Drafting an ultimately never-to be-published post for this blog recently, I found myself wanting a map of Paris. Although I didn’t know exactly what type of map i wanted, I felt that, like the perfect house or perfect mate, one would recognise it when one saw it. Something with a visual dash, for sure. It… Read More cartography, Image & iconography from the City of Lights. Paris by map & era.
Thursday. Arrival, into airport Charles de Gaulle. I’ve never warmed to the older Terminal 1. It’s a silly donut of a building, Wastes your time. Terminal two is even more enormous, and thus equally alienating, with the important caveat that’s far, far more beautiful. Later that evening, meet an old friend for supper. A long-time… Read More Parks, potatoes, pullovers & the Promenade Plantée, pictures from Paris (days 1-3)
To mark the screening of the RTE documentary on Eileen Gray next Tuesday and the publication of an important new book on Gray’s Life and work by design historian Jennifer Gough, we re-visit this personal appraisal, written during October 2013 in response to the Eileen Grey retrospective at IMMA… The Irish Museum of Modern Art, recently… Read More Eileen Gray at IMMA, thoughts & reflections.
Another, final post from wonderful Languedoc. So many wondrous things to see and do; walking or boating the gorgeous Canal de Midi… …to exploring superb architecture… and extraordinary ecclesiastical art…. …to hillwalking the landscapes of mountain and dramatic, steep sided river valleys. But what makes Languedoc unique, and gives the area its extraordinary atmosphere of mystery and… Read More Cathars | Cathartic.
Just back from a 9-10 day break, mostly spent in extraordinary, dazzling, dramatic Languedoc. Languedoc, means (Land of) the tongue or Language of Oc -Occitan being the ancient language of the area. It is a region that has long exercised the medieval-obsessive imagination of your correspondent, your writer-blogger-chappie. As a land of huge Cathar… Read More Languedoc & Albi, a hilltop treasure & a mighty Cathedral, all built on woad.
These toy soldiers appear in the same exhibition as the First World War recruitment posters from recent post, although clearly the uniforms and equipment date from much earlier. They come from France, currently on loan to Collins Barracks from the Musée l’armée, at the famous les Invalides of Paris. But as you see, these particular… Read More Secret Soldiers: Exiled Heroes.
I was about to abandon the little memoir of my recent Paris jaunt, and blog instead about other things. Time- after all- marches on. Tempus fugit and all that. But then I looked at some photos saved on the computer, of statues, saints and angels, one of Mary Magdalene even. Inevitably, thoughts turned to Paris… Read More Another day in Paris-dise (or Hell for the unlucky)
Since Christmas is a time for families, and since my sister and my niece were not with us this year, my mother and I made a slightly late-in-the day, slightly haphazard and snap decision to go to Paris for 5 days, setting off the morning after Stephen’s Day. I am not going to pretend it… Read More We’ll always have Paris.
Another days sailing done. Having survived a mix of weathers, a run-in with a spiteful tug boat and long day’s sail, we find ourselves coming into view of our next stop: Concarneau. Passing the first harbor walls, it is a beautiful evening. Even from sea, the place looks amazing. In fact, arriving by sea is… Read More Sailing Brittany part VII- Audierne to Concarneau.
a- Getting there. Dave, alas, has departed back home, to England, and work. Our crew is a man down. But we few remaining sailors, just three now, must press on, to our next destination. That destination, our new target, is Audierne. A new chapter awaits. We sail out fairly early to catch the tide, passing… Read More Sailing Brittany part VII- Cameret to Audierne.
Arran Q Henderson 