Travel

JournalTravel

End of vacation

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Tuesday 25. 05. 10 Drove Jason back to the airport this morning – hair raising drive with bouchons at Gignac and Montpellier but we finally arrived safe and sound. Sunday we went to Pezenas early in the morning to take advantage of the morning light and the empty streets. Jason shot over a hundred pictures. We then had a  delicious lunch chez  Gisèle and Jonathan together with David and Monique. Monday we did the short walk at the Cirque de Moureze in the morning and then visited St Guilhem in the afternoon with dinner at Le Terminus in Clermont in the evening. After his visit I think that Jason now knows why I live here.

JournalTravel

Poppies

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Sunday 23. 05. 10 Yesterday went to the market in Gignac and then Claire and Gérard came over for lunch. After lunch we loaded Claire’s wardrobe onto the top of Gérard’s Lada for transportation back to Montpellier and then took off on a local tour for Jason to photograph poppies and vineyards.

JournalTravel

Back in France

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Friday 21. 05. 10 Since we got back from the UK we have been zooming around the neighbourhood on the scooters. We were at the Pic St Loup on Wednesday, Sete and Marseillan yesterday. Today we were lucky enough to borrow Laurene and George’s Clio so drove over to the Pays Cathare and went to Carcassonne and Peyrepertuse for the day. It was hot and sunny and no wind. Carcassonne was not too crowded and seemed less touristy than previous visits. We were lucky enough to hear a choir of 5 men singing in the church. Amazing ecoustics. The castle at Peyrepertuse was its usual wild and remote self.

JournalLondonShowsTravel

London

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Tuesday 18. 05. 10 Got back safely at noon today on time despite the volcanic cloud. Saw the Magnificent Maps exhibition at the British Library, climbed the Monument and took a tour of Tower Bridge. The Monument has 311 steps up this narrow circular stairway and has some interesting views of the city from the top. The height is based on the distance from the source of the Great Fire of London in Pudding Lane to the site of the monument itself. After tower bridge we also wandered around Butler’s Wharf and even went to the Design Museum. Monday morning shot some reference photos for my proposed series of monoprints of London stations (very convenient having Jason here shooting all this stuff!). Afterwards we went on a London walking tour around Mayfair – surprisingly good and not at all touristy. After pub lunch caught Greenline back to Luton. Stayed at the Days Inn, bland but functional. Tried to find somewhere to eat in Luton but not successful. The town centre is quite run-down and depressed with many places closed or for rent. Had to return to hotel for dinner. Up early this morning to get the 8.15 to Beziers. Drove home on the scooter via Decathlon where Jason found some ballet slippers for Poppy.

JournalPaintingTravel

L.A.C.

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Friday 07. 05. 10 George found this place on the internet so today Laurene, George and I drove over towards Narbonne to visit. It is a gallery/collection put together by Piet Moget a Dutch painter who settled in this part of the world. The gallery is a huge barn-like structure originally used for wine making (there are even a couple of smaller galleries actually set in the wine vats). The space is vast, light and very airy and is run by his daughter who was there showing a bus load of students around the gallery. The collection is quite eclectic with drawings and paintings by many painters who I have never heard of  but all are interesting. There are even a few sculptures.

JournalTravel

Canadian Winter

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Rideau loRes
Wednesday 23. 12. 09 I have been back in Toronto nearly two weeks now. It has been cold but no snow yet. Drove up to Merrickville to see Martin and Beryl last week for a couple of days and it was seriously cold there -29 degrees! However it was sunny and there was snow on the ground which made a huge difference. Have been involved in the usual social rounds seeing family and friends, the dentist and the bank. Looking forward to Christmas but it may not be a white one this year.

JournalLondonTravel

London

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London Lights

Sunday 15. 11. 09 Got back yesterday from a wonderful week in London. I arrived there last Saturday and met Julia who flew in from Toronto. We did a lot of walking, a lot of talking and we went to a lot of galleries. Highlights for me were the Sophie Calle show at the Whitechapel and the Kiefer show at the White Cube but we also went to both Tates, the National, the Courtauld, the Wallace Collection, the British Library and the Sir John Soane Museum. We walked all over the place but also spent time at the front of buses on the top deck. London as usual was busy and bustling with the Christmas lights up on Oxford and Regent streets. I also managed to see Monica, Polly and Lawrence and Diane. I have taken some photos of several of the larger London rail stations and hope to do a series of drawings based on them.

JournalShowsTravel

Les Vendémiaires

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My stuff
Monday  05. 10. 09 I got back last night from my week at St Mathieu de Treviers. What a great week. It was wonderful to meet and mix with the other artists and I have come away with a lot of new ideas and techniques. I’m not sure if this kind of thing is peculiar to France but it is certainly a pity as it is certainly a great experience. I was one of 5 artists, all French. Anne Lacour, Maryse Duponchel, Cornelia Marin and Pascal Myrahong. Pascal was the youngest and I think that Maryse was a bit older than me. Cornelia was originally from Rumania and Anne was from Paris. Each day we had visits from the local school children aged between 5 and 10 and we talked about our work. Tuesday we all had to present ourselves to the association and discuss our work. Wednesday we all (artists and members of the association) went to Sète for the day and visited galleries and the Musée de Paul Valèry there. Lunches and dinners were provided everyday and we either ate out at restaurants or at the Maison d’Emma which is where I was artist in residence in February 2008. The grand finale was a lunch yesterday of mussels in a pastis and curry sauce and roast lamb done on a spit. I didn’t sell anything but I was approached by the patron of one of the large brasseries in Montpellier about an exhibition at his brasserie. All in all a fantastic week.
HangingTeachinglunch 1Lunch 3

JournalTravel

The Last Week

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Chateau Clermont
Monday 03. 08. 09 This morning I was up at 4.30 am getting organized to leave for Montpellier airport at 5. The ladies have had a really good last week. We have been to the beach several times and also the lake. We have had Giséle and Jonathan to lunch and also been over to their pool. We have had Aperos up the hill with Laurene and George and even a trip over to the Cevennes to Mt Aigoual with lunch at La Cravate. Last night we celebrated my 68th birthday early with a delicious dinner at Le Terminus. Today it has been quiet here but I am intending to get back to work tomorrow on my painting and printmaking.
La CravateBeachSalagouPoolScooterMoureze

JournalTravel

Roquefort

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Lunch Roquefort
Thursday 23. 07. 09 Last Sunday we finally decided to go to Roquefort to see how the cheese is made. It is just over an hour north of here on the Larzac plateau in the Aveyron. Totally different landscape, no vines, large fields with hedges and trees. Also cooler climate. I noticed poppies and broom still in bloom both of which disappeared from here nearly 2 months ago. We all three went on the free tour of the Société Papillion caves and then Daisy and Carole did the tour which was 3 euros whilst Julia and I had a glass of wine. Very interesting process of ageing the cheese and one wonders how it was discovered. Had lunch on the plateau and then came back down and had a swim before dinner. This week Daisy is back riding at Les Trois Fontaines and seems to be quite happy. We had George and Laurene over for lunch yesterday and then went into Pezenas last night. This morning I took Julia and Carole to Montpellier where they flew to London for the weekend – I have to pick them up Sunday morning. Meanwhile Daisy is having lunch with her French pen friend Clémence tomorrow and we may go to a vernissage at the Espace des Pénitents on Saturday evening.
Julia RoquefortDaisy Roquefort