere Lachaise cemetery


Having photo fun at Notre Dame











Idiots


More idiots


Luxembourg gardens.... The most beautiful park I have been to...

Paris - Hipstamatic view #1

Paris Opera



Charles De Galle



Alexander III Bridge






Eiffel Tower






Cake & I.B.C


A view from the top

Pomidou Centre

I just wanted to make a counter claim to my last whinge about the contemporary art gallery I visited in Vienna.

Last night I went to the Pompidou Center featuring the main modern art gallery of Paris and it was awesome!!! Faith restored!!!






The building is quite unique and looks unfinished and is massive. I got through 2 huge and amazing exhibs of their permanent collection (after a few hours if I view too much art at once, I get serious "artburn" and can't focus properly on the works, it's art overload).

I got really excited recognising many of the artists who I had studied at school and university but had never seen their works in real life, like Orlan, Nikki De Sant Phalle, Rachel Whiteread and Eva Hesse amongst others.






(the rooftop sculpture area)

And also it was great to see the famous fountain outside by Igor Stravinsky (prob spelt that wrong) and Nikki De Sant Phalle but it kinda looks a bit like a sad post dia de muertos party...

Today, super tourist strikes again
at Pere Lachaise:





Jim morrison... looking pretty shabby






Edith Piaf






Oscar Wilde's bizarre looking "tomb" I guess.... And gay men everywhere prob did those kisses.

Mon frère mariage

Brother J and Miss B on their wedding day, June 19, 2010 in Rueil-Malmaison. It was a fantastic day, I had a wonderful (and surreal) time with my family, extended family, B's family and friends.



First, the official ceremony at the Town Hall. B is overjoyed to now be officially related to moi.



Then the church service soon after (France divides church and state, church weddings are not legally recognised.) This church is also where Josephine Bonaparte, wife of Napoleon, is buried as Rueil-Malmaison was her home.



Brother J has done pretty well for himself!



Then the reception at Chateau Tromble (I think that's how it's written, I called it Trombone). I think it's haunted... well that's what I told people anyway.



This place was huge, as it also had a golf course and it's own Ikea. A totally amazing location for a reception! Look at the grounds! The reception also included a murder mystery and a game of crocquet.

No, not really.



The table settings were stunning and way too fancy for a pleb like me... I die!



*I am only uploading a few "hipstamatic" photos from the wedding as I have a special project planned for the rest! B, you will just have to wait til then to see them all!