Scully

I went there for three weeks of holidays. I was with my grand-parents, and I had been killing everybody for years to go visit the region. We went to Finistère, which is to me ‘the last land’ before the ocean. It’s got something special.

We went near a town called Plouescat, nice people who rent the ground floor of their house, not for a too expensive cost. And they were very kind. I know this place is said to be very rainy, but actually during the three weeks we stayed, the weather was nearly beautiful all the time ; I think it rained two or three days only. Anyway, I loved the place maybe more with the rain and the wind. I walked on the land, all along the ocean, and expected to see ghosts floating around the houses of stone. It’s very typical, and it gives a very authentic atmosphere. Everything has a special spirit there, like if even the stone was dwelled with energy. The pavements, the seashore, the houses. Natural magic spell.

We celebrated my 13th birthday there. And so I asked if we could go to a typical tavern. I wanted to feel once like a real pirat before we go back home. We ate *real ‘crêpes’, and I was allowed to drink (one glass) of ‘chouchen’ (Hydromel + calva). It tastes very sweet, and makes very happy :)

I shall go back there.

That’s all I keep from this place.

I lived there for nearly 5 years. The region is beautiful, peaceful on the plate surrounded by the mountains. It’s called La Cerdagne (Sardana). Bourg-Madame is the Spanish barrier. It’s a town, not a city. There’s a supermaket, doctors, police, schools (mid-school, no highschool) hotels… but the closer hospital is in Prades (50 km). However, I love this place and would like to go back, it’s a charming place.

There’re lots of places to visit around (including Osséjà :DDD, the park, the lake), the roads climbing, when the weather is beautiful, you can see all the plate as you climb, it’s really a unique feeling. You can go to the mountain (never alone! ;) ), and maybe have the luck to see wild animals. And when you’re up there, close to the top, in between the very green grass and very blue sky, you watch the valley, there’s nothing better (unless you’re in good company, this is better). This is the other place where I felt absolutely both unique and a wholly part of it.

In the winter, you can ski. I don’t know all the stations I believe. I know that Font-Romeu is accessible to beginners, and basically accessible lol. I had fun at the Puymorens station for cross-country skiing. Font-Romeu too. I’m not a great downhill skiing, but I know some of crazy skiers I had in my class loved the Puygmal station. I only made cross-country skiing there, and my advice is if you have the vertigo, don’t go, the way to go (especially with a bus) is a suffering, and the pist (for cross-country skiing), looked like a descending pist, just talking to the precipice.

You can also take the tour lol like I say, with The little Yellow Train (le petit train jaune). From memory, it’s from station La Tour de Carol, to Villefranche (castle to visit, of ruins, I don’t remember very well). You pass in the middle of the mountains, on very high bridges (Bridge ’Gisclar on the picture).

I don’t remember all but I can say I went to Targazonne, Odeillo (the solar oven). There’s Le lac des bouillouses, that reminds me of New Zealand (pictures I saw).

I so much wanna go back there.

I’ve lived here for more than 5 years now. Usually I don’t like to live in the city, because of noise and pollution. But I like this city. First because it’s rather a small city, 330 000 people I think nowadays. Maybe also because I live southern Bordeaux, not rich part but agreeable.

Bordeaux is a melting-pot city. Lots of people of different origins and colors live here, and close from one ot the other because it’s small, and yes, there are some tensions sometimes, but less than in ‘melting-pot’ cities. There are ‘quarters’ (I don’t know if it’s good, because quarters create tensions, but it also provides an enormous diversity,… if you go in respect it happens just fine), Arabic, Jew, Chinese (Asian), African, Eastern Europe, Indian etc, and as we also have lots of tourists, all seasons (he he the weather is mild), you can hear many languages on the street. For now I tested nearly all types of restaurant and food, and ambiance. Anywhere you go there’s food anyway. lol. There’re also some good Irish pub (yes we have Irish and English people too!), like the Connemara (soccer, rugby big screen, and beer and beer and beer lol), or the Frog and Rosbif, music! and beer and beer and beer… (lots of young people, from the languages university, with ERASMUS, or lecturers).

Bordeaux was/is a port (there are still big boat coming and stoping here, and there’s a ‘batman’ green ray in the sky, I think when they go. Sometimes, when the captain is fun, we can hear the foghorn to south). It was unfortunately very active in the black slave trades. It was a place for merchandising too, and so rich merchants and slave traders built the beautiful walls, and architecture of the city. Bitter beauty.

There are some spots I love, like ‘Les quais’, long with large sidewalks, in the eastern downtown, along la Garonne river. The center of Bordeaux is mostly beautiful, the ancient buildings that have been fixed and cleaned recently (I should add pictures hopefully). It’s a place for rich people, like I say lol, with the big apartments, the shops (St Catherine st.) theaters etc… but be careful, the better restaurants are not always in the center, you gotta search ;) the quarter St Pierre is very beautiful yet. And la PLace de la Bourse at night is very romantic. Northern Bordeaux is more about industrial areas. It’s cold and grey… eastern includes (to me) les quais, and the other side of la Garonne. I don’t know much although I know it’s rather rich. Western Bordeaux has for interest the stadium, and after le Parc Bordelais (and some rich around too), and southern Bordeaux is the more colorful, from the center to south you’ve got a good part of the Asian quarter, African quarter, Arabic quarter… and the station! One of the poorer part, but I like it :) You can go to the market (instead of the supermarket) les Capucins. And with the tram it’s 5 minutes from the center.

I’ve come to feel like home.