Thursday 31 July 2008

Lonely seagull

If you have read Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach, you'll surely remember the beautiful story of a seagull who wanted to fly away to freedom... I met one of his friends two days ago in the Chausey Islands, off the northern coast of Brittany.










Wednesday 30 July 2008

Ducks in Yangshuo

It was one of those moments when I wished I could understand what ducks were saying. One thing's for sure, they knew who had their food.

Yangshuo, Guangxi province, China.

Tuesday 29 July 2008

The Great Wall of China

This is not any wall, this is The Great Wall. It's roughly 6,400 to 6,700 km long and made of various fortifications built between the 6th century BC and the 16th century AD.

I hiked for 10 kilometres on the Great Wall, between Jinshanling and Simatai, under ruthless sunshine and scorching heat.

Truly exhilarating.




I went to the Great Wall of China twice last year. To see the pictures, click on the following links:

Day one
Day two


Monday 28 July 2008

All at sea

Quelques photos prises lors d'une régate récente en Bretagne Nord, quand le vent fait gonfler le beau spi.
















Australia calling

Here's what you can find in the Australian outback: emptiness, rocks and a few wandering tourists...

Sunday 27 July 2008

Sentinel Pass

Arriver à un sommet ou à un col, à quelque altitude que ce soit, m'emplit toujours d'un bonheur à la fois simple et intense. Un peu de lyrisme dans ce monde où la science veut tout expliquer avec des chiffres... Mais comment décrire cette sensation totale, cette passagère plénitude lorsqu'à mi-chemin, je vois derrière moi ces heures d'ascension, je vois devant moi ces heures qu'il me reste à marcher? Pendant un instant, cet instant où il n'y a plus de secondes, de minutes ou d'heures, je contemple la planète et je m'y sens bien.

Saturday 26 July 2008

Fous de Bassan

Quelle folie!

On trouve ces beaux ailés, qui de leur bruit assourdissant nous paraissent bien zélés, sur l'Île Bonaventure, en face de Percé, en Gaspésie (Province du Québec, Canada).

Friday 25 July 2008

Le Belvédère de la Saillie

Dans le Parc National de Forillon, à l'extrémité orientale de la Gaspésie.

Une superbe randonnée où la chaîne montagneuse des Appalaches termine sa route dans le Golfe du Saint Laurent.


Wednesday 23 July 2008

The Plain of 6 Glaciers

I shall now begin a new series about my round-the-world trip. You've seen all of the pictures...But you haven't watched the films yet.

Today, an avalanche in the Plain of Six Glaciers, near Lake Louise, Canada.

Gently skyscraping

This is a quiz for those of you who need a break from their current task/assignment/homework... Anything keeping you busy...

Please locate the following buildings:


Sunday 20 July 2008

Around The World

On July 20th, 2007, I left France and landed in Montreal, Canada, 7 hours and 40 minutes later. I was starting my round-the-world trip. A year has passed since...

To celebrate such a simple anniversary, here's an easier way for you to navigate through the hundreds of photos that I published during my travels.

Remember: the most recent article appears on top the page, the oldest at the bottom.

How to use the following links?
For example, if you click on "August 2007", you'll see all the articles published from August 1st to August 31st. So the August pictures of China will appear on top of the page, while the August pictures of Canada will be at the bottom of the same page. Easy peasy...

Canada:
July 07
August 07

China:
First impressions
September 07

Australia:
First night
October 07
November 07
December 07
January 08
February 08

New Zealand + final weeks in Australia (April/March):
February 08
March 08
April 08

South Africa:
April 08
May 08

The other "classic" way to navigate on my blog is to click on the little triangle next to the chosen year and/or chosen month (on the right hand side of the page). This way, the list of articles will appear, allowing you to choose what you want to see!

Saturday 19 July 2008

Thursday 17 July 2008

Summer in Dinard (3)

Today, I'm taking you to Saint Malo, so you can have a look around, through the lens of my physically-challenged camera.

This year, we are celebrating, in France and in Canada, the 400th anniversary of the creation of Québec. And Jacques Cartier left France from Saint Malo to go on his epic journey to an unknown land across the ocean in 1534. Hence the large number of Québécois flags in the fortified city.













Sur les portes en bois, les sentiments et les passions s'inscrivent dans un avenir aussi lointain que l'encre du feutre le permettra...




Jeux de perspectives dans les rues étroites de Saint Malo, la cité corsaire.




La rue du Chat Qui Danse.










Tel un tableau de Magritte, cette fenêtre sur l'été dans les remparts de la cité.




Achat de livres sous pieuse protection.










Ce genre de nom n'aide guère ceux qui veulent s'y retrouver...




Ici, point de pétanque ou de boules traditionnelles, on joue à la boule bretonne, belle et colorée.


Monday 14 July 2008

Summer in Dinard (2)

En ce jour de Fête Nationale, on reste sur la Promenade du Clair de Lune pour poser un regard sur les petites embarcations qui ont élu domicile dans la baie du Prieuré.

























Sunday 13 July 2008

Summer in Dinard (1)

A few pictures taken in Dinard, on the northern coast of Brittany, near the famous town of Saint Malo.

The Tour de France, 2nd day.






















The cyclists are only a few seconds away now...
















Saint Malo, pirate city, in the background.
















Small boat and moon reflected in the evening sea.




Last ray of light before the night in Saint Malo's windows.







National Day celebration ahead of schedule.

In France, small towns usually celebrate the National Day (Fête Nationale or Bastille Day, 14th July) on the 12th or 13th as their fireworks are usually less impressive than the ones taking place in big towns on the 14th. This way, there's no waste of time and money :-)