The time of Christmas markets is quickly approaching, travel agencies have already offered two – three days long arrangements to most popular destinations around Europe that attract thousands of people every year. Maybe you are thinking of visiting one of those places as we speak.

The idea of Christmas fairs is generally the same, though there are some differences between regions and countries. East Europe is well-known as a destination that every traveler puts on his travel map at this time of year. Visiting some of the best fairs in Germany like Nurberg, Berlin, Frankfurt, Etfurt or Dresden you cannot miss, as well as Vienna’s market in Austria, Budapest’s in Hungary or Prague’s in Czech Republic. All the markets open on the last week of November and last till Christmas Eve, marking the weeks of Advent. They work from morning to late evening, around 8 or 9 pm and are usually held on main squares.

Christkindlmarkt, Vienna

Particularly attractive during late afternoons and evenings, when it’s dark and all the lights and people create the seemingly warm atmosphere, Christmas markets turn into shopping bazaars. The original concept was to present and sell hand-crafted work typical for that region and for the period (Christmas time). But nowdays, you’ll find things such as hand-crafted work, Christmas ornaments to gloves and scarves, candels, jewlery, sweets and more. So don’t believe everything you hear! 

booth, Vienna

The second reason why people visit Christmas markets is because of the food. There is always something typical for the region you are in but where ever you go, you will find the inescapable grilled suasages, deep-fried potato cakes and hot mulled wine. Just to keep the winter cold away… And where there is food, there is music too. Coming out of the numerous wooden booths or sometimes as live performances in the later hours of the day. Kids won’t be neglected either. With so many sweets to choose from and shows to watch, you will not have to worry about the little ones.

Erfurt

Nurberg

My disclaimer is that you really don’t have much to do there for three day. Have fun, enjoy the atmosphere and then take a walk around the city, go shopping or sit in one of the local cafes or restaurants. In the end, all you want to do is to experience the Christmas spirit…

Between Moscow and Lake Baikal lie over 3,000 miles of track. The Trans-Siberian railroad winds through lowland plains and mountain ranges, chugging away from Russia’s urban centers and slowly out into the unknown. Or at least, that’s how it feels to a traveler, as the suburban brick and concrete fades into a pastiche of birch and meadow.

The SIberian Plain

This is Russia’s economic heartland and its first frontier. Conquered by the Mongols, settled by Cossacks, and now home to most of Russia’s industry and farmland, the western part of Siberia has plenty to explore. A few cities account for most of the population; stopping in these urban centers, you’ll get a sense of how Siberian Russia differs from Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Kazan is a Trans-Siberian traveler’s first glimpse of what is to come. Although a bit south of the main rail route, the city’s unique heritage merits a detour. Mosque minarets puncture the skyline. Many of the inhabitants claim to be descendents of the Tatars, who ruled 700 years ago, and indeed, Kazan is the capital city of the independent Republic of Tatarstan. Siberia is studded with such independent republics, areas where minority culture has resisted (or re-emerged from) Russification.

Historical centre in Kazan

Due to its ancestry, the city has some beautiful architecture. The Kremlin, a UNESCO Heritage Site, was originally a Tatar fortress. Overlooking the Volga River, the Kremlin is a striking sight: above the fortress walls rise the plump Russian Orthodox onion-domes, squat gumdrops atop white towers; next to it, the Kul Sharif mosque lifts four white minarets, tipped in blue. The coexistence of these two centers of worship, the focal point of Kazan, reflects the diversity of its population – and initiates a traveler’s shift away from fully European Russia.

A day or so later on the train, the landscape outside the train window begins to change. The Ural Mountains begin to rise in fir-tipped karst formations. You almost don’t notice it – there’s an obelisk, off to the side of the tracks in a shady stand of trees. The train whips past, and you’re in Asia.

Spas-na-krovi Cathedral (Church of All Saints) in Ekaterinburg

From the train, Yekaterinburg looks like a sprawl of concrete.  Soviet industry found a hub here, and the city remains rather grey. However, it has one key point of interest: revolutionaries killed Russia’s last Tsar and his family in Yekaterinburg. Although the house where they had awaited execution no longer stands, the Church of All Saints commemorates the murders and the canonization of the family. The modern Russian people seem to feel a tragic sympathy with the dead Romanovs, and the church is a solemn, touching reminder of the brutality that inaugurated the Soviet Union.

From Yekaterinburg, the train dips south toward Kazakhstan. Adventurous travelers can disembark at Yekaterinburg for a trek into the Altai Mountains, a remote alpine wilderness. Historically the home of nomadic peoples, whose culture is closer to Mongolian and Central Asian than Russian peoples, the Altai are renowned for adventure travel. The Ob River originates in the peaks of the Altai, and white-water rafting is a popular activity. The area also provides a glimpse into some of the region’s traditional, non-Russified cultures, which have survived relatively autonomously in the remote landscape.

Venturing deeper into Siberia, the train crosses the Ob River. The next major stop is Novosibirsk, a metropolis by Siberian standards. Novosibirsk is Siberia’s largest city and therefore contributes a large share of the region’s culture.  An active ballet company, opera house, and student population gives the city a vibrant feel. Founded in the 1950s, the Academy Town was once the scientific research hub of the Soviet Union; now it houses Novosibirsk University, as well as several private research and technology companies. Tucked among pine trees, the university makes a nice place to stroll.

Top of Krasnoyarsk Pillars in Siberia

A day or so later down the tracks, the train crosses the Yenisei River at Krasnoyarsk. Hemmed by mountains, this pleasant city’s main attraction is its proximity to Stolby Nature Reserve. For climbers and hikers, the natural area tantalizes: bulbous granite pushes up out of the forest, forming fantastical pillars. Hardcore rock climbers often go vertical; for the average tourist, a bit of scrambling and hiking in the reserve makes an enjoyable day-trip from Krasnoyarsk.

At this point, the Trans-Siberian has traveled around 4000 kilometers. Even if you’ve disembarked a few times, you’ll likely be ready for a break from train travel. After Krasnoyarsk, the next major destination along the Trans-Siberian is Irkutsk and the shores of Lake Baikal. Leaving behind the agricultural and industrial heartland, the train is entering a world of shamanic legend and nomadic peoples – a very different Russia than the one you left behind in Moscow.

Summer Nights with El Chiringuito!!

Summer Nights with El Chiringuito!!

One of the best things about living in Barcelona is the al fresco lifestyle. There's nothing quite like having an early evening drink outside on a terrace somewhere with the heat of the day still around but the cool breeze of the evening starting to cool things down. Barcelona locals really don't know how lucky they are in that respect and I warmly welcomed the recent news from City Hall that there would be more licences for more terraces this summer.

However, sometimes you have to go with the best. Yes, it's great in a city terrace but what better place than the beach?! The Mediterranean in the background, some cool tunes coming from the DJ and drinks aplenty for the punters. There can be only one place - El Chirninguito. There are two chiringuitos  - just think "beach bar" - down in the Olympic Village at Playa Bogatell and also Nova Mar Bella. Not only are these places the coolest beach bars in the city (think hammacks, terrace, fruit juices, cocktails, etc.) but you can get a damn fine bite there, too. And not to mention Yoga, fitness schemes and just a pretty damn cool place to arrange a meet up with your friends.

Anyone who goes to any bar in the city will know the popularity of Gin & tonics this year, and the Chiringuito bars are no exception, with a great selection of Gins on offer as well as the usual brews and beers. A great way to relax in the summer heat, get yourselves down there!

3rd Parallel Party This Saturday!

Parallel is considered to be the Theatrical artery of the city, and aims to cement itself as the broadway of the city - City Hall's plans to make it a gateway between the ever-bustling Port and cruise terminal and Plaça Espanya with the Fira and Las Arenas. With there-opening of EL Molino and Ferran Adria's Ticket bar hoping to fuel the fires of traffic to the avenue, it's another turn for this year's Fem Paral·lel Festival this Saturday from 10am till 2am. Likeprevious years, the street is taken over with various stands and stages, workshops and tables with activities and displays for all ages.

Theatres including the Apolo, El Molino and Victoria also open their doors for the locals to have a nosey around and the party goes well on into the night with concerts and live music from all over the world. Full details and programme can be downloaded here (pdf). One of the best things avbout the day (in my opinion) is the fusion of two neighbourhoods with such cultural and ethnic diversity such as Poble Sec and Raval. I've been to the last two and they were great fun, so if you're in and around the area on Satuday, I can reccomend you popping down to check it out!

Red-Carpeting the Raval

If you happen to be strolling around the Raval today or tomorrow, I highly recommend heading on down to the area of Carrer Vistalegre, Carrer de l'Aurora and Carrer Carretes. That's because today and tomorrow sees the latest edition of thePaso de Zebra  festival of fashion and artistic expression and it's also a chance to see the streets of the Raval with a red carpet!! OK, well, pink, purple and green, but it's still bloody cool. I apologise to the organisers as I'm not sue which edition it is (3rd?) - feel free to comment anyone who knows more than me!

The idea supports local designers and jewelery craftspeople in a similar way that the weekend market of the Rambla del Raval does: all artisan products and designs, with no brands or well-known makes on offer. I took these photos early this morning, so it was still a little incomplete and empty but the festival is going on all day and into the night, with live music and a really cool chill out Moritz lounge/bar in the basketball courts on Carrer Aurora.

It's a great way to meet the neighbours in a different setting and support the local designers in such tough times. There were some really cool bags this morning made from old vinyl records, for example that caught my eye, and although I had to go, I can definitely reccommend heading down - if not for just a chilled drink in the Moritz lounge!

Changing Course is a wonderful project which has captured my attention recently. Greg Frucci, known as “Frooch” to his friends is soon to set sail on a single-handed voyage across the Atlantic Ocean from his home in Wilmington North Carolina to Lisbon, Portugal.

Portugal of course is known for The Discoveries: the monument at Belém stands testament to that. Bound within the history of the voyages is the economic, cultural, psychological and spiritual impact. These daring journeys of exploration opened up a new world view as well as new trading routes and experiences.

After visiting Lisbon on business, Frucci fell in love with the culture, architecture and the language. As ever, Lisboa worked her mystical magic and wove herself deep into Greg’s heart and soul.

The journey is both physical and spiritual. For Greg it is a chance to reflect upon his life. He says “The voyage is more about a series of life events over 50 years which synchronously leads to this event.”

The entire trip will be filmed by standalone high definition cameras onboard. From this footage will be produced ‘Changing Course’ “an inspiring film about a 50 year old man’s quest for peace within himself and the world he lives in.”

Greg’s challenge is to sail 3280 nautical miles. The voyage will be split into three legs from Wilmington to Bermuda then Bermuda to the Azores. He will rest for around a week in the Azores (although ‘rest’ includes possibly climbing a volcano!). From the Azores he will then make for his final destination landing in Cascais. The entire journey is likely to take around 30 – 40 days – no mean feat considering during this time he will sleep only in strict one hour intervals as checking he remains on course is paramount. Home for the duration will be a 30 foot sailboat named “Cuddy”.

His blog not only explores his preparations for the journey ahead but also includes philosophical points to ponder. In one post where he talks about truth and falsness he says: -

“While in Lisbon, Portugal, a feeling of calm surrounded my soul supported by what is real.”

And this is what I experienced in Lisbon: a sense of calm, a feeling that everything seemed more ‘real’ than it had ever done before. I ache to go back, to stowaway on Greg’s ship and let the waves carry me home.

Frucci aims to set sail on May 17th (weather permitting) and plans to stream live on a daily basis so that we can join in on his journey. He should land in Portugal sometimes around late June/early July.

For more information please visit http://coolchangeproductions.com/ and check out the beautiful promo below.

Boa Viagem Greg!

Le Passagin is a fond childhood memory of all the vieux Nicois:  the little row-boat shuttle service that, up until the ’60′s, used to ferry people from one side of the Nice Port to the other.  But just like the old Nice tramway that was torn out only to be rebuilt 50 years later, Le Passagin is back!    

Inaugurated last weekend, the little (now motorized) 6-passenger boats are at your disposition to cross the Port all day, every day from 10am-7pm, …and at least for this summer, it’s free.

Photo by Richard Ray, courtesy Nice-Matin

Now the 15-minute walk around the Nice Port, which can be brutal under the full sun, can be done in just 2 breezy minutes… not to mention the fabulous view, the charmingly authentic barque, and your captain: a local fisherman moonlighting on the side.

Venice might have its gondolas, but Nice has its little Passagin…!   A wonderful initiative by the Ville de Nice that proves the saying, ’Everything old is new again!’

Nice-Matin:  Le ‘passagin’ de retour au port 50 ans apres, Le passagin vedette du Port

Photo credits: Le Passagin 1940-1950 by Phrasea et repro by Pascal Amoyel,  Le Passagin 2012 by Richard Ray, both courtesy of the Nice-Matin

In rapid fire, the Mayor’s office has launched several controversial initiatives to cut the noise in Nice.

Photo Best of Nice Blog

First, last year’s rules on street musicians are starting to be enforced:  No more speakers (yea!), musicians must be pre-approved for quality, can only play during specified hours, and only in designated places like Place Massena, Cours Saleya, etc.   Whereas the new rules will spare us all a lot of grief from the many horrible buskers, the rules will also put a major crimp on the many talented musicians.  The first casualty:  the fantastic Piano Man, Steve Villa-Massone left Nice last year in protest when the rule was first made.

Next is the new Open-air Alcohol Ban that prohibits drinking in the streets, beaches and parks from 8pm-5am.  This could cut down on late-night drunken singing and fights, which would be a good thing.  But what about beach picnics?  Are we expected to forgo the wine?!  Evidently the rule will be selectively enforced, so if you are not breaking bottles or playing the tom-toms late into the night, the patrols should let you be.

The most controversy has come over the Noisy Wedding Ban.  Eastern European and North African wedding traditions include driving through town with flags flying and honking madly as if their country just won the World Cup… and with 30 weddings a day on the weekends, this gets really tiresome.   The new ban went into effect last weekend, and prohibits raucous weddings, excessive honking, and disrupting traffic… all of which actually seemed on the rise last weekend!  Opponents mounted a clever protest: a silent wedding, and are busy trying to find photos of Mayor Estrosi’s own wedding to see if it indulged in any of the forbidden acts!

All of these new rules have many people up in arms: is a less noisy Nice worth becoming a Nanny State?  Will licensing street musicians kill the spontaneity that buskers embody?   Are these new rules crossing the line of personal freedom?   What do you think?

Photo credit:  Silent wedding courtesy of Philippe Biancheri; Busker by Best of Nice Blog

Nice-Matin: A compter du 1er avril, l’alcool sera hors la loi au centre-ville de Nice, Un faux mariage silencieux pour protester contre l’arrete d’Estrosi,  Metro France: Les artistes de rue dans la collimateur

Judging from the crowds at the few venues we managed to visit, the second edition of Art Night Venezia (or l'arte libera la notte) was a huge success. From 6 pm until midnight last night, museums, private and public institutions, bookstores, and theaters all over the city hosted performances and exhibitions--all free to the public.

Judging from the crowds at the few venues we managed to visit, the second edition of Art Night Venezia (or l'arte libera la notte) was a huge success.  From 6 pm until midnight last night, museums, private and public institutions, bookstores, and theaters all over the city hosted performances and exhibitions--all free to the public.

The impossible list of venues we wanted to visit totaled 13--just a fraction of what was on offer--and ranged from an exhibition at La Scuola Grande San Giovanni Evangelista in San Polo to another at Fondazione Querini Stampalia in Castello.

Having gotten a very late start, and in the company of a 4 1/2-year-old, we managed a total of just three.

 First among them was a visit to The Palazzo Cini Gallery at San Vio. Jen and I had tried to visit a couple of months ago, only to learn how very out-of-date our trusty Venetian guidebook was: it was closed--and not just for the part of the year designated in our guidebook, but year-round. So last night was our only chance.

How I'd like to post a photo here of Botticelli'sJudgement of Paris, of Pontormo's Double Portrait of Two Friends, or of a particularly beautiful 14th-century Sienese painting of Christ the Redeemer, all gold and pale rose, but photo-taking was not allowed, the guard told me, except with a cell phone. The image at right, of Sassetta's Madonna dell'umilità, is from artwallpaper.org, but is worth a visit to the Palazzo Cini all by itself--if you ever find it open again.

For the guard confirmed that the Palazzo's gallery is now closed year-round, except for special events. He vaguely alluded to the possibility of it re-opening for part of the year again some time in the future--but more in a tone of amiability than conviction. 

Two Guggenheim favorites: Marini & Brancusi

Our next stop was to an institution you'll have no trouble finding open: the Guggenheim Museum. It was, as always, marvelous--and packed with people. Sandro's favorite things there were a very large contemporary outdoor mechanical piece--like a faceless and hence purposeless clock--and a 4 euro can of Fanta from the museum cafe served in a tall glass of ice with a straw nearly as long as his arm by a very nice pair of baristi.

Like many others, he also could not help but remark upon the pipoto (Venetian term for penis) of Marino Marini's enthusiastic Angel of the City, at right.

By the time we finally finished with the Guggenheim, the concerts at our next destination--Ca' Artom, right next door on the Grand Canal--had concluded, so I can't tell you a thing about the inside of that palazzo, now used by Wake Forest University for their study-abroad program.

All indications at our final venue were that the open studios at the Accademia di Belle Arti in the Ex-Ospedale degli Incurabili on Zattere would be happening well beyond the scheduled midnight closing time. But it was already too late for Sandro, asleep in his stroller despite an early evening nap, and we could only devote a little time to works that merited much more.

It was perhaps the perfect venue to end at, however, this hive of energy and creativity and, yes, even hope, along one edge of this city that some people are all-too-ready to write off as merely a museum. Art is still being made in this city, as you can see below, and it was reassuring to see this at the end of the evening, to find that this essential urge does seem to be incurable.

I never thought I would have to try and imagine an Amsterdam without the coffeeshop experience. It’s like trying to imagine the country of Ireland banning Guiness Beer to all tourists; or the city of London, allowing only those who grew up with pound sterling in their pocket, to enter the front door. The object of your desire will still be there to tempt you, but you won’t be able to obtain it. Not without consequences at least. By the end of this year, it will be illegal for tourists to visit Amsterdam coffeeshops. And, it will be illegal for Dutch citizens to visit the cannabis coffee shops unless they have acquired a yearly membership to the ‘private club.’

Or will it be illegal?

The news about the ‘Dutch coffeeshop ban’ first hit last week and even received some press in the mainstream media outlets. Besides the proposed ban and the implementation of a ‘Weed pass’ –  or yearly membership for Dutch locals – the details are few and unclear. I just chatted with a Dutch friend, Marco, who has lived his entire life in Amsterdam. He ‘finds it hard to believe the Dutch government would go as far as banning the coffeeshops to tourists.’ He also mentioned there is ‘another political party that may try and step in.’ But even he was unclear on the situation and seemed to be starving for more details.

I talked with another friend, Dave, an American who frequents Amsterdam about 3 times a year. He is currently on the ground in Amsterdam and has been there for almost 2 months now. He mentioned ‘he has no idea what’s up but no one here gives a ‘bleep.’ Amsterdam at its finest.

Without concrete information, rumors are running rampant. Some suggest the Mayor of Amsterdam may have the key to make the final decisions, overriding any desire by the far right wing government and some say more details will be revealed later this month. But until more details are revealed, we may not really know the extent of this ban.

Or, if it will really happen.

Lake Como, Lago di Como in Italian, is Italy's most popular lake and also its deepest. Lake Como is shaped like an inverted Y giving it a long perimeter. The lake is surrounded by beautiful villas and resort villages as well as hiking paths and it's popular for boat trips and water activities.

Lake Como, a popular destination since Roman times, is a top romantic travel destination and a great spot for photography.

Location:

Lake Como is in the northern Italian Lakes District. Lake Como lies between Milan and the border of Switzerland. It's southern tip is about 40km north of Milan. It is surrounded by mountains and hills.

Transportation to and from Lake Como:

Lake Como lies on the Milan to Switzerland train line. The train stops in the town of Como, the main town on the lake, where there is a tourist office in Piazza Cavour. The Ferrovia Nord Milano, a small train line that leaves Como from via Manzoni, runs only between Como and Milan. Milan's Malpensa Airport is 40 miles away. To get to Como from the airport, take the Malpensa Express Train to Saronna and transfer to train LeNord to Como.

Lake Como Transportation - Getting Around the Lake:

Ferries link the major villages and towns of Lake Como, providing both a good form of public transportation and a good way to do some sightseeing from the lake. There is also a bus system to villages around the lake. There are several funiculars to take you into the hills. You can rent cars in Como (Auto Europe rentals in Como) if you want to explore other nearby areas on your own.

Lake Como - When to Go:

Lake Como is a popular weekend destination for people from Milan so the weekdays may be less crowded. July and August are the most crowded months. Spring and Fall are the best times to visit as it is less crowded and the weather is usually pleasant. During the winter, some services may be closed, but you can ski in the mountains nearby.

Como and Lake Como Average Temperatures and Precipitation

Lake Como Festivals:

The Sagra di San Giovanni is celebrated the last weekend of June in the town of Como with folk arts and fireworks and in Ossuccio with a festival, boat procession, and boat race. The Palio del Baradello, a historical re-enactment, is the first week of September. Also in September is a traditional rowing race, Palio Remiero del Lario. LakeComo Festival features summer music performances in venues around the lake and there are gastronomic festivals in fall and drama from January through April.

Lake Como - Where to Stay:

Lake Como has a variety of lodging options, from campgrounds to elegant villas. Here are theTop User Rated Lake Como Hotels on Venere, 1-5 stars, around the lake. The elegant 5-star Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni read reviews and book direct in Bellagio is a top luxury hotel on the lake and one of the oldest.

Lake Como Map and Pictures:

Our Lake Como map shows the major towns around the lake. For a look at the town of Como and the lake from there, see our Como Pictures or take a look at Bellagio, the Pearl of Lake Como, with our Bellagio Pictures.

Lake Como Shopping:

The town of Como has many silk factories so if you want to buy silk Como is a good place to go. Prices are low on designer fashion fabrics. Como also has a Silk Museum dating from 1900 where you can see the entire silk-making process.

Lake Como Attractions:

• Bellagio, known as the pearl of the lake, is in a beautiful setting where the three branches of Lake Como come together. It's easy to get to by ferry or bus from other cities on the lake. Read more in our Bellagio Travel Guide.
• The walled town of Como has a good historic center and lively squares with nice cafes. There are several walking paths near town. Como makes a good base if you're traveling by train. From Como you can take the funicular to the village of Brunate, 720m above Como, for hiking trails and beautiful views of the lake and the Alps.
• Villa d'Este, in the village of Cernobbio on the west coast, is the most famous of Lake Como's villas. The villa is now a luxury hotel on a wooded peninsula. Each of its 161 rooms is unique.
• Menaggio, against the mountains, is a lively resort with a lakeside promenade. Menaggio is popular with outdoor enthusiasts for walking or hiking, swimming, windsurfing, and rock climbing.
• Villa Carlotta, south of Menaggio, has beautiful gardens. You can tour the inside with its original 18th century furniture and art works.
• Villa del Balbianello, in the village of Lenno, is also worth a visit and has some unusual treasures. The villa was used as a set for one of the Star Wars movies.
• The fishing village of Varenna has picturesque narrow alleyways and streets below a castle and a lakeside walking path.
• Outdoor Activities - Biking, mountain biking, hiking, boating, paragliding and windsurfing. In the winter, you can ski in the nearby mountains.
• Cruises - there are some interesting cruises around the lake on commercial boats, mainly on weekends in the summer season.
• Camping - there are a number of campsites around the lake.

Halloween is not an Italian holiday but it has been adopted to a limited extent in Venice and, because it involves a lot of elements that Italians like--ie, costumes, sweets, and kids on the loose--I suppose throughout most of the country. But here, trick-or-treaters don't go from house to house or apartment to apartment, but from shop to shop, as the kids will soon do for the upcoming Festa di San Martino on November 10.

Of course not everyone here is happy about Halloween's growing prominence. The Church of San Martino near the Arsenale posted a very stern notice--two actually, side by side--on the bulletin board in front of their door stating that they would have nothing at all to do with the holiday and its costumes and jack-o-lanterns and candy and other impious nonsense. On the evening of October 31 they would be saying a rosary for the souls of all the departed. 

And so they were, murmuring their way from bead to bead, when our sugared-up son and his school friend, fully-costumed and toting maniacally-grinning pumpkin bags filled with their hauls of candy, decided that the best place to stop and goof off and break into ear-splitting banshee screams was directly in front of the open church door.

It's almost as if they took the church notices as a challenge. But as neither of them is yet four years old, and neither can read, it must have just been instinctive primal hooliganism.

Of course we told them to keep it down and hurried them along, but I did so with a very rare sense that at least for a couple of minutes all was right in the world. The Church had done its part and announced what it considered appropriate activity on such a significant night and the pre-schoolers had done theirs and spontaneously flouted that same activitycon gusto.

For piety needs impiety to feel itself to the fullest, just as impiety needs piety to really have any fun. 

Now in this sense the ostensibly pious have it better these days than ever: they need only turn the computer or television or radio to buck themselves up. Their ancestors might have had to leave their house, or at least look out the window.

While the poor would-be impious of the Western world...! Their case is almost hopeless. When everything and everyone is relentlessly telling you to indulge your appetites and cravings it becomes hard to even recognize those appetites as your own, or as yourself. The only truly transgressive act is to become an ascetic.

But last night at San Martino with the barbarians--or pagans--running wild at the door of the church it all balanced out perfectly, as it so rarely does anymore. I hope at least one cranky churchgoer, or maybe the priest, caught sight of the costumed racket at the door and benefitted from its contrast to his or her own focus. And though neither my unlettered son nor his friend could appreciate the dynamic, I could and did. I considered it my very own Halloween treat.

Just a funny thing we were going skiing yesterday, it was 20 degrees 0730 in the morning. unfortunately the ski lifts was not going due to too much wind. However we went to col du Lautaret we climbed a mounting (2h) and then sled down on the snow. Afterwards we went for a well deserved mountain meal in La Grave.

                           

So when travelling in France you soon come to realise the great diversity the country possesses. It it also very convenient, the distances are note very long and you can always find a stop that will be interesting and small cosy hostel are never far. Of course there exist some exceptions such as the French Riviera during the summer, it's really a mess. But some example of the diversity are the year around snowy mountains of the alps, lavender fields of Provence, old villages, hiking the grand canyon of Verdon, vineyard hopping, surfing the Atlantic waves and watching the sun set in the Atlantic ocean to cliff dives in the Mediterranean, driving along the Mediterranean coast with the windows down just enjoying the views and listening to your favourite music and all the buzzing medieval city centres most of this are within one day of driving.

Grenoble -> Lac du Sautet -> Digne Les Bains -> Castellane & the grand canyon of Verdon -> Grasse -> Cannes -> Sainte Auygulf -> Saint-Tropez -> Bandol & the island of Bender -> Marseille -> Aix en Provence -> Grand Motte -> Montpellier -> Banuyls-sur-Mer -> Andorra la Vella -> Biarritz -> Hossegor -> Saint-Girons-Plage -> Bassin d'Archachon & the great sand dunes of Pyla -> Bordeaux -> vineyards of Haute Médoc -> Lacanau -> Lascaux -> Grenoble

A great road trip!

The best meals was bouillabaisse in Marseille & beef with a perfect wine in Bordeaux

The best beaches are on the west coast, huge white sandy beached, in the Mediterranean the beaches close to the Hyeres area is the best.

Summer is turning into fall, and the first snow came on the mountain summits last weekend. It's feels great gazing up at the white snowy peaks, then you realise that ski season is not far away even if its still around 20 degrees in Grenoble, we are actually expecting 26 degrees this weekend.

Anyway since I'm not very synchronised with current events in this blog I intend to write some words about the events that took place in my life during august. It was vacation time.

To celebrate the vacation month we started the first of august by visiting Chamonix. Chamonix is very nice, I must say that it's one of few French alpine tourist villages that has kept its charms. I say tourist villages because there exist a lot of smaller not that famous villages that are very nice that not yet have been overexploited as many popular ski resort.

While in Chamonix we visited Aiguille the Midi looking down the vallée Blanche run you really looking forward to returning with your skis on. One of the few larger French ski resorts I didn't ski on last season. Of course you also have a decent panoramic view over the Mont Blanc massif. We were actually having dinner on the altitude of 3842m altitude, I must say I had some problem with the altitude feeling dizzy and nausea I was a bit surprised since I had been skiing on altitudes around 3300m before without any problems, but I guess I reached my threshold.