Sunday, February 28

The International Regatta of l'Erdre in Nantes, Thursday, 25 March, Quai de la jonelière in Nantes


Dragon boats and blue waves crashing,
white foam flying, white horses leaping,
sails exploding, voices shouting,
adrenalin pumping and hearts pounding,
over the line
the race is won!

Let's hope the storms are over by then! It should be a spectacular event -- make sure you get there!


Les Régates Internationales de l'Erdre 2010 est une journée placée sous le signe de la rencontre entre les étudiants de l'Université de Nantes et la découverte d'un sport d'équipe tout cela organisé par l'association MSN Managers de l'UFR STAPS de Nantes et le N.A.C.K.

Le fil rouge de la journée sera donc la course de Dragont Boat sur 250 mètres qui est une activité sportive peu connue en france qui regroupe une vingtaine de rameurs et un capitaine qui rythme la cadence avec un tambour de galérien. D'autres activités sportives tel que le VTT, la course d'orientation ou encore le kayak seront proposées aux participants.

Pour pouvoir participer à l'événement un bulletin d'inscription est à demander auprès de Julien soit par téléphone au 06.32.69.76.42 ou par mail à l'adresse suivante julien.manrique-cobos@etu.univ-nantes.fr. L'inscription se fait par équipe de 10 ou 20 et est ouvert à tous les étudiants de l'Université de Nantes. Toutes les informations nécessaires sont sur le bulletin d'inscription et Julien se tient à votre disposition pour répondre aux éventuelles questions.



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  • Saturday, February 27

    Driver Safety

    As a driver, we do everything we can to make sure that our passengers are conveyed to their destination in comfort and safely. This means showing exceptional alertness to the roads and surroundings as well as to everything that is going on in the car.

    Usually, the passengers reciprocate this by thanking you or offering a tip but a bunch of rowdy drunken lads I picked up tonight had other ideas. One lad sat behind me decided that he would reach over and put his hands over my eyes so I couldnt see where I was driving. My immediate reaction was to slam the brakes on and perform and emergency stop.

    The guy in the back headbutted the seat and the guy in the front shot forward but was saved by his seatbelt. The other two people in the back were not happy with the person who had put his hands over my eyes and verbally had a go at him.

    I leapt out the car, pulled the back door open and yanked this idiot out of the car onto the floor and told him that this is where the journey ends. The others apologised on his behalf and paid the fare. I told him he was lucky that I didnt give him a good hiding for what he did as it was dangerous

    To my surprise, the 3 other lads took it into their own hands to sort him out and as I drove off they were kicking and punching him. I left them to it. Wasn't my problem anymore. I got paid so was quite happy.

    It goes to show what a split second of an idiotic prank could do to me or the car but in this case it back fired on the prat and he got what he deserved by his mates.

    Ah... Justice... and I didnt have to do a thing.

    Semana Santa in Seville


    After having experienced the drama and pomp and ceremony and spine-chilling rituals of Holy Week in Santiago de Compostela, I can strongly recommend a trip to Seville in Spain at the end of March, first week in April!



    Semana Santa in Seville, Spain. Courtesy of Turismo de Sevilla
    when: 28 Mar - 4 Apr 2010 (annual)
    where: Seville
    cost: Free

    Seville is renowend for staging one of the most overwhelming Holy Week processions in the world. Thousands of people, young and old, religious and secular, pour onto this ancient city's winding streets to remember the events of The Passion.

    Brotherhoods (cofradias) from all over the city spend weeks in preparation to ensure that the parades do justice to what can be considered the commanding highlight of the Christian calendar. The commemoration dates back to the 16th century and today the celebrations are as popular as ever. The spectacle of the solemn daily processions, marked by mesmerising drumbeats and punctuated by flamenco saetas (songs), provides a constant reminder of the Christian and Pagan heritage that makes up this unique land.

    Tensions heighten on the eve of Good Friday, with a breathtaking midnight cavalcade that continues into the early hours of the morning. A wealth of images and statues of Jesus and the Virgin Mary are paraded through the streets of the city to an almighty turn out.

    The procession can take up to eight hours, as there are more than 100 pasos, or litters, representing different districts of the town. The privilege of carrying one of the litters is exclusive. One of the greatest honours of Semana Santa is assigned to the costaleros, who bear some of the larger floats, which can weigh up to several tonnes. Each man must take the weight of up to 40 kilogrammes for hours on end. The brothers' attire of hood, cloak and sandals is known as the nazareno.

    Semana Santa is no ordinary event. The combination of the heady clouds of incense and flamenco song, along with the sheer spectacle of the costaleros, nazarenos and life-size images as they judder along on their floats, creates a powerful atmosphere.

    Town Information: Seville
    Full Name: Seville, Spain
    Name: Seville Tourist Office (Municipal)
    Location: Seville
    Address: Edificio Costurero de La Reina, Calle Paseo de las Delicias, 9, 45013 Sevilla
    Phone: +34 954 23 44 65
    Fax: +34 954236243
    Name: Tourist Office at the Junta de Andalusia
    Location: Andalusia
    Address: Plaza Mariana de Pineda 10, Granada
    Phone: +34 958 24 71 28
    Name: Spanish National Tourist Office
    Location: Spain
    Address: José Lazaro Galdiano, 6, Madrid 28036
    Fax: +34 913 43 35 00
    Name: Spanish National Tourist Office (Turespaña)
    Location: Spain
    Address: Jose Lázaro Galdiano, 6, 28071 Madrid, Spain
    Email: infosmile@tourspain.es
    Phone: +34 913 43 35 00
    Name: Spanish Tourist Board (London)
    Location: Spain
    Address: PO Box 4009, London, W1A 6NB
    Email: info.londres@tourspain.es
    Phone: +44 (0) 20 7486 8077
    Fax: +44 (0) 20 7486 8034
    Event details can change. Please check with the organisers that the event is happening before making travel arrangements.

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  • PHEW! Chateau Lalinde survived the storm!


    meteo map yesterday


    METEO - Il est conseillé d'éviter les déplacements...

    Four departments (Charente-Maritime, Vendée, Vienne, Deux-Sèvres) were put on red alert yesterday in preparation of one of the worst storms to hit France since --- well... since the last one a year ago! -- but apparently it should have been the entire southwest region -- Dordogne was badly hit by the storm last night and Chateau Lalinde shook on its foundations.

    France was warned to stay indoors and batten the hatches during the night, but I can tell you it was frightening -- even behind the doors and the battened hatches! There were moments when I was sure the roof was going to be lifted off this 950 year old buildingby the winds that apparently exceeded 150km per hour . I stayed up all night and paced the floors, going from room to room to make sure none of the windows had smashed open or that too much water was being pushed underneath the doors.
    Everything is in place this morning -- my window boxes on the terrace are all gone -- obviously washed away down the river, but seems the roof is still intact and the walls still standing.

    I am sure not everyone was as lucky -- and my thoughts go out to them!

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  • Wednesday, February 24

    A Narrow Escape

    Out on the roads today I was nearly caught up in an accident whilst driving down a main road at 24mph. Obviously the car coming out from the left didn't look properly and must have only glanced in my direction for him not to see me and pulled straight out in front of me. Its lucky I was only going slow and had a good reflex reaction when I did an emergency stop otherwise I could have hit him.

    The oronic thing is that the car behind me was a police vehicle that witnessed what had happened as he had to brake as well to avoid hitting me. Yet, the other car carried on totally oblivious to me being there and the police vehicle also carried on rather than turn round and have works with the driver.


    In-Car CCTV footage shows the incident

    Activities in and around the Dordogne February, March, April


    SO many things to do, so many places to go, so shows and exhibitions to see, so much to learn! Put on your wooilies and get out there, now!

    Il reste des places pour le Big Dance Theater et Dorian Rossel à Nantes, Musiques en scène à Lyon, de nombreux spectacles à Annecy, le festival 360° à saint-Brieuc, le concert d’Esma Redzepova à Caen, le festival Archipel à Genève, Raimund Hoghe à Pantin, Allio-Weber et plusieurs spectacles à la Maison de la poésie, à Paris. Et toujours, les concerts de Clues en France, plusieurs spectacles de cirque et de théâtre à Chateauroux, de nombreux spectacles à L'Arsenic de Lausanne et l'exposition Fascinante Italie à Nantes.


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  • Sunday, February 21

    Snowgiant


    After an unexpected snowfall early this Sunday morning the streets and gardens of Barrow became home to a large assortment of snow folk. None that I saw were bigger than the one pictured above. But even apart from its huge size the clues were there that this snowperson had been built by an over competitive parent. The main thing to me was that, I know kids would never build a snowman looking out and away from their home. No matter how grand or humble the snowperson it has to be seen from the house usually from the kids bedroom window.
    Talking about huge erections I was embarrassed this morning when I pointed out a large snowman to an elderly lady fare. How was I to know that the cheeky varmints that built him had made him anatomically correct!  Mind you I do think they may have exaggerated a bit but then again I’m no expert on snowman’s bits.

    Wednesday, February 17

    Free legal advice on French issues this week!


    A FREE telephone advice line is running this week (from today, 17 February) to help anyone with questions about family life, buying a property or inheritance in France.

    The service is part of the annual Semaine d'Information sur les Droits des Familles - a week-long information campaign organised by the Employment Ministry, which has family affairs in its brief.

    Lawyers will be on hand to answer questions about the legal and tax implications of marriage and the pacs, buying property together, life insurance and preparing a will.

    You can call the helpline (in French) on 3620 and say "Notaires et Familles" after the beep. It is open every day from 14.00 to 18.00 until Friday evening (February 19).


    A series of free conferences are also being held in Paris this week - see the programme here for full details:
    Tout au long de la Semaine d’information, des conférences ont lieu tous les jours, à la Chambre des Notaires de Paris, 12 avenue Victoria, 75001 Paris (Métro Châtelet), en milieu et en fin de journée. L’exposé du (ou des) notaire(s), d’une durée d’environ vingt minutes, est suivi d’une session de questions-réponses avec le public. L’entrée est libre et gratuite, dans la limite des places disponibles.
    Le programme

    * Lundi 15 février - 12 h 30 : Vie à 2 : Pacs, mariage ou concubinage S'inscrire
    * Lundi 15 février - 18 h 30 : Achat à 2 : logement - les étapes du premier achat
    * Mardi 16 février - 19 h 30 : L’indivision : comment bien gérer le partage ?
    * Mercredi 17 février - 12 h 30 : Transmission : quelle donation choisir ?
    * Mercredi 17 février - 18 h 30 : Achat à 2 : l’investissement immobilier du couple
    * Jeudi 18 février - 12 h 30 : Séparation du couple : divorce et rupture de Pacs
    * Jeudi 18 février - 18 h 30 : Séparation ou décès : comment gérer la dissolution du couple ?
    * Vendredi 19 février - 12 h 30 : Personnes vulnérables : comment les protéger et assurer leur avenir ?

    Go here to subscribe Brilliant!





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  • Sunday, February 14

    Valentines Weekend

    Well so far so good. The weekend has gone ok but its been a quiet one. The road works are causing major delays and a detour into town adding an extra mile on the journey coming from Barrow Island.

    One conversation in the car this weekend between a mother and a young girl aged around 8 years old was quite enlightening. The young girl said she had a boyfriend at school and her mother asked who it was. As most 8 year olds do, they refuse to say who it is and she said "I`m not telling, its a secret". Her mother replied by saying that she shouldn't have boyfriends as she was too young to which the little girl promptly said." I need a boyfriend as I don't want to become a lesbian like my sister" I tried not to laugh at this as her mother instantly started to shout at her saying that we dont talk about things like that and its not right etc etc.

    Made me laugh anyway, you don't expect a young girl to come out with that in conversation

    Saturday, February 13

    Another Day of Poetry to celebrate our poets and the coming of spring!






    This year, to celebrate not only our beautiful contemporary French poetry, but also the amazing heritage we have in the poets of the last many centuries, Albert Croce of the Le Centre Aquitaine Langues is offering an unprecendented and generous programme for everyone!


    The Centre Aquitaine Langues is happy to launch two events for the National Celebration of ‘Le Printemps des Poètes Couleur Femme’ in Saussignac

    1. One week French course with the theme: ‘ Contemporary Women in Poetry’ From Monday 8 to Friday 12 March 9.00-12.30pm at the fabulously affordable cost of 196€

    2. A ‘Soirée’ to highlight the Célébration with a special guest the talented writer and poet Christophe Marmorat followed by poetry reading, a concert of songs by Contre Façon and a buffet

    The featured poet this year is the wonderful Andrée Chédid. She was born in 1920 in Cairo and came to Europe at the age of 14. Later she returned to Cairo to attend the American university and then lived in Paris from 1946. Andrée Chédid wrote a large collection of anthologies, a few pieces for children, theatre pieces, essays, and novels. In 2003 she received the Prix Goncourt for poetry.

    Here is a taste of the treat you are in for!

    L'Autre -- Andrée Chédid

    À force de m’écrire
    Je me découvre un peu
    Je recherche l’Autre

    J’aperçois au loin
    La femme que j’ai été
    Je discerne ses gestes
    Je glisse sur ses défauts
    Je pénètre à l’intérieur
    D’une conscience évanouie
    J’explore son regard
    Comme ses nuits

    Je dépiste et dénude un ciel
    Sans réponse et sans voix
    Je parcours d’autres domaines
    J’invente mon langage
    Et m’évade en Poésie

    Retombée sur ma Terre
    J’y répète à voix basse
    Inventions et souvenirs

    À force de m’écrire
    Je me découvre un peu
    Et je retrouve l’Autre.


    Christophe Marmorat, the poet who will be the special guest and read a few of his beautiful poems from his latest work, has been writing for 20 years and syas of his writing:
    La musique et l'image sont au coeur de mon univers, et c'est uniquement en écoutant en boucle de la musique que j'écris des textes...très visuels.

    Contact Aquitaine Langues or Albert Croce at aquitainelangues@wanadoo.fr to book -- but be quick -- there is a limited number of places to these excellent events!





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  • Friday, February 12

    A Quiet Time

    Not much has been happening over the last 2 weeks hence no posts but this week alone has seen so many road closures and diversions that it is not possible to get into the town centre.

    The main thoroughfare into town is closed for 4 weeks but the contractors never seem to get the work done on time so I don't hold out much hope. Tonight will be the big test as the main road where all the niteclubs are is closed off meaning our busiest taxi rank is not available for use so it looks like we are going to have nowhere to park up tonight.

    I wonder how the clubbers will get in and out of the niteclubs and when they do, they will have to walk a bit to find a taxi.

    Other road closures in the town include one of the main routes to the next town and is a very busy road. Temporary traffic lights are causing long tailbacks all over the area and with it being Valentines weekend I reckon it could be a busy one.

    Road Delays +people going out + plus valentines weekend = Pandemonium

    Monday, February 1

    Bad luck

    Its been a strange weekend, Got a puncture on Saturday night whilst having a fare in the car so I called up another cab to take my fair whilst I changed my wheel. Nothing wrong with that except I couldnt get a puncture repaired that night so used my spare.

    On Sunday I set off to get my puncture repaired and on the way, I got another one.

    2 punctures in 2 days and only one spare. How unlucky is that?
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