Taste and color

Dylan, Thor, Monique and I stayed in an apartment up the hill in Oullins. I took a walk one afternoon and spotted a building that I thought wore an unusual pattern. As I stopped to take a photo, I noticed that the woman who drove by me was giving me the evil eye. She slammed on the breaks and made a 'U' turn in the middle of the street. She had barely stopped her car before she had already open the door and confronted me with this question. "Why are you taking a photograph of my house?" I walked toward her and explained that I was an artist and that I thought the wall was beautiful. I asked her if she knew the American artist Jackson Pollock. She said no, and then said something that I didn't understand until later. It went something like this "Les gouts et les couleurs, ca ne se discute pas!" Basically she said 'There is no accounting for taste!" This is the second time this has happened. The first time I thought the man might punch me. I had to show him the photos of the trees that I taken.

Behind the museum is a structure called a Bazacle, which has something to due with being able to cross the river at it's low spots.But don't quote me. Apparently people have been crossing here for hundreds of years. The river widens and the water slows down. Artifacts were found in the shallows. A hydroelectric plant is there. It is also one of the tourist sites of Toulouse.

xmas lights in Toulouse

Funny little log cabins.

La Machine

While Monique was in a conference and Muriel was at home, I attempted to go to an art museum. My leg was killing me and I felt too tired to stand and too embarassed to speak anymore french, so I went to a park that was next to the museum. I have a file on my computer for carousels. When I discovered this one I was delighted but also frustrated because it was closed. The outside was so interesting and disturbing that I wanted to know more about it's creation. Go to this link. I think you will find it interesting. www.lamachine.fr/#/spectacles

another hotel room

During or time together as a couple, we've spent a lot of time in a lot of different hotels. This one in Toulouse had a fun house mirror.

Return to Toulouse

It was six years between my first visit to Toulouse and this last visit in 2009. Since Toulouse was not our first stop, by the time we arrived in the city Dylan and I were tired of taking photos. One misses the smell of roses when the camera is pressed against one's nose. However I was excited to return and stay in a hotel right next to a bridge that I had photographed years earlier. Moreover the hotel window looked out onto a spot where we had stood.

Snowballs for May

Since snow is so rare in this part of the country, I decided to save some until May. As of yet I haven't tested out the theory that if you soak the balls in water you can bring them back to life. Snowballs as hard as ice cubes would be good for summer drinks,but not much else. Certainly not to squeeze and throw. I may soak a couple for Monique this afternoon.

Snow in Vezenobres

It snowed in Vezenobres France. The south of France,an hour away from the Mediterranean Sea. Not much snow, but it did cause quite a panic. For once the French drivers were literally 'skiddish'. We took advantage of the opportunity.