adieu 285 Kent

High on no sleep and one transatlantic flight later, we stepped off a plane from Edinburgh to New York and made straight for Brooklyn. Grabbing a quick bite for strength, it was destination 285 Kent. The line-up that night, 17 February 2012, included Teengirl Fantasy, Ital and Expensive Shit. The venue is closing. Their time is up.

ahem

Walking around Venice this summer, we came across this poster. "Arrgh, why could we not have been in Paris for this?", we said, "Quick, take a photo anyway to show the folks back home". Such a line-up would have been a beauty to behold, right enough.

Turns out it was all a ruse. An elaborate fake by French-Portuguese graffiti artist, André. He posted this and others in several major cities around the world, some more obvious than others. Had we seen the one boasting Serge Gainsbourg, Boris Vian, Jacques Brel and Nina Simone, 'For One Night Only', we may not have been quite as foolish. I blame it on the sunshine.

Italia 2013 #4 Venice Biennale

My edited highlights of last week's trip to the Venice Biennale 2013. We were there six years ago and loved it so much we returned, with a 3-year-old in tow. She seemed to like it too. With so many things to see at one of the greatest shows on earth, it is hard to pinpoint favourites. Here are some of the things that certainly stood out for me in 2013: Channa Horowitz, Ryan Trecartin, Prabhavathi Meppayil (Cut, 2011), Italian photographers Luigi Ghirri and Luca Vitone, Transfiguration at the China pavilion, Morton Bartlett's dolls, Kohei Yoshiyuki photography 1946, Mathias Poledna 2013 at the Austria pavilion (last photograph above), the Russian pavilion, all work by AES+F. Plus many, many more.

Italia 2013 #1 plage

 

 

The first of various sets of images from a very recent family and friends trip to Italy. An invitation to the outstanding wedding of some very good friends, was turned into a most memorable two and a bit week jolly, covering a fair bit of Tuscany and Venice.

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

le pre-Noël en Bourgogne

 

After a wonderful week of festive cheer: spending time with family, opening presents and overindulging in cheese and wine here in Burgundy, we head back to Edinburgh tomorrow, to get ready for Christmas...

Paris, jour et nuit

We arrived in France a few days ago for what has now become our annual pre-Christmas Christmas. Before heading south to Burgundy, we spent 24 hours or so in a pretty damp, Paris. Soggy, but beautiful as ever and we enjoyed the sights and sounds of a city in full festive swing.

an Easter break

Ahhh, now that's better. We escaped the latest dodgy Edinburgh weather almost a week ago. Nipping across the Channel last weekend, we were just in time to hunt for eggs in the sunny garden and eat our chocolate in the peace and quiet of the Languedoc-Roussillon countryside. It has been a mixed bag weather-wise, but generally warmer than Scotland and all happy to be enjoying proper family time in our French home-from-home. The media is all over the upcoming presidential election, now days away. Good to be here at this time. Highlights of our stay so far have included the following:

- +25 degree temperatures;
- a trip to Intermarché to check out the cheese counter;
- an electrical storm at night;
- a Vacherin (the dessert, not the cheese);
- enjoying our apéritif on the terrace (Panaché , Apéricube and Crackers Belin);
- a miel and pelardon pizza from the pizza van;
- le Grand and Petit Journal on Canal +.

Simple pleasures.