Tag: France2013

Fête des Lumières – Cont’d

The best show of festival 2013 was at Place des Terreaux, where lights were projected on two historical buildings around the square – namely Lyon City Hall

And Saint-Pierre Palace, a former Benedictine convent turned Museum of Fine Arts.

The shadow or Adam by Rodin (On the left)

The award-winning show transformed the square into a remote planet where the “Prince of Lights” was the only inhabitant, who plunged into darkness by swallowing the light. The facades of the buildings swung and swayed as he explored exotic regions on the back of a giant insect, amidst sprawling plants, and under the starry sky. Continue reading “Fête des Lumières – Cont’d” →

Fête des Lumières – Lyon, France

At night fall, the festival begins.

According to the program, there are 78 performances, displays and light shows around the city of Lyon. It is daunting, if not impossible, to see all in one night. So we decided to focus on one area and see as much as possible in that area.

Since we were already in Vieux Lyon, we started the walk from there…

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Encounters @Saint-Jean Cathedral As you arrive to the square lighted at 360° from a mysterious monolith, you will enter into a flood of light and discover the architecture of the cathedral and the buildings around the square in a new way. Variations in colors, intensity and patterns trace pathways across the city to the accompaniment of interweaving musical compositions.

Then we moved across the Bonaparte bridge, following the opening theme of Lawrence of Arabia (see video recording below), to this grand symphony show on the banks of the Saône river. Continue reading “Fête des Lumières – Lyon, France” →

Les Baux-de-Provence

Mistral is a famous northwesterly wind in the south of France.

Frédéric Mistral is a Nobel Price winning writer and poet – who led the movement to revive Provencal language and literature in the late 19th century.

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Walking on Grand Rue Frédéric Mistral, in a cold blustery day, is a mere coincidence. Continue reading “Les Baux-de-Provence” →

Sunset in Marseille

We arrived in Marseille early afternoon and headed directly to Notre-Dame de la Garde.

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I visited this cathedral back in May 2009. It remained my favorite place in all of Marseille. Continue reading “Sunset in Marseille” →

Drive to Italy

“It was pleasant to drive back to the hotel in the late afternoon, above a sea as mysteriously colored as the agates and cornelians of childhood, green as green milk, blue as laundry water, wine dark.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald, Tender Is the Night

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Continue reading “Drive to Italy” →

Le Chantecler, Nice

Most restaurants in France are closed on Sundays. The thought of having nothing quality to eat makes me anxious. So I made arrangements ahead.

1465288_419592991503026_474342584_n Continue reading “Le Chantecler, Nice” →