We went for a walk up a local hil(mountain) a couple of weekends ago, the Dente de Crolles, (tooth of Crolles) its a 30 min drive from home up to about 1200 meters, and then a realy steep walk for another 40 mins up to the base of the toothy bit, then you have to decide, steep or even steeper, being not so fit, and very hot and half way through being eaten by some nasty flies, we decided to go the not so steep way, this is another 30 mins inot the not so steep way, to the Left is a sheer drop to the valley floor a few hundered meters below, and to the right is the back of the mountain which has come away form the main rock in places and its these splitss that make up the bit before you get to the top. the not steep bit had lots of wirers anchored to the side of the mountain to help you get up, and splits you had to crawl through. also we walked past the mouth of a cave, out of which a steady current of 5 degree air was wafting, such nice relief. I was later told that the steep way was not as ardious, and owuld explain the large amount of young children playing on the gentle grassy slope at the top.
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Friday, July 28, 2006
My day at the Tour de France,
I was luck enough to be a VIP guest at the Alp d'Huez stage of the tour de france on the 18th July, click on the pic to be taken to the Flickr Set. Ben
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Buffy and Ben are engaged!
A couple of weekends ago I proposed to Buffy, she said yes! I gave her the traditional token of betrothement, an old shiny rock embedded in a metal loop. How strange we are. but it all kind of feels right.
Vespa white with Side car
This is outside the Vespa dealership next door, they do other less cool mopeds to keep the Italian youth population mobile and expressivley patriotic with their feeble horns during sporting victories. But its the Vespas that draw Buffy like a moth to a flickering LED replica flame. THis is a particularly cool version, but becasue they do service and parts there are always different versions parked outside.
its the old ones that I like, like this one. but I can just imagine a collision between this and any carelsessley driven SUV, and the prospect casts a shadow over my entire being, a pall of grey and dark, and a well of emptyness creeps into my stomach. This I feel is only a small indication of how a world without Buffy would be, and one reason why I will discourage buffy to get one, no matter how cute she would look. And also leads me onto the next post....
its the old ones that I like, like this one. but I can just imagine a collision between this and any carelsessley driven SUV, and the prospect casts a shadow over my entire being, a pall of grey and dark, and a well of emptyness creeps into my stomach. This I feel is only a small indication of how a world without Buffy would be, and one reason why I will discourage buffy to get one, no matter how cute she would look. And also leads me onto the next post....
Friday, June 23, 2006
Shopping arcade in Torino
Turin to some, Torino to others, great shopping for everyone! must calm down, sorry. not much to say, but we drove to Turin. We went the long way, over the alps, (it snowed in May) and came back the short way, (big long tunnel, under a mountain) nice trip, lots of driving. lots of hills, lots of fun, went with Ted And Kristen, over to stay for a while, nice to have their company on my week off, did lots of things I would not have done otherwise. nice.
The Church with the Turin shroud in it.
Fake it may be, but cool it is also, or at least the shrine with the big lead box it is housed in, it just serves as a reminder to us all of soemthing. Cant remember what, but it was good, nice renaiscence church facade as well, simple, well proportionedm triangle, semi cirlce, Triangle above the door., those scroll things either side of the main roof bit, straight down the line.
The Aquaduct at St Nazare en Royans
On top of the duct. the floor i mesh, you can see the crystal clear water running under your feet. Something about man moving rivers, and living under these huge structures, and there is that wicked Cotman painting, that probably streted me off on these things. Damn his eyes.
The Aquaduct at St Nazare en Royans
The bridge at St Nazare en Royans, nice old aquaduct, the opposite of a viaduct! I have a thing for ducts , just those curves and the shadows and the form... makes me all excited.
Pont au Royans
The 'maison suspendu' at the bacl of Pon au Royans, nice place, small, but pretty. The bridge on the right is where the road is, and the fron of the houses look jut like a normal village, but out the back they are these 7 storey monstrosities. There is a Museum of water just to the left...water of every kind and sort, water from all over the world!
Fete de music - park Hoche
The fete de la music happens all over France, on the 21st June, summer solstice, read about it here. Very cool free concerts put on all over town, in some nice venues. This was the most interesting music zone in grenoble, so obviously the place we spent the least amount of time. Also in a park I did not know existed, always nice to discover a hidded gem. Electronic zone, it was very quiet and thoughtful, like most French people enjoying music.
Fete de music - Park Paul Mistral
The Palais des sports is the stadium in grenoble, where Elton John played, recently, and where Johnny Halliday does his thing (they have good first aid facilities incase his hip goes again). This was the dance zone, which reminded me how hit and miss dance music is, this looked just like a couple of guys in a lorry making thuds with lights, compared with its transcendent best this was pale indeed.
Monday, May 08, 2006
The 'mont'
Buffy went to stay near Mont Saint Michel last week, there will be pics coming soon. She was missed.
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
My house, just after it was built
found on a very boring postcard at a flea market last weekend, who decides on this for a subject? Perhaps it was the most interesting thing in Grenoble at the time. Before the Boules and the 5 excellent museums, and the river, and the hills. Maybe not the hills. Or the river. and how did they get no traffic or people on the bridge, but its nearly midday? maybe there was a strike, or a football match on the big screens in the sports bars.
Friday, April 07, 2006
The Beginning
This was about an hour into our adventure down the Route de Napoleon. Poor Napoleon, that must have been a long march from Cannes to Grenoble. He was one determined little fella!
Thursday, March 23, 2006
nothing going on.
Nothing is going on. we are going to Nice next weekend, should be..... fun, more stuff then.
Saturday, March 04, 2006
Trust Me!
Jenny had this bright idea to go down the hill linked at the elbows. It actually worked well, until I put my feet down due to the increasing speed, resulting in a face full of snow spray. Brr.
Luging! Sledding! Sledging!
No matter what language, it is fun. Beautiful day in the alps. Grab the luges and head out. We had a visitor from Paris, Cecily. She is Irish and very enjoyable!
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