Like in the old days

I didn't expect a simple little green shamrock to rock my world like this.

This week-end I went back to Dublin for an extended week-end and I found there the peace and the joy I lost when I left Ireland... This seems quite a philosophic sentence... Ok, let's start from the beginning.

It was the first time since I'm in Nice that I took a day flight. Normaly I'm always flying late in the evening or too early in the morning to see anything. That time, my 11 am flight allow me to have a wonderful panoramic view on the French Riviera: Nice, Mont Boron, Saint Jean Cap Ferrat... The coast is a real jewel and I didn't expect it to be that nice. That was the first surprise of the day.

The 2 hours and 15 minutes flight went ok. Nothing much to say except maybe that all France was under the clouds and that I was next to the window so I could "face-sunbathe" during the flight.

Landing in Ireland, I had the opportunity to look at the landscapes and they stoke me. Everything was plane and green. Just beautiful. I was invaded by some inner peace and happiness. Memories, wishes to be there again, I felt like the time was suppended... I looked at the beaches and the cliffs that reminded me of so many nice memories with Ramona, Michi, Marie, Siemens, Antoine... Beauty was there. Inner beauty I mean.

Landing and meeting Sonia I haven't seen at all for 1 year!!! That's the longest period we've been separated and I was so excited to see her again. Kristjan was there too and after the expected hugs and kisses, we left the airport to go to her place.

The weather for the week-end was expected to be ok. Not so cold (some 8°C) and not so cloudy. When I landed the captain said it was 5°C in Dublin but when we waited for the bus to come, it started snowing!! No joke! Only for 30 seconds but still!! Funny!

After a good lunch and some chat and gossips, Sonia and I went in the city center for shopping. Penneys, a|wear, Carroll's of course. Dinner and the first part of the evening were spent at Sonia's place while for the second part, I met Marie at my former house.
It was so nice to see her again and to be in that house. I felt like I never left. Everything was at its place and only a couple of new things had appeared.
To respect our traditions, we went to Searson's to have a couple of gin tonics and to catch up with time. Marie introduced me to her new (and let's say it, handsome) Spanish boyfriend. "Marie in love? No way!!" And still, she definitely is (and so is he!).

We went to bed around 4.30am (change of time during the night) and as I slept on the sofa that night (José took my place in the bed) I got waken up at 8.30 (new time). So a little 3 hours sleep.

José left and Marie and I had our traditional breakfast at the restaurant on the other side of the river: salmon, scrambbled eggs, toasts, capuccino and a glass of fresh orange juice. YUMMY!!

I met Sonia straight after at her place and with Kristjan we went to Bray for the afternoon.
Sonia and Kris just bought a new reflex camera (I'm loving it!!) so we spent the whole afternoon trying to make professional pictures and understanding how it worked. My next camera will definitely be a reflex!! Bet on it!
The evening went on at Soso's place looking at the pics made, chatting, transfering movies from a hard disk to another...

I took monday off to enjoy better my time in Dublin. I had planned to go to Siemens to see Michael O'Connor and get some news from the Siemens life and I was stunned when I saw my beloved second floor. The financial crisis has made some damages: 2 divisions out of 5 or 6 (can't remember) have disappeared, all devices in the showroom were all packed up, ready to leave, and the second floor is about to be sold.
Michael didn't look very happy too... it seems he's kind of worried. The only moments I saw him smile sincerily was when we talked about our common memories. Old times...

I finally walked back to the city center, to buy the last souvenirs and on my way I realized I left Dublin 2 years ago. 2 years already... and I felt like I was right there in these wide streets yesterday!

Time to say goodbye to Sonia and there I was, at the airport, on my way to Nice... again... leaving my heart and memories in Dublin... again...

Salsa Queen

Since a bit more than one month, I'm following salsa courses given by the Columbian association in Nice. I've known this association thanks to Francis, my colleague, and Luz, his wife, who are part of it.

So after having revised the basis, I am now evolving a bit and learning new steps. Well not exactly... Actually we're still learning steps that I know but as there aren't enough men in the course, and since I know the basics already, I'm learning man's steps and that's quite funny. So I'm Cécilia's partner and we both rock! We're great together and really get on well on the dancefloor!

Aside from that, we're participating to a lot of salsa evenings like yesterday at the Karé(ment), a club in Monaco.

I hope soon I'll be able to dance salsa perfectly... ok, maybe not soon but maybe one day! ;)
Special thought for my brother who celebrates his 10th birthday today. Lots of love Greg!

The King is dead! Long life to the King!

Last day of the carnival and again the parade. It was my last occasion to take a picture of the dragon which was, according to me, the most stunning attraction of the whole carnival.

For this last day, Cécilia and I got from the Tourist Office 2 stand tickets and even the rain didn't put us off watching one last time this ballet...

And there it comes! The dragon and its very well done sound and light effects: its green eyes rolling, its mounth lightning and smoke coming out of its nostrils... One could just stand there, admire the huge beast and feel the power that it represented.

I felt so little in front of the hours work that thing represented and I really felt like I changed time period for a minute.

The show continued later in the evening: after a last parade of the King and Queen, they put a replica of the King on a boat and sent it offshore. Suddenly, the shadow of the King cought fire and burned until nothing was left while the speaker was saying: "The King is dead! Long life to the King!!"

Right after started the fireworks of carnival's closure. It was over the sea fired from 4 boats and it was really nice and well done. With Cécilia we managed to get a nice spot on a rock of a pier really close to the sea. So close that everytime there was a wage, we got wet! :)

It was a real traditional evening (waaaaayyyyy better than Menton's "party") and I'm glad I participated to the Carnival event.