The Finer Moments - Valbonne Edition; Vol. I

Of course I have a lot of simple yet beautiful moments in Valbonne already... piles of them even, it's not hard in a village as stunning as this one. I am beyond lucky for getting to spend my summer here!


Here are a few of my favorites... 

The Finer Moments - Valbonne, Vol. I; Valbonne France; Photo By El.K.B.

The Finer Moments - Valbonne, Vol. I; Valbonne France; Photo By El.K.B.

The Finer Moments - Valbonne, Vol. I; Valbonne France; Photo By El.K.B.

I'll be in Valbonne for another month and don't doubt that I'll have more "Finer Moments" to share with you, hence the indication of more Valbonne volumes to come! 


Stay tuned, 
El. 

The Finer Moments - Marseilles Edition

I've decided to create a whole series of posts dedicated solely to the "Finer Moments". What is a "Finer Moment" to me you may ask? To me, a "finer moment" is a rusty gate, chipping paint, a broken window...things you'd walk by everyday, not necessarily noticing their beauty but for some reason these particular ones stopped me in my tracks...


Here are my "Finer Moments - Marseilles Edition"....

"Finer Moment - Marseilles"; Photo By El.K.B.

"Finer Moment - Marseilles"; Photo By El.K.B.

"Finer Moment - Marseilles"; Photo By El.K.B.

"Finer Moment - Marseilles"; Photo By El.K.B.

These are just a few of my "finer moments" in Marseilles but I look forward to sharing more from each of my destinations as I move about. 


What constitutes a "Finer Moment" to you? Do tell! Don't hold back... let me know in the comments box below!


Bisous, 
El

The Second City

On the way...

View from train of L'Esterel on the way to Marseille, France; 
Photo By El. K. B.; Quick fact: This specific portion of the coast is 
named L'Esterel because of the characteristic red stone along 
the shores.  

View from train of Orchards on the way to Marseilles, France; 
Photo By El. K. B.

Why the heck did it not say that Marseilles is the second established city in all of France in my guide book?! Pretty intriguing point and probably would have informed me that the smallish-fishing-village-type-city I was anticipating was more of a MASSIVE metropolis; FAR bigger than I had imagined...

The Second City of France... Marseille, France; View from Notre 
Dame de la Garde; Photo By El. K. B. 

...but SO beautiful. A very low lying city, save the peak that Notre Dame De La Garde peers down from (which is where the above photo was taken). I hauled my tired butt up there (532 ft up! It doesn't sound impressive but you try it in 30degree weather after getting up at 5am!) my first afternoon in Marseilles and was not disappointed, if you're looking for astonishing views of the city it is undoubtedly the place to go... not to mention what awaits you on the other side of the basilica walls completed approx. 160 years ago in 1854...

Notre Dame De La Garde; Marsielles, France; Photo By El. K. B. 

Notre Dame De La Garde; Marseilles, France; Photo By El. K. B. 

I was astounded when I walked through those doors. Marseilles is an incredibly multicultural city (with much influence from North African culture) and the architecture is a perfect example of this with its Neo-Byzantine colours, shapes, and mosaic details. I haven't seen any other basilica quite like this in all of Europe, I spent far too long there... such a lurker. This is a MUST SEE!!!

More on my Marseilles mini-break very shortly! 

El

Bristol, you're too cool for words...

Having spent the better part of the last year in Bristol, UK I am fully aware of how utterly brilliant it is. Hopefully this video, profiling this years UPFEST (Urban Paint Festival) on June 4th & 5th, will help convince you as well. 


In what cities, that you know of, will they hold a festival where they actually teach kids how to produce street art?! 

Official 2011 UPFEST video; Produced by Red Shade Productions

Slow clap Bristol... slow clap! How I will miss you...


Bisous,
El

Marseilles bound!

After a very short... nap?... I'm up very early this morning (I woke up at 2am) to catch some VERY important hockey back home (my home team is in the NHL finals and could take home the cup tonight, wooooot!). It works out okay because I had to be up early this morning to catch my train for a mini-break in Marseilles.

I have three nights booked to explore Marseilles... hopefully I can keep my eyes open because, although I am looking forward to arriving in the city, I hear this train ride is one of the most scenic train rides in the Provence/Cote D'Azur region. Not a long journey, only a couple hours I believe, but a beautiful one I anticipate.


While in Marseilles there are a few things I can't wait to see... here is my list of must sees/do's during my short stay:


1. Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde is only a short walk from where I'm staying and, being the highest point in the city, apparently offers the best panoramic views when you haul yourself up the many steps to the top of the basicilica. I'll probably save this for tomorrow as that sort of physical excersion calls for more than 3 hours sleep.

2. Musee de la Mode is a Fashion Design Museum housing original designs from some of the largest names in the industry: Chanel, Gautier, Dior, Yves St-Laurent and more!

3. The walk from the Vieux-Village (the old town centre where I'm staying) along to the Plage du Prado. Approximately 8km of beautiful coast line with multiple beach stops along the way; this should make for a great way to see some picturesque views of the city, beaches, gardens and apparently even some beautiful old architecture that sprung up in the Second Empire. There are multiple water-holes at Plage du Prado and then buses that run back to the Vieux Village... hopefully I can find some willing travelers in my hostel to accompany me on this daytrip and have an aperitif on the beach. I'll be sure to take so many photos it will feel like you were there yourself!

4. Good ol' fashioned laying out, french beach style, possibly at one or more of the beaches I pass along my trek to Plage du Prado. I here Plage des Catalans is a must see and as the weather is supposed to be stunning, a dip in the ocean may be neccessary for a quick cool-off.

5. As always when I visit a city... one of the things I look forward to most is the FOOD... I'm sure I'll come across a morning market where I won't be able to resist some kind of delicious baked good. Again, I'll take enough photos you'll taste it!

I'll be back on Friday. Expect a lot to chat about. Have a wonderful week everyone, I know I will!

GO CANUCKS GO

Bisous,
El

Beautiful Deterioration

Eroding foundtain sculpture at Market; Mouans Sartoux, France; Photo by El. K. B.

France is saturated with history and when I say you can see and feel it as you walk down the streets, I mean quite literally, you can reach out and FEEL the deterioration of each  of the hundreds of years that have past either through the eroding of a sculptural water fountain or layers of chipping paint.

Water fountain; Mouans Sartoux, France; Photo By El. K. B.

Chipping shutter; Valbonne, France; Photo By El. K. B.

Chipping wall; Grasse, France; Photo by El. K. B.

There are thousands examples of these beautiful deteriorations but these are a few of my personal favorites.

xo.
El.

PS. Just booked a 3 night trip to Marseille for next week, in the days to come I'll be filling you in on what's on my itinerary for my time there!

Poolside Listening...

As the heat has hit and I've started my summer earlier than most back in Canada, I found myself looking for something new to listen to poolside... a friend introduced me to Blackbird Blackbird and their songs have all the relaxing soft beats and warm breezy pauses that I look for in a good summer tune...

Here are a couple of my favorites from them..

...Both of which are from the "Let's Move On Together" Album released last summer.

Enjoy the sun!

xo

El

The Scent of "Grasse"

Shutters and Old Paint; Grasse, France; Photo By El. K. B.

Grasse, France (about 30 minutes drive from my current summer locale in Valbonne) is the worlds birthplace of perfume. Originally taking on this roll to mask the scent of the tanning plants located in the city during the 1800's, it then took on a world reknowned life... or odor I should say... of its own. 

But this city of undying charm has a lot more going for it than just a lot of nose tickling scents. Grasse has a certain French elegance to it that's hard to describe... but then again, maybe that's exactly what everyone looks for in a perfume anyways...

 

Cat enjoying a Siesta at a French Café; Grasse, France; Photo By El. K. B.

Old Painted Ad; Grasse, France; Photo By El. K. B.

Sun drenched alleyway; Grasse, France; Photo by El. K. B.

Chipped ceiling in old Cathelic Church; Grasse, France; Photo By El. K. B.

I'll be visiting Grasse again, many times, during my summer here. I'll take visitors to wander its streeets that are filled with a certain essence that you just can't quite put your finger on but know when it's there... all around you like a wafting scent.

Bisous;
El








It's All Set in Stone



Marble Bust at the Louvre; Paris, France; Photo by El. K. B.

To be "Set in Stone" means that the subject is irreversible, "this is the way it is and there is no changing this fact".

Emotions, you would think, are something that would never be "Set in Stone" with the ability to change in mere milliseconds... except, perhaps, in the very literal sense.

Walking through a sculptural gallery can feel as though you're walking through a frozen world... the absolutely breath taking ability of an artist to release an emotion from the confines of a piece of marble is truely mind blowing. A furrowed brow, a look of anguish, amusement or smugness... how can a piece of stone relay these feelings; these very maluable human expressions?

Marble Sculpture at the Louvre; Paris, France; Photo by El. K. B.

Marble Sculpture at the Louvre; Paris, France; Photo By El. K. B.

I can't tell you how but I can say that I fear this is a dying art (at least to this extent)... and what a shame. Luckily these expressions and feelings won't fade and will forever be "Set In Stone" for us to view...

...to be remembered as the works of true creative passion.

Much Love
El