The roumanian girs arrived

9 girl dancers with their coreographe, the french director and teacher and a parent arrived from Hunedoara and already made good impressions

Today arrive in Argenteuil from Scottland other dancers and a girl with cornemousse, 'cabaret dancer' girls from Germany and tango dancers from Portugal - together with the children dancers from here, Sunday it will give a wonderful festival!

My PC does not open yet, but I succeded my inscription to the Weight Watchers! Next week, after the dancers return each to their home, it will be time to do something about that too.

So much difference

There can be such a big difference in children's education and comportement before what is happening to them during their life!

Let's give them the liberty to act and enjoy without being afraid to move, to speak up.

Looking at this picture, one girl with wonder on her face, speaking to the men (not visible here) showing the little animal, and the other girl, staying farther and sober, as if just chustised, I am so sorry for her.

But of course, children change so fast - I hope that was for her just a fleeting moment and not how she was obliged to stay all the time.

Passlib at Weight Watchers.fr

Some ideas are wonderful, but from idea to realisation there is often a long way. Perhaps in England, UK, and other places the Weight Watchers have already introduced the "passlib" to follow Weight loose on-line, but in France they have just begun.

We were all incited to pay for a month our PASSlib and then activate our inscription on-line. From this morning, I tried many times and each time the clock goes round, after having accepted all my data, round and round and round - and nothing happens;

At least, when there were too many to declare the taxes at the same time, we got "too many, come back later", here nothing! A very bad user feedback! Really a good ergonomist would have been necessary. Telling "wait" or "come back later" or whatever message was appropriate. I even did not begin and I am angry against them!

I did loose 15 kg and having an on-line help also was a great idea... but? Do I need more patience?

poppies opens before my eyes !

It was only one open when I have taken them home, a few days ago, and three yesterday evening, but today morning I found them like this: in all stages of their development!

Like magic!

Some buds just opening, some falling already down or already without petals, but also one opening before my eyes!

From the time I begin to take photos of them to the time I finished, it opened more and more!

One can learn and see new things at any age, even after 70!

With sound is even better

I did not take many video sequences at the medieval festival, but at least this, very short one, I like because of the sound. When I have taken it, I just looked for the movements, the sound came as a good surprise when I looked at it first at home. It is such a joy to be able to upload also videos in the blogs now!


Not only have a found a book about London Saturday, but yesterday I had a Londoner visitor! He and his wife encouraged me: "you'll have lots to do there and will love it!" and also went away with some of the books I did not want to take with me there.

There will be still enough, to sell or give away once I arrive there, if only I can transport them all.

Middle ages festival in Argenteuil

Middle age Knights arrived to our city from near and afar. Some even from under the Carpathes, near the Hunyady's castle!

Wonderful weather, warm but not too much, lots of people and different costumes too as everyone images those times differently.

We had peasant's costumes on musicians, knight's of different times, girls dancing but also fighting, and shops with "middle age" wares.

But the most important, children got free costumes and demonstrations how to fight as in old times, at least they could understand some movements and fairness too.

I believe they went home happy. My grand daughter has also her face painted with flowers and had seen a ferret and how to grind wheat as in old times.

Bookcrossing at Pont des Arts

Pont des Arts, the walking bridge between Louvre (near Cour carré) and the Institut of France, on a sunny Saturday morning. Lots of things happening at once!

I went there with a bag full of books and with no intentions to take any book from the others. Finally, how could I resist? This thin book will take me to more then twenty unusual and not tourist places in London!

After going through it yesterday evening, I am sure now: I'll go to London and take all those walks and go to as many places, one after the other as I can. If I do live there, I can do it on my own rhythm.


Lot of other things happening on the bridge! In only one hour, we offered and found books, we took a breakfast (me only juice), assisted to french-americans demonstrating for Obama, to others offering leaflets about the true bible, seen an orange crocodile and the tourist ships passing under the bridge, so on it goes.

I captured some of it that can be seen HERE.

Pont des Arts
envoyé par julie70

Poppies under the highway

Poppy time near my city, even if planted they are wonderful.

Poppy - pipacs in Hungarian, coquelicot in French. Red, usually. But nowadays they make them also rose, yellow or even white.

I went through the bridge and under the highway yesterday to take some picture of their spendor. Could not render the beauty I have seen, and perhaps it was too late in the day also?

But after taking twenty pictures near one or far away, on their left and right of the field, with or without people or cars speeding by it, I choose a few and posted them on flickr. This morning I found some comments that touched me as much as the poppies themselves.

"Itt a pipacs" was all a Hungarian wrote under one of the pictures but it was enough. Yes, the poppies are here, in every language, they speak to so many and no need for translation.

Anyone there?

Weather someone is reading this blog or not, I do write every day. Hoping, someday, sometime, I'll have someone coming by.

Tomorrow, Bookcrossing on the Pont des Arts!

Yesterday, I went to the Restaurant Club of Seniors of my Quarter and gave them the two last cases full of books remaining in my car, the one I did not sold at last Sunday's fleet-market.

Lot's to give yet away are mostly in English now.

A few dozen detective ones, a few hundred love stories and a few others. As for example, Toufler about the future, or books on writing or photographing.

Yesterday, my 8 year old grand-son song me the whole English alphabet, and to my delight with a lot better accent then mine!

Sur le Pont des Arts

After the 20 arrondissements, I begin to take views of Paris near the different bridges. This was my second "bridge walk" near Pont des Arts and the old Samaritaine magasin under which I left my car.

There is the Pont Neuf and Pont des Arts nearby, I went through the one and come back through the other, a year ago. The Pont des Arts is only for walking, no circulation on it with a wanderfull view of the Seine and the other bridges (ponts).

Saturday, with other Bookcrossers, we'll be on the Pont des Arts to spread books on it.

Who will be there to find them, take them, read them. Eventually pass them to someone other to read?

photos august 2007 by julie70

Chevalier from Hunedoara

Hunedoara, Romania: an old castle of middle age, that of Mathias, the biggest Hungarian kings grand father and father, under the Carpathian mountains.

Every year there is a festivity and last fall we were invited as our town is twin with this one. A city needing a renewal, as the huge factory they build too near the castle are now closed.

Argenteuil has a medieval fest every spring and at that occasion the Chevaliers of Hunedoara were invited to show their knowledge. I'll have to help them, translate. Between them are Hungarians and Romanians but as most young, they speak more English then French. They arrive Friday in our town;

in the window light

Just playing with different software to change a bit the pictures, already experiments themselves.

I took the almost finished rose and tulip from my garden, put it in a vase and took photos of them from every angle and in different places.

Yesterday, I looked back at those pictures (the flowers died long time ago) and put them first in Picassa to make some changes and mosaic from them, then in Digimax to change frames and even texture.

I kind of liked those colors, more then real photos made from them for example. Such a joy, experimenting, anyway!

French or Hungarian?

I have been living in France for the last 45 years and I think in French, speak and write in French, even in my journal.

But in my heart, somewhere deep, I remained still Hungarian.

My culture, the one of my youth, was Hungarian: that remains is us, wherever we go, as much as we distance ourselves from our roots.

Tulips represent "Hungary" for me also, as the red, white and green colours, and the songs and poems of my youth are never forgotten, even it takes years I have no occasion to speak that language.

I feel "central European" and "European" in short. In old times, people did travel and did live in different countries, or from necessity or to discover more, enriching each others cultures. I hope, we'll begin again more and more!

Braderie d'Argenteuil

My busy weekends begun with 12 hours on the flea market, selling for the first time in my life at such a place.

Beside this kind of smiles, that still warm my heart, I also got read of most of my french books, those of course only that I did not want to take with me.

Two women, avid readers, trying to negotiate for a better price gave me the idea: instead of 2 for 1 euros, I offered from then on 9 for 3. Pleasure for those who could choose so many and pleasure for me to see them diminishing fairly fast.

We had three showers, but happilly my daughter in law thought beforehand of that and we and the books were under cover, othervise sunny and interesting day.

Met and spoked with lots of people and some even recognised "julie70" from the blog having published their images! Some more? Of course, with pleasure!

The pleasure was mutual.

Saturday at flea market

I love to stroll in a flea market, but this is the first time I'll go to sell, to offer lots of my french books for whoever comes to look at them.

I hope, I'll not come back with most of them.

It will be a long day: it begins to install at 6 in the morning and folds at 6 in the evening.

Will be what will be.

But still, I'd like already to be Sunday.

Already raining

The rain begun but the sun was not yet gone: I could not depict with my photo as I have seen it: the colours were magnificent and if the sun can be perceived the rain drops, in this pictures made from my window not.

Later, it poured and there was no trace of sun any more.

But the rain stopped in an hour, it did not last long time.

As someone arrived yesterday to evaluate the volume to be shipped from here to London, I begun to realise that we will really move - at least my son with his family will. Yes, and me too.

Will I really? I can't "see" it yet. They move in less then six week now, and I dread the future for the moment instead of being happy about it as I was a while ago. Going away, going toward unknown is not so easy finally.

Everyday life goes on

Everyday scene in Paris, I wonder if it is not also becoming more and more in London too.

Stil not able to imagine myself going to London and living there, but my son's family will move at the end of June.

And me?

I know but not feel it yet!

Also, most of my books are now sorted: I want those, I do not the others. And saturday we'll be present to sell any french book from the "no more wanted" list in a flee market.

So steps are taken: why do I not feel like it will really happen?

See the roofs of Paris

Here is Paris viewed from Butte Montmartre. I love to go there again and again, each time, even if Paris does not change so much from afar, the people around are.

There are some other places one can go, each giving an other view, farther or nearer. The Eiffel tower. The roof of Notre Dame. They give you also a view of the Seine.

And the more beautiful perhaps, the top of Arc de Triomphe. As it is not very hight, one can see clearly the surounding building, the people small walking around place Charles de Gaulle, but on a clear day also far away to the Defense, Eiffel tower, Sacré Coeur, etc.

But I still like best to go walk on the Butte Montmartre, their from the stairs below the Sacré Coeur, in a clear afternoon (here it was a bit in mist) one can see far away. From the top of the church there is a view all around. Once, I went up the stairs: there are many!

One can arrive to the butte Montmartre in many ways, yesterday we took the minibus from Mairie 18e, one pays one metro ticket for it, and we come down back walking. There is also a Funicular from the other side, near metro Anvers, and of course lots of stairs if you feel like them. When I was younger I adored to take them "it is good for the heart" I was telling myself. One can also go around, rue Lamarck, that goes up aroound but with mild ascent.

I heard, one can see London to from a hill, north of the town, perhaps I'll try it once but would that not be very far away?

Lapin Agile, de la butte Montmartre

You would not tell this is in Paris, but it is true that Butte Montmartre was long time a village. One used to drink (and it a bit) in this very old cabaret.

My uncle said me 30 years ago: I used to come listening to songs here when I was young! And he was already 80 when he told me and went with me again back. Still good music and nice place.

I lived 23 years on the butte and I love it still as much, if not more. Yesterday we had a lot of interesting things going on also.

A traditional Japanese festival and music, a lady with orgue de barbarie, a living statue, painters, and people from all over the world.

Dans tes bras
envoyé par julie70

Arlette Denis is singing every wednesday and saturday evening at Lapin Agile.
You may see my album of photos of yesterday's stroll Here.

It is warm as in the summer

Yesterday, it was 27 in the shadows, even in evening!

How fast the weather changed from 10° in sun, the 1st of May, to this! Even the swimming pool door was left open yesterday!

Happy birthday, Barrybar! This is for you.

He is 70 today. Living, now in Peru. Sending from there very interesting pictures. Writing. Fighting for people who did not get what they did deserve, like dancer whose photo he just published. For whatever he does believe.

Our friendship is an exemple: we do not have to believe the same things politically to be friends. We can argue, of course, with respect of the other. But there is so much more, so much we have the same opinions! Like helping others, each of us differently. Encouraging the other: he did it all the time in the Portrait group! I do now in the Afterclass and my blogs. I hope.

What do you think of this?

Poster made by Yann from my photos.

I am not good at arranging them, even less to decide wich one to use for big posters he can make me and I could use to show some of my pictures. In my idea, it was one picture by poster, but he may be right about it.

Any opinions, changes suggested, or other arrangements?

Everything changes

Everything changes in the nature around me and in our lives too. The lilacs begin to fade, the chestnut's trees all around here are now in their glory.

A week ago, it was 10 degree and cold, yesterday we had around 25 in the shade. Some go, others come back.

I know, I know.

My optimism, and great great mother's saying in me tells "all will be to better". That is what my head tells me. But I am still trembling in my guts. Indecision's in my heart.

I know also that most of my books have to go, and from some there is no problem. I take Hemingway's book about Paris and Bernard Show's theatre in all. Prevert's poèmes and my journals.

But then come those on the boarder: I want to read it again or not? How soon? Some choices are not so easy to make, but more easy then think about what will arrive ahead of the time.

Tonight

It was yesterday, because the Eurostar arrives at Gare de Nord at 11.26 pm, I went to take my son arriving from the station.

It is always a pleasure to be with him, so exceptionally I went late to bed, and having missed the usual, early hour, I cant sleep for the moment. Soon it will be 2 am.

My first roses, one yellow with a wonderful odour, and a rose one near the wall, come out, bloomed and soon they fade away. But when the light is on them a bunch of leaves can be very interesting too. And these ones are special to me: I call them "my fall branch" because they are the only one to take all kind of red color in the fall.

What is "success"?

Success is not having a paper published about you and your blogs and photos in the June's number of Prima 2008, success is not even having published a book years back.

Success is not even having got a late PhD, not even having wonderful children.

Success is being able to overcome everything that had fallen on you, like Kipling said so well in his poem about how to become a man. Success is being able to rise again, to believe something good will come from it, whatever happens now, and doing everything possible to live on. To discover what is wonderful around the corner.

Every day I add to my blogs:
Retro blog
Il y a de la vie après 70 ans
Photoblog Tranches de vie
and this newest one in english:
julie70 in London
and of course, participate in the !afterclass! group classes day by day on flickr

After flower class

I am still digesting what I learned in the Afterclass, here is a poppy I took first from realitvely near, then nearer and nearer, and last from afar.

At a click on this one, you may see the others and tell me which one do you prefer, also I think that each images gives something different.

After seeing orange poppies, white ones, this "normal" red caught my eye in the garden before my swimming pool. Alas, the pool is no more open in the morning, when I like to go. The eastern holiday is finished and the school's go to teach children there. Which is good. But I still wish it would be open between, let's say 7 and 8 for us, "early birds".

Petit dej à la française

Bonne appétit! Croissants, pains au chocolat, chaussons au pommes...

The 1st May, even if it was a little late, after 10 in the morning, the Mairie, (townhouse?) offered a breakfast, of course, French. Coffee and all this.

I have like most the ones with apple sauce inside: the "chassons au pommes".

But I can say proudly now: "I did not touch any of it", went to take a photo (before they opened to public) and then continued to take pictures of people. I did not loose 15 kg (around 30 pounds) to gain it back! I have to loose some more and become, again, more "me".

I will not be young again and I will not be as thin as I was then either, but at least less will weight on my bones. But if you come to France, do not hesitate: one has to taste them at least once!

Argenteuil en Seine, children

There was a lot of fun and games and things to do at the festival near ne Seine this 1 mai, but one of the things they liked most is dress up.

Here, one of the smallest "canoniers".

Canotier, boater, where in fact rich, not anyone could have a boat on the Seine, but they did invite others, so it became more and more popular.

This was supposed to be their "uniform" with this kind of hats and white shirt, black jacket.

And red scarf too.


That time, beginning of 1900, the impressionists time near the Seine, the ladies had umbrellas to hide from the sun, remain with white skin. We did forget it later, and so many skins got ill! Mine too.

Some of old usages had more then one reason!

Argenteuil en Seine

I took about 500 images in four hours, a big pleasure, indeed. But how much work that represents after taking them!

Each image is worth a reflexion, sometimes an adjustment, here for example a tale or description.

This "old" lady, not much older then me in fact, dressed in very elegant old kind of gown was taking care of small children, his grand children? Others? I did not ask. She was so charming! and also happy to be photographed, so I took a few different pictures of her. From afar and from near too, portrait like and candids too.

She was there in the morning when arrived, near the entrance, and she was almost at same place two hours later, when I left for lunch.

Such a serenity in her look, I just wish I could have the same!

Beautifull festival of 1st May

"Argenteuil en Seine" to remember we need a place near the Seine to walk: for the moment the city does not have one any more, just hoping to regain it again.

Lots of men dressed like the old rascals, with red scarf, the women prefered to put on old kind of hats, like ladies. I took some candids, lots of portraits, some interactions, but in all I have taken more then 400! Here are the first 32.

And with that, the afternoon, I went to an hour "promenade musicale on the Seine" then, after returning we went (four of us) with a Gondolier for half an hour. And here I am with him, after we returned.
(It does look as if I knew him...)

May is about Emotions

We begun a new class, new theme lead by Steve, a photographer who takes sport photos (golf) in different part of the world, and it is about Expressing Emotion in our images.

It is a wonderful challenge for me!

Usually, people smile at me when they look and see they are photographed, but I do not ask them. Sometimes, though, to be more them self, I do ask to think about their loved ones.

Probably, candid photography is best (without them knowing you have taken them) to express a huge range of emotions. Yes, to learn to take those will be a real challenge for me this month!