We had a big cool, open house event this June for all our clients, suppliers, friends and hangers on, we had juts expanded the office, taken on two new members of staff and felt tlike we needed to celebrate.
Ths photo was taken in our parking lot in front of the office, we decorated the officce and put on a tour ofsome ofthe things we do, intoroducing clients to aspects of us they may not have known about.
We had a band, buffet and a full staffed coffee stand, by Nespresso.
All good stuff, lots of mingeling and mixing was done, some netowrking and some new frinds were made. I;ve annotated the photo on flickr with the name of all my colleuges above. About 5 people are missing, due to injury, apendicitis, and being in Spain.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Chateau des Alpilles
They rose in the morning, and sunk at night. this the view form one of 4 windows in our room. As le Courbusier said, every room should have two or more windows. how right.
I;ve been getting more and more ghosts form the past, or rather memories coming back to life, people who were a big part of my growing up adding themselves back into my life. wether facebook, fiends re-united or stalkers they are all welcome.
I;ve been getting more and more ghosts form the past, or rather memories coming back to life, people who were a big part of my growing up adding themselves back into my life. wether facebook, fiends re-united or stalkers they are all welcome.
Chateau des Alpilles
We spent a lovley weekend here, celebrating our 1st year of marriage. no hope of getting that waffle maker back now!
it was a lovley place, and we did practically nothing. more photos on flickr...
its not bad this being married.
it was a lovley place, and we did practically nothing. more photos on flickr...
its not bad this being married.
Like wearing sunglasses in the rain.
That was one of the lyrics Sheyl Crow rejected for her song 'isn't it Ironic' and in homage to that I decided for the first time ever to invest in some sunglasses with proper lenses, to take that iritiating guesswork out of driving.
So the day we ordered them, glorious sunshine. today, three cloudy days after collecting them? rain, and its some specila day today that if it rains it will rain for the next forty days. typical.
Also I would like you to observe how good I am looking now, take that all the girls who rejected me! ...you may know who you are.
So the day we ordered them, glorious sunshine. today, three cloudy days after collecting them? rain, and its some specila day today that if it rains it will rain for the next forty days. typical.
Also I would like you to observe how good I am looking now, take that all the girls who rejected me! ...you may know who you are.
A Grenoble door
So Dad, the door project is half done, I;ve got nine good digital images in fullres on FLickr, and the companion lomo pics are at the developers, when I get the negs back I'll scan them at work and see what we have!
If they are good I'll make them into a square and get busy in photoshop with the contrast, it was pretty overcast the day I took the pictures. and let you have 1 file to get printed.
However, hold your horses, Claudine a Freind who has just moved back to Grenoble, and has much ore patience and skill (and a better camera) has already done this project, last year, she said she spent ages on it, so the results will probably be better... I'm going to try and see them this weekend. if they are good I'll get some prints!
Enjoy.
If they are good I'll make them into a square and get busy in photoshop with the contrast, it was pretty overcast the day I took the pictures. and let you have 1 file to get printed.
However, hold your horses, Claudine a Freind who has just moved back to Grenoble, and has much ore patience and skill (and a better camera) has already done this project, last year, she said she spent ages on it, so the results will probably be better... I'm going to try and see them this weekend. if they are good I'll get some prints!
Enjoy.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
kydiz website, not bad.
the site of one of my friends, Kydiz.com is sort of a public blog, not just shut away on your blogspot page, but your opinions mixed in with everyone else's it's well done and easy to use, if you live in the Hexagon and want to exprime une avis, voizi!
That URL again, Kydiz.com its a word play on Qui Dise, or who says, or he who speaks, thats how he described it to me anway!
Saturday, January 26, 2008
lomo2
these photos are taken by my new Lomography camera, specifically the Diana+ a reproduction of a Hong Kong classic from the early seventies, medium format film, entirely plastic including the lens, prone to double exposures (see Verona 2) light leaks, mis-winds and light leaks. Wonderful fun!
My niece, Emily, being an excellent photographers assistant
Verona, on a wonderfu sunny cold winter day, again more fur..
The Castelveccio in Verona, double esposure.
Lake Garda from the hotel.
Lake garda reflections
This was on the promenade leading into Salo, we walked there from the hotel, the sun was lovely on the lake, this was the day below new years eve, everyone was strolling on their best furs. Looking fine and doing precisely nothing, its nice to feel a whole country relaxing. We certainly got into the sprit, having room service twice, which was excellent, using the sauna, watching CNN and incomprehensible Italian TV. The Hotel was owned by the same people that own the Agriturismo farmhouse that we had new years eve dinner at, right up in the mountains that surround lake Garda, it was at the end of little dirt track, an organically expanded Farmhouse with little additions, the first thing you see is the expansive kitchen in what looked like a conservatory, then round the side an entrance which terminates in three doors, so very Alice in wonderland. The food was very good, they practice organic 'farm to table' cuisine, so everything came form their farms, or local producers. the menu:
'Il Capodanno'
Il culatella '12 mesi' di nostra produzione servito con funghetti porcini sott'olio
La Lasagnetta gratinata farcita con zucca e gorgonzola tradizionale
-
Il risotto con il pestom (l'ompasto fresco del salame)
Il filetto di vitellone della nostra fattoria cotto in forno in crosta di pan brioche, accompagnato da
spinaci saltati
al burro con pinoli ee uvetta
La cassata doppia, alla panna e al cacao, con amarene
As non existent as my Italian is I think at least two of the things were made by them, they make their own Wine and Olive oil (we got some at the hotel).
The service was as surly as Italian people who have to work on new years eve should be, but charming none the less. Even the owners and chefs were sitting at a big table between courses, the town mayors were out, and didn't talk to anyone except for flirting with each others wives, who did more talking that anyone else. And driving down the mountain we could see each village around the lake lit up with fireworks across the horizon.
All in all a very nice way to pass an evening.
into the Alps
It took quite a while, and the little 'snow' symbol was on most of the time, except in the tunnels.... then when we got out of the big tunnel everything was Italy flavour, you can see why its seperated from the rest of Switzerland, the French peninsular around Geneva, the italian enclave the other side of the alps.
We do some promotional catalogs for the Swiss HP people, and they don't even bother with Italian, make a tiny effort for French and put most of their effort into German. Our French was certainly useless in Luzern.
We do some promotional catalogs for the Swiss HP people, and they don't even bother with Italian, make a tiny effort for French and put most of their effort into German. Our French was certainly useless in Luzern.
Lac Luzern
There was a headless horseman, the yeti and a giant wild cat. They only come out when its this spooky, THEN, the mist rolled in really fast and we all got transported to another dimension, not bad Lac Luzern.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Kim and Tim in Grenoble
We had Tim and Kim Roufs stay for a long weekend at the end of January, very stimulating company. and Tims hearing thing is very cool. We were working, so it was just the evenings we got to spend toegther, and hear about the days adventures. Like all our families they are welcome anytime!
This photo was at the local bistro, TIm is out of shot.
This photo was at the local bistro, TIm is out of shot.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Everyone loved that book!
The wedding book recieved rave reviews. see here for your copy! www.blurb.com/my/book/detail/103257
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Bicicle - By Flore Garnier
Spotted young and fresh, this challenging Gernobloise artist has taken two very important collectors by heart whith her latest works, using a muted palate she has counjoured the innocent rebellion of the impressionist movement, with her dynamic tribute to Ferdinand Leger, recently returned from a trip to the framers the piece now sits above the bed of Buffy Gorrilla and Ben Pawson, art world watch out!
The market we don't go to
Its more photo genic, but the people there are merchants, not producers. The next square over has a much nicer farmers market, the people have hands covered in the same mud that their produce grew out of, or grew in, or on.
We have taken some chances on strange looking things, and things we had only heard about, cardoons, celeriac, courgette flowers, chilies, we have yet to sample everything, but its only a matter of time.
We have taken some chances on strange looking things, and things we had only heard about, cardoons, celeriac, courgette flowers, chilies, we have yet to sample everything, but its only a matter of time.
The Grand Hotel at Uriage des Bains.
This is Buffy, peeking out of the bathroom window in our room at the Grand Hotel in Uriage les Bains. We stayed there for a night last weekend. It started with a mobile call when I was at home and Buffy was out seeing a friend, "did you get my text?" she said. "what text?" "just look at the text...bye."
So I looked at the text, 'there is a clue in your favorite place to read, if you can remember a special date you will find a clue'
Naturally intrigued I went to my favorite reading place and tucked in a magazine was envelope #1!
The clue said, go to your favorite boulangerie and buy two quiches, then ask the lady for your next clue, so using the money left in the envelope I went and bought a salmon quiche and a gruyer quiche and asked the lady if par hazard she had a small blue envelope for me, yes!! she did.
The next clue mentioned pachyderms... big pachyderms, and there is only one big elephant in Grenoble, so off I went with my quiches and some change to the botanical gardens to search the elephant. and sure enough when I got there taped to the side of the elephants big ass was another blue envelope, 'I hope you chose some good quiches, and that they are still hot, you will need the change you have to take the number 6010 bus from stop Bir Hakiem near the refectory, the reason I came to Grenoble in the first place, you will know where to get off, look under the bus stop bench for your next clue'.
So I got on the bus and tried to guess where I should get off, we soon started going up into the mountains and when I got to Uriage Les Bains I thought this must be the place, I used to get the bus up here all the time to go see Buffy when she lived 'upstairs' before we got married.
And sure enough under the bus stop bench was the final blue envelope, "there is only one great hotel in Uriage see you there in a bit!". finally having an idea of what she had done I asked at the reception if there was a Buffy Gorrilla staying there?? 'Oui monsieur, je vous passe' nice! Buffy had booked a room for the night, we had a reservation at the fantastic restaurant at the hotel, Les Terrasse which was a wedding gift from Buffy’s colleges. It was recently raised from two Michelin stars to three!
Uriage les Bains is called that because of the thermal spa there, which we also will benefit form when we take advantage of the spa day that My colleges gave us for our wedding!
So we relaxed in the hotel pool, got swept up in a free aquarobic lesson, which gave us a good appetite for the meal later.
The menu is below, but a few words about the atmosphere and service, the other two pillars of judgment that Michelin looks at.
Its an elegant and refined place, but not over fancy or pretentious, just nice, classy!
The service was like a silent wave, you look up from whatever is enchanting you on your plate and the whole table has changed, the maitre de hoté was very concerned that we have a wonderful evening, he moved us to another table from our first one, suggesting that it might be quieter since there was a table of 10 persons arriving later. And would we like to sit face a face, or a coté to each other, well with a face as lovely as Buffy’s side by side would be a waste.
The food was as you can imagine form below wonderful, interesting, well executed and light. A wonderful evening made even better by a wonderful companion.
The Menu de Degustation - Les Terraces 13/10/07
dried sausage on curled bread discs.
Shots of frozen celery reduction floating on apple juice, granny smith.
A spoon of jellied radish, with pain demi-sel on the end. Beetroot roll with grated sweet chocolate. Rhubarb consommé and fresh peanut butter floating on top.
Oyster fried in beignet batter with a shot of beef/oyster bouillon.
Fresh yoghurt with tomatoes capped with mint and basil crisp.
Truffled pain purdue, in squash foam and apple cream liquid very light.
Roast Cod with green tomatoes gazpacho. Wasabi pea and hoi sin sauce.
Duckling slice with frois gras and potato cake.
Frais de bois with toasted barley.
yoghurt jelly with frais and frais de bois and mint ice cream. Shot of cappuccino with cream, pear cake with pear jelly with a chocolate sheet.
passion Fruit jelly with peanut butter, light and not chewy.
With coffee, kiwi skewers with chocolate pop rocks!
Noughhart with Indian spices, chocolate cube with salty caramel.
Two glasses of wine of unknown origin. A glass of ultra brut champagne and a glass of rose champagne.
Bingo.
So I looked at the text, 'there is a clue in your favorite place to read, if you can remember a special date you will find a clue'
Naturally intrigued I went to my favorite reading place and tucked in a magazine was envelope #1!
The clue said, go to your favorite boulangerie and buy two quiches, then ask the lady for your next clue, so using the money left in the envelope I went and bought a salmon quiche and a gruyer quiche and asked the lady if par hazard she had a small blue envelope for me, yes!! she did.
The next clue mentioned pachyderms... big pachyderms, and there is only one big elephant in Grenoble, so off I went with my quiches and some change to the botanical gardens to search the elephant. and sure enough when I got there taped to the side of the elephants big ass was another blue envelope, 'I hope you chose some good quiches, and that they are still hot, you will need the change you have to take the number 6010 bus from stop Bir Hakiem near the refectory, the reason I came to Grenoble in the first place, you will know where to get off, look under the bus stop bench for your next clue'.
So I got on the bus and tried to guess where I should get off, we soon started going up into the mountains and when I got to Uriage Les Bains I thought this must be the place, I used to get the bus up here all the time to go see Buffy when she lived 'upstairs' before we got married.
And sure enough under the bus stop bench was the final blue envelope, "there is only one great hotel in Uriage see you there in a bit!". finally having an idea of what she had done I asked at the reception if there was a Buffy Gorrilla staying there?? 'Oui monsieur, je vous passe' nice! Buffy had booked a room for the night, we had a reservation at the fantastic restaurant at the hotel, Les Terrasse which was a wedding gift from Buffy’s colleges. It was recently raised from two Michelin stars to three!
Uriage les Bains is called that because of the thermal spa there, which we also will benefit form when we take advantage of the spa day that My colleges gave us for our wedding!
So we relaxed in the hotel pool, got swept up in a free aquarobic lesson, which gave us a good appetite for the meal later.
The menu is below, but a few words about the atmosphere and service, the other two pillars of judgment that Michelin looks at.
Its an elegant and refined place, but not over fancy or pretentious, just nice, classy!
The service was like a silent wave, you look up from whatever is enchanting you on your plate and the whole table has changed, the maitre de hoté was very concerned that we have a wonderful evening, he moved us to another table from our first one, suggesting that it might be quieter since there was a table of 10 persons arriving later. And would we like to sit face a face, or a coté to each other, well with a face as lovely as Buffy’s side by side would be a waste.
The food was as you can imagine form below wonderful, interesting, well executed and light. A wonderful evening made even better by a wonderful companion.
The Menu de Degustation - Les Terraces 13/10/07
dried sausage on curled bread discs.
Shots of frozen celery reduction floating on apple juice, granny smith.
A spoon of jellied radish, with pain demi-sel on the end. Beetroot roll with grated sweet chocolate. Rhubarb consommé and fresh peanut butter floating on top.
Oyster fried in beignet batter with a shot of beef/oyster bouillon.
Fresh yoghurt with tomatoes capped with mint and basil crisp.
Truffled pain purdue, in squash foam and apple cream liquid very light.
Roast Cod with green tomatoes gazpacho. Wasabi pea and hoi sin sauce.
Duckling slice with frois gras and potato cake.
Frais de bois with toasted barley.
yoghurt jelly with frais and frais de bois and mint ice cream. Shot of cappuccino with cream, pear cake with pear jelly with a chocolate sheet.
passion Fruit jelly with peanut butter, light and not chewy.
With coffee, kiwi skewers with chocolate pop rocks!
Noughhart with Indian spices, chocolate cube with salty caramel.
Two glasses of wine of unknown origin. A glass of ultra brut champagne and a glass of rose champagne.
Bingo.
Mountains - random mountains.
You get a bit blasé after a while then one day Wham! you get hit upside the head by a wonderful vista and you realise just how big a pile of rocks it is that you live in the middle of, and just how beautiful the random forces of nature are. Then you get back on with life until it happens again. Then they get covered with snow and its a little like rembrant has reached out from beyond the grave and rendered them in the most perfect chiarascuro to bring out the beauty that can hide in the dull rock colours under the flat midday sun. And its beautiful all over again.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Staggering achievement for a skinny legged brit.
We started at 500m above sealevel, and this is us two and a bit hours later. Atop the local mountain, 1250m later.
Easy no, but very rewarding, we touched on 58km/hr on the way down. Which is around....... fast miles per hour.
We had to stop and rest a few times on the way up, which we are now endeavouring to reduce on our next attempt!
Yay us.
Easy no, but very rewarding, we touched on 58km/hr on the way down. Which is around....... fast miles per hour.
We had to stop and rest a few times on the way up, which we are now endeavouring to reduce on our next attempt!
Yay us.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Avignon
Last weekend we headed for a LONGER day trip to a Avignon, a cute little city in the Vaucluse, which is near Provence. It was popular back in the day because it was home of the Pope when there was some trouble in Italy. We had a nice picnic next to the river and then went into the walled city to have a snoop around. I had been to Avignon when I studied in England for the year, but I had not been back since and Ben had never been. It was a fun day.
Mini Museum
We had our little friends Oscar and Fergus to visit and spend the night at the end of July before their new sister arrived. We planned many activities, one of them was finger painting, which Ben had never done either. They were a bit uncertain at first as they did not want to get dirty, but as you can see they really got into it. Plus they were the most patient when we realized the battery on the car was dead. My fault, I left the lights on.
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