tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49907025920780123082024-03-07T19:37:45.212+01:00Invisible BordeauxDocumenting lesser-known sights, stories and landmarks in and around Bordeaux, France.Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14391698533722905666noreply@blogger.comBlogger386125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4990702592078012308.post-51330684745882403242024-02-07T08:07:00.004+01:002024-02-07T08:07:50.608+01:00French-language podcast #19 - Handisport Go TV presenter Tanguy Coureau<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGBlXfwVlMW7HRlRAtdeKoKp7Zi06o3dby50uYS7Yp-ywYVOCRtRgMkfXUZWzYh_XhsvyTCUpuZ_3rZUpvdDrEcGOlFld0gVIVWi4m1TtjenNaQuvseJW3YRQBxRlPVH8LKUEb-XZL_2yw6oZkmsv68Oh5gkzu9f2D2Rc6o86gywDBCRwmMCLnA_yFfYY/s1920/TanguyBlog-EN.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGBlXfwVlMW7HRlRAtdeKoKp7Zi06o3dby50uYS7Yp-ywYVOCRtRgMkfXUZWzYh_XhsvyTCUpuZ_3rZUpvdDrEcGOlFld0gVIVWi4m1TtjenNaQuvseJW3YRQBxRlPVH8LKUEb-XZL_2yw6oZkmsv68Oh5gkzu9f2D2Rc6o86gywDBCRwmMCLnA_yFfYY/w640-h360/TanguyBlog-EN.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 18.72px;">For this new episode of the Invisible Bordeaux podcast, we meet Tanguy Coureau, presenter of the HandiSport Go TV programme on France 3 NoA, for Nouvelle-Aquitaine, where he sets out to discover the region's disabled sportsmen and women and their clubs</span>!</h3><a class="Link-sc-k8gsk-0 cUyHlA sc-bWJUgm gVJRNL" data-encore-id="textLink" data-slate-inline="true" data-slate-node="element" href="https://www.enfant-bordeaux.fr/"><span contenteditable="false"></span></a><p></p><p class="Type__TypeElement-sc-goli3j-0 gfMYqC" data-encore-id="type" data-slate-node="element"><span data-slate-node="text">This energetic young man will leave you inspired as he truly demonstrates on a daily basis that anything is possible, even when disabled.</span></p><p class="Type__TypeElement-sc-goli3j-0 gfMYqC" data-encore-id="type" data-slate-node="element"><span data-slate-node="text"><br /></span></p><p class="Type__TypeElement-sc-goli3j-0 gfMYqC" data-encore-id="type" data-slate-node="element"><span data-slate-node="text">He reveals how his media career began as he stepped off a tall ship from Dublin, shares some highlights and behind-the-scenes tales from his shoots with the Grenouilles Productions team, talks about his day job at communications agency NovaSancO, and reveals his feelings at the start of this Paralympic year... all before unveiling his other big creative project for 2024.</span></p><p class="Type__TypeElement-sc-goli3j-0 gfMYqC" data-encore-id="type" data-slate-node="element"><span data-slate-node="text"><br /></span></p><p class="Type__TypeElement-sc-goli3j-0 gfMYqC" data-encore-id="type" data-slate-node="element"><span data-slate-node="text"><b>You can listen to the podcast below or else over on <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6ZjceHdtul9Js32ZvZuYoA" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, </b></span><b><a href="https://music.amazon.fr/podcasts/fd630dc6-5785-45e7-afb7-b38dd29e9d34/invisible-bordeaux" target="_blank">Amazon Music</a></b><b>, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/invisible-bordeaux/id1449430814?mt=2&uo=4" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy84OTJkODc4L3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1449430814/invisible-bordeaux" target="_blank">Overcast</a>, <a href="https://pca.st/1a2n" target="_blank">Pocket Casts</a>, <a href="https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/pnkab-86bf4/Invisible-Bordeaux-Podcast" target="_blank">Podbean</a> and <a href="https://radiopublic.com/invisible-bordeaux-6pw1RN" target="_blank">RadioPublic</a>! Be sure to subscribe to the podcast so that you never miss an episode! </b>
<br /><br /></p><center><iframe frameborder="0" height="102px" scrolling="no" src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/invisiblebordeaux/embed/episodes/19---Tanguy-Coureau--prsentateur-de-Handisport-Go-France-3-NoA-e2fbom9/a-aau6h79" width="400px"></iframe><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/invisiblebordeaux/episodes/19---Tanguy-Coureau--prsentateur-de-Handisport-Go-France-3-NoA-e2fbom9/a-aau6h79" target="_blank">Click here if player does not display properly!</a></span></center><p></p><ul class="sc-gplwa-d dluOXB" style="text-align: left;"><br /></ul><h3 style="text-align: left;">Find out more:</h3><div><br /></div><b>> <a href="https://www.france.tv/france-3/nouvelle-aquitaine/handisport-go/" target="_blank">Handisport Go on France.tv</a></b><div><b>> <a href="https://www.grenouilles-productions.com/documentaires/handisport-go" target="_blank">Programme as showcased on Grenouilles Productions web page</a></b></div><div><b>> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/handisportgo" target="_blank">Handisport Go on Facebook</a></b></div><div><b>> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/handisportgo/" target="_blank">Handisport Go on Instagram</a></b></div><div><b>> <a href="https://www.novasanco.fr/" target="_blank">NovaSancO agency</a></b></div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG6ldCEh8Qwj3buJZbaysdnV1ZhRiM7vM30TbIQBtTF56EMoDVhiInWZhtPJ-jNGBxr2Q69Q_xMLNoFFMnXUcb8qsnTGgGo-Q0ix08yJV0jww6BV3tWYyJcvXkyR9sBBizMub6EKan22q1rA-M9QOHdwvTNNFvB9Xdc2p6q16dyMrRzYS3J7sTo32GfF-z/s2048/cb51e154-7093-41a4-b6ad-e1506c6c5ad3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1155" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG6ldCEh8Qwj3buJZbaysdnV1ZhRiM7vM30TbIQBtTF56EMoDVhiInWZhtPJ-jNGBxr2Q69Q_xMLNoFFMnXUcb8qsnTGgGo-Q0ix08yJV0jww6BV3tWYyJcvXkyR9sBBizMub6EKan22q1rA-M9QOHdwvTNNFvB9Xdc2p6q16dyMrRzYS3J7sTo32GfF-z/w640-h360/cb51e154-7093-41a4-b6ad-e1506c6c5ad3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photos courtesy Tanguy Coureau / Grenouilles Productions / France 3 NoA.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14391698533722905666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4990702592078012308.post-45403169475271140392024-01-13T16:09:00.002+01:002024-01-13T16:09:32.197+01:00Welcome to the Bordeaux Rock 1988-1998 listening party!<h4 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKtp1EtZTpp63rZsSPxodJQxWX1cuN3cFWHezPMdV79IDgDbUREIfZNsExuLN_hlkwT-yZY7tMZohMhQVjNKdcisx-CeHWM0o2jZNbyd0R5_OmzYsqQzgZvxyDSMQMTrTFt2KFgSPDsSWHMy451qSDzHZDXpFtCdvbpTOkRhdbP-uzv6FSOxfckmuXQwk/s1200/BordeauxRock01.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKtp1EtZTpp63rZsSPxodJQxWX1cuN3cFWHezPMdV79IDgDbUREIfZNsExuLN_hlkwT-yZY7tMZohMhQVjNKdcisx-CeHWM0o2jZNbyd0R5_OmzYsqQzgZvxyDSMQMTrTFt2KFgSPDsSWHMy451qSDzHZDXpFtCdvbpTOkRhdbP-uzv6FSOxfckmuXQwk/w640-h360/BordeauxRock01.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><b><br /><span style="font-family: helvetica;">You may remember that a few months ago <a href="https://invisiblebordeaux.blogspot.com/2022/10/welcome-to-bordeaux-rock-1977-1987.html">I sat down and listened to a number of 1970s and 1980s Bordeaux bands</a> as featured on a desirable double-CD compilation released by the local music association Bordeaux Rock. Well, it turns out that, around 2006, Bordeaux Rock followed up that first well-received collection with two more twin-CD sets, one celebrating the scene as it stood in 2006, followed by another which rewound back to the artists operating between 1988 and 1998. Once again, I thought it would be interesting to sit down, stick my headphones on, and assess how the well the music had stood the test of time, three decades on.</span></b></h4><div><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The package proved promising, featuring disturbing in-your-face artwork by one <a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caroline_Sury" target="_blank">Caroline Sury</a>, inspiring all-caps introductory notes by Bordeaux Rock lynchpin José Ruiz, and informative mini-biographies of each band (40 in all!). The time capsule was ready to roll, CD 1 was in position, all that remained to be done was to hit "play"!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b> </b></span></div><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhovJBhVRr24rPVpVEd8AnHZ48wwhEOb16Gko4guCnTZU_aC4yJH0b8WZcsaD9vVJRqncOzO6xokdfT6jrrBSy0eGsD3YGzeGtWnELKyIhinY5eXAw1EajDd6-eA26tf7tQa9o2gHzSHn_LdNJAyiJTGa-8AXJVBJITEMwnjxoOK3ewFBokkyhBwHk_nNs/s1200/BordeauxRock03.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="617" data-original-width="1200" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhovJBhVRr24rPVpVEd8AnHZ48wwhEOb16Gko4guCnTZU_aC4yJH0b8WZcsaD9vVJRqncOzO6xokdfT6jrrBSy0eGsD3YGzeGtWnELKyIhinY5eXAw1EajDd6-eA26tf7tQa9o2gHzSHn_LdNJAyiJTGa-8AXJVBJITEMwnjxoOK3ewFBokkyhBwHk_nNs/w640-h330/BordeauxRock03.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Note to younger readers: this is a CD player.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The album opens with the jangly guitars and Velvet Underground overtones of Soap, and the wide sonic expanses of Mary’s Child, both of whom suggesting much of the Bordeaux scene had already moved on from its 1980s fixation with punk to a more grungey indie pop atmosphere. We are four tracks into the compilation before a first French-language song makes an appearance, in the shape of the funky, organ-driven <i>Donald Raccrocha Sans Répondre</i> by Mr Kuriakin, a vehicle for the songs of Paco Rodriguez, who had previously been with moderate hitmakers <a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamine_(groupe)" target="_blank">Gamine</a>.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div><div style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I then find it quite heartwarming to hear a track by Charming Boys, a tuneful band who were heavily influenced by The Smiths. In a previous life I may even have been in a group who performed alongside them on a couple of occasions. At the time they were on a bit of a high having recently supported the up-and-coming Blur, and they did rightly gain a solid reputation as a tight live band - if anything the track that features here, <i>What a Way of Life</i>, is little more than a solid live arrangement immortalised on disc. Not sure what became of them but it would have been interesting to hear what they would have achieved if they’d been able to develop into a more highly engineered/produced studio band. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyN0cHA22qpn15lVV5miCojwNxWrYfru9W0tKDYG2zK0jzQDm8J5aCrTD7F2wzsufb3wA9jLHSf-KWEDpuaJRzPew0FQn11H804yWbEmgBVN9u-e7wqLmukv7uq3fLJsmxz8XUl5zUbTWVDdnSL8_kmPYl8awaz1SND-Nxgih9qY6E4ER8Ld8CRvA93sg/s1200/BordeauxRock02.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyN0cHA22qpn15lVV5miCojwNxWrYfru9W0tKDYG2zK0jzQDm8J5aCrTD7F2wzsufb3wA9jLHSf-KWEDpuaJRzPew0FQn11H804yWbEmgBVN9u-e7wqLmukv7uq3fLJsmxz8XUl5zUbTWVDdnSL8_kmPYl8awaz1SND-Nxgih9qY6E4ER8Ld8CRvA93sg/w640-h360/BordeauxRock02.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The accompanying booklet is genuinely interesting to peruse.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span>Lemon Curd’s strummy offering, <i>Freezin’ Manchester</i>, reminds me a lot of Lloyd Cole or low-key Prefab Sprout. That can be regarded as a compliment! A few tracks down the line, Pimple Shame definitely score points for the best band name so far, Nuer avoid language barriers completely by delivering an instrumental (three of the four musicians are credited as playing sequencers, which is a bit scary), ahead of the energetic Real Atletico also staking a claim to the best band name on the compilation. They apparently featured a mandoline player mysteriously called Pierre "Suspense" Emery. I manage to pick out a bit of his playing deep in the mix and it makes me feel strangely happy.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><div><p></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
</p><center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/omrgHSI1iWI?si=h-ir-hS6BoeBBx-h" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></center><p></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">There is more pleasingly melodic pop on its way in the shape of Bonjour Chez Vous's <i>Je Veux Être Sous La Mer</i>, complete with heavily chorused arpeggio guitar and twinkly synthbells all very much of their time. It's all very polished and tuneful but comes with an added sense of poignancy upon this listen given the knowledge that singer Thierry Sabir - who later collaborated with the aforementioned Paco Rodriguez in <a href="https://sitarsonic.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Sitarsonic</a> as well as releasing his own solo album, <i><a href="https://www.discogs.com/fr/release/20102455-Thierry-Sabir-Apollopop" target="_blank">Apollopop</a></i> - <a href="https://www.sudouest.fr/gironde/bordeaux/disparition-de-thierry-sabir-personnalite-de-la-scene-pop-bordelaise-18058444.php" target="_blank">sadly passed away at the very end of 2023</a>. Rest in peace, Thierry.</span></p><br /><center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bF1eL-k48G8?si=LrdVU95L0O0HXRXv" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></center><br /><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Bordeaux’s biggest musical export from that period, Noir Désir, feature next with <i>Un Jour en France</i> from their fourth album. It sounds very big and a class above the rest, but still today it’s difficult to listen to the band without one’s mind wandering back to the <a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertrand_Cantat#2003_%C3%A0_2010_:_D%C3%A9ch%C3%A9ance" target="_blank">life-altering events that took place in 2003</a>. Disc 1 closes with Tortilla Flat, who I am excited to read are reminiscent of XTC and Bowie. Listening to their track <i>Walking</i>, taken from their sole release, a 3-track cassette (different times…), there is indeed a definite hint of Bowie in singer Jérémy Vacances’ vocal delivery… and even a bit of the Silencers in the harmonica lines! </span><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"> </span></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
</p><center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XYJzmU90CqA?si=e7KFqb8i6KQAsDa-" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></center><p></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The second half kicks off with Sleeppers and a hardcore track that feels a bit like being stuck up close to some radical roadworks with no safety earmuffs within easy reach. But I’m already looking forward to the "<i>duo iconoclaste</i>" (in the words of the booklet) coming up on track 4. It’s the (literal) drum’n’bass jazz core pairing of Belly Button, made up of Fred Bourdil and Franck Stofer, both of whom I knew back in their student days. They went on to make a name for themselves as festival favourites around the world. <a href="https://bellybuttonsocialclub.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Belly Button actually reformed a few years back</a> but, from what I can make out, Franck is now head of coordination and development at <a href="https://grandpalais-immersif.fr/" target="_blank">le Grand Palais Immersif</a> in Paris, while Fred remains an active musician living locally, performing as the Fredovitch One-Man Band and collaborating with formations including King Khan & The Shrines and Ardi’town. The track that features here, <i>Mister Hamster</i>, is 1’58’’ of pure energy. I suspect that when they were recording the song they were bare-chested and drenched in sweat, but I may be wrong.</span></p><p class="p3" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">It remains similarly raucous throughout much of disc 2, culminating first in Glu vocalist Pierre Poirier shouting into the mic like there’s no tomorrow, to the backing of fellow band-members Yvon Tutein and Bruno Lacaussague, the latter amusingly credited with "<i>guitare approximative</i>". The liner notes refer to their "<i>textes en français et assumés</i>" as if bands at the time had to almost apologise for singing in French, which goes some way towards explaining why so few tracks on this compilation are in <i>la langue de Molière</i>. This performance is equalled by Petit Vodo, a solo musician who would apparently simultaneously play drums, guitar, sing and throw in occasional harmonica, and reportedly garnered critical acclaim in Japan.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"> </span></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
</p><center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gwdk67idxmc?si=4DgF_X1l0CfH5nbw&start=133" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></center><p class="p3" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We’re now up to track 16 and TV Killers' <i>Channel 666</i> in which I can hear hints of Beastie Boys, but by now it’s all so relentlessly relentless that I’m kind of wishing the album was over so I can switch to some serious easy listening (I have a sudden desire to put on some Carpenters). I finally make it through to the closing track by blues rockers Art 314, described in the liner notes as the "house band" at legendary venue Le Jimmy. It’s almost a relief when their upbeat song, <i>The Race</i>, the title track from their only album, comes to an end.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjddgcL81wRuVTd-FZzFjQyOKAWSBx3-vKCb0Xrkc5o4G_VZ4jSWaBfn3xlcKAipUrpuALSt6be3RmiLhvsLMMQmUxoP_oiJ_r-UgAQ5iGDP9HrT2i_uzHy08WcbUTMIdAOo0ccnxHBcVG8688A7Jtstkp19dPx0yDPAWYSI__8FDovcAYHwSQBj1tg2WA/s1200/BordeauxRock04.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjddgcL81wRuVTd-FZzFjQyOKAWSBx3-vKCb0Xrkc5o4G_VZ4jSWaBfn3xlcKAipUrpuALSt6be3RmiLhvsLMMQmUxoP_oiJ_r-UgAQ5iGDP9HrT2i_uzHy08WcbUTMIdAOo0ccnxHBcVG8688A7Jtstkp19dPx0yDPAWYSI__8FDovcAYHwSQBj1tg2WA/w640-h480/BordeauxRock04.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tracklisting in full.</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">What then is the verdict? Well, for a start, I think this is a compilation that is best enjoyed when dipped into rather than listened to from start to finish. That hair-raising succession of slightly soundalike bands all trying to out-yell each other on disc 2 is certainly something I’m struggling to un-hear, but there were enough melodic rays of light elsewhere to make the set well worth digging out. Another thing that is striking, other than the shortage of French-language lyrics, is how predominantly male the bands are. From what I can make out, only a handful of the featured artists had women in their ranks (Charming Boys, Kim et Marie, Skullduggery, Basement, and Wunderlich Ausgang, I think that's all). It is therefore ironic that the cover artwork should depict a female singer, but perhaps there’s something I’m not quite getting here.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Still, once again it’s great to be able to travel back in time to explore the local music scene as it was in the 1990s, so fair play to the <a href="https://www.bordeauxrock.com/" target="_blank">Bordeaux Rock</a> team for putting the compilation together; it serves as an excellent record of the ways things were, which appear to have been mainly gritty, energetic, raucous at times, but overall quite dark and earnest. Anyway, right now, in order to recover, I’m off to listen to some Carpenters.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><h4 style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>> <a href="https://www.bordeauxrock.com/boutique/compilation-bordeauxrock-1988-1998/" target="_blank">If you would like to purchase and listen to the album yourself, copies are available online from the Bordeaux Rock website, priced €10.<br /></a></b><b>> <a href="https://invisiblebordeaux.blogspot.com/2022/10/welcome-to-bordeaux-rock-1977-1987.html">Join the Bordeaux Rock 1977-87 listening party!<br /></a></b><b>> <a href="https://lebordeauxinvisible.blogspot.com/2024/01/a-la-decouverte-de-la-scene-rock.html" target="_blank">Ce dossier est également disponible en français ! </a></b></span></h4></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14391698533722905666noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4990702592078012308.post-76032729966523997782024-01-05T21:09:00.003+01:002024-01-05T21:09:46.256+01:00French-language podcast #18 - Yan Le Cor & Enfant Bordeaux<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVJcC9QBR8xnQpKfAJKiOIwWsaNpEBHcVLVxlzPNrMOZZNM3QEyODYuN-ucM5XM90kBfeh3BEEDqRXF5s9r9Ad4HeTYRMgD4GRXnx7BKJiDajLtuMCDEJ-SuNcY_cOYdREeSMBop_etTMxdwrQgULArpe4BiP7DSBZCnm9T_QlntGabPHQS8_FC-iPt60/s1920/L%E2%80%99univers%20Enfant%20bordeaux%20(1).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVJcC9QBR8xnQpKfAJKiOIwWsaNpEBHcVLVxlzPNrMOZZNM3QEyODYuN-ucM5XM90kBfeh3BEEDqRXF5s9r9Ad4HeTYRMgD4GRXnx7BKJiDajLtuMCDEJ-SuNcY_cOYdREeSMBop_etTMxdwrQgULArpe4BiP7DSBZCnm9T_QlntGabPHQS8_FC-iPt60/w640-h360/L%E2%80%99univers%20Enfant%20bordeaux%20(1).png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Invisible Bordeaux podcast is back after being away for some time! (Hurray!) In this comeback episode, we catch up with Yann Le Cor, better known as Papa Yann, the man behind <a class="Link-sc-k8gsk-0 cUyHlA sc-bWJUgm gVJRNL" data-encore-id="textLink" data-slate-inline="true" data-slate-node="element" href="https://www.enfant-bordeaux.fr/"><span data-slate-node="text">Enfant Bordeaux</span></a>, which started out as a site listing kid-friendly activities and has developed into a much wider offering including a bona fide guidebook, a label, an active online community, and much more!</h3><a class="Link-sc-k8gsk-0 cUyHlA sc-bWJUgm gVJRNL" data-encore-id="textLink" data-slate-inline="true" data-slate-node="element" href="https://www.enfant-bordeaux.fr/"><span contenteditable="false"></span></a><p></p><p class="Type__TypeElement-sc-goli3j-0 gfMYqC" data-encore-id="type" data-slate-node="element"><span data-slate-node="text">Let's get to know about this professional blogger and his quest for events, addresses and tips to pass on to parents! The podcast covers the Enfant Bordeaux philosophy, how Yann became a professional blogger, the breakdown of who his followers are, some memorable encounters, and the reasons why Yann is now seeking to build a network of bloggers who make things happen in Bordeaux!</span></p><p class="Type__TypeElement-sc-goli3j-0 gfMYqC" data-encore-id="type" data-slate-node="element"><span data-slate-node="text"><br /></span></p><p class="Type__TypeElement-sc-goli3j-0 gfMYqC" data-encore-id="type" data-slate-node="element"><span data-slate-node="text"><b>You can listen to the podcast below or else over on <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6ZjceHdtul9Js32ZvZuYoA" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, </b></span><b><a href="https://music.amazon.fr/podcasts/fd630dc6-5785-45e7-afb7-b38dd29e9d34/invisible-bordeaux" target="_blank">Amazon Music</a></b><b>, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/invisible-bordeaux/id1449430814?mt=2&uo=4" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy84OTJkODc4L3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1449430814/invisible-bordeaux" target="_blank">Overcast</a>, <a href="https://pca.st/1a2n" target="_blank">Pocket Casts</a>, <a href="https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/pnkab-86bf4/Invisible-Bordeaux-Podcast" target="_blank">Podbean</a> and <a href="https://radiopublic.com/invisible-bordeaux-6pw1RN" target="_blank">RadioPublic</a>! Be sure to subscribe to the podcast so that you never miss an episode! </b>
<br /><br /></p><center><iframe frameborder="0" height="102px" scrolling="no" src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/invisiblebordeaux/embed/episodes/18---Yann-Le-Cor-Papa-Yann-et-lunivers-Enfant-Bordeaux-e2dtia9/a-aaq3boj" width="400px"></iframe><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/invisiblebordeaux/episodes/18---Yann-Le-Cor-Papa-Yann-et-lunivers-Enfant-Bordeaux-e2dtia9/a-aaq3boj" target="_blank">Click here if player does not display properly!</a></span></center><p></p><p class="Type__TypeElement-sc-goli3j-0 gfMYqC" data-encore-id="type" data-slate-node="element"><br /></p><p class="Type__TypeElement-sc-goli3j-0 gfMYqC" data-encore-id="type" data-slate-node="element"><span data-slate-node="text"><br /></span></p><ul class="sc-gplwa-d dluOXB" style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.enfant-bordeaux.fr/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Guide-Chouette-2-quai-et-batcub-1536x1069.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; font-weight: 700; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN5q_X5CfI42r5AD6Mb_JFIPEMd5yHopvh-4UQfOttQTlMyhndA4MZtPKCn4RWmiYg75aDswV31YbQwtCoEOhjmQ_LWMHMaah64uTfcU2erMpDwxZB4FrldC_N2rNa3Y13Q5vpQOo8jRmTvAHzHCPMbLC7eQUfSqsptoWJulgm2TwhtY4dZcnMS6_Hx6o/s3903/Speeches.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2084" data-original-width="3903" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN5q_X5CfI42r5AD6Mb_JFIPEMd5yHopvh-4UQfOttQTlMyhndA4MZtPKCn4RWmiYg75aDswV31YbQwtCoEOhjmQ_LWMHMaah64uTfcU2erMpDwxZB4FrldC_N2rNa3Y13Q5vpQOo8jRmTvAHzHCPMbLC7eQUfSqsptoWJulgm2TwhtY4dZcnMS6_Hx6o/w640-h342/Speeches.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;">Friday September 22 2023 was an unusual day in Bordeaux. From the off there was a sense of occasion and with good reason: Bordeaux was hosting King Charles III and Queen Camilla on the closing leg of the State visit which began two days earlier in Paris. One of the focal points of the day was the Great festival held on Place de la Bourse and, guess what, I was there to soak up the atmosphere!</h3><p><br /></p><p>To say the royal agenda in Bordeaux was dense would be an understatement. In a little under six hours they managed to meet and greet local dignitaries at the City Hall (and planted a tree alongside Bordeaux mayor Pierre Hurmic), salute the Marines on board HMS Iron Duke, ventured to Martillac to view the organic working methods of Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte… and while Charles visited the experimental urban forest development in Floirac, Camilla split to see how the good people at <a href="https://lepaindelamitie.fr/" target="_blank">Le Pain de l’Amitié</a> are providing food for those in need. </p><p><br /></p><p>And, in the midst of all that, the Place de la Bourse had been converted into a pop-up festival to promote much of what the UK does well (as part of <a href="https://greatcampaign.com/" target="_blank">the Great Campaign</a>) as well showcasing a number of Bordeaux initiatives and companies, all to the live soundtrack of hand-picked up-and-coming artists, both local and from the UK. <br /><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4DM1vQk51fB5Ah8oOTFrtMIh45jFmQkmfqNzWPeckJNowc9ehTN-PdKmGqc90HE0s410-IOXV33umYKjmqbdKd9HAS0aky97bGt8pzgymSd1Ue_SZA4sRPVdZ8IskTPD97iRnnmM1i8-OK0tGXNijIPCu5cwynK4X5V5k1VNYcg1eZI7r4ikQxRqHubM/s3264/General.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1468" data-original-width="3264" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4DM1vQk51fB5Ah8oOTFrtMIh45jFmQkmfqNzWPeckJNowc9ehTN-PdKmGqc90HE0s410-IOXV33umYKjmqbdKd9HAS0aky97bGt8pzgymSd1Ue_SZA4sRPVdZ8IskTPD97iRnnmM1i8-OK0tGXNijIPCu5cwynK4X5V5k1VNYcg1eZI7r4ikQxRqHubM/w640-h288/General.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Place de la Bourse in festival mode. Note the umbrella, it came in useful.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>It is a little unclear precisely what the criteria for attendance were (we had all received personal invitations from the UK embassy in France) but it made for a delightful and sometime surprising cross-section of the Bordelais and expatriate population. Ahead of me in the queue to get in were some extremely tall and wide Union Bordeaux-Bègles rugby players. Male and female Girondins football players were there in their club tracksuit tops (along with coach David Guion). A little further I recognized the influential local artist <a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jofo" target="_blank">Jofo</a>. There were a number of people in uniform, sometimes sporting impressively bushy sideburns. Oh, and could that be the entire Fiji rugby team, whose World Cup base just happens to be in Lormont? Different cultural universes colliding. </p><p><br /></p><p>Once "inside" the Place de la Bourse, which is usually such a familiar open-access spot, it was incredible to see how the square had been momentarily transformed, framed by a number of tents housing UK and Bordeaux brands such as Paul Smith, Gilbert, and Baillardran, initiatives such as the inspiring <a href="https://www.cafejoyeux.com/en/" target="_blank">Le Café Joyeux</a>, a company which has conceived wine bottles made from paper, cheeses from a local épicerie, and stands promoting UK tourism, cultural and educational drives. (My favourite exhibit was a life-size (?) Shaun the Sheep... although spotting Paddington wandering around the event wasn't bad either...) <br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB3T6NwhedmCUMjkX1uov5BOvkwWtDWDDn70XOMb5ORPmu9-OKUU1XzdpCnw3Xz-sEk9F_10DQ2w1GLfBHTuTwqAEICvp3cZvewoN_C5398ZR6nLxI86x18xVCV__AJEDbiDquExjliJeU_pUwC8DrTEuKytME8nmgwXvNfNCS0yjx9f0ewsgsKNPu3Sc/s1952/ShaunPass.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1011" data-original-width="1952" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB3T6NwhedmCUMjkX1uov5BOvkwWtDWDDn70XOMb5ORPmu9-OKUU1XzdpCnw3Xz-sEk9F_10DQ2w1GLfBHTuTwqAEICvp3cZvewoN_C5398ZR6nLxI86x18xVCV__AJEDbiDquExjliJeU_pUwC8DrTEuKytME8nmgwXvNfNCS0yjx9f0ewsgsKNPu3Sc/w640-h332/ShaunPass.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>A massive stage was the centrepiece of the event, although much of the crowd wasn’t really paying much attention to the artists who were performing (<a href="https://tyroneisaacstuart.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Tyrone Isaac Stuart</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RianneDowneyMusic/" target="_blank">Rianne Downey</a>), despite the valiant bilingual attempts of compere Darren Tulett (the TV presenter and football pundit). And then the music stopped… </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj56TOisj0_cK1oigfXm9Df538d6Mn03014jnxyj7P5R9IiYxHKmUaHU7aBlNoAnzpJ9540kff-qjL2vI2F3GxtBDpTCtWZdRROMXSsNecHprCXMqUE5NbKs3QNk9_SZ7iiVbmGotjMpWvH-wTWO_ovVAkhrcK2D03-W6oFmCmhLgea4U5kSHszvXX3ilw/s3823/Tram.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1942" data-original-width="3823" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj56TOisj0_cK1oigfXm9Df538d6Mn03014jnxyj7P5R9IiYxHKmUaHU7aBlNoAnzpJ9540kff-qjL2vI2F3GxtBDpTCtWZdRROMXSsNecHprCXMqUE5NbKs3QNk9_SZ7iiVbmGotjMpWvH-wTWO_ovVAkhrcK2D03-W6oFmCmhLgea4U5kSHszvXX3ilw/w640-h326/Tram.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tram-spotting.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>For, the time had come, a tram sporting diminutive Union flags pulled up to the Place de la Bourse stop and there was a collective sense of hushed anticipation as the Royal delegation alighted and moved its way along the red carpet which had been laid out over the square’s cobblestones (a wise move given that the intermittent showers had made for a slippery surface!). UK foreign secretary James Cleverly rushed past me virtually unrecognized, that is how focused everyone was on Charles and Camilla… or mainly, to be honest, on Charles, who took time to make his way through the crowd, stopping to chat with one or two lucky onlookers, including one person stood right next to me, giving me plenty of time to take some once-in-a-lifetime closeup shots! In the meantime the PA had picked up again, making for the strange combination of a royal walkabout to the sound of Kate Bush’s<i> Running Up That Hill.</i> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvhCLtb9pvKPZeOrNxxInZCvrtKSUlvetVhMhSa9VO7soXx00IiZjWQYPe0xz2aGj_6x4d3Lq4MFclT-9vm5VXr3AfuHULI2zGIzztvVO2BlKP3fa0JkBKvcQH5UQAmXo5-5m6VqmUdLtvAyQ5XakD0-I6pX4hIwpmh7YOA4TgSH_dj_EkdTy_gaGHDMw/s1666/CharlesComp.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1666" height="614" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvhCLtb9pvKPZeOrNxxInZCvrtKSUlvetVhMhSa9VO7soXx00IiZjWQYPe0xz2aGj_6x4d3Lq4MFclT-9vm5VXr3AfuHULI2zGIzztvVO2BlKP3fa0JkBKvcQH5UQAmXo5-5m6VqmUdLtvAyQ5XakD0-I6pX4hIwpmh7YOA4TgSH_dj_EkdTy_gaGHDMw/w640-h614/CharlesComp.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>As the party made its way around part of the pop-up marketplace, local solo artist <a href="https://iamstramgram.com/" target="_blank">I Am Stramgram</a> began a short set, battling with technical issues and general indifference but providing a memorable performance that closed with an interesting reinterpretation of the Beatles’ <i>Yesterday</i>. I managed to catch up with him afterwards and we agreed that it was a fairly surreal experience for him but that it would go down as an unusual and virtually unique line on his musical CV! </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF3YROR4HVpS4xcy1iGGTcIYLNhCLYUMUlDWuViuZNMzPLv-BKVkEfiac2StGAr9M3Y_gBActPbBDE1EEt9Jt_VvHo8D-XckhcZnt6G8AaN5iW6gclYVja4UW7Gqoag26MdISGF78ScmGVIia_hTy2LtVu8fJcdNeCgd5JyVskvsEDQAh-EnVnKlKEymA/s3264/IAmStram.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1468" data-original-width="3264" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF3YROR4HVpS4xcy1iGGTcIYLNhCLYUMUlDWuViuZNMzPLv-BKVkEfiac2StGAr9M3Y_gBActPbBDE1EEt9Jt_VvHo8D-XckhcZnt6G8AaN5iW6gclYVja4UW7Gqoag26MdISGF78ScmGVIia_hTy2LtVu8fJcdNeCgd5JyVskvsEDQAh-EnVnKlKEymA/w640-h288/IAmStram.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I Am Stramgram, providing the Royal walkabout soundtrack.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>By now, the Royal party had made its way to the main stage and UK Ambassador to France Menna Rawlings made a well-received speech (name-checking the local family she had stayed with when she attended courses at the Alliance Française in the city) before handing over to Pierre Hurmic, who good-humouredly saluted the King and Queen, underlining how Charles’s environmental concerns were a long-standing constant. The crowd then eagerly awaited a few words from the King himself. He edged towards the mic, silently mouthed something or other (I’m not great at lipreading but I think it might have been <i>"Wasn’t I Am Stramgram great, sorry he’s ended up standing next to James Cleverly"</i>) and gave a wave. That was a momentary anticlimax but he was soon forgiven, he did have a plane to catch, after all. </p><p><br /></p><p>And then came what was arguably the unexpected (and possibly unplanned) high point. As the Royal party reached ground level once again, the entire Fiji rugby team congregated nearby, Darren Tulett was told to switch off the PA music, and the players broke into a traditional Fijian folk song. In perfect harmony. It was beautiful and inspired. Everyone had goosebumps. </p><p><br /></p><p>As Charles and Camilla moved on to their next engagements, another surprise was in store. Over to another corner of the square, the band of the Royal Marines were settling into position, bringing singer-songwriter <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caity_Baser" target="_blank">Caity Baser</a>'s set to a momentary close. Before you knew it they were parading up and down the square providing 15 minutes of world-class marching band music. From my vantage point it was possible to enjoy the ensemble while also being able to focus on individual instruments and parts as they walked back and forth. Can I mention goosebumps again? </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEYj5cocV51tDHZSMqi5FIF_wiF-rDLYSCfuVlD5SUaJxcwhdGkiMhYrvnBtXq0jpff6xxWJ9elr91uMEZD9rGaCk0wnz8-5pYtStVE-fbrVt3FbdJ6cqgo9Pqb1T2_I3jgzaiQLHtfcXumMotzugTVZ5aZApv75iGqBKbsFmY4SabDlyO6Qcd8-8h99I/s3264/RoyalMarines.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1468" data-original-width="3264" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEYj5cocV51tDHZSMqi5FIF_wiF-rDLYSCfuVlD5SUaJxcwhdGkiMhYrvnBtXq0jpff6xxWJ9elr91uMEZD9rGaCk0wnz8-5pYtStVE-fbrVt3FbdJ6cqgo9Pqb1T2_I3jgzaiQLHtfcXumMotzugTVZ5aZApv75iGqBKbsFmY4SabDlyO6Qcd8-8h99I/w640-h288/RoyalMarines.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ladies and gentlemen, it's only the Royal Marines band. In Bordeaux!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The festivities had not yet come to a close but most attendees had already left, making for a strange, other-worldly atmosphere when <a href="https://bilbaokung-fu.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Bilbao King Fu</a> took to the stage. They had a handful of people in front of the stage, and a few enthusiastic punters stationed to the wrong side of the barriers way over on the other side of the square. It must have been a strange experience for them but they delivered. </p><p><br /></p><p>As the crowd had dwindled I was easily able to locate my Consulate acquaintance who I was able to personally thank for the invitation to attend this unique and memorable event. Other than all of the above, I don’t think I will ever again be able to say that over the course of a single afternoon I was able to openly chat to real, live Girondins footballers about recent results and prospects for the season; personally thank local music mogul Eric Roux for the <a href="http://www.rockschool-barbey.com/60/ouvre-la-voix" target="_blank">Ouvre La Voix festival</a> and the fantastic concerts he puts on at <a href="http://www.rockschool-barbey.com/" target="_blank">Rock School Barbey</a>; talk to renowned wine author <a href="https://janeanson.com/" target="_blank">Jane Anson</a> about Twitter (X) algorithms only to be interrupted by the sound of two Rafale fighter jets flying overhead; observe Fiji rugby players enthusiastically tucking into complimentary Tyrrells crips… and, yikes, I even got my very own selfie with Darren Tulett! Oh, and I also happened to see the King and Queen of my home nations. It really was quite an afternoon… Thanks to everyone who was part of it and made this incredible event happen!<br /><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFMWSkQy0cvNFQk7RZkwcsh5ppkhcZLEhuzA_5uQ5hxpq-pzXYLDJjDN0i46oszndq-S09I8iQ7-HanRzOAqp5gL-RmewZyDAgjNZFoOvh1liyiM06K-RJ5QT4bgwfH0Z6yMQAiaQKKmYTC26q8QcqZye9tzqDdZz87VNZQZvQHkSTde33TdvegNxdI5I/s1962/CrispsComp.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="1962" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFMWSkQy0cvNFQk7RZkwcsh5ppkhcZLEhuzA_5uQ5hxpq-pzXYLDJjDN0i46oszndq-S09I8iQ7-HanRzOAqp5gL-RmewZyDAgjNZFoOvh1liyiM06K-RJ5QT4bgwfH0Z6yMQAiaQKKmYTC26q8QcqZye9tzqDdZz87VNZQZvQHkSTde33TdvegNxdI5I/w640-h146/CrispsComp.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Girondins, crisps and Darren Tulett, what a combination.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b>P.S. This unique day had started off with a live early-morning radio interview on France Bleu Gironde, talking about the Royal Visit and some of the background and its political context. You can view it here:
</b></h4><br /><p></p><center><div style="height: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 56.25%; position: relative;"> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="100%" src="https://www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/x8o8qhq" style="height: 100%; left: 0px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 100%;" title="Dailymotion Video Player" type="text/html" width="100%"> </iframe> </div><br /> </center><p></p><p></p><div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 18.72px;"><i></i></span></div>> <a href="https://lebordeauxinvisible.blogspot.com/2023/09/le-jour-ou-le-roi-charles-iii-etait.html" target="_blank">Cet article est également disponible en français !</a></h3></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14391698533722905666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4990702592078012308.post-86247887061236699032023-09-17T12:41:00.006+02:002023-09-17T15:17:17.171+02:00Wartime Bordeaux meets the city in 2023<h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheMHcRqIR0bCdssUKJo5ckaBz_wF1-OIQfTKQJPFsvlYpFSInwWlRSapknp65txff3gps_0kehJz_jQQu2JOnAXzo36HUYu0ksr3VQWDslZS0q_gX5SuvNmvEIdrxq2HEOJNIPKM9w1Rkbz09nxqP6lDxpueJjga3LwSrKDocFrHEgxc8V30zdnVNSVQI/s1280/BannerEN.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheMHcRqIR0bCdssUKJo5ckaBz_wF1-OIQfTKQJPFsvlYpFSInwWlRSapknp65txff3gps_0kehJz_jQQu2JOnAXzo36HUYu0ksr3VQWDslZS0q_gX5SuvNmvEIdrxq2HEOJNIPKM9w1Rkbz09nxqP6lDxpueJjga3LwSrKDocFrHEgxc8V30zdnVNSVQI/w640-h360/BannerEN.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;">Not long ago at the remarkable Emmaüs charity outlet in Parempuyre, I picked up a couple of out-of-print books by the historian Pierre Décamps (1912-2004): <i>1940-1944, la Gironde en Images</i> (published by SODIM in 1977) and <i>Bordeaux sous l’occupation</i> (Ouest France, 1983). Both feature some incredible photographs documenting Bordeaux during the Second World War. I set off in search of the same locations in order to merge the 1940s and the 2020s in single shots. The accompanying captions are adaptations of the information shared by Pierre Décamps in the books, all original photos were credited to the <a href="https://invisiblebordeaux.blogspot.com/2013/08/centre-national-jean-moulin-remembering.html" target="_blank">Bordeaux Centre Jean Moulin</a> collection.<br /><br /></h3><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha9Oha7xVQ55CoXUjoQIOd6CGCWv_w8mxoBgzSyEAz3b1KdtjVxag0Vpx6vZOzpY-fogDDNVTOVi1dXeGJY16jkjeWepwi2rU36NqKfPDPxl53Kr_rhQzf7HuF24tNwE4u0K2DoayEgXzsCMiM4OyJDafgR0aWkMinHCLeHq6d-XNjBv8-iH7u0vdM_mo/s1500/01-Prefecture.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1500" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha9Oha7xVQ55CoXUjoQIOd6CGCWv_w8mxoBgzSyEAz3b1KdtjVxag0Vpx6vZOzpY-fogDDNVTOVi1dXeGJY16jkjeWepwi2rU36NqKfPDPxl53Kr_rhQzf7HuF24tNwE4u0K2DoayEgXzsCMiM4OyJDafgR0aWkMinHCLeHq6d-XNjBv8-iH7u0vdM_mo/w640-h326/01-Prefecture.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">The disturbing sight of the swastika flying outside the Gironde préfecture on Cours du Chapeau-Rouge, which housed the German army central command centre. The contrast with the massage parlour which is now next door is striking.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg96HfQ-nwKzb7K9zMm1rnXrtyfiRJ4FtBM98j7XnoG2em75_bgAoHe-j6uJlY4CjDCWRbC8IATViZQVdjemmT2a5QUyYI9Ct0zKXXrqDfXjQZkvdkMFRVR44BqyHDzVqC9D9wazWGgNwcxRHzi22JfQYoZxORwfr7P5NxaMYlfWki7SDOOqy_krkELkLo/s1500/02-PeyBerland1.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1500" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg96HfQ-nwKzb7K9zMm1rnXrtyfiRJ4FtBM98j7XnoG2em75_bgAoHe-j6uJlY4CjDCWRbC8IATViZQVdjemmT2a5QUyYI9Ct0zKXXrqDfXjQZkvdkMFRVR44BqyHDzVqC9D9wazWGgNwcxRHzi22JfQYoZxORwfr7P5NxaMYlfWki7SDOOqy_krkELkLo/w640-h308/02-PeyBerland1.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">These ladies seem to be enjoying their city-centre stroll past fortified shelters and blockhouses built by the Germans at the base of Pey-Berland tower…</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqCLdMgw1K_wIVHmdPrVBBgX-ZmOLsoP-zH-Ge0KU1LE8_9F1XF-sjJ6LriPiMqXIm2VuTGMDvYGKtH_nACA6NKH8etFcPyfjVggmbgQ6d3TY_2RDXMPpQbZ6YZ1TdbaQhlhF4erHNA54vc-fo8niC1pVUdITfC5WcLvJ2ibr8_Chq9__fak7Bvlled0I/s1500/03-Cinema.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="771" data-original-width="1500" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqCLdMgw1K_wIVHmdPrVBBgX-ZmOLsoP-zH-Ge0KU1LE8_9F1XF-sjJ6LriPiMqXIm2VuTGMDvYGKtH_nACA6NKH8etFcPyfjVggmbgQ6d3TY_2RDXMPpQbZ6YZ1TdbaQhlhF4erHNA54vc-fo8niC1pVUdITfC5WcLvJ2ibr8_Chq9__fak7Bvlled0I/w640-h328/03-Cinema.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">During the Second World War, le Théâtre Français (now <a href="https://www.cgrcinemas.fr/cinema/" target="_blank">CGR Bordeaux Le Français</a> cinema) was a cinema which was reserved for German army soldiers, hence the "Soldaten Kino" sign (Soldiers' Cinema).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnmKTDSNqQQU4RnqAXNDKgs746f7zJUn1jvKqTKBSrugaqLzwwC02MF_-MFkuMi-sbAAgzuiIvlNfbdVYvTLt84mDJUcsMwdENOspzLXPXwAlh2pzClBm66iXoPALaNce21uSWE8W6uxHosba8LZogVNby-AMfBkDRiqJiKXBHxPTaWFNPqYev9TRAkX8/s1500/04-JardinPublic.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="787" data-original-width="1500" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnmKTDSNqQQU4RnqAXNDKgs746f7zJUn1jvKqTKBSrugaqLzwwC02MF_-MFkuMi-sbAAgzuiIvlNfbdVYvTLt84mDJUcsMwdENOspzLXPXwAlh2pzClBm66iXoPALaNce21uSWE8W6uxHosba8LZogVNby-AMfBkDRiqJiKXBHxPTaWFNPqYev9TRAkX8/w640-h336/04-JardinPublic.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">"French [citizens]... Listen every day to the voice of the Reich". German Information Service sign in front of the Jardin Public terrace.</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3LpFJzlZRMyDbNh6X2ow7dzdYDnu5jUx5SH0sPI5lze3N2RWH1Qo4pWCoTXN720aBlbKSoamew7SJyZFxqxcul4lO4npY8AIqzSJXaWRzY_PjMxfham9wZRyCwaSk8bI-2OV5v7GRikie5LFTnQkjJqxCXD5seTborl2cIRJrZPTzpQiQnAIgnyGcYS96/s1500/06b-Bourse.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="825" data-original-width="1500" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3LpFJzlZRMyDbNh6X2ow7dzdYDnu5jUx5SH0sPI5lze3N2RWH1Qo4pWCoTXN720aBlbKSoamew7SJyZFxqxcul4lO4npY8AIqzSJXaWRzY_PjMxfham9wZRyCwaSk8bI-2OV5v7GRikie5LFTnQkjJqxCXD5seTborl2cIRJrZPTzpQiQnAIgnyGcYS96/s1500/06b-Bourse.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">Place de la Bourse: the British bombardment on the night of December 8-9, 1940 certainly left its mark.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;"> </span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimWdoIsT4GQuy-roet08_3Jc9qzScQ2sZuUS9Mxe8LJJ17LM5fJoqcrtFtsiY0bX_q1_bd9MrCDM3sdz72vr0EuwX5J2_xjfkl0wWDv9UQjeaNaJXNIroKzBfnpTfQH5uYVBnjBG-zmN0sIPwHHMz9E92lJDR4fNYsUuVpBgknLlW_5njei_dBtegH24U/s1500/07-Victoire.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1500" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimWdoIsT4GQuy-roet08_3Jc9qzScQ2sZuUS9Mxe8LJJ17LM5fJoqcrtFtsiY0bX_q1_bd9MrCDM3sdz72vr0EuwX5J2_xjfkl0wWDv9UQjeaNaJXNIroKzBfnpTfQH5uYVBnjBG-zmN0sIPwHHMz9E92lJDR4fNYsUuVpBgknLlW_5njei_dBtegH24U/w640-h288/07-Victoire.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">The caption provided by Pierre Décamps states that "This German billboard, installed on Place de la [1918] Victoire in Bordeaux, indicates the victorious march of the German armies in Russia and the location of the battlefields where the Soviet armies were annihilated in 1941."</span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcL_cGesueMJ81IQJOFBujHfzzZOJM4ndsgEQh5LfoXOVtoNbjGPcztVtvCtW4lJm4us2RiPgIp_icZVLfoaFlp6TyEYrrrw3H-kYsvQ_nyUgnUdXYi7yrv-62MNZJKyNSHRqNfohl-LghXFZbEkw7HhxNTnfQ4FIp_NFG2WgS0Mlvi1oUbmAhlYxIn2c/s1500/08-CarnotStatue.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="817" data-original-width="1500" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcL_cGesueMJ81IQJOFBujHfzzZOJM4ndsgEQh5LfoXOVtoNbjGPcztVtvCtW4lJm4us2RiPgIp_icZVLfoaFlp6TyEYrrrw3H-kYsvQ_nyUgnUdXYi7yrv-62MNZJKyNSHRqNfohl-LghXFZbEkw7HhxNTnfQ4FIp_NFG2WgS0Mlvi1oUbmAhlYxIn2c/w640-h348/08-CarnotStatue.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">It’s all about the bronze: removal, on December 6, 1941, of the bronze statue of <a href="https://invisiblebordeaux.blogspot.com/2014/05/what-happened-to-statue-of-sadi-carnot.html" target="_blank">former president Sadi Carnot</a>, erected on Place Jean-Jaurès.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZnuO4FnifQe7krr02HRVqpoNq77laQNvdIw51ptAY-M--qxRmfcyCzR7gA_jXWapmG0UKOiNtpXWnAgcthssqLsVyDk86ZEgbZd_K9Zrtcv4qTuiB6yyulU8z6Gr4g6xI51ZoPmujEui9cTn15XNjhSXpf0l4te7pYVe7pP9clbHSLr9lCdv7asq5lmw/s1500/09-JeanJaures.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="1500" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZnuO4FnifQe7krr02HRVqpoNq77laQNvdIw51ptAY-M--qxRmfcyCzR7gA_jXWapmG0UKOiNtpXWnAgcthssqLsVyDk86ZEgbZd_K9Zrtcv4qTuiB6yyulU8z6Gr4g6xI51ZoPmujEui9cTn15XNjhSXpf0l4te7pYVe7pP9clbHSLr9lCdv7asq5lmw/w640-h336/09-JeanJaures.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Next to the now empty plinth, the sign reads "By working in Germany, you'll be an ambassador for French quality".</p></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqUTvQi9KLxJHv5rPHI5ZO6Tun8mKDq93JPJmCC1s6exqHf2TyMbI4M2q2RRrpu0ib6yaU3co4vvWaKisl3tvCROOVTH7UbvDdZDbvCObP9_rID2vHM9xDjyPEEBn1Q-xaisFtzI4czcoXJmh9uGr4mRjdEcnUq383jzq8ORuMtpvDn9T2a4t336iKo2c/s1500/05-RueSteCath.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="784" data-original-width="1500" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqUTvQi9KLxJHv5rPHI5ZO6Tun8mKDq93JPJmCC1s6exqHf2TyMbI4M2q2RRrpu0ib6yaU3co4vvWaKisl3tvCROOVTH7UbvDdZDbvCObP9_rID2vHM9xDjyPEEBn1Q-xaisFtzI4czcoXJmh9uGr4mRjdEcnUq383jzq8ORuMtpvDn9T2a4t336iKo2c/w640-h334/05-RueSteCath.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">French citizens enrolling to work for Germany show up at the "Bureau de placement", 103, rue Sainte-Catherine.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqN2lPpTJgQEqHl7tRmp5VNNeboYpOx3xr-iHkWfzuoBS7ax3THvbKSj5kAD-zJQ8UqYDRpgizNftUHjOozkMXh9iGyhl9rTiYLAiOAV8x5ybmEsR2Dqy9ny-4WIZf9jkE5Br29QIxWZJeniv12BrqJazD5KyRfLm9vVA3AXyl-3MQWUfcfMNoWaMtvJI/s1500/10-Maquisards.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="812" data-original-width="1500" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqN2lPpTJgQEqHl7tRmp5VNNeboYpOx3xr-iHkWfzuoBS7ax3THvbKSj5kAD-zJQ8UqYDRpgizNftUHjOozkMXh9iGyhl9rTiYLAiOAV8x5ybmEsR2Dqy9ny-4WIZf9jkE5Br29QIxWZJeniv12BrqJazD5KyRfLm9vVA3AXyl-3MQWUfcfMNoWaMtvJI/w640-h346/10-Maquisards.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">August 28th 1944, a group of "<a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maquis_(r%C3%A9sistance)" target="_blank">Maquisard</a>" Resistants from the Blaye area pictured on Rue Esprit-des-Lois in Bordeaux (the road that runs alongside the Grand Théâtre opera house), just as the city was being liberated.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;"> </span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTt4ki7A1R8FZ1eOqdIX_rfhleDI6Ftc1DohkRe9Iz4ELjTyZTDqE573BMgptB2NV6J0FssJCQ_UfAMpIpMEOJgpepB7PCrKYCw3qqrbpSqnKDwF0Tg6cs1RJEkSffU-02M2_IRLkzDg7lVndF6ijsnvXUoFFOGeuDgfgQKrrYrUATBg32vq8xUa2XdcI/s1500/11-Intendance.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="763" data-original-width="1500" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTt4ki7A1R8FZ1eOqdIX_rfhleDI6Ftc1DohkRe9Iz4ELjTyZTDqE573BMgptB2NV6J0FssJCQ_UfAMpIpMEOJgpepB7PCrKYCw3qqrbpSqnKDwF0Tg6cs1RJEkSffU-02M2_IRLkzDg7lVndF6ijsnvXUoFFOGeuDgfgQKrrYrUATBg32vq8xUa2XdcI/w640-h326/11-Intendance.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">August 28th 1944, Bordeaux students celebrating the city’s liberation. At the head of the procession, the sign proclaims "À poil les Fritzous, vive les étudiants" (which could be conservatively translated as "the Germans have been disrobed, long live the students").</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;"> </span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3CusXpLyIxATYXx2j4z4DuV3kVFM0yxgYd2QGComsxs35IqnYS4w9naCpfvgdypWescFyvTTQqDq8Ym55P667s60O6u7FVjv0I1uRmDORnF9-_9nS1sGcUvhLUJehn9gz_6clFeM3d1uAX-lAi6ygq8dgdBm_tLmTakrmqZ5-l-B8Ac4tkmv5po9yfc/s1500/12-Gambetta.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="839" data-original-width="1500" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3CusXpLyIxATYXx2j4z4DuV3kVFM0yxgYd2QGComsxs35IqnYS4w9naCpfvgdypWescFyvTTQqDq8Ym55P667s60O6u7FVjv0I1uRmDORnF9-_9nS1sGcUvhLUJehn9gz_6clFeM3d1uAX-lAi6ygq8dgdBm_tLmTakrmqZ5-l-B8Ac4tkmv5po9yfc/w640-h358/12-Gambetta.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">Members of the FFI (<a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forces_fran%C3%A7aises_de_l%27int%C3%A9rieur" target="_blank">Forces françaises de l’intérieur</a>) are celebrated by a crowd of happy onlookers on Place Gambetta.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;"> </span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Y41gStsPFm4dX2Xlf1j74smnU7G6zOm8SeB7zQ-g6tQ3trKaIG8JyD2C9kWAyg-tQxRXBsNw9x1VjehMnmtdRjA3MqGcBayL5thXTycOSRwjZr33po2W6c-xedS3xF2l1IGtFkrjjZdPNAPJrG1QhrbRVP2GtFOSvK8TVcy3xCFTm4iL6pM17qJWPgo/s1500/13-Pasteur.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="776" data-original-width="1500" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Y41gStsPFm4dX2Xlf1j74smnU7G6zOm8SeB7zQ-g6tQ3trKaIG8JyD2C9kWAyg-tQxRXBsNw9x1VjehMnmtdRjA3MqGcBayL5thXTycOSRwjZr33po2W6c-xedS3xF2l1IGtFkrjjZdPNAPJrG1QhrbRVP2GtFOSvK8TVcy3xCFTm4iL6pM17qJWPgo/w640-h332/13-Pasteur.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">Dancing in the street: the effigy of a German soldier hangs outside the headquarters of the General Student Association on Cours Pasteur.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;"> You can sense the joy in this picture, and no, we're not necessarily talking about the adult shop over to the right! </span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">> <a href="https://lebordeauxinvisible.blogspot.com/2023/09/fusion-en-images-de-bordeaux-sous.html" target="_blank">Ce dossier est également disponible en français.</a></h3></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14391698533722905666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4990702592078012308.post-56655973045429386962023-07-04T19:06:00.001+02:002023-07-04T19:06:51.828+02:00Inside la Maison Saint Louis Beaulieu <h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegFsnp2-O4OPe7kcYMGAKi5ZE-5rkfsY2YhbZej45MviRSuc7SBg8gORCR5LNUVzG5B0DTEvZNfbtI84vcrisZt5VGWyxWc_Jsait3E4J_j73WdnfyuIPMeM10VhBXYVUPlkYbybg-8J_AHW-_Ab8jJlrbY6-n9xLP_gJ21BTSS1pmlQWOfwo0QBkKPE/s1080/Beaulieu01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="593" data-original-width="1080" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegFsnp2-O4OPe7kcYMGAKi5ZE-5rkfsY2YhbZej45MviRSuc7SBg8gORCR5LNUVzG5B0DTEvZNfbtI84vcrisZt5VGWyxWc_Jsait3E4J_j73WdnfyuIPMeM10VhBXYVUPlkYbybg-8J_AHW-_Ab8jJlrbY6-n9xLP_gJ21BTSS1pmlQWOfwo0QBkKPE/w640-h352/Beaulieu01.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;">We are in the Saint-Genès district of Bordeaux, not far from the boulevards, visiting the unusual complex that is la Maison Saint Louis Beaulieu, the diocesan home of the Catholic Church in Gironde. Open to the general public, the Maison is a surprising place to behold… particularly its chapel, library and pleasant grounds. </h3><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><p>The history of Maison Saint Louis Beaulieu goes back to the mid-19th century when the Carmelite religious order set up a convent and a chapel, with hermitages dotted around the grounds. In the early years of the 20th century, the Catholic diocese rented the premises to house a seminary, purchasing the land and existing buildings in 1910. Over the following decades, the condition of the property gradually worsened until a full reconstruction began in 1937 to the plans drawn up by renowned architects Louis and Marcel Garros. This resulted in the main building, which still stands tall and proud today, and the intriguing art deco chapel (pictured below), consecrated in 1946 by the Apostolic Nuncio to France, Monsignor Angelo Roncalli, later to become Pope John XXIII.<br /> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9VZRmFQe5BjWPJHjr3Fqpm8QVZEsQRhZbXUU3UE-BkM7Bf-qMjRpyPKY1fSHShNTTg-Ajn05z7R1jFPdyQ279J6nukLti_1usjKo2efut1Mk2I-w9qR78mj0iyGdH0gizGHsakHZ-5u_3IAOyC9Xownl0ftlpid6KxsGeSu-FjdJme--Xt_IApMbUa38/s2000/Beaulieu02.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="2000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9VZRmFQe5BjWPJHjr3Fqpm8QVZEsQRhZbXUU3UE-BkM7Bf-qMjRpyPKY1fSHShNTTg-Ajn05z7R1jFPdyQ279J6nukLti_1usjKo2efut1Mk2I-w9qR78mj0iyGdH0gizGHsakHZ-5u_3IAOyC9Xownl0ftlpid6KxsGeSu-FjdJme--Xt_IApMbUa38/w640-h320/Beaulieu02.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Unusually, the chapel’s configuration has rotated 180° over the years, with the main entrance initially being street-side, on Rue Saint-Genès, but access now solely being possible via the cloister. The Parisian artists Jean Gaudin and Louis Mazetier provided the decorative touches of the chapel’s mosaics and tiling. The stained glass windows all seem laden with cryptic references. One, for instance, comprises the coats of arms of the city of Bordeaux but also of Bazas, which along with the dioceses of Agen, Angoulême also sent their students to Saint Louis Beaulieu from 1955 onwards. The organ was manufactured by the German company <a href="http://decouverte.orgue.free.fr/facteurs/merklin.htm" target="_blank">Merklin</a> in 1892 (its most recent overhaul occurred in 2017) and was in the original chapel.<br /> </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8FHSIl0IlhbU2oMmmxGP9xgxe5Lr6BoYqI4imI6GJRu1hNDANI4JBuazXeRVxgZ_6Zj4gMjuRqZk2r3D6Lu5Dd4-BW2CTVdTkalegrHV3bhFPqRsiJSYPxv_4jVh0JtCfmy-iLih6pSlTPaU726G8C-a7LQqEnG4vEXhPTGLVr8Liz36ACc76OyWY7U8/s2000/Beaulieu03.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8FHSIl0IlhbU2oMmmxGP9xgxe5Lr6BoYqI4imI6GJRu1hNDANI4JBuazXeRVxgZ_6Zj4gMjuRqZk2r3D6Lu5Dd4-BW2CTVdTkalegrHV3bhFPqRsiJSYPxv_4jVh0JtCfmy-iLih6pSlTPaU726G8C-a7LQqEnG4vEXhPTGLVr8Liz36ACc76OyWY7U8/w640-h480/Beaulieu03.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The street-side view and what used to be the main entrance to the chapel (situated behind what is now the altar).<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Beyond the pretty cloister/courtyard and the café-restaurant (see lead photo at top of page), a door leads to the library of the Bordeaux diocese, home to some 90,000 books about religious science stored across over four kilometres of shelving. Usually the reading room alone is open to the general public, but our visit tied in with the European heritage days so we were given a glimpse of the inner workings of the library and some of its oldest and most prized possessions. <br /> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipYHv7HY3VJayDLh3CreAdX0oR5jccHtrZMiDo1AmMbmNwn8cxI7U3K8bk4Z_hD7cpsy55TG9MOTMurZQdiCkASO0GNcyF1TbhR2amJSWqDm7k_q2A8Ke_BH3PVA3Ty-_XAn4VFOPoJJfodXs7vWXKt1_dZgWTsWjDv94Ah-LleDnT2gM_1OtMgTgxGeU/s2000/Beaulieu04.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="2000" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipYHv7HY3VJayDLh3CreAdX0oR5jccHtrZMiDo1AmMbmNwn8cxI7U3K8bk4Z_hD7cpsy55TG9MOTMurZQdiCkASO0GNcyF1TbhR2amJSWqDm7k_q2A8Ke_BH3PVA3Ty-_XAn4VFOPoJJfodXs7vWXKt1_dZgWTsWjDv94Ah-LleDnT2gM_1OtMgTgxGeU/w640-h214/Beaulieu04.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>From there on into the peaceful grounds, tucked away behind the main building. The first most prominent sight is a modern metallic work of art, '<a href="https://www.maisonsaintlouisbeaulieu.fr/la-maison/histoire-du-lieu/presentation-du-chene-de-mambre" target="_blank">le Chêne de Mambré</a>', produced by Bordeaux artist <a href="http://www.christopheconan.com/index.php" target="_blank">Christophe Conan</a>. Beyond its aesthetic delights and its designated role as a “meeting place”, the tree features on its leaves the names of benefactors who helped fund the renovation work carried out here in recent years. <br /><br /></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_R7LK-OlMiQrfLiNEYUNsIa5NMkwbfSPvpm4PVrLgh2lIpUFFXR8zllftgojC8T6R0vRpd4AZ09wJtd3OlbUpTl8wrG8PxznQCynYRa5iUE8x0pCfq0ubuJ57r5uWlstZhelMkD4exSqc1DWetSLBWdhQPCVLiheG0lC2O1YeJwJcxLj2RCG-oCs0vgg/s2000/Beaulieu05.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="2000" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_R7LK-OlMiQrfLiNEYUNsIa5NMkwbfSPvpm4PVrLgh2lIpUFFXR8zllftgojC8T6R0vRpd4AZ09wJtd3OlbUpTl8wrG8PxznQCynYRa5iUE8x0pCfq0ubuJ57r5uWlstZhelMkD4exSqc1DWetSLBWdhQPCVLiheG0lC2O1YeJwJcxLj2RCG-oCs0vgg/w640-h256/Beaulieu05.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christophe Conan's 'Le Chêne de Mambré'.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Wandering on through the grounds, other than the vegetable patches, herb gardens, and compost heaps, there is an old chapel to be spotted here, a chicken run there, and the inevitable statue of the Virgin Mary, which apparently fell on bad times in recent years. It was smashed to smithereens by unknown night-time intruders and had to be meticulously rebuilt from scratch by an expert at the Louvre museum in Paris. The ultimate 3D puzzle! <br /><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq6jexiStO3oZCqxuQ0R1ucBg3ztHA-KyrQZaEgFLAcau6GbkCBbfGWwZpWgmZbJoNg5Gx9k9B_fpkzPj7eZXFHZvCSFsHrxF1QlUj2pRMfLJjD_6kQuHLDxdp23LDcVj-gVJ37AHDXGppIxWnO3QRtJzURKk1b116q_1ANcIiPHBdrRVW75k0uE6kMAA/s2000/Beaulieu06.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq6jexiStO3oZCqxuQ0R1ucBg3ztHA-KyrQZaEgFLAcau6GbkCBbfGWwZpWgmZbJoNg5Gx9k9B_fpkzPj7eZXFHZvCSFsHrxF1QlUj2pRMfLJjD_6kQuHLDxdp23LDcVj-gVJ37AHDXGppIxWnO3QRtJzURKk1b116q_1ANcIiPHBdrRVW75k0uE6kMAA/w640-h480/Beaulieu06.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scenes from le Jardin de Beaulieu.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHA1SfN-JB13Mp1BNj2G002yPJOuf6lrLQlXNMpDBzO6h0wGeIPctRdHs6ilSfJBO6Gl1cJzuIbkywFMkSZZAropefHEDrLCXCJGqvaojQwQ-em8vmhndTQjgpLvfeAAO7nWElKLnsp_GATrP5dKH4xNLeEt8UHWHmgwg3yPWVitJcBkF3dR4_JvwdJNg/s2000/Beaulieu09.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1353" data-original-width="2000" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHA1SfN-JB13Mp1BNj2G002yPJOuf6lrLQlXNMpDBzO6h0wGeIPctRdHs6ilSfJBO6Gl1cJzuIbkywFMkSZZAropefHEDrLCXCJGqvaojQwQ-em8vmhndTQjgpLvfeAAO7nWElKLnsp_GATrP5dKH4xNLeEt8UHWHmgwg3yPWVitJcBkF3dR4_JvwdJNg/w640-h432/Beaulieu09.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As grumpy as they appear to be, the Madonna and Child actually look as good as new after their recent mishap.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><p></p><p>My time here also enabled me to find the exact vantage point to be able to reproduce the view on an old postcard I’d picked up many moons ago before even knowing where the picture had been taken. The postcard, which is captioned overleaf as “<i>Grand Séminaire de Bordeaux - Grand Bâtiment</i>”, includes a hand-drawn circle indicating the postcard-writer’s room – who was the mystery resident at the time? To know just a touch more, the text of the postcard is included at the foot of the article!<br /> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFNbSW4poSPBoMPLx9LTbl4Yuvak3y8SXP0ot182kFUc31-HGfJf0RAIfZPHjnnzAUoKZi0zjv2B5KU4I1QsQOvYcPiwdecrr5lrdqnrUOTlbggxBwGyz29L79GtTPwFsrw7amQRpNl7lxHIDmNzJsAFYvWjx53ZBwEG5dvacBFKuNdVDbNyfcqyj2d4I/s2000/Beaulieu07a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFNbSW4poSPBoMPLx9LTbl4Yuvak3y8SXP0ot182kFUc31-HGfJf0RAIfZPHjnnzAUoKZi0zjv2B5KU4I1QsQOvYcPiwdecrr5lrdqnrUOTlbggxBwGyz29L79GtTPwFsrw7amQRpNl7lxHIDmNzJsAFYvWjx53ZBwEG5dvacBFKuNdVDbNyfcqyj2d4I/w640-h640/Beaulieu07a.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Although the living is clearly very gentle here, Maison Saint Louis Beaulieu remains a very active place, and is arguably as dynamic as ever. Other than the aforementioned facets, its website also refers to it being home to the <a href="https://www.institutpeyberland.fr/" target="_blank">Pey Berland training institute</a>, a number of meeting rooms (which can be rented out for seminars and the like), a bookshop (<a href="https://www.laprocure.com/post/4402/la-procure-bordeaux" target="_blank">La Procure Beaulieu</a>), and the studios of the <a href="https://www.rcf.fr/pres-de-chez-moi/bordeaux" target="_blank">RCF Bordeaux catholic radio station</a>. And <a href="https://espacebeaulieu.fr/le-cafe-du-cloitre/" target="_blank">the café</a> is as pleasant a place as any for a quiet afternoon cup of tea or similar! <br /> </p><p>Oh, and one more thing: who exactly was Saint Louis Beaulieu? Well, Louis was born in 1840 in Langon near Bordeaux and went on to be ordained as a priest at the Overseas Missions Seminary in Paris in 1864. He ended up stationed in the mountains near Seoul, Korea, where the presence of foreigners was forbidden. Denounced and arrested, he was executed six months short of his 26th birthday. More than a century later, he and others who met the same fate in Korea were canonized by Pope John Paul II. <br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgToprmAtzvypFHBxSE_VJbbksyS0rPvOAJen33HBBMmd8ZItH5n1fRhkH_Wcb8DzCp99_fEySceWy9SV7Twvlaf0xCNDb2FIPXzYOP5MSjXye9o2Q3yFL7yk0ibetC5wgZIpJWyptLg4VJAYv7zMnS8btE4CZgBx36HeJY6B10oONlUYDf1ZRdL2t43Bk/s2000/Beaulieu08.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1506" data-original-width="2000" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgToprmAtzvypFHBxSE_VJbbksyS0rPvOAJen33HBBMmd8ZItH5n1fRhkH_Wcb8DzCp99_fEySceWy9SV7Twvlaf0xCNDb2FIPXzYOP5MSjXye9o2Q3yFL7yk0ibetC5wgZIpJWyptLg4VJAYv7zMnS8btE4CZgBx36HeJY6B10oONlUYDf1ZRdL2t43Bk/w640-h482/Beaulieu08.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">> Find it on <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1mkQycktU2e128cvPIDr4OUWyBmg&msa=0&ll=44.839482551289%2C-0.5785849999999915&spn=0.017709%2C0.038581&z=9" target="_blank">the Invisible Bordeaux map</a>: Maison Saint Louis Beaulieu, rue Saint-Genès, Bordeaux.<br />> Official website: <a href="https://espacebeaulieu.fr/" target="_blank">espacebeaulieu.fr<br /></a>> Thanks to students from the <a href="https://www.archimusebordeaux.com/" target="_blank">Archimuse association</a> who organised this European Heritage Days visit in 2022.<br />> Here is the text of the undated postcard in full (presumably, Miou was a cat...): <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i> Mon cher Jean-Pierre. Cette vilaine carte t'apporte mon bon souvenir pour ton anniversaire. J'espère que tout va bien à Lyon. Ici ça va. On termine l'année. Je te fais donc un méga bise, ainsi qu'à Miou et je prie bien pour vous. Fafa.<br /><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 18.72px;"><i>My dear Jean-Pierre. This ugly card brings you my best wishes for your birthday. I hope all is well in Lyon. Things are fine here. We're ending the year. I send you and Miou a big kiss and I'm praying for you. Fafa.<br /><br /></i></span></div>> <a href="https://lebordeauxinvisible.blogspot.com/2023/07/la-maison-saint-louis-beaulieu-vue-de.html" target="_blank">Cet article est également disponible en français !</a></h3></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14391698533722905666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4990702592078012308.post-19316140878157318142023-06-27T20:53:00.004+02:002023-07-16T21:10:48.634+02:00Étang de Cousseau nature reserve: towers, telescopes and one of la Gironde's finest views<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7URwsIUqxktuq81YdmwWR6srajxVIv1SFdsgSRYCBqL3OhihBIyyQ3gWcuTQDVg2lu7-gU4MGZOd0v0iAQ43pwWbeFQBYLLaawPk3tn3EuVk-a5e9YGo_4JISr2zFJwcpWI485pw-Q-R48ayssGMQrGYvkE9Y6WB20B0c1HSc9hbDsjt_GoDCZv-nIiU/s2000/Cousseau1b.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="2000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7URwsIUqxktuq81YdmwWR6srajxVIv1SFdsgSRYCBqL3OhihBIyyQ3gWcuTQDVg2lu7-gU4MGZOd0v0iAQ43pwWbeFQBYLLaawPk3tn3EuVk-a5e9YGo_4JISr2zFJwcpWI485pw-Q-R48ayssGMQrGYvkE9Y6WB20B0c1HSc9hbDsjt_GoDCZv-nIiU/w640-h360/Cousseau1b.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Imagine my surprise when I was out on my bike somewhere between Lacanau and Carcans-Maubuisson, on a stretch of cycle path which is among the prettiest there is in Gironde, and I saw signposts to <i>“la Réserve naturelle nationale de l’étang de Cousseau”</i>. I decided to investigate – what would I find?</h3><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><p style="text-align: left;">I veered off the main cycling route and off down a lane, which stretched on for a kilometre or so, until I was met with the sight of a row of wooden bicycle racks ahead of a gate. I locked up my bike and continued on foot, all the while heading downhill, following a narrow and twisty footpath. It all felt very wild and then, to the left, the idyllic sight of a large expanse of water filtered through the trees, and that was soon followed by a wooden viewing platform. I had very much arrived and the sight to behold was as splendid and as spectacular as you’ll get to see anywhere, period. <br /> </p><p style="text-align: left;">The nature reserve – in essence a lake along with an extensive area of marshland – covers a surface of 882 hectares (the lake alone accounts for 50 hectares) and has been open to visitors since 1976. In a way, the reserve gives an idea of the way things were way back, the way back in question being prior to the 19th century when humans re-moulded the Landes landscape and ocean coastline. <br /> </p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-GutE4dLeWTA-GpOiqH90VKLbhUEPay8tpjlRCyPscYo0DKbzfOVlRnRSwWjs0zam1-bk1o3naD9ufjalFOmolKaOKDSF3KzyD2WDyJjEDAFVWK100zg0SjEcVsTaP97FPayDyfDaT8_sftn0zWQ41O2Lnn3FHXjrVRObiJzPkoH76Z3xIEBKTuZdLk/s2000/Cousseau2.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="2000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-GutE4dLeWTA-GpOiqH90VKLbhUEPay8tpjlRCyPscYo0DKbzfOVlRnRSwWjs0zam1-bk1o3naD9ufjalFOmolKaOKDSF3KzyD2WDyJjEDAFVWK100zg0SjEcVsTaP97FPayDyfDaT8_sftn0zWQ41O2Lnn3FHXjrVRObiJzPkoH76Z3xIEBKTuZdLk/w640-h360/Cousseau2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Information panels welcoming visitors.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">From what I can make out (and it may turn out that this paragraph will have to be rewritten when somebody tells me otherwise), along the Atlantic coast, sand dunes would develop, rising and falling, preventing the inland waters from reaching the sea, forming the great freshwater lakes of Lacanau and Hourtin. Elsewhere, the land was stabilized through the plantation of maritime pines, and the surrounding land was irrigated to make it more habitable. However, in this hillier part of the region it was more difficult to plant maritime pines, and so the wild marshlands have prevailed, providing a home to a rich and ever-developing ecosystem of plants, trees, birds, mammals, and insects. <br /> </p><p style="text-align: left;">Among the wildlife present on site, <a href="https://www.reserves-naturelles.org/etang-du-cousseau" target="_blank">the national nature reserves website</a> notes various species of toads, frogs, newts, roe deer, wild boar, badgers, otters; more than 200 species of birds including osprey, greylag geese, white spoonbills, black-headed gulls, cranes and ducks; while around 70 species of birds come here to breed, including white-winged goshawk, hobby falcon, marsh harrier, buzzard and black kite. Oh, and let’s not forget Cousseau’s miscellaneous reptiles, amphibians, dragonflies (39 species) and butterflies (50 species). I suppose we could go on but if we do we could be here for some time… <br /> </p><p style="text-align: left;">Happily, all these constantly evolving facts and figures are permanently monitored by an organisation called <a href="https://www.sepanso.org/nos-missions/la-reserve-naturelle-de-letang-de-cousseau/" target="_blank">SEPANSO</a> (<i>Société pour l'Étude et l'Aménagement de la Nature dans le Sud-Ouest</i>), who manage the reserve. They also oversee the Banc d’Arguin at the mouth of Arcachon Bay, and the Réserve naturelle nationale des Marais de Bruges – the latter of which has long since deserved its own Invisible Bordeaux report. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfhBvBcgNiFlhGtL6vuyRcYazEq2o52Xw6NiTLqs3Ic9pNxoGY2Dt_X1h5dhjAlVOWXHLbXo-6oDpHHcrO5sVJ-FPyB-4FmW30X-mAo9jG6SXjHWIF7avsaQzJQS0hwXGbAG7Aq71tPPsLG4YiCj5FmOADEuSiAaqBLYp8BLv0iTNLskfQ2Gl0SisDf5k/s2000/Cousseau3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="2000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfhBvBcgNiFlhGtL6vuyRcYazEq2o52Xw6NiTLqs3Ic9pNxoGY2Dt_X1h5dhjAlVOWXHLbXo-6oDpHHcrO5sVJ-FPyB-4FmW30X-mAo9jG6SXjHWIF7avsaQzJQS0hwXGbAG7Aq71tPPsLG4YiCj5FmOADEuSiAaqBLYp8BLv0iTNLskfQ2Gl0SisDf5k/w640-h360/Cousseau3.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">At Cousseau, to my surprise, a SEPANSO representative was present on the main viewing platform to answer questions, provide guidance and lend out two telescopes to partake in some serious birdwatching. He did point out though that a hot mid-afternoon in June was not optimal in terms of observing anything more interesting than the siege of herons huddling in a tree some way in the distance. Will plan things properly next time!</p><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><p style="text-align: left;">From there I climbed the steps of one of the reserve’s two tall observation towers, la Tour de Lesperon. In places, poetic notes written on fabric added a little mystique to the proceedings. <br /><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzuEJoiZwvpyAfKytPjdXscQ2O6Ds6O9xTEs260ZAeTnCT8_kjLPMN1FyFwkQR_OANoUJxxhzdYth6wgsNA4sdUuIjdEaOT2JJIpZlHxJFIKM9_qX8COsQs5hAKkdH29jmBYmsh1MPEXzMgT_IzRZbLlCMfTWvKtoD64p7JCFiPPPiv9LLSh64oFoEut8/s2000/Cousseau4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzuEJoiZwvpyAfKytPjdXscQ2O6Ds6O9xTEs260ZAeTnCT8_kjLPMN1FyFwkQR_OANoUJxxhzdYth6wgsNA4sdUuIjdEaOT2JJIpZlHxJFIKM9_qX8COsQs5hAKkdH29jmBYmsh1MPEXzMgT_IzRZbLlCMfTWvKtoD64p7JCFiPPPiv9LLSh64oFoEut8/w640-h480/Cousseau4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">La Tour de Lesperon. A poem was written on the white fabric rectangle which moved with the wind.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;">From the top I felt ever so slightly like I was the king of Cousseau, and to properly crown the occasion I spotted a magnificent cow in the distance. Or was it a bull? A bison? A buffalo? It turns out it was actually a "<a href="https://racesaquitaine.fr/Presentation-vache-marine" target="_blank">vache marine</a>" Whatever, this was now a bit like being on safari. <br /> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkjSgV3PtFJnf6Hkew3f__AhSX5YitMdbE0xov1BdtMipcoe6FE-EMiXUYpUk27Doxrfnx_rjd-9I0PQlTA77ESysHxU8xnX6T3-ccptFl4JlBA06U_YDawXvZUEFWXdAc-SyhQVJabAgj1vf7HxZcPgy6dUUmUom7V0hDh-0gi-kvXZZF6xPOqs4ajTc/s2000/Cousseau5.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1126" data-original-width="2000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkjSgV3PtFJnf6Hkew3f__AhSX5YitMdbE0xov1BdtMipcoe6FE-EMiXUYpUk27Doxrfnx_rjd-9I0PQlTA77ESysHxU8xnX6T3-ccptFl4JlBA06U_YDawXvZUEFWXdAc-SyhQVJabAgj1vf7HxZcPgy6dUUmUom7V0hDh-0gi-kvXZZF6xPOqs4ajTc/w640-h360/Cousseau5.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">From that vantage point, along with the impressive natural beauty, what was most striking was how peaceful the place was, the silence disturbed only by the buzzing of insects. When I was there, there were just three other visitors, I bumped into two other people on my way out – it was certainly difficult to believe that the reserve reportedly draws between 25,000 and 30,000 visitors per year… The crowds certainly weren’t around on a Sunday afternoon in June.<br /> </p><p style="text-align: left;">Anyway, as far as I’m concerned, I will most definitely be paying a return visit before too long to be able to experience the reserve to the full. There is another observation tower to climb, and a full walking circuit to take in. In a way, this first, unplanned venture feels like it was little more than a rushed trailer ahead of the full feature unfolding. <br /> </p><p style="text-align: left;">So, dear <i>Réserve naturelle nationale de l’étang de Cousseau</i>, Invisible Bordeaux is very much looking forward to exploring your delights further sometime in the future… and preferably on a day when there are more birds to be seen! <br /><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxkv-VoJQUma6JPcqcpGE7DzZs_aM9HgC39b7ecbXZDTtJ0dtOxzqkLtf56Vg_sEYTimDX282b5l2c7LhD_xra-ow18uwpM10PHPWokLO3gSBRr9LyTLjoja6YGE2PgJ0H2Hsh9GcU_A_UmORDBzPIJ5OQVxyYEn_bC411JuUtbqTS5WpVMtEP3_bgmGd7/s800/TourGalip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="800" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxkv-VoJQUma6JPcqcpGE7DzZs_aM9HgC39b7ecbXZDTtJ0dtOxzqkLtf56Vg_sEYTimDX282b5l2c7LhD_xra-ow18uwpM10PHPWokLO3gSBRr9LyTLjoja6YGE2PgJ0H2Hsh9GcU_A_UmORDBzPIJ5OQVxyYEn_bC411JuUtbqTS5WpVMtEP3_bgmGd7/w640-h256/TourGalip.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Update: I did make it back shortly afterwards and got to take in the fine view from the top of the second observation tower, Tour Galip. Hurrah!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b>> Find it on <a href="http://maps.google.fr/maps/ms?msid=210373862037781084851.0004b3333ef977deb2fc8&msa=0&ll=44.84376,-0.578585&spn=0.017709,0.038581" target="_blank">the Invisible Bordeaux map</a>: Réserve naturelle nationale de l’étang de Cousseau, Lacanau. Cycling is the recommended means of reaching the reserve, but there is also a car park located more or less in the vicinity (codenamed 'Marmande" on the D6E1 départementale road to the north of Lacanau), but note that it's a fair old walk from there to the reserve proper. <br /></b></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b>> <a href="https://www.reserves-naturelles.org/etang-du-cousseau" target="_blank">Réserves Naturelles de France website page</a></b></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b>> <a href="https://www.sepanso.org/nos-missions/la-reserve-naturelle-de-letang-de-cousseau/" target="_blank">SEPANSO website page</a> </b></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b>> <a href="https://lebordeauxinvisible.blogspot.com/2023/06/a-la-decouverte-de-la-reserve-naturelle.html" target="_blank">Ce dossier est également disponible en français !</a> </b><br /></h4>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14391698533722905666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4990702592078012308.post-81311851542096655672023-05-12T06:00:00.002+02:002023-05-12T06:00:00.162+02:00Join Slowrush on their mission to the centre of the northern hemisphere (i.e. Puynormand)<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfGMxLM1TwZPyqD-tS842J2QjOaAlqQxV5i9dscjJ4Px2OlUO9gisWOa4j0vWChc_9bqaLfZUtzf7JQ9DjyaC8XqN-FGSmN01U6Bdn3nbCqaSbFuHvXqtW6X53gZXcdNzz2eMfTXhV88rOgTB__ilSz_EzKVDg9v-3CnXXTd4LDok03-4whZjFprvY/s1280/Minimalist%20MV%20Cover%20(1).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfGMxLM1TwZPyqD-tS842J2QjOaAlqQxV5i9dscjJ4Px2OlUO9gisWOa4j0vWChc_9bqaLfZUtzf7JQ9DjyaC8XqN-FGSmN01U6Bdn3nbCqaSbFuHvXqtW6X53gZXcdNzz2eMfTXhV88rOgTB__ilSz_EzKVDg9v-3CnXXTd4LDok03-4whZjFprvY/w640-h360/Minimalist%20MV%20Cover%20(1).png" width="640" /></a></p><h3 style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">The small village of Puynormand - and its unusual claim to being the centre of the northern hemisphere - has <a href="https://invisiblebordeaux.blogspot.com/2022/08/back-to-puynormand-and-place-where.html">twice featured on the Invisible Bordeaux blog</a>. It was only really a matter of time before the subject made its way into a song produced by my group Slowrush… and here it is, along with a spectacular video: we give you X Marks The Spot!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></h3><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">X Marks The Spot, which is the lead track on the new Slowrush E.P., Navigation & Time, is the story of two of my trips to the spot where the Greenwich Meridian and the 45th Parallel North converge, i.e. the place where east meets west mid-way up the northern hemisphere.</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">While there is something very tongue-in-cheek about the track and the way the band appear to get quite excited about something that doesn’t physically exist, it is also a very affectionate nod in the direction of friend of the blog André Stanghellini and the work he has done to raise awareness of Puynormand’s unique status, resulting in a signpost and information panel going up in recent years.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">So join Slowrush as we embark on our mission to the centre of our hemisphere, and find out what it is like to perform a sax solo and enjoy drinks where these important invisible lines converge!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>
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</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></p><center>
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<p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><b>> You can listen to the full Navigation & Time E.P. <a href="https://slowrush.bandcamp.com/album/navigation-time" target="_blank">on the Slowrush Bandcamp page here</a>, or <a href="https://linktr.ee/slowrush" target="_blank">on the streaming platform of your choice by clicking here</a>.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></b></p>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14391698533722905666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4990702592078012308.post-80022692438688357692023-05-05T15:59:00.002+02:002023-05-05T16:04:23.170+02:00Hanging gardens for all: introducing the green walls of Bordeaux<h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga_vMOoJT5Ly18sEPII4QKSYNy7Kb9JaS4ndxsgVuQzl0lu-NvQ7PuNmH9Q8Agk0f6c7Y3BPSkiVGuxOW_msL-Z2WIFBE_SU49LuBmjR378b9E4RtskV6y3GHJ-UL_tKRZyq7YjpinAmoVd00D1mbRM-NItqltZAxIDnGXoRC9VmoHRdPcYkpWtL4u/s2000/Vinet1-alt.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="2000" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga_vMOoJT5Ly18sEPII4QKSYNy7Kb9JaS4ndxsgVuQzl0lu-NvQ7PuNmH9Q8Agk0f6c7Y3BPSkiVGuxOW_msL-Z2WIFBE_SU49LuBmjR378b9E4RtskV6y3GHJ-UL_tKRZyq7YjpinAmoVd00D1mbRM-NItqltZAxIDnGXoRC9VmoHRdPcYkpWtL4u/w640-h288/Vinet1-alt.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Every so often the hustle and bustle of central Bordeaux can get just a little bit overpowering, wouldn’t you say? When that happens there can surely be nothing more refreshing than taking in the delights of the city’s biggest green wall. We therefore give you Square Vinet… just a stone’s throw away from the perpetually buzzing Rue Sainte-Catherine and Place Camille-Jullian.</b></h3><div><b><br /></b></div><p>The tiny and quiet plane-tree-lined square, which runs between Rue du Cancéra and Rue Vinet, dates from the 1970s following on from the demolition of a row of run-down buildings. The turning point came in 2005 with the addition of its key selling point, namely the unusual – and really quite pretty – 100-metre-long (or 400-square-metre) green wall, as part of a substantial overhaul that cost €540,000. The work proved controversial at the time, but (if contemporary media coverage is to be believed) that was mainly because the old-school swings were replaced by more modern children’s activities! <i>“Beau mais trop intello”</i> (pretty but high-brow), headlined the local newspaper Sud Ouest!</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf_FfA9EUN5bfQNRbmVFhr-JYjYrlLN3BVkh_7afaoZz6d1M_A1OBF6GR5-AE3SbgQpMU0pQOVfljkodsscwA1NY0MrgHGffxu1UKxSdCCGZ9FnEuNczEyC_-Sr9jmwPm-hNCWE5s9SrIbwbk5PsdUEU5P1UB8qTL5ibykfPpr8K8lce7x0ZMTgmSe/s2000/Vinet3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="2000" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf_FfA9EUN5bfQNRbmVFhr-JYjYrlLN3BVkh_7afaoZz6d1M_A1OBF6GR5-AE3SbgQpMU0pQOVfljkodsscwA1NY0MrgHGffxu1UKxSdCCGZ9FnEuNczEyC_-Sr9jmwPm-hNCWE5s9SrIbwbk5PsdUEU5P1UB8qTL5ibykfPpr8K8lce7x0ZMTgmSe/w640-h288/Vinet3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Square Vinet in all its splendour.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>But let’s get back to our green wall… then again, what exactly is a green wall? Well, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_wall" target="_blank">Wikipedia notes that</a> <i>“A green wall is a vertical built structure intentionally covered by vegetation. Green walls include a vertically applied growth medium such as soil, substitute substrate, or hydroculture felt; as well as an integrated hydration and fertigation delivery system. They are also referred to as living walls or vertical gardens, and widely associated with the delivery of many beneficial ecosystem services.”</i></p><p><br /></p><p>The Square Vinet green wall was initiated as part of a city-wide strategy regarding the planting of trees and vegetation led by landscape gardener Michel Desvignes. The actual conception of the wall was, <a href="https://www.bordeaux.fr/l907/vinet-square-" target="_blank">according to the city’s website</a>, <i>“the fruit of the scientific research and artistic talent of the botanist <a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Blanc" target="_blank">Patrick Blanc</a>”</i> (the man who also designed the green wall to be spotted at Paris’s Musée des Arts Premiers Quai Branly), all of which was no doubt enthusiastically rolled out by Bordeaux’s team of gardeners.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMUdCnXmuKOkIVSmZR_pt6oC_LGwkRA6NRmN9ZRxYfkg0maDZ05x4-fTziUzxtgKzV3sOB83g_6ypX0d3Uf2gShT3CBF1uCssO_dyPD4kQspw9z-gk6A04qe2PryhdQ32WFqXymDKw3uQCLKLS-VmWG7coB1a-Mi6g6t2DTImpPyekZuy4KROsubDG/s1340/Vinet2-Edit.PNG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="865" data-original-width="1340" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMUdCnXmuKOkIVSmZR_pt6oC_LGwkRA6NRmN9ZRxYfkg0maDZ05x4-fTziUzxtgKzV3sOB83g_6ypX0d3Uf2gShT3CBF1uCssO_dyPD4kQspw9z-gk6A04qe2PryhdQ32WFqXymDKw3uQCLKLS-VmWG7coB1a-Mi6g6t2DTImpPyekZuy4KROsubDG/w640-h414/Vinet2-Edit.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the very green greenery to be spotted. </td></tr></tbody></table><p>The wall comprises a wide variety of plants whose <i>“textures and colours are well-adapted to the fun environment of a children’s playground”</i>. And yes, the square is still home to a small number of features (a small slide and unidentified things on springs) designed to keep the neighbourhood’s younger citizens occupied! What more could one ask for?</p><p><br /></p><p>But even for child-free visitors the small square makes for a refreshing discovery, and the contrast between the Vinet green wall (Elie Vinet, by the way, was an eminent 16th-century Bordelais professor, historian and writer) and the limestone of the surrounding buildings is striking.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO-JJT4zgAqcEBbDsiI_86rYtRYMNE1NA8wtcMB6rKnkvCRWM4o5o3Gm9QgZWP7oSwuhPtqLMDLcAGcjdj7jzL6Efe09BY2IP2S7DosJnNEWrVaPIDLTK7lijPBK9BNMoZnJ-bWqo12Ut1k6jiZQY_tKSnG8fxUE2x6s5c0i_BuGFUc-XSzG6s3fSf/s2000/Vinet1-alt.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="2000" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1A_u_iJHfLLtCDduvUD2lprdrBbWFAsJOIj4ZpAfqSq6d3PBgQoS1VyBINa0zUvl7CIo6-vJsAD4-wyaMex9g6svghbDkBVdrZ0iPJWE3hnQjY3uxKJI5X_Qa4zxTni9R0Rz1KH1zlzomkvldvFi4CYJT2PCF8Iph2Erl322FnWNaLFv9D3rL1iHhrg/s2000/Vinet1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wall to wall contrast.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Meanwhile, it might be noted that the Vinet green wall is not alone in the city, another can be enjoyed in the Mériadeck quarter, along the sides of the council meeting room of the Bordeaux Métropole building. Here, the added bonus is the surrounding fishpond and abstract bronze sculpture produced by <a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Cante-Pacos" target="_blank">François Cante-Pacos</a> (and yes, there are even some lovely goldfish to be spotted!). </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPELLzzLk50fX2e_hNG-P2xWZe1msEATD7xgiQVQcQO-exDg8QSu5dEK6r6NIizsn0Zxyk_Iwpz0KiORjYUCDqAp2j8d0-R_TZAvaCurNVkhijo4Tnwfjndz9y6b7ewSZPsCPvIzjBdCsrFvy9Siaenn5lYqEvTdFgdQhE5fHO6s16xit9wWkpdvXf/s1374/Vinet3-Edit.PNG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="806" data-original-width="1374" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPELLzzLk50fX2e_hNG-P2xWZe1msEATD7xgiQVQcQO-exDg8QSu5dEK6r6NIizsn0Zxyk_Iwpz0KiORjYUCDqAp2j8d0-R_TZAvaCurNVkhijo4Tnwfjndz9y6b7ewSZPsCPvIzjBdCsrFvy9Siaenn5lYqEvTdFgdQhE5fHO6s16xit9wWkpdvXf/w640-h376/Vinet3-Edit.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hanging gardens of Bordeaux Métropole's <i>salle du conseil</i>. Check out the goldfish (bottom right)! </td></tr></tbody></table><p>There have also been less successful green wall ventures in Bordeaux, notably on Cours de la Martinique where a residential building sported short-lived greenery that ran across the balconies of each apartment, once again to the designs of Patrick Blanc. Upkeep and maintenance proved difficult, and the water drainage system was ineffective; during cold spells this resulted in frost-related damage to the balconies and dangerously icy pavements at ground level. In 2012, just five years after being installed, the Cours de la Martinique’s hanging gardens were therefore <a href="https://www.sudouest.fr/gironde/bordeaux/bordeaux-le-mur-vegetal-bien-fane-9278199.php" target="_blank">already making headlines for all the wrong reasons in Sud Ouest</a>. A few years on, the building’s balconies are now ominously smooth and free of plants! <br /><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b>> Find them <a href="http://maps.google.fr/maps/ms?msid=210373862037781084851.0004b3333ef977deb2fc8&msa=0&ll=44.84376,-0.578585&spn=0.017709,0.038581" target="_blank">on the Invisible Bordeaux map</a>: Square Vinet and Bordeaux Métropole building and green wall, Bordeaux.<br /></b><b>> <a href="https://lebordeauxinvisible.blogspot.com/2023/05/verdure-very-verticale-les-murs.html" target="_blank">Ce dossier est également disponible en français. </a><br /></b><b>> Big thanks to Mathias Cisnal (<a href="https://invisiblebordeaux.blogspot.com/2022/09/recommended-reading-mathias-cisnals.html">author of Mériadeck - Parcours en ville</a>) for his useful clarifications regarding the Mériadeck green wall!</b> </h4>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14391698533722905666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4990702592078012308.post-84009083452271235852023-04-18T21:29:00.002+02:002023-04-19T09:34:11.521+02:00Introducing the (very unusual) public bookcases of Eysines<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ5gIkjw7mI3aa-zQx94cVatntm_05_71AIlFbUvVvhDqUDQ5g-WkbY4hystN7NlhIcJ45mefOAC2rQxRsxAtyD4EcriNhzLOej0_Z7aqkCmGHoLY1rI47muHk0dovhtffxRsQhBL6xZiFnRX1uNv4DjwT2gMdefp1zyfKjuguB3qFrVcX9Jc96iH4/s1600/Use17.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1600" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ5gIkjw7mI3aa-zQx94cVatntm_05_71AIlFbUvVvhDqUDQ5g-WkbY4hystN7NlhIcJ45mefOAC2rQxRsxAtyD4EcriNhzLOej0_Z7aqkCmGHoLY1rI47muHk0dovhtffxRsQhBL6xZiFnRX1uNv4DjwT2gMdefp1zyfKjuguB3qFrVcX9Jc96iH4/w640-h288/Use17.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></div><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>I’m no longer sure how this occurred, but I somehow came across a 2019 social media post announcing the installation of some new and highly unusual public bookcases (or "<i>boîtes à livres</i>") in various locations around the pleasant town of Eysines, as <a href="https://www.eysines.fr/infos-pratiques/culture/les-dispositifs-culturels/boites-a-livres/" target="_blank">handily detailed on a map available on the municipality’s website</a>. What makes most of the Eysines bookcases unusual is that rather than simply being angular wooden structures, each unique design reflects the surrounding area and was lovingly hand-crafted by members of the municipal technical teams. Needless to say, this clearly demanded a low-key Sunday morning cycling roadtrip! </b></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></h3><p><b></b>Of course, the basic premise of public bookcases is straightforward: come along, browse a little, ideally deposit a book and, in return, take one home with you. For the purposes of this project I adapted that rule to my roadtrip format, initially contributing a book to the Eysines collection, and then at each bookcase selecting one that I would leave at my next stop, forming a bit of a input/output book chain. To begin the process, the book I dropped off at the first public bookcase was the very Invisible Bordeaux-friendly <i>Grandir à Bordeaux dans les Années 1940 et 1950 </i>by Véronique Cardinal. What publication would I be taking home ten stops along the line?<br /><br /><b></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitTQqXMrUFH7OuBvDFRhcIAV-vAuMhzcLv28t8_DGCrYH2Yb--7TWJ1OqAgudvQArZsoHwy306KaB1b93y-pEcHCO7AwRLHC_BLMOyXfdZ7uzHPVZhlANGCiMjDNg0cbExrEn1hmM2Yw8bsU8mp9Hj0TLFiI9IAbcZiW6tFeiyalIUTqWKAtoWLwNZ/s1600/01a-Bookcase01.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1001" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitTQqXMrUFH7OuBvDFRhcIAV-vAuMhzcLv28t8_DGCrYH2Yb--7TWJ1OqAgudvQArZsoHwy306KaB1b93y-pEcHCO7AwRLHC_BLMOyXfdZ7uzHPVZhlANGCiMjDNg0cbExrEn1hmM2Yw8bsU8mp9Hj0TLFiI9IAbcZiW6tFeiyalIUTqWKAtoWLwNZ/w640-h400/01a-Bookcase01.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><b><br /></b>My first public bookcase was in the shape of a vintage "Eysines Bourg" tram, positioned here just slightly ahead of the neighbouring tram line D "Eysines Centre" stop entering into service. The bookcase was in good condition and offered a fair selection of books. This was also my first experience of the accomplished handiwork of Eysines’ municipal staff: I realized the hinges of the doors contained a strong spring mechanism so that when released the doors would automatically close upon themselves. Neat and clever. I swapped my Véronique Cardinal book for some classic literature that would take me back to my university years: Balzac’s <i>Le Père Goriot</i>. <p></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNm3PTdgWnMrj9lJUFc7AGbgHU3NHSrMmzbE4mrGwhhgD-JK53Xnhgj0XbBn-S_BvmS3oEoQZ2abznAjniDM-FilToHO4POTnu_-ArHQRndDztGx4IZBOteRBdAVusQ_ge3hX5g7DP8GPeWLZawzSYW7pnhs2iEQMHl8kKnNTSYFhg6anhbgloaIAx/s1600/Use18.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNm3PTdgWnMrj9lJUFc7AGbgHU3NHSrMmzbE4mrGwhhgD-JK53Xnhgj0XbBn-S_BvmS3oEoQZ2abznAjniDM-FilToHO4POTnu_-ArHQRndDztGx4IZBOteRBdAVusQ_ge3hX5g7DP8GPeWLZawzSYW7pnhs2iEQMHl8kKnNTSYFhg6anhbgloaIAx/w640-h192/Use18.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><br />Stop number two was in the leafy <a href="https://www.eysines.fr/fiche-annuaire-equipement/bois-du-derby/" target="_blank">Bois du Derby</a>, the name of which may or may not be a reference to the nearby horse-racing track. In the shape of a colourful tree, the bookcase comprises two little houses to store books, one at adult height and the other at child height.<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9uS_Sy77XqimgkB4joeiP3DWEDZM1ZJTtlf5wLlmd0Y1uYJ0MeeF6XSYI8aaNyVo0IDKXjJW1kD3EzjSQmp_qhLv4uvWYXAixQPuyqZSTAnw5d9xlIgirxZCAgnxxUqUees29ZK8LdggJMISEHmc3g0SrnS62nNAuDG3iqXGxmGCWdj9KdwG66F9b/s1600/Use19.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9uS_Sy77XqimgkB4joeiP3DWEDZM1ZJTtlf5wLlmd0Y1uYJ0MeeF6XSYI8aaNyVo0IDKXjJW1kD3EzjSQmp_qhLv4uvWYXAixQPuyqZSTAnw5d9xlIgirxZCAgnxxUqUees29ZK8LdggJMISEHmc3g0SrnS62nNAuDG3iqXGxmGCWdj9KdwG66F9b/w640-h426/Use19.jpg" width="640" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />The latter was ominously empty… and the springy doors were no more. For some reason this triggered my inner politician and <i>Le Père Goriot</i> was replaced by Anna Cabana’s <i>Un Fantasme Nommé Juppé</i>.<br /><br />The third <i>boîte à livres</i> was a little more difficult to track down, situated within the confines of a residential set of buildings (Résidence les Cottages), by the side of a children’s play area and a small-scale football pitch. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> <br /></span></div><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk0bvVofjKCgkyNAOTCgRdrrfHVs2CDBI6-A1gtEVtFzjUC9BYzri_12WJ02-rIOPBpHZHU6hU2QxD3GQqw8ERZmlUWKOOC7xo7cYIP45fDHzDMGrUumhpD28okUpvHtekJSeg-RVyBvJwhwa5WL6bYn5xxI8MaI2WdFgsWCuvERGRmyu0hybufbR5/s1600/Use20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1600" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk0bvVofjKCgkyNAOTCgRdrrfHVs2CDBI6-A1gtEVtFzjUC9BYzri_12WJ02-rIOPBpHZHU6hU2QxD3GQqw8ERZmlUWKOOC7xo7cYIP45fDHzDMGrUumhpD28okUpvHtekJSeg-RVyBvJwhwa5WL6bYn5xxI8MaI2WdFgsWCuvERGRmyu0hybufbR5/w640-h256/Use20.jpg" width="640" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Despite a hand-written notice requesting some communal goodwill, this bookcase was clearly in need of some tender loving care… and was conspicuously empty save for a weather-beaten children’s picture book. I opted to leave things as they were. <br /><br />Then it was on to Place Florale which, on a Sunday morning, is a hive of activity because… it’s market day! Hurrah! So I was met with crowds of people stocking up on various foodstuffs at what is known as Marché de Migron, with the smell of roast chicken in the air and all soundtracked by an amplified busker singing old Bob Dylan tunes in approximate English. The Place Florale public bookcase is a delightful beast (although it too is short of its protective doors), in the shape of an old Citroën utility van. Is this a reference to a specific Citroën van or does it simply hint at the market sellers who set up their stalls here every weekend? <span class="Apple-converted-space"> <br /></span></div><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz5FgyZZPlEhyl2eLRaJ86B5aqRKyCPPIkT_Cgiwgh7HxdxNxSOdKmSjO0Wha41qlnAR0neKkaVepYWiF9clY2ZCOUNBNzjkzXWF7WU4BWTfhOlUMmrosNUpR_zmxHCtj-zevBiDCuZlArcCtE3ujvFTgZ5Ik9BPn7M1fLVP_F0v14ltLUsbs-T5qZ/s1600/Use21.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz5FgyZZPlEhyl2eLRaJ86B5aqRKyCPPIkT_Cgiwgh7HxdxNxSOdKmSjO0Wha41qlnAR0neKkaVepYWiF9clY2ZCOUNBNzjkzXWF7WU4BWTfhOlUMmrosNUpR_zmxHCtj-zevBiDCuZlArcCtE3ujvFTgZ5Ik9BPn7M1fLVP_F0v14ltLUsbs-T5qZ/w640-h192/Use21.jpg" width="640" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />Certainly, the day I was there, there were obvious parallels with the camper van parked alongside selling tomato plants! Stopping here also served as my first chance to see a remarkable new piece of public art, a bronze sculpture by <a href="https://dda-nouvelle-aquitaine.org/ibai-hernandorena" target="_blank">Ibai Hernandorena</a> depicting three disabled local youths. The piece entitled <i>"Jéremy, Germain et Olivier" </i>and <a href="https://www.sudouest.fr/gironde/eysines/eysines-une-oeuvre-d-art-donne-un-nouveau-cachet-a-la-place-florale-12480282.php" target="_blank">which you can read about by clicking here</a>, possibly deserves its own Invisible Bordeaux article! I set off, now with John Gray’s <i>Mars et Vénus Sous la Couette</i> safely lodged in my bag. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> <br /></span></div><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifQUKq4Xv2F-3ESxo7ixXyPowBp1ZI6eo_1UILR07mKBm5BI5dUDtdsLT9zpKOFHY6QISLK2obNl35vLNzF2fF3-fWhhSFrPStTIcWfQaZhm3oOZUwSmawTIPrgEe4auZ2lpfgvAZx75Io9qVeC4JlZ8_JM30Gh_PA474OJBTatKpdcINWkWQeNZx8/s1600/Use22.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifQUKq4Xv2F-3ESxo7ixXyPowBp1ZI6eo_1UILR07mKBm5BI5dUDtdsLT9zpKOFHY6QISLK2obNl35vLNzF2fF3-fWhhSFrPStTIcWfQaZhm3oOZUwSmawTIPrgEe4auZ2lpfgvAZx75Io9qVeC4JlZ8_JM30Gh_PA474OJBTatKpdcINWkWQeNZx8/w640-h192/Use22.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />I was now heading to <a href="https://www.eysines.fr/fiche-annuaire-equipement/bois-gramond/" target="_blank">le Bois Gramond</a>, which is a pleasant area of greenery tucked in among residential streets and flanked to the north-west by the <i>Rocade</i> ringroad. From what I could make out during my short stay, the park is a bit of a joggers’ and dog-walkers’ paradise. It also features arguably the most ambitious of Eysines’ public bookcases: a walk-in hut with well-stocked bookshelves on all sides and an invitation to enjoy the setting at all times of year, with each side of the hut recalling one of the four seasons.</div><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm-PtsV-C6P9ezFaGKLp-57SYVCWUi53wcc5Pobb9s-gM1-PgDjRYo6YAq5aMIA6Yubat1C9EG_bTAzSnv4oKe_WrYejTbmoFLE9_hD-GfSwOcrDxw7kdi4stb_ELnLbyYtFzs2QE6RgMFERUSFiI7PRFzdj1jhryiPnaFtTgOBNV7WJfJucODD90y/s1600/Use23.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm-PtsV-C6P9ezFaGKLp-57SYVCWUi53wcc5Pobb9s-gM1-PgDjRYo6YAq5aMIA6Yubat1C9EG_bTAzSnv4oKe_WrYejTbmoFLE9_hD-GfSwOcrDxw7kdi4stb_ELnLbyYtFzs2QE6RgMFERUSFiI7PRFzdj1jhryiPnaFtTgOBNV7WJfJucODD90y/w640-h426/Use23.jpg" width="640" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Porthole windows on the outside world complete the picture. It really is most excellent. I swapped my sex therapy self-help book for Denis Guedj’s <i>Le Théorème du Perroquet</i>, simply because I liked the title and the cover. <br /><br />Next up was a zebra-themed bookcase which, like its les Cottages counterpart, was a touch more difficult to find, hidden away in amongst the packed car parks of the Grand Louis residential complex. Once again I chose to travel back in time to my student years, opting for Sartre’s <i>Huis Clos</i>. </div><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6GssOZjaMUlJ37-howB96RLHb8ptKvFA15-UaxWOUELb4dBxaOuZBHSwBqzYtvGXpFCSBpS_5ASu6DO5L1dOY9N1Wt4rbVsUmHQelUzgRMh2rcR_rGKbsyy-QJf-rGT-Xgw3JEEbDEVRsc6_sUtT2jS0MoQ0tTGdGwVA4L_sZ4vJAbH_pJYGcvYiP/s1600/Use24.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6GssOZjaMUlJ37-howB96RLHb8ptKvFA15-UaxWOUELb4dBxaOuZBHSwBqzYtvGXpFCSBpS_5ASu6DO5L1dOY9N1Wt4rbVsUmHQelUzgRMh2rcR_rGKbsyy-QJf-rGT-Xgw3JEEbDEVRsc6_sUtT2jS0MoQ0tTGdGwVA4L_sZ4vJAbH_pJYGcvYiP/w640-h320/Use24.jpg" width="640" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There were barely 400 or 500 metres to cover before reaching the next public bookcase, simply described on the map as being "à côté des écoles". It was actually fairly easy to locate. Its design was possibly not the most exciting but it did come with its own unexpected bonus: an unobstructed view of <a href="http://raiders-eysines.fr/" target="_blank">local baseball team les Raiders</a> in competitive action. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> <br /></span></div><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2-d15WlrMV4fbNzWL1o1BfPLuKUTb7t8HQgDtwx_WEW6EdpuEi3sVV0h1GbT3M0Fw8OWdtzpW6qzXJ-bs1GeCnMGjjhgUd2DLGXMLV55zNoN-FVjn0Sr-syROuM2XXQy8QI7vA_ZJcCXqpJTz643_a0cslTU0bUSFtkp9ohM8bqJtt2kxxb0JvuZ9/s1600/Use25.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2-d15WlrMV4fbNzWL1o1BfPLuKUTb7t8HQgDtwx_WEW6EdpuEi3sVV0h1GbT3M0Fw8OWdtzpW6qzXJ-bs1GeCnMGjjhgUd2DLGXMLV55zNoN-FVjn0Sr-syROuM2XXQy8QI7vA_ZJcCXqpJTz643_a0cslTU0bUSFtkp9ohM8bqJtt2kxxb0JvuZ9/w640-h320/Use25.jpg" width="640" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After being momentarily taken down to the ballgame I concentrated on my next item of reading material: <i>Sept Années Perdues </i>by George Bellairs. <br /><br />I was now headed to "la Maison Guy Queyroi", which appears to be some kind of modern multi-purpose building with meeting rooms for local associations and the like. Its public bookcase, which is to be found outdoors but sheltered from the elements, is very much a conventional design, but what it lacks in originality it more than makes up for in terms of supply. This is clearly a hotspot of lending/borrowing and it was quite literally overflowing with books to choose from. I opted for some user-friendly espionage with a saucy cover: Serge Laforest’s <i>À Bout de Patience</i>.</div><br /><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyN-ic0BhJ3ERWEnFHz2kEzZnibf9wBan0PaIdsfMOqQ4cHs5Qqul-EGV4X1slHMGjLbwh6IvW2NVt_3jRbcZXiOdYhq_sGo9hXvO8P8L5nZ9S05M0HXqJWcPEflZKFK5HUBrp9HNXhEo7FujIbBIFZeOuXSCa0STVeAfbE49NoFsrt5fBDRWUNatp/s1600/Use26.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1600" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyN-ic0BhJ3ERWEnFHz2kEzZnibf9wBan0PaIdsfMOqQ4cHs5Qqul-EGV4X1slHMGjLbwh6IvW2NVt_3jRbcZXiOdYhq_sGo9hXvO8P8L5nZ9S05M0HXqJWcPEflZKFK5HUBrp9HNXhEo7FujIbBIFZeOuXSCa0STVeAfbE49NoFsrt5fBDRWUNatp/w640-h256/Use26.jpg" width="640" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />Moving on, I could very easily have completely missed the entrance to my next destination, the <a href="https://www.eysines.fr/fiche-annuaire-equipement/parc-du-limancet/" target="_blank">Parc du Limancet</a>. Cycling past the first time, the metal gate appeared not just closed but locked. It was only doubling back that I noticed there happily was a legitimate way of creeping around the gate and into this pleasant woodland area. Once in I was afraid it might be difficult to locate the bookcase but I soon spotted it, alongside a large barn. It didn’t need a character from a Serge Laforest spy novel to spot the similarity between the two, the bookcase is basically a tiny version of its functional neighbour!<br /><br /></div><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsfz70QwC1MozvbaXTkkQI60_P41ai0v_GINyh1P1pZmsA_7Oc6DX4TUzbq2RzGZjfDFpUC1paUazuKQb9ZyYhxxI3H3REoW-dfraRaz1_yuUGLdXh9TR5d3UU59orridEPjHpX3_GD5esKFH2sEojqiCufcDyJTX1l6JQ28hn0_2wrqO-xdTVIpeI/s1600/Use27.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1600" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsfz70QwC1MozvbaXTkkQI60_P41ai0v_GINyh1P1pZmsA_7Oc6DX4TUzbq2RzGZjfDFpUC1paUazuKQb9ZyYhxxI3H3REoW-dfraRaz1_yuUGLdXh9TR5d3UU59orridEPjHpX3_GD5esKFH2sEojqiCufcDyJTX1l6JQ28hn0_2wrqO-xdTVIpeI/w640-h256/Use27.jpg" width="640" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The books on display were a little disappointing, I eventually chose to go for a solidly-reliable, crowd-pleasing steamy tale from the Harlequin "Série Tentation" collection of books: Lee Magner’s <i>Vos Désirs Sont des Ordres</i>. <br /><br />My final stop was now in sight, by the children’s play area in the wide open spaces of the <a href="https://www.eysines.fr/infos-pratiques/sport-et-loisirs/les-equipements-sportifs/le-domaine-du-pinsan/" target="_blank">Domaine du Pinsan</a>… which has already made an appearance on the blog in <a href="https://invisiblebordeaux.blogspot.com/2018/02/flight-af1919-from-brussels-to-bordeaux.html">one of my occasional articles about air disasters</a>. There’s very much a child-friendly feel about the colourful design of this tenth bookcase, which features big, expressive eyes (bizarrely topped off by eyelashes that are actually positioned <i>above</i> the character’s eyebrows), and two sets of sharp teeth framing the two shelves of books. The bookcase seems angry, or hungry, or possibly both. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> <br /></span></div><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRscV9JcXRjq7dmQM_f4xHqD-f9EMoasZsjYAG3lGkTcHgOWe9dkII0apfRlZ1dZ_ZxBQGwXAQ90c7Yf-uBaiIoIJ8e5c69MWHY52McKoMj0sriBl0cfxFK9dON5sq54rrGkT0QQ2utmv1mX5bivHHeiT3WaQEIzZpvdWZVP283GChvi8ryLvHnfYC/s1600/Use28.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1600" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRscV9JcXRjq7dmQM_f4xHqD-f9EMoasZsjYAG3lGkTcHgOWe9dkII0apfRlZ1dZ_ZxBQGwXAQ90c7Yf-uBaiIoIJ8e5c69MWHY52McKoMj0sriBl0cfxFK9dON5sq54rrGkT0QQ2utmv1mX5bivHHeiT3WaQEIzZpvdWZVP283GChvi8ryLvHnfYC/w640-h256/Use28.jpg" width="640" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Once again, the choice of books available wasn’t brilliant but in the ended I opted for Michel Déon’s <i>Un Taxi Mauve,</i> a 1973 novel set in Ireland which was later turned into a movie directed by Yves Boisset. This is the book I would be taking home!<br /><br />The Eysines public bookcase roadtrip was now over, but what a rollercoaster ride it had been (well, admittedly, we’re talking quite a gentle, low-speed, low-thrills literary rollercoaster here). But mission accomplished, or what? Some of the bookcase designs really are fantastic: the tram- and van-shaped bookcases absolutely have to be seen, and the four seasons reading hut in the Bois Gramond is a genuine delight. Meanwhile, others could certainly do with a bit of a makeover (Résidence les Cottages, we’re looking at you!). And, of course, an itinerary like this is also about the other things you get to see en route: taking in a Sunday-morning market, viewing the remarkable Ibai Hernandorena sculpture on Place Florale, watching some real, live baseball, and then discovering the little-known Parc du Limancet… these are all things that came about simply because I was out hunting for some handmade bookcases. <br /><br /><b>Therefore, to the good people of Eysines (and beyond), do head out and make the most of these unusual sights, and hats off to the municipal teams who designed and manufactured the public bookcases, they really are unique and quite brilliant. Bravo!</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b> </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><h3>> <a href="https://www.eysines.fr/infos-pratiques/culture/les-dispositifs-culturels/boites-a-livres/" target="_blank"><b>Click to view the map detailing all the locations on the official Eysines website!</b></a></h3></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><h3><b>> <a href="https://lebordeauxinvisible.blogspot.com/2023/04/jai-teste-pour-vous-les-boites-livres-o.html" target="_blank">Le récit de cette aventure haletante est également disponible en français !</a><br /></b></h3></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14391698533722905666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4990702592078012308.post-42120294104436010022023-03-02T21:44:00.005+01:002023-03-02T21:48:53.661+01:00Ten unusual sights to see in Bordeaux… at least, according to ChatGPT!<h4 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBXj2KZHBq5En-xUlLwxv0jw9v8gO-8hjajMukAowcaW8oCNvVaqCSFMzO0OGi5BwmruOxl02cMVNs63UehgW6vwqfNzYwpHJZrBMxAtX0wu9Z7TYuHpyr5AIRLwNYKXWZ8RlCrm-cAQyM68Xp_RuSXeGQdJYoSdXPS2KxSBh9XMen5Xndi7ggrHEk/s710/PT-EN.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="442" data-original-width="710" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBXj2KZHBq5En-xUlLwxv0jw9v8gO-8hjajMukAowcaW8oCNvVaqCSFMzO0OGi5BwmruOxl02cMVNs63UehgW6vwqfNzYwpHJZrBMxAtX0wu9Z7TYuHpyr5AIRLwNYKXWZ8RlCrm-cAQyM68Xp_RuSXeGQdJYoSdXPS2KxSBh9XMen5Xndi7ggrHEk/w640-h398/PT-EN.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><b><br />OK, everyone else is doing it, so why shouldn’t Invisible Bordeaux? As I’m a bit short on time these days (but the blog will hopefully be back sometime soon with new articles), I wondered whether the already-infamous AI chatbot ChatGPT could provide some instant top tips about the secret sights of Bordeaux. I booted up the bot and ran this exact request: “Provide ten very unusual secret sights to see in Bordeaux, France”. Below are the ten items ChatGPT suggested. Between each I provide my very real, live human take on the responses! What are your thoughts? </b></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b> </b></h4><p><b>> ChatGPT - </b><b>Sight #</b><b>1. "Le Passage Souterrain des Moulins: </b>An underground tunnel system built in the 17th century to transport flour between mills, it's now a secret passageway beneath the streets of Bordeaux."<br /><b><br /><i>Invisible Bordeaux - </i></b><i>No idea what this is or where it might be. If it does exist it is truly a remarkable find and surely the city’s best kept secret. I do have a feeling that it doesn’t though, are you aware of it? </i></p><p><b><br />> ChatGPT - "</b><b>Sight #</b><b>2. La Tour Pey-Berland: </b>A 15th-century bell tower attached to the Cathédrale Saint-André, offering panoramic views of the city."<br /><b><br /><i>Invisible Bordeaux - </i></b><i>OK, not exactly unusual, not very secret, and not exactly physically attached to the cathedral, but let’s go with it! </i></p><p><b><br />> ChatGPT - </b><b>Sight #</b><b>3. "La Grosse Cloche: </b>A medieval bell tower that served as a gate to the city, with a small museum inside." <b><br /><br /><i>Invisible Bordeaux - </i></b><i>Hmmm, not sure about the museum inside, and this apparently obscure subject happens to be on the city’s coat of arms, but hey. </i></p><p><br /><b>> ChatGPT - </b><b>Sight #</b><b>4. "Le Jardin Botanique: </b>A lush and peaceful botanical garden located in the heart of the city." <br /><b><br /><i>Invisible Bordeaux - </i></b><i>Approved, a great place to unwind and a fascinating place to visit. </i></p><p><b><br />> ChatGPT - </b><b>Sight #</b><b>5. "La Rue Saint-James: </b>A narrow street lined with historic buildings, including the oldest house in Bordeaux." <b><br /></b><b><br /><i>Invisible Bordeaux - </i></b><i>Most sources concur to say that the oldest house in Bordeaux is on Impasse de Rue-Neuve, but admittedly that is fairly nearby. But, yes, rue Saint-James is a quaint street and well worth a visit. </i></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc5wJSPpTZCGlGlt2isLR9elkDxWWEerWMAceUXmj9EG1Zeue-pQKYrVtPMK0X1XU4PC7m3trlO6uHrvk-5afnVuVbUHApg4i0LIvPIo8Uyj0MEohq5xOExmllLhQiUrZns4TLqv7PzD2VlHAWdQSm5STcukNCUKqNaL0AspEEC5IkxZSeE8W4-Eln/s1800/gpt.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc5wJSPpTZCGlGlt2isLR9elkDxWWEerWMAceUXmj9EG1Zeue-pQKYrVtPMK0X1XU4PC7m3trlO6uHrvk-5afnVuVbUHApg4i0LIvPIo8Uyj0MEohq5xOExmllLhQiUrZns4TLqv7PzD2VlHAWdQSm5STcukNCUKqNaL0AspEEC5IkxZSeE8W4-Eln/w640-h480/gpt.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rue Saint-James and le Jardin Botanique, yesterday.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><b>> ChatGPT - </b><b>Sight #</b><b>6. "Le Pont de Pierre: </b>A stunning stone bridge over the Garonne River, built in the early 19th century." <br /><b><br /><i>Invisible Bordeaux - </i></b><i>I think you’ll find most people in Bordeaux are left stunned by the Pont de Pierre just about every day of every week, it is arguably one of the city’s most prominent and recognizable landmarks. </i></p><p><br /><b>> ChatGPT - </b><b>Sight #</b><b>7. "Les Catacombes de Bordeaux: </b>An underground network of tunnels and chambers filled with human bones, dating back to the 18th century." <br /><b><br /><i>Invisible Bordeaux - </i></b><i>Not sure here whether ChatGPT is getting Bordeaux muddled up with Paris, or whether this is referring to the incredible Roman-period cemetery below Saint-Seurin church. There are actual catacombs in nearby Saint-Emilion, could that be what this is all about? </i></p><p><br /><b>> ChatGPT - </b><b>Sight #</b><b>8. "Le Musée des Arts Décoratifs et du Design: </b>A museum dedicated to decorative arts and design, housed in a beautiful 18th-century mansion." <br /><b><br /><i>Invisible Bordeaux - </i></b><i>Yes, Invisible Bordeaux approves once again, an unusual museum in a spectacular building, although if you want to check it out you will have to wait until the ongoing refurbishment work is finished. The museum is scheduled to reopen in 2025. </i></p><p><br /><b>> ChatGPT - </b><b>Sight #</b><b>9. "La Place de la Bourse: </b>A grand square with a stunning water mirror reflecting the majestic Palais de la Bourse." <br /><b><br /><i>Invisible Bordeaux - </i></b><i>This unusual and secret sight can sometimes even be spotted on Instagram! </i></p><p><br /><b>> ChatGPT - Sight #10. "Le Jardin Public: </b>A vast public park with a lake, a botanical garden, a zoo, and plenty of peaceful spots to relax and unwind." <br /><i><b><br />Invisible Bordeaux - </b>Hmmm, the Jardin Public is indeed a great spot, and does have its own lake and botanical garden. Not sure about whether there’s a zoo per se, although the Natural History Museum and its collection of slightly deceased animals is there. Could ChatGPT be getting mixed up with the Parc Bordelais and the goats, geese and sheep of its “ménagerie”? </i></p><p><br />Sooooo, all in all, a very mixed bag. There are a few IA-generated suggestions in there that are definitely valid, other suggested sights that are far too obvious to be classified as “unusual” or “secret”, and a couple that are just totally mystifying. </p><p><br />Anyway, there is no doubt that we have turned a major corner lately with regard to AI-powered capabilities. However, perhaps, for the time being, if you’re on the lookout for obscure places to visit in Bordeaux, it’s best to refer to real-world guides and local heritage experts such as <a href="https://www.bordeauxcognactourguide.com/" target="_blank">Marie Hallier</a>, <a href="https://fleurexplorebordeaux.com/" target="_blank">Fleur Borde</a>, <a href="https://www.strollinbordeaux.com/about-us/" target="_blank">Caroline Calvet</a> and <a href="https://www.bordeauxwalkingtours.fr/en/home-en/" target="_blank">Hela Mansour</a>… or else simply liaise with the <a href="https://www.bordeaux-tourism.co.uk/" target="_blank">official Bordeaux tourism board</a> and check out their excellent local slow tourism website <a href="https://www.unairdebordeaux.fr/" target="_blank"><i>Un Air de Bordeaux</i></a>!<br /> </p><h4 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lebordeauxinvisible.blogspot.com/2023/03/dix-lieux-insolites-voir-bordeaux-du.html" target="_blank">Ce dossier est également disponible en français !</a> <br /></h4>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14391698533722905666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4990702592078012308.post-64518838441889826632022-11-16T08:52:00.007+01:002023-05-25T21:37:23.799+02:00The late Gilles Bertin, the reformed punk rocker/bank robber who spent 30 years on the run<h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0SKeNyLAXT_OJGrz2QSYmwnvFUQTEdHhPKSlXXAR_7Y8rg33gUirdLcq4RsAqgN3jIfos-04zleJZHC1k5MvpDxPNlKbNABEngsLa3A8jRDROH2BKiKH5YVA5yFhPXzK1nyeQ_8UlmMaeZrWYdvKH9XQ9-kDDxOQGD1onhdeQwNKcBbRoG1jIejgD/s1140/Bertin-01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="641" data-original-width="1140" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0SKeNyLAXT_OJGrz2QSYmwnvFUQTEdHhPKSlXXAR_7Y8rg33gUirdLcq4RsAqgN3jIfos-04zleJZHC1k5MvpDxPNlKbNABEngsLa3A8jRDROH2BKiKH5YVA5yFhPXzK1nyeQ_8UlmMaeZrWYdvKH9XQ9-kDDxOQGD1onhdeQwNKcBbRoG1jIejgD/w640-h360/Bertin-01.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><b><br />During the recent <a href="https://www.bordeauxrock.com/festival-musical-ecran/" target="_blank">Musical Écran festival</a> organised by the <a href="https://www.bordeauxrock.com/" target="_blank">Bordeaux Rock association</a> (coincidentally also part of the <a href="https://invisiblebordeaux.blogspot.com/2022/10/welcome-to-bordeaux-rock-1977-1987.html">most recent Invisible Bordeaux blog item</a>), one of the music documentaries I got to see was the incredible <i>“Punk – Il était une fois Gilles Bertin”</i>. The hour-long film, directed by Eugénie Grandval, tells the remarkable story of how a key player on the 1980s Bordeaux punk rock scene was part of a high-profile heist, disappeared off the map completely for 30 years, then sought redemption and to rebuild his identity from scratch. </b></h3><p><br /></p><p>The story goes that Gilles Bertin was born in Paris in 1961 before spending his formative teenage years in Bordeaux. As soon as he was able to leave behind his home and his civil servant parents he did just that. He moved into a squat and, in 1981, became the vocalist and original bassist of the punk rock band <a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camera_Silens" target="_blank">Camera Silens</a>. The group, who tended to hang out around Place Saint-Projet and the Saint-Pierre quarter, were soon big on the local scene, winning high-profile battles of the bands, and they rapidly developed a nationwide following. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0a7XouFtFZhPANva-qwdZMJMWZJL9XAM0Lf21TQFTKTbki8OMPWV2t2Vq_A0iHN258GVnNMsiyB8i9ndWmqgfMEMrl5mwvLcFX_pSQBkzGdWrZu2LGw7dmJv665d8pRnBzP5KHtol3D-FLrtzzGV90nMx5rQv0Stk4rxcKa0llUQSyF-xtUJ7Coq/s770/Bertin-03.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="770" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0a7XouFtFZhPANva-qwdZMJMWZJL9XAM0Lf21TQFTKTbki8OMPWV2t2Vq_A0iHN258GVnNMsiyB8i9ndWmqgfMEMrl5mwvLcFX_pSQBkzGdWrZu2LGw7dmJv665d8pRnBzP5KHtol3D-FLrtzzGV90nMx5rQv0Stk4rxcKa0llUQSyF-xtUJ7Coq/w640-h400/Bertin-03.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early 1980s Camera Silens publicity shot, Gilles Bertin to the right.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>The band’s relative success however was not providing enough income to fund Bertin’s heroin addiction, and so he fell into a life of petty crime and robberies, which adhered to the rules of thumb he and his cronies – mostly artists, fellow drug addicts, and anarchic activists – had set themselves, i.e. that this would generally involve stealing from The Man and that nobody would get hurt in the process.</p><p><br /></p><p>By 1986, this darker, illicit existence outweighed Bertin’s musical career and he split from Camera Silens. Then, in 1988, he and his partners in crime were involved in their most notorious coup: a large-scale operation, reportedly two years in the making, involving home-made replica police uniforms and a fake police car, a finely-tuned scenario and mock interrogations. The heist enabled them to steal more than 11 million francs in banknotes (around 3 million euros in today’s money) from the Brink’s warehouse located in Toulouse. </p><p><br /></p><p>Over the following two years, the various members of the gang were caught one after the other. But Bertin had managed to escape to Spain’s Costa Brava, leaving behind not only his homeland but also his partner and newly-born son Loris. While on the run (an international arrest warrant had been issued), as well as spending all his money he met one Cecilia, with whom he moved to Lisbon where they opened a tiny but influential indie record store which operated for ten years. </p><p>
<br /> </p><center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dRt6dp1oHpI" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRt6dp1oHpI" target="_blank">Camera Silens performing 'Réalité' for FR3 in 1985. Click here if video does not display properly.</a></center><br /><p></p><p>Needless to say, officially Bertin no longer existed and the fugitive went by various names including Didier Ballet. The plot thickened though when in 1995 Bertin fell ill, and it emerged that his years of heroin addiction had finally caught up with him: he was HIV positive and had contracted AIDS. Despite being at death’s door, he was saved first by a hospital in a Communist-run town where no questions were asked about his identity, then by the advances of research and the administration of triple combination therapy. </p><p><br /></p><p>In the early 2000s, Bertin and his partner relocated to Barcelona, running the bar owned by Cecilia’s parents. The couple had a child together, Tiago, whose birth in 2011 led to Bertin deciding the time had come to open up about his past and move forward with a clean conscience. In November 2016, he chose to return to France to hand himself in to the authorities. </p><p><br /></p><p>As detailed in the documentary, by then Bertin was no longer really considered a public enemy, and if anything his reappearance was not especially welcome as it revived a cold case (and therefore multiple layers of paperwork and admin) that was no longer considered relevant by any of the parties involved. But Bertin was nevertheless put on trial and, thirty years on from the heist, was sentenced to a five-year suspended sentence, therefore escaping a stay in jail. </p><p><br /></p><p>By becoming a free man able to live life in the open once again, from then on Bertin was able to connect with his first son Loris (whose mother had died in the intervening years), took the time out to collaborate with Libération journalist Jean-Emmanuel Escarnot on drafting his memoirs (<a href="https://www.rockmadeinfrance.com/actu/trente-ans-de-cavale-ma-vie-de-punk-de-gilles-bertin/31373/" target="_blank"><i>Trente ans de cavale : Ma vie de punk</i></a>, published by Robert Laffont in February 2019 – Escarnot passed away before its release), and divided his time between Toulouse and Barcelona, where he continued working in the bar alongside Cecilia, and raising Tiago. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6j8ifGnMCcPeAA7Yu68Ww4q4era_F067zfVb6Y2OERrIOYitFvExV9gvSq3LDXALqXd6mgWls4Emq8KvTAEafvsOwqQ154PPzlPBwPwKsxdvJVnCmUVCAOtTxaQjhNnKnZJvQ7T9MT9m2ZLtr7iYvyXjfCtuUvmpY5KVkeBT_NAijttSgBB60EFH/s1140/Bertin-02.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="641" data-original-width="1140" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6j8ifGnMCcPeAA7Yu68Ww4q4era_F067zfVb6Y2OERrIOYitFvExV9gvSq3LDXALqXd6mgWls4Emq8KvTAEafvsOwqQ154PPzlPBwPwKsxdvJVnCmUVCAOtTxaQjhNnKnZJvQ7T9MT9m2ZLtr7iYvyXjfCtuUvmpY5KVkeBT_NAijttSgBB60EFH/w640-h360/Bertin-02.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bertin during a meet and greet event to promote his book in 2019.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>But, given that the authorities had declared him deceased in 1992, another of Bertin’s priorities was to obtain his French identity documents. This became a long and drawn-out battle which eventually lasted three years, with some of the Catch 22 situations being caught on camera in the documentary. He was finally given his new ID card on August 2 2019 but, just days later, his health ailing once again, Bertin fell into a coma. He died on November 7 2019 in Barcelona, aged 58. </p><p><br /></p><p>The Musical Écran screening of the documentary, the first time it had been shown as part of a film festival in France, was an emotionally charged event. Many friends and contemporaries of Gilles Bertin were in the audience, and Eugénie Grandval was herself present to explain how the documentary had initially set out to be the uplifting story of the reformed Bertin regaining his identity, but instead finished up as a sad tale tracking the administrative nightmare of his final years. </p><p><br /></p><p>Bertin’s partner Cecilia was also present (she had symbolically brought along his trusty briefcase), and highlighted how much that final administrative ordeal had taken out of Bertin. His first son Loris, who is still based in Bordeaux and is now a prominent player on the local techno music scene, also spoke about how his relationship with his father had gradually developed over his final years. Finally, Bertin’s solicitor was on hand to shed further light on the rebirth of the former punk rocker. </p><p><br /></p><p>As somebody who was very vaguely familiar with the Gilles Bertin story, having skim read press articles that came out when he reemerged into the public domain and once again when he passed away, it was an absolute privilege to be given this more extensive glimpse into the life and times of the reformed punk/bank robber. </p><p><br /></p><p>And, what can I say, the Eugénie Grandval documentary – the production of which was initially triggered by an article the director had read in Libération – is compelling and essential viewing. It has already been broadcast on terrestrial TV in France, has been screened at other festivals around the world, and does happen to be available on Youtube in its entirety. I’m not sure how legal the upload is but do yourself a favour, set aside 58 minutes of your time, and take in this incredible story. <i>“Once upon a time, there was Gilles Bertin...”</i> </p><p><br /></p><center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jBiGDPfhnbk" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBiGDPfhnbk" target="_blank">Click here if video does not display properly.</a></center><br /><h4 style="text-align: center;"><b>Recommended reading to dive deeper into the Gilles Bertin story:<a href="https://www.liberation.fr/musique/2019/03/19/gilles-bertin-punk-pas-mort_1716150/" target="_blank"> the Libération interview available by clicking here</a>, <a href="https://musee.sacem.fr/index.php/ExhibitionCMS/Chroniques/SimpleExhibitions?id=791" target="_blank">French performing rights society SACEM's collection of musical archives</a>, <a href="https://www.sudouest.fr/culture/musique/archives-en-2919-la-mort-de-gilles-bertin-enfant-du-punk-bordelais-et-ex-braqueur-de-la-brink-s-3029116.php" target="_blank">Sud Ouest's biographical overview featuring a number of great videos</a>, and <a href="https://rue89bordeaux.com/2020/08/camera-silens-le-street-punk-a-bordeaux-ses-cliques-et-ses-claques/" target="_blank">a look back on Camera Silens over on Rue89Bordeaux</a>. </b></h4><div><b><br /></b></div><h4 style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.francetvpro.fr/contenu-de-presse/34351043" target="_blank">Stills featured in this article taken from the France TV press package released to promote the documentary.</a></b></h4><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://lebordeauxinvisible.blogspot.com/2022/11/retour-sur-les-trente-ans-de-cavale-du.html" target="_blank">Ce dossier est également disponible en français !</a></b></h4>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14391698533722905666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4990702592078012308.post-17118621596030849042022-11-08T19:28:00.005+01:002022-11-09T16:48:25.374+01:00Operation Frankton 80th anniversary events and conferences in Bordeaux<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOSByrAwl7JcbALSCiCrrEsPUdztpudfHTPOFzB_R2I0_dChkVBAuI6uOJOIcwU8rgBa7_trDbxw-yS-7iBtSwn7yfKl8VcRqIIYvYVWtoNIDRuSCQL5UkZ9PbltcV4iaWb1yMXYlMw-o3/s1000/065-Cockleshell1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="687" data-original-width="1000" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOSByrAwl7JcbALSCiCrrEsPUdztpudfHTPOFzB_R2I0_dChkVBAuI6uOJOIcwU8rgBa7_trDbxw-yS-7iBtSwn7yfKl8VcRqIIYvYVWtoNIDRuSCQL5UkZ9PbltcV4iaWb1yMXYlMw-o3/w640-h440/065-Cockleshell1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><b><br />Throughout November and December 2022, a host of commemorations and events will be held to mark the 80th anniversary of Operation Frankton, which ranks as one of the most incredible tales of Bordeaux’s dark wartime years (and which <a href="https://invisiblebordeaux.blogspot.com/2013/01/operation-frankton-cockleshell-heroes.html">has already been featured on the blog</a>): ten Royal Marines set out from the Atlantic, canoeing down the Gironde Estuary in order to plant mines on German cargo ships docked in central Bordeaux. Only two of the so-called Cockleshell Heroes, Herbert "Blondie" Hasler (1914-1987) and Bill Sparks (1922-2002), survived the mission. After escaping inland to Ruffec, near Angoulême, members of the French Résistance guided them across the Pyrenees and onto to Gibraltar, from where they departed for the UK.</b><p></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p>Friend of the blog Jean-Claude Déranlot and his association, Operation Frankton History & Values, have conceived a rich series of events including a number of French-language conferences, as detailed below: </p><p><br /></p><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><b>- 1942 : L’année bascule </b></h2>Speaker: Stéphane Barry, Docteur en histoire, Directeur des éditions Memoring<br /><b>> This conference took place on Thursday November 3 </b><p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><b>- Le cahier noir du journal “La Liberté du Sud Ouest” </b></h2>Speaker: Gilles Robert<br /><b>> Tuesday November 15, 18:30, Salle 46, Athénée municipal Joseph Wresinski, Place Saint-Christoly, Bordeaux </b><p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><b>- La Garonne et l’estuaire en 1942 </b></h2>Speaker: Éric Veyssy, Directeur et Médiateur culturel « Fleuve / Eau/Climat », Docteur en Biogéochimie de l’environnement<br /><b>> Wednesday November 23, 18:30, Salle 46, Athénée municipal Joseph Wresinski, Place Saint-Christoly, Bordeaux </b><p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><b>- Le Renseignement de la France</b></h2>Speaker: Jean-Claude Déranlot<br /><b>> Thursday December 1, 18:30, Salle 46, Athénée municipal Joseph Wresinski, Place Saint-Christoly, Bordeaux </b><p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><b>- L’Opération Frankton</b></h2>Speaker: Jean-Claude Déranlot<br /><b>> Thursday December 8, 18:30, Amphithéâtre Athénée municipal Joseph Wresinski, Place Saint-Christoly, Bordeaux </b><p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><b>- Une mission, des hommes, une équipe, un chef </b></h2>Speaker: Jean-Claude Déranlot<br /><b>> Sunday December 11, Cap Sciences museum</b><p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><b>- Mauriac et la guerre</b></h2>Speakers: Anne-Marie Cocula, Présidente du Centre François Mauriac, and Astrid Llado, Responsable des projets d’éducation artistique et culturelle du Centre François Mauriac.<br /><b>> Wednesday December 14, 18:30, 18:30, Salle 46, Athénée municipal Joseph Wresinski, Place Saint-Christoly, Bordeaux </b><p></p><p><br /></p><p>In addition, official commemorations will be held in Bordeaux (near Hangar 14 on the Garonne waterfront) and Blanquefort (Château Magnol) on December 9th, and a group of canoes will paddle into Bordeaux on Sunday December 11. An exhibition will also be held at la Maison écocitoyenne on Sunday December 11. <br /><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/14jPkpA6KyNFilugSCFdVH1vEc3qTp6K-/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Download the programme with full practical information by clicking here. </a></h3>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14391698533722905666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4990702592078012308.post-18944643417202893142022-10-09T18:36:00.009+02:002024-01-02T21:30:54.045+01:00Welcome to the Bordeaux Rock 1977-1987 listening party! <h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTV8rSYE7G8JAVdmLUWx4AL1KebCT8QHEgFLm2k6AjgFs7emoBjDYuFkgp28GAg9VJJ8qjQ_hW0Q5XuvVD3onzj3TWj8RmxQHPjp6h8BcBD9PNeIaRItG_wnJsqekRafJ7AEN3_kinV9ld0WWkYABDbg-TECG4aTsDgJpKyd2HcVLhEMVjbIXjFUFF/s1800/BdxRock1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1012" data-original-width="1800" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTV8rSYE7G8JAVdmLUWx4AL1KebCT8QHEgFLm2k6AjgFs7emoBjDYuFkgp28GAg9VJJ8qjQ_hW0Q5XuvVD3onzj3TWj8RmxQHPjp6h8BcBD9PNeIaRItG_wnJsqekRafJ7AEN3_kinV9ld0WWkYABDbg-TECG4aTsDgJpKyd2HcVLhEMVjbIXjFUFF/w640-h360/BdxRock1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />Back in the late 1970s/1980s, the rock music scene in Bordeaux was renowned throughout France as being particularly active and dynamic. The city was home to countless grassroots venues, was the subject of reports on nationwide TV programmes, and all this culminated in flagship local band <a href="https://www.noirdez.com/" target="_blank">Noir Désir</a> gradually establishing themselves as one of France’s top acts. </b></h3><p> </p><p>A few years on from those halcyon days, in 2005, the still-evergreen musical association <a href="https://www.bordeauxrock.com/" target="_blank">Bordeaux Rock</a> produced a double-CD collection of tracks by various bands and solo singers who were part of that scene. The impressive package, illustrated by the talented Bordeaux artist <a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jofo" target="_blank">Jofo</a>, included photos and biographical information about each of the artists featured, making for an excellent compendium of and introduction to the period. <br /> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg54vBOcPeVAwlj1xSqmDY60PrUHhF-wt4Wh43S0auTQoJ3498HpOzWiFCfM-HsMc6xkuRNtTZpk37m0XoVSXFHYN8SasIVjD828Uncr3mlzU-4Yt3jqkXwULe5Gl-NYkGdqDy5G59b6r2hbABLIyuUCKZlMnRQgrA1iDkwWT2QtEkiZ5QrPmIKunLt/s1800/BdxRock3.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1012" data-original-width="1800" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg54vBOcPeVAwlj1xSqmDY60PrUHhF-wt4Wh43S0auTQoJ3498HpOzWiFCfM-HsMc6xkuRNtTZpk37m0XoVSXFHYN8SasIVjD828Uncr3mlzU-4Yt3jqkXwULe5Gl-NYkGdqDy5G59b6r2hbABLIyuUCKZlMnRQgrA1iDkwWT2QtEkiZ5QrPmIKunLt/w640-h360/BdxRock3.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the impressive package, every artist gets their own page.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>These days, the compilation is actually quite desirable (certainly if the authoritative <a href="https://www.discogs.com/fr/release/6753527-Various-Bordeaux-Rock-1977-1987" target="_blank">online resource Discogs is to be believed</a>). And, guess what, my good friend Olivier, bassist with my musical project <a href="https://invisiblebordeaux.blogspot.com/2022/07/musical-interlude-more-invisible.html" target="">Slowrush</a>, actually owned two precious copies and generously gave one of them to me. Hurrah! <br /> </p><p>To get the full Bordeaux Rock experience, I decided to sit down and give the compilation a thorough, neutral listen. In fact I would have to approach it with an especially open mind: the liner notes provided a word of warning that the sound quality varied according to the nature and state of the source materials (mostly transferred from studio reels and vinyl, but also sometimes cassette tapes), and the main challenge faced by the person in charge of mastering the tracks was to create a coherent whole. This sounded ominous but I was curious to hear how it all fitted and flowed together. <br /> </p><p>Looking through the alphabetically organized track listing, none of the artists were familiar, other than Noir Désir and, possibly, the <a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stilettos_(groupe)" target="_blank">Stilettos</a>, whose name I may have come across here and there. Yes, this would truly be a musical journey through time into the unknown. Inserting CD1 into my player, was I about to make an exciting discovery, in amongst the 41 artists (plus a bonus three whose contributions predate the period at hand)? I hit play and started taking notes. <br /> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9Tq-4nX7FrEOAVhczj2cSaO40nX__Eeq7hlkxY3iFW76FMCZwrlbhHkzWAjEGI-bBPdpOul8u8aS440nG9-lFi67sMIJm9QbpwlCVj8J_yG6R3Oi7T72fV66QzUwZ-uhB91Vr9tHpOmptxWrFwx8vNoTntYdWZFqYuAopkqKbIYA59iC5VAWQnT5/s1800/BdxRock2.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1012" data-original-width="1800" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9Tq-4nX7FrEOAVhczj2cSaO40nX__Eeq7hlkxY3iFW76FMCZwrlbhHkzWAjEGI-bBPdpOul8u8aS440nG9-lFi67sMIJm9QbpwlCVj8J_yG6R3Oi7T72fV66QzUwZ-uhB91Vr9tHpOmptxWrFwx8vNoTntYdWZFqYuAopkqKbIYA59iC5VAWQnT5/w640-h360/BdxRock2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A compact disc at the ready - older readers may remember these.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Immediate highlights are the no-nonsense guitar and harmonica-led pub rock of Art-314 and the strummy, melodic Californian pop of the aptly-named Beach Lovers, which still sounds fresh and tight. ‘X Ray’ by Bolton (er, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolton" target="_blank">Bolton</a>? Why?) mix and match guitars with some nascent electronica, and they sound like just the kind of band that might be called upon to open for Indochine and The Cure (which is precisely what happened).<br /> </p><p>Hmm, next up is a band that went by the mildly amusing/slightly rude name of Les Cons, except that the moniker was a reference to The Jam’s legendary <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Mod_Cons" target="_blank">All Mod Cons</a></i> album, and you could definitely hear the influence in there, with the energetic instrumentation and sharp harmony vocals. And a little further in, the Flying Badgers sound even more inspired by the British scene (their bass player was actually from Sheffield) – the arrangement is among the most creative on the compilation, and the melody is catchy, definite sing-in-the-shower material. <br /> </p><p>Gamine’s ‘Julie Julie’ is described as a mid-period track by a band that would later go on to achieve widespread commercial success with their album <a href="http://www.xsilence.net/disque-9756.htm" target="_blank"><i>‘Voilà les Anges’</i></a>. They are followed by Hangar 21 featuring, yikes, fine vocals by a female singer. We’re 13 tracks in and Catherine Politoff (for it is her) is only the second female name to be listed among band personnel. Hangar 21 sound like a cross between Nena, Blondie and The Pretenders. <br /><br /></p><center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/h6-0btnavK8" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></center><br /><p></p><p>Philippe Jolly is a surprise package and sounds unlike anything else on the compilation, with a big arrangement complete with brass section, keys, backing vocals… it’s the kind of studio performance that leaves you itching to have heard more in a live environment (<a href="https://www.sudouest.fr/landes/biscarrosse/l-adieu-a-philippe-jolly-10148016.php" target="_blank">Jolly reportedly died in 2010</a>). The same could be said of Lucky Monkeys, with their very 1980s slap bass and big choruses, and Le Mix’s acoustic guitars, jangly harmonics, and imaginative backing vocals, whose ‘Aux USA’ features some pleasing changes of direction and dynamics… and some killer key changes! <br /> </p><p>CD1 closes with ‘Somebody To Love’ by Nightshift, described in the liner notes as being inspired by Elton John and Squeeze. This is something that can easily be perceived in the piano arrangement, the meandering melody and the soulful backing vocals. <br /></p><p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGj8ZJQi51PkoypCQ6GvV7Xvl6oxgqq9GcrMqAIFl5yB-yMxh-BSFixgnaDurXs78-rD3Cl_6skq8rXNXbmuyiBxrRu1xGss_gRtEUhHJGVbywMEluY25--r-r0TL21UQteS8jD8v3JAY7HOm-ZW__Sv2ckOGSZFLdze5Z04KY3YwnsXIQomUWOGu8/s1800/BdxRock4.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1003" data-original-width="1800" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGj8ZJQi51PkoypCQ6GvV7Xvl6oxgqq9GcrMqAIFl5yB-yMxh-BSFixgnaDurXs78-rD3Cl_6skq8rXNXbmuyiBxrRu1xGss_gRtEUhHJGVbywMEluY25--r-r0TL21UQteS8jD8v3JAY7HOm-ZW__Sv2ckOGSZFLdze5Z04KY3YwnsXIQomUWOGu8/w640-h356/BdxRock4.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The central spread in the booklet. No, I don't know who any of these glum gentlemen are either and there's no caption. Photo taken on the right bank of the Garonne in central Bordeaux and credited to Alain de la Mata.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>The inevitable Noir Désir kick off CD2 with the moody, atmospheric and slightly stressful <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPIPAltB2rA" target="_blank">‘Danse sur le feu Maria’</a>, from their debut album. This segues surprisingly well into the piano-driven, Beautiful South-like ‘I Got It Bad’ by The Owls, featuring Englishman Terry Wood on vocals. The booklet blurb suggests the group showed great promise and were on the verge of being signed by the Barclay record label, until the deal fell through and the band folded. <br /> </p><p>The following succession of bands, Poupée Cassée, Réverbère, Rotten Roll, and Les Scurs, kind of sound the way you would expect bands with names like that to sound. Once again, it takes a solo artist to break things up nicely, namely Patrick Scarzello and all 1’25’’ of his chirpy, old-school ‘La Clope’. </p><p> <br />Spina Bifada are described as being one of the first Bordeaux bands to use samplers, resulting in a more hypnotic, experimental sound than most of their contemporaries. Their track (conveniently entitled ‘Spina Bifada’, what were the odds?) is among those on the album that have arguably aged the best over the years. <br /><br /></p><center> <iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/33lnmBvuaKE" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></center><br /><p></p><p>The dynamic, post-punky Stilettos are next up, and deserve a notable mention because they featured in their ranks the influential <a href="https://echos-bordeaux.com/portrait-dacteur-jose-ruiz/" target="_blank">José Ruiz</a>, a long-time mover and shaker on stage, in the media, and behind the scenes in and around Bordeaux. He founded and remains president of the Bordeaux Rock association, which continues to conceive and produce a whole host of events, including the annual Bordeaux Rock festival, Plages Pop series of concerts, and the Musical Ecran rock documentary festival. Way to go, José. <br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Just when you feel you’re about to OD on the constant flow of male testosterone and distorted guitars, the unexpected Takenoko pop up, with one Vanessa on lead vocals, providing a pleasing, airy melodic overlay to the pitter-patter of synths and a rudimentary drum machine. There’s also a very 1980s sax solo thrown in for good measure. Checking the credits, I notice that the keyboardist and co-songwriter is an online acquaintance, Bruno Aujard. [Note: I got in touch with Bruno ahead of this article going live, and he was delighted to hear that his band's legacy was still be being unearthed and explored. You can hear their output over on <a href="https://soundcloud.com/takenokolegroupe" target="_blank">Soundcloud</a>.]</p><br /><p></p><p>The raucous Wet Furs track ‘Au lit les bébés’ closes proceedings, ahead of the surprising aforementioned inclusion of bonus tracks by 1960s and 1970s artists Tony March & Ses Blousons Noirs, Absinthe, and Salty Dog. It’s an interesting way to utilize the available CD space but does also make for a bizarre way of signing off. Were the songs drafted in because, as the booklet explains, the bands Camera Silens, Les Exemples, and Kid Pharaon declined to be part of the compilation? <br /> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimpRQpXMUZS0WWep_y_WgsGRXqvf7pHikMWGmeOy4j8SOBXdBMsAzP3TU4dOvgmxCvLgiJ2TOi6dP7bAWlX2uZF9CDYGHCjqZLpg0ldabX5X0jrp-wWeFrjeTg-zJCjKWlWuQgmFzw01MtPOAMhpLGsvwRoeX4mWdb2pT2iAaq4E4ciZgBkmg0q4cM/s1800/BdxRock5.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1049" data-original-width="1800" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimpRQpXMUZS0WWep_y_WgsGRXqvf7pHikMWGmeOy4j8SOBXdBMsAzP3TU4dOvgmxCvLgiJ2TOi6dP7bAWlX2uZF9CDYGHCjqZLpg0ldabX5X0jrp-wWeFrjeTg-zJCjKWlWuQgmFzw01MtPOAMhpLGsvwRoeX4mWdb2pT2iAaq4E4ciZgBkmg0q4cM/w640-h372/BdxRock5.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The track listing in full.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Anyway, what is the overall verdict? Well, in spite of the mastering engineer’s fears, the collection does make for a coherent listen. Aside from a few exceptions, these are self-produced heads-down recordings of bands capturing their live arrangements on tape, making for energetic recordings but perhaps generally short of unusual musical ideas or instrumentation… and given that a vast proportion of the bands were the classic vocals/guitar/bass/drums formation, a few decades on many of them sound a touch… interchangeable. The exceptions to that rule (such as Philippe Jolly, Spina Bifada, and Takenoko) come across as especially refreshing. <br /> </p><p>It also has to be said that, a-hem, there wasn’t much in terms of lyrical content to get excited about. Perhaps it’s the lo-fi recording technology used by many here, but much of the time it’s actually impossible to make out what is being said, whether in French or English. However, once again, there were a few positive surprises in the mix (Noir Désir and Les Stagiaires spring to mind). To be fair though, when you're mainly intent on belting out 99 decibels of noise <a href="https://www.unairdebordeaux.fr/article/rock-a-bordeaux/" target="_blank">every week at Le Jimmy</a>, coming up with subtle lyrics is possibly not priority #1!<br /> </p><p>The compilation admittedly sells itself as delivering rock… so rock is pretty much what you get, and fairly punky rock at that. Listening from start to finish, there is little or no hint of what was going on elsewhere around the same time. In the UK, this period was synonymous first with the rise of new wave and synth pop bands, ahead of the melodic indie sounds of groups like The Smiths and Lloyd Cole & The Commotions taking root. Stateside, dominant sounds included the post punk movement that gave us Talking Heads, followed by the alternative college rock scene led by R.E.M.. But there’s little sign of those movements here, other than in the tracks offered, say, by Flying Badgers, Le Mix, and Gamine. <br /></p><br /><center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FwTc1gMfrnQ" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></center><br /><p>Finally, going through the track listing one last time, Les Stagiaires, Stalag, Les Standards, Steel Angel, Les Stilettos, Stillers, STO, and Strychnine would no doubt recommend that the best starting point for a Bordeaux band is to pick a name that begins with the letters S and T! There was definitely a bit of a trend there; it <a href="https://www.liberation.fr/culture/2005/01/22/bordeaux-de-strychnine-a-noir-desir_506963/" target="_blank">reportedly harks back to the influence of the (Rolling) Stones and The Stooges</a>! <br /> </p><p>All in all, listening to the compilation made for an unusual musical trip through time in search of a scene which may be no more, but that has certainly developed and evolved into the musical scene that can still be sensed today in venues such as Rock School Barbey and the Krakatoa. And I, for one, will certainly be further exploring the careers of artists like Spina Bifada, <a href="https://www.bordeauxrock.com/release/philippe-jolly-des-standards-de-philippe-jolly/" target="_blank">Philippe Jolly</a>, <a href="https://soundcloud.com/takenokolegroupe" target="_blank">Takenoko</a>, <a href="http://teenagerselectriques.blogspot.com/2015/01/08-flying-badgers.html" target="_blank">Flying Badgers</a>, and The Owls, whether online or in the real world.<br /> </p><p>So <i>vive </i>Bordeaux Rock and, a few years on from that 2006 release, congratulations to everyone involved in producing this compilation (<a href="https://www.liberation.fr/culture/2005/01/22/bordeaux-de-strychnine-a-noir-desir_506963/" target="_blank">apparently a full year in the making</a>), which forms a very worthy and valuable musical time capsule!</p><p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJiMaH2N7Rh_cekJlkFeXWvW1_3-efS2sL4dCgbRY2ZkB3TnvQvBBc0HNRdLf1A5MrOSbFD6BQkMPzJw-q6y20tNxpf6H52waV-W4W8z3mYzkm_T_ViedUIFhnPQJwcn86accAV4t3KKSotwZZRddh8Y12_UQ59ul04hkdu5poCG9q6ovYdR5QpvzZ/s1800/BdxRock6.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1012" data-original-width="1800" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJiMaH2N7Rh_cekJlkFeXWvW1_3-efS2sL4dCgbRY2ZkB3TnvQvBBc0HNRdLf1A5MrOSbFD6BQkMPzJw-q6y20tNxpf6H52waV-W4W8z3mYzkm_T_ViedUIFhnPQJwcn86accAV4t3KKSotwZZRddh8Y12_UQ59ul04hkdu5poCG9q6ovYdR5QpvzZ/w640-h360/BdxRock6.JPG" width="640" /></a></div> <br /><p></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><b>> Big thanks to Olivier Rols for kindly giving me a copy of this rare musical artefact! </b></h3><h3 style="text-align: center;"><b>> Find out what the good people of Bordeaux Rock are up to these days by checking out their website: <a href="http://www.bordeauxrock.com" target="_blank">www.bordeauxrock.com</a> <br /></b></h3><h3 style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://lebordeauxinvisible.blogspot.com/2022/10/a-la-decouverte-de-la-scene-rock.html" target="_blank">> Ce dossier est également disponible en français !</a></b></h3>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14391698533722905666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4990702592078012308.post-69709172884193859702022-09-29T11:33:00.003+02:002022-10-02T21:00:42.430+02:00On the trail of 'Les Fugitifs' in Bordeaux<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYOdn2MnKiD3EDsS91H4F4AEql1NT3yTYx3uSCsC4IaS7L_pgY0rvlkjfrhm8RbXYWAknmWm6WoDLPa94zopiuUxcDD5IYtr-udvAiwU8zaWme9mYuC4WlaU8sw3jJCxE_lk7oWgc9a3g5UdFfq80vKcWkAHyTWTaTqdi3vw8TmGY-uTqUo9Jj5j91/s940/Les%20Fugitifs%20in%20Bordeaux.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="940" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYOdn2MnKiD3EDsS91H4F4AEql1NT3yTYx3uSCsC4IaS7L_pgY0rvlkjfrhm8RbXYWAknmWm6WoDLPa94zopiuUxcDD5IYtr-udvAiwU8zaWme9mYuC4WlaU8sw3jJCxE_lk7oWgc9a3g5UdFfq80vKcWkAHyTWTaTqdi3vw8TmGY-uTqUo9Jj5j91/w640-h388/Les%20Fugitifs%20in%20Bordeaux.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Among France’s box office hits of the 1980s, <i>Les Fugitifs</i> is one of the most fondly-remembered by cinema-goers, and still gets regular screenings on terrestrial TV. And, it just so happens that a number of the film’s key scenes were filmed in Bordeaux! Invisible Bordeaux teamed up with Jérôme Mabon, who runs the excellent <a href="https://pelliculebordelaise.fr/" target="_blank">La Pellicule Bordelaise blog</a>, to track down some of the locations and to attempt to merge those scenes from the 1980s with the city as it looks in 2022!</b></h3><p style="text-align: left;"><b></b><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Fugitifs_(film,_1986)" target="_blank"><i></i></a></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx4Ok9YqmaXw4-xt3bgvmGxWVApFOTNcHcqlhmnEDKgmg1yUxLUrRExcAK-JWxaqMrqqNMOxrgtDqtBhFinwG1xvKpLaHj2bnT9yciZUttgvRqLOQc3a3BRlm0Q5hywzk-QW3JNuhVFaGpAcwU0iJVDI-z_-lFJGjWqTpXV5UDDjXWGDi30Ai4zORD/s832/FugitifsPoster.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="832" data-original-width="617" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx4Ok9YqmaXw4-xt3bgvmGxWVApFOTNcHcqlhmnEDKgmg1yUxLUrRExcAK-JWxaqMrqqNMOxrgtDqtBhFinwG1xvKpLaHj2bnT9yciZUttgvRqLOQc3a3BRlm0Q5hywzk-QW3JNuhVFaGpAcwU0iJVDI-z_-lFJGjWqTpXV5UDDjXWGDi30Ai4zORD/w237-h320/FugitifsPoster.jpg" width="237" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="https://www.mauvais-genres.com/fr/affiches-de-cinema/31137-les-fugitifs-affiche-de-cin%C3%A9ma-120x160-cm-1986-g%C3%A9rard-depardieu-francis-weber.html">mauvais-genres.com<br /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><i><br />Les Fugitifs</i>, written and directed by Francis Veber and released in 1986, was one of a trilogy of his films that starred legendary actors Gérard Depardieu and Pierre Richard as recurring characters Jean Lucas and François Pignon, the others being <a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Ch%C3%A8vre" target="_blank"><i>La Chèvre</i></a> and <a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Comp%C3%A8res" target="_blank"><i>Les Compères</i></a>. The supporting cast in <i>Les Fugitifs</i> also included veteran thespian Jean Carmet, and child actor Anaïs Bret, who put in a wonderful performance as widower Pignon’s young daughter, Jeanne. <p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i><br />Les Fugitifs</i> opens with Jean Lucas (Depardieu) being released from jail, a reformed man having done his time for a number of bank robberies. Trying to pick up the pieces, he heads to a bank to open a bank account, but is himself caught up in an attempted bank robbery conducted by the hapless François Pignon (Richard). After messy beginnings the unplanned encounter results in the two men (later joined by Jeanne) being on the run, and the film recounts how they more or less manage to stay one step ahead of the authorities. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br />Some key opening sequences were filmed on location in Bordeaux, such as this one featuring Lucas/Depardieu and two police officers outside <a href="https://www.bijouterie-mornier.com/" target="_blank">Mornier jewelers</a>, who are still very much present on Rue Sainte-Catherine. Although they are sat in a car, by the 1980s the street had already been fully pedestrianized! </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMrdMEqkzit40Q8aQlnHdopPwvl10sKKMg8NoTD3ZtVTu4K8Q8anPrjD2G_tOypkmUIt1UhAh8cYNeS_k2uLek4MQLfBRPO517t-pSpxv9ib8fLQRr8O_xdttIYYvpkcyMhAgSjAZYiiw_6IpKHVIUcODHnnKVhVDZ5Ev3oEl4-122Jcpe_B92O8R8/s2398/01-Mornier.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1349" data-original-width="2398" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMrdMEqkzit40Q8aQlnHdopPwvl10sKKMg8NoTD3ZtVTu4K8Q8anPrjD2G_tOypkmUIt1UhAh8cYNeS_k2uLek4MQLfBRPO517t-pSpxv9ib8fLQRr8O_xdttIYYvpkcyMhAgSjAZYiiw_6IpKHVIUcODHnnKVhVDZ5Ev3oEl4-122Jcpe_B92O8R8/w640-h360/01-Mornier.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;">The action then switches to Place Saint-Michel. Lucas/Depardieu can be seen crossing the busy square and crossing the road to a branch of the fictional bank BNT. The following scenes, set inside the “bank”, were shot in a studio setting. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq-BqkXwVPtXIGGjIJZj_T7uOT4ce7-Ye-VscFMq3pPoQPEU-EF8xCVuwYoSsMnssuNnTXau76OEaamNnnAt38WLjLB-HooVhNZrU1nTSThVfqDTz9_9SnjLBAMO31pmfRa4HZIcSgVOgglI5BOYMWBuHGbjwnJmVWyFjHX3cGiRlt-MbKw1mUXgK1/s2560/02-StMichel1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2560" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq-BqkXwVPtXIGGjIJZj_T7uOT4ce7-Ye-VscFMq3pPoQPEU-EF8xCVuwYoSsMnssuNnTXau76OEaamNnnAt38WLjLB-HooVhNZrU1nTSThVfqDTz9_9SnjLBAMO31pmfRa4HZIcSgVOgglI5BOYMWBuHGbjwnJmVWyFjHX3cGiRlt-MbKw1mUXgK1/w640-h360/02-StMichel1.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNg5_nUXK7t9RxM10HydhZDR9xb6SpkicxLlkqKj9PB_eCKdYP5kNQQvQN2_fPWXe5jvCwd_XFBkQ38eWaJvbLeJ_oj1aotBlyjMJ4RDrXz_SXqcUxCvDwE1bqXP752HE6uufM-pbwD9QCeSpJaVj8GZmgvhjHlWsIf1LAxWx4D7_LrQeq1OgyucF2/s2560/03-StMichel2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2560" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNg5_nUXK7t9RxM10HydhZDR9xb6SpkicxLlkqKj9PB_eCKdYP5kNQQvQN2_fPWXe5jvCwd_XFBkQ38eWaJvbLeJ_oj1aotBlyjMJ4RDrXz_SXqcUxCvDwE1bqXP752HE6uufM-pbwD9QCeSpJaVj8GZmgvhjHlWsIf1LAxWx4D7_LrQeq1OgyucF2/w640-h360/03-StMichel2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">When news of the attempted bank robbery reaches the police, the officers promptly stick their flashing blue light on the roof of their glamourous unmarked Renault 20 and make a spectacular turn on Place Tourny, almost colliding with a bus in the process. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6_eQ1zJbXQjp43fdLzVGHgHP1knTqSunIMtZxn_i5MlMKub-xQOtvGUGtjAsT5tcGJd6J6yWng7I5FFIgFAngrL9S9ySSpl0Qg72mUlhKI0lRT2MPngESBCVMUExePksvAkOhWWGWonfH1g0siONp9XaEyZNrbIXZwltum2tz3lh3DW3AMP-s0QPr/s2560/04-Tourny1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2560" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6_eQ1zJbXQjp43fdLzVGHgHP1knTqSunIMtZxn_i5MlMKub-xQOtvGUGtjAsT5tcGJd6J6yWng7I5FFIgFAngrL9S9ySSpl0Qg72mUlhKI0lRT2MPngESBCVMUExePksvAkOhWWGWonfH1g0siONp9XaEyZNrbIXZwltum2tz3lh3DW3AMP-s0QPr/w640-h360/04-Tourny1.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBXCIltf0kk0_wdsgvp_hGW7xrOkGLsdFHvI0Uvi1VHlH6sCkEGFrMXE3pxH_trC0OeYsolS06oUTvDD_KpemLD8fH4fs3_5d5hRjPMfPnK2-2lFHf4FWtpIiTAsRb2keFrDt3TdDwtum01F5VXZZU5HS_j1bk-cRkI8qqAqD2ROSg2oyX2eQJPFfT/s2141/05-Tourny2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1204" data-original-width="2141" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBXCIltf0kk0_wdsgvp_hGW7xrOkGLsdFHvI0Uvi1VHlH6sCkEGFrMXE3pxH_trC0OeYsolS06oUTvDD_KpemLD8fH4fs3_5d5hRjPMfPnK2-2lFHf4FWtpIiTAsRb2keFrDt3TdDwtum01F5VXZZU5HS_j1bk-cRkI8qqAqD2ROSg2oyX2eQJPFfT/w640-h360/05-Tourny2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">Once the officers reach Saint Michel, along with a small army of riot police, this being the 1980s, it interrupts an aerobics class taking place on the first floor of a typical Bordeaux building.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ0cw8H3oN8GQQN9s_R4EU0Mc7U2ZV2_hgSpWFWfwWoN0F8sAHCWRThyHYN6GonjUGFRP4I6pGPeCmNTVvDs-Hw1_Xcn8Fp54lUzPUdeRDEjP-_XVU7rYuLnmcRj6dVq99xWrwDKL_jarX0C3IJYytt2yyKgFtLaoMB9ajU9a1g_39LLyaagCxY78F/s1942/06-StMichel3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1092" data-original-width="1942" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ0cw8H3oN8GQQN9s_R4EU0Mc7U2ZV2_hgSpWFWfwWoN0F8sAHCWRThyHYN6GonjUGFRP4I6pGPeCmNTVvDs-Hw1_Xcn8Fp54lUzPUdeRDEjP-_XVU7rYuLnmcRj6dVq99xWrwDKL_jarX0C3IJYytt2yyKgFtLaoMB9ajU9a1g_39LLyaagCxY78F/w640-h360/06-StMichel3.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Q2rpfhm06h0N7NsyZiUH94S2pPAehm2S8cu7YkEBbug7S_3F2ifLRmIgc58N2hSB2fMil0I5Rj5iFLfC6Zb3XHb9q_NYpkrhr16R707cBBPOxxIvfzf0y7JOHtQWDEruw2yb3jlj7dkPytOMVAAkJqbHfbP9IyDHQlqgou1QoQzj3PVcuNkOYvYJ/s2344/07-StMichel4.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1320" data-original-width="2344" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Q2rpfhm06h0N7NsyZiUH94S2pPAehm2S8cu7YkEBbug7S_3F2ifLRmIgc58N2hSB2fMil0I5Rj5iFLfC6Zb3XHb9q_NYpkrhr16R707cBBPOxxIvfzf0y7JOHtQWDEruw2yb3jlj7dkPytOMVAAkJqbHfbP9IyDHQlqgou1QoQzj3PVcuNkOYvYJ/w640-h360/07-StMichel4.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">Now on the run together, the two unlikely heroes crash a stolen car into a building site on Rue de Macau (where the Jardins de Tivoli residence can now be found), a quiet residential street which is a surprising place to have served as a backdrop for scenes from a box office hit! They then turn their attentions to another car which pulls up opposite (a rather smart Porsche 944, <a href="https://twitter.com/PF33160/status/1576153526874800130" target="_blank">thanks Patrick!</a>), dispose of the driver (who has turned up for a romantic date), and make a swift getaway. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNKivTTCJUnzpgCUAJGKw5hV-EUo2TfWRGg4ahIJKd5eG1T8oJqpkueMST76ac74zeib5h6pj7xUFRbSwGQNsp5EuT9uqv7-bOGsLLOoNhpNZOis6BHGY7oZMKyZAIbOTK2rXyuKfiBz7ZxZjPgCvcKWILG5D7Z2ep5FBHoaQB3gLIfFvSvXKwtcHp/s2560/08-Macau1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2560" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNKivTTCJUnzpgCUAJGKw5hV-EUo2TfWRGg4ahIJKd5eG1T8oJqpkueMST76ac74zeib5h6pj7xUFRbSwGQNsp5EuT9uqv7-bOGsLLOoNhpNZOis6BHGY7oZMKyZAIbOTK2rXyuKfiBz7ZxZjPgCvcKWILG5D7Z2ep5FBHoaQB3gLIfFvSvXKwtcHp/w640-h360/08-Macau1.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0VWbCOgSwvy0KLAbKzYVpGQ-R5m3dn_pJXlda-5zO2vn8Yjsb9BVt1_7vMWx8ukE8lHpI-BNnqH4FzgI2QQhOhr_USi2Vijm8NhN2YYqxEhZhu35y0S_6QwvIbhwIT8IQGd2HW5t0s2Ghv4QABz1PulGPK5u3dsQJiIWCOCjHADPVrFnf_MW7fbku/s2342/09-Macau2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1317" data-original-width="2342" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0VWbCOgSwvy0KLAbKzYVpGQ-R5m3dn_pJXlda-5zO2vn8Yjsb9BVt1_7vMWx8ukE8lHpI-BNnqH4FzgI2QQhOhr_USi2Vijm8NhN2YYqxEhZhu35y0S_6QwvIbhwIT8IQGd2HW5t0s2Ghv4QABz1PulGPK5u3dsQJiIWCOCjHADPVrFnf_MW7fbku/w640-h360/09-Macau2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">The plot thickens when Pignon/Richard reveals to his reluctant partner in crime that he has a daughter. She is soon collected, then father and child negotiate some of the narrow streets of Bordeaux, before abandoning their means of transport ahead of a police barrage… and the pair head into Galerie Bordelaise to do a bit of window-shopping. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxxqnLT-XowniN99p255gn_pLqc8HOYNTnqL98cHjHj8-Ipb8BHT5XBvhp7p0IiW6evvBZMl-2NDUSaq8nrzwqybmuM8BusiSzeVqY8vxmitdSVYzv5oXOARsvIw6lVdqHOEm0biHueeetDTB1eiPWHGCdsRbwr1Z82gIVZD62mTjVkQFZVtk5drh/s2560/10-Piliers.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2560" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxxqnLT-XowniN99p255gn_pLqc8HOYNTnqL98cHjHj8-Ipb8BHT5XBvhp7p0IiW6evvBZMl-2NDUSaq8nrzwqybmuM8BusiSzeVqY8vxmitdSVYzv5oXOARsvIw6lVdqHOEm0biHueeetDTB1eiPWHGCdsRbwr1Z82gIVZD62mTjVkQFZVtk5drh/w640-h360/10-Piliers.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDdU95lYxcxxyYVyWBtYWSzUAlvNHSPF7ivwK1MiZzTiWIOf4qHuxmtpjs2GwnbuSb-IfL3XaVN5LC7pPQK3K7xrylhc_TMcA1w1VJDkejk1Q8zwqZ118mpO3tMO0QV2VkKk_ExjaMNiPH5DAWwyh4aHur9n0Gyi0YFjE4LYCSSny0G4hnXRGE06YR/s2560/11-Galerie1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2560" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDdU95lYxcxxyYVyWBtYWSzUAlvNHSPF7ivwK1MiZzTiWIOf4qHuxmtpjs2GwnbuSb-IfL3XaVN5LC7pPQK3K7xrylhc_TMcA1w1VJDkejk1Q8zwqZ118mpO3tMO0QV2VkKk_ExjaMNiPH5DAWwyh4aHur9n0Gyi0YFjE4LYCSSny0G4hnXRGE06YR/w640-h360/11-Galerie1.png" width="640" /><br /><br /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1bOIzSjdnnFZp4yZ0hPoOtRbYjBvlJoeLa-Q8aA8PUH_RN4aOO_IpoW2F6CJpU4-KF2IorXxMBrCyOlFX5RCsjFmdCNp0sYcYzbN5xqlO2CulSuhtjud7R6ztiCzEEHF4EZBHmn99OFRbuZrFnQIi-Qs02FuaEw-4lM3VaeyOs6tqonB0Kr-g5dT/s2560/12-Galerie2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2560" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1bOIzSjdnnFZp4yZ0hPoOtRbYjBvlJoeLa-Q8aA8PUH_RN4aOO_IpoW2F6CJpU4-KF2IorXxMBrCyOlFX5RCsjFmdCNp0sYcYzbN5xqlO2CulSuhtjud7R6ztiCzEEHF4EZBHmn99OFRbuZrFnQIi-Qs02FuaEw-4lM3VaeyOs6tqonB0Kr-g5dT/w640-h360/12-Galerie2.png" width="640" /></a><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><p style="text-align: left;">After various twists and turns, Lucas/Depardieu ends up watching over young Jeanne and they spend a night sleeping rough in a warehouse on Rue Terre des Bordes, which runs along the southern side of Saint-Jean railway station. </p><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfvNazpI413409ZLFhXjCgDq4Hl7ndcs5U5takC7lMWlj-KGRQBgkBrYZlXBI56PouMUwq-1sAUyR_4dxzsCPX56lt1rWjBTI-QJBBNkuSGMxT2VpKjNdCUCn8zQvcwMhbeJh6ZrHaAdDzRBVrRHRAayZ_H7tZ0jxzWx4K8Yx0ni52N7gpni9i0sIz/s2560/15-RueTerreDesBordes.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2560" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfvNazpI413409ZLFhXjCgDq4Hl7ndcs5U5takC7lMWlj-KGRQBgkBrYZlXBI56PouMUwq-1sAUyR_4dxzsCPX56lt1rWjBTI-QJBBNkuSGMxT2VpKjNdCUCn8zQvcwMhbeJh6ZrHaAdDzRBVrRHRAayZ_H7tZ0jxzWx4K8Yx0ni52N7gpni9i0sIz/w640-h360/15-RueTerreDesBordes.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">Using the latest in a long series of stolen vehicles (this time it’s a <a href="https://caraibos.com/" target="_blank">Caraïbos</a> delivery van), the fugitives end up first outside and then inside the Jardin Public., and once again narrowly escape being arrested by the police.<br /> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3pSm2qh71YIV0qXEdkYtWiPJFLpB11hZ1muRXT_K7gQZEh96D4Oduk5EJLIooaFQlN2C9HZmr3v99MEhvwRi67UogmKc7xnic35aclz-c4PcLGHCYzjrI-DkWnFVpB-_uOKxMBAzpqDvRoZmf67E6pNtSSGxtssAaLu8UN2YxEE5FWjqdhbWToW3I/s2560/13-JardinPublicGate.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2560" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3pSm2qh71YIV0qXEdkYtWiPJFLpB11hZ1muRXT_K7gQZEh96D4Oduk5EJLIooaFQlN2C9HZmr3v99MEhvwRi67UogmKc7xnic35aclz-c4PcLGHCYzjrI-DkWnFVpB-_uOKxMBAzpqDvRoZmf67E6pNtSSGxtssAaLu8UN2YxEE5FWjqdhbWToW3I/w640-h360/13-JardinPublicGate.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnrqKc2XRj86st_txi8ugJcVr0oONKEo1tUZn-WyA1uw4NBpFxPA81aPul8Jtmoeuow_TNrXuxXSGucRALYNpgUtYtcLx0w5YWjoI9uGsJURWvRpQNJ3039qFK64hCMuIbIcdgmwNayCDo0H46B9NR1ggVpCohzdnvwwjcs3tFUEKriv1tXkNxVj2b/s2112/14-JardinPublicMuseum.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1188" data-original-width="2112" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnrqKc2XRj86st_txi8ugJcVr0oONKEo1tUZn-WyA1uw4NBpFxPA81aPul8Jtmoeuow_TNrXuxXSGucRALYNpgUtYtcLx0w5YWjoI9uGsJURWvRpQNJ3039qFK64hCMuIbIcdgmwNayCDo0H46B9NR1ggVpCohzdnvwwjcs3tFUEKriv1tXkNxVj2b/w640-h360/14-JardinPublicMuseum.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">But that is where we will leave Gérard Depardieu, Pierre Richard, and Anaïs Bret, given that the film’s other exterior scenes were shot in Meaux, near Paris, and (possibly) in the French Alps… so if you wish to find out what happened next, and want to know whether the fugitives somehow managed to avoid getting caught, you will have to hunt out the film for yourself… or wait until it is next shown on TV!</p><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><p style="text-align: left;">You could also watch the US remake of the film, <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Fugitives" target="_blank">Three Fugitives</a></i>, which starred Nick Nolte, Martin Short, James Earl Jones, and Sarah Doroff (and was also directed by Francis Veber)… but which does not have the added bonus of featuring scenes filmed in Bordeaux!<br /> <br /></p><h4 style="text-align: center;">View the original trailer of <i>Les Fugitifs</i>:<br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Qpe9Oti5Upo" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qpe9Oti5Upo" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Click here if video does not display properly on your device.</span></a><br />
<br /></h4><h4 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/video/vi2241119001/?playlistId=tt0098471&ref_=tt_ov_vi" target="_blank">Click here to see the trailer of US remake <i>Three Fugitives</i>! </a></h4><h4 style="text-align: center;"> </h4><h4 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://pelliculebordelaise.fr/2022/09/29/les-fugitifs-retour-sur-le-tournage/" target="_blank">Read Jérôme Mabon's La Pellicule Bordelaise French-language take on this same photo report over on La Pellicule Bordelaise!</a></h4><h4 style="text-align: center;"> </h4><h4 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lebordeauxinvisible.blogspot.com/2022/09/aux-trousses-des-fugitifs-bordeaux.html" target="_blank">Ce dossier est également disponible en français.</a> <br /></h4>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14391698533722905666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4990702592078012308.post-18880818884937941962022-09-26T21:08:00.002+02:002022-09-26T21:15:49.719+02:00Recommended reading: Mathias Cisnal’s guide to the Mériadeck quarter<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC7ejT4YvuHANEIR-yl2aSzYTyAxg7HGEG-Z_sYwPqsReLK2q99PcfwIiBfrTgpuoP_Rik7wIVhZLaMd7WQrMfVLQkUwkYPMh_wfrGBn4jTEcX7CIztQA0CVo-WIiEkTw9I3EHIcZg7_kbwAL297We5-uvDGNEUl4aEfFWqpSmBcUeFSbblkfog_9g/s1800/BordeauxMeriadeckCisnal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1013" data-original-width="1800" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC7ejT4YvuHANEIR-yl2aSzYTyAxg7HGEG-Z_sYwPqsReLK2q99PcfwIiBfrTgpuoP_Rik7wIVhZLaMd7WQrMfVLQkUwkYPMh_wfrGBn4jTEcX7CIztQA0CVo-WIiEkTw9I3EHIcZg7_kbwAL297We5-uvDGNEUl4aEfFWqpSmBcUeFSbblkfog_9g/w640-h360/BordeauxMeriadeckCisnal.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;">Architect and friend of the blog Mathias Cisnal has penned a book, published by Éditions Le Festin, about his specialist subject: the district of Bordeaux which is like no other, Mériadeck! And, guess what, the book is rather brilliant! </h3><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><p>Anyway, did you know that the central esplanade of the Mériadeck quarter is, in essence, built on a mass formed by the compacted rubble of the houses that used to stand there? Did you also know that 35 years passed between plans being drawn up for a building to fill the space between the Ibis and Novotel hotels, and that building actually being completed (now known as Immeuble Laure-Gatet)? And did you know that somewhere in the depths of Meriadeck, a room houses <a href="http://meriadeck.free.fr/Meriadeck/Slot_Racing.html" target="_blank">a slot car racing club</a> with several circuits, including a wooden one dating from the 1960s?<br /></p><p> </p><p>Well, those are just some of the more unusual facts shared by Mathias in the 96-page, heavily-illustrated and full-colour book, <i>Mériadeck, parcours en ville</i>, which has also been designed to provide the bigger picture of what the district is all about. An opening essay details how the area developed from marshlands into one of Bordeaux’s rootsier – and sometimes seedier – neighbourhoods, before sharing the story behind the large-scale urban experiment conducted from the 1960s onwards by mayor Jacques Chaban-Delmas, resulting in the misunderstood high-rise administrative and residential district we know today. <br /> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhJurJtZY-cMbr5oH5XvJr9JTeyZ6vuIEKzYIY31jK7ZQkuew35XbcGRjbuBrV4ZB_6r4N1XIIOAA9VPA7I6AokYnWeOusjXxlSTD8Zyy7jJkftWfyOi6i2WQVVqe0N7umLlU8MI3tiXPrMVrLk6jisAHnVq-oVL27scmni-KncqZTll1Rx6iP6tQ0/s1800/MDK.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1800" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhJurJtZY-cMbr5oH5XvJr9JTeyZ6vuIEKzYIY31jK7ZQkuew35XbcGRjbuBrV4ZB_6r4N1XIIOAA9VPA7I6AokYnWeOusjXxlSTD8Zyy7jJkftWfyOi6i2WQVVqe0N7umLlU8MI3tiXPrMVrLk6jisAHnVq-oVL27scmni-KncqZTll1Rx6iP6tQ0/w640-h256/MDK.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Three suggested itineraries provide a means of getting under the skin of Mériadeck, the first focused on the central area, the others taking in zones along the eastern and southern edges. Each building to be spotted en route is described in detail, using terms that are architecturally precise and yet written in a style that is very accessible and easy to read.<br /> </p><p></p><p>The book also includes biographical information about the architects involved, and does not stop at the modern-day constructions, taking in sights including Villa Rohan on Cours d’Albret and the World War I Memorial. The sculptures and statues dotted here and there are also included. Of course, the Mériadeck shopping centre gets its own chapter, and entries are also given over to some of the more unusual features to be taken in, including a couple of voluminous air vents, and some of the more substantial staircases! Finally, the book lists the times Mériadeck was used as the setting for films, TV series, ads, and music videos.<br /><br /></p><p></p><p>In short, this is the authoritative guidebook that the Mériadeck district deserved and will prove to be a fascinating, revealing, and rewarding read, whatever your feelings about this area, which has always been a thorny and decisive subject in Bordeaux! <br /> </p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>Mériadeck, parcours en ville</i> (Le Festin) is available in all good bookshops in and around Bordeaux and <a href="http://www.lefestin.net/meriadeck-parcours-en-ville" target="_blank">online</a>!<br /> </b></span></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>P.S. Don’t forget that a couple of years ago, I sat down with Mathias to talk about the Mériadeck quarter. It resulted in this French-language podcast, which is still available to listen to here!</b><br /></h3><div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<center>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="102px" scrolling="no" src="https://anchor.fm/invisiblebordeaux/embed/episodes/14---Mathias-Cisnal--le-quartier-Mriadeck-eca4lr" width="400px"></iframe><br /><a href="https://anchor.fm/invisiblebordeaux/episodes/14---Mathias-Cisnal--le-quartier-Mriadeck-eca4lr" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Click here if player does not display properly on your device.</b></span></a></center><center><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b> </b></span></center><center>You can also find it on miscellaneous platforms including <a href="https://anchor.fm/invisiblebordeaux/" target="_blank">Anchor</a>, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/invisible-bordeaux/id1449430814?mt=2" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6ZjceHdtul9Js32ZvZuYoA" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy84OTJkODc4L3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://player.fm/series/invisible-bordeaux" target="_blank">Player FM</a>, <a href="https://pca.st/1a2n" target="_blank">PocketCasts</a>, <a href="https://radiopublic.com/invisible-bordeaux-6pw1RN" target="_blank">RadioPublic</a>, <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1449430814/invisible-bordeaux" target="_blank">Overcast</a>, <a href="https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/pnkab-86bf4/Invisible-Bordeaux-Podcast" target="_blank">Podbean</a>, Podcast Addict and <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/anchor-podcasts/invisible-bordeaux" target="_blank">Stitcher</a>.
Feel free to hit the subscribe button on the app of your choice!<br /></center><br />Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14391698533722905666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4990702592078012308.post-88392160190178203472022-09-19T20:20:00.006+02:002022-09-19T20:29:03.811+02:00The day a West German military aircraft crash-landed in the fields of Eysines<p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgow2vjMiWIP64rTlkdosTc-jdu-MkWCsVZszlYkLbZoo2Wwe0-pA3EENWg2MTqil64ekXgI6YMB_MjzfeET0Ko8fheen5DbTW0C4pVgJATl9wkIUPp7zZGvK8u4WU5l-7QR6D1UDbI_ji5eOi_jofqISfjW3qb36skeWS6I7mVOJYd3wMdA3LjU7WN/s858/Blog1b.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="484" data-original-width="858" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgow2vjMiWIP64rTlkdosTc-jdu-MkWCsVZszlYkLbZoo2Wwe0-pA3EENWg2MTqil64ekXgI6YMB_MjzfeET0Ko8fheen5DbTW0C4pVgJATl9wkIUPp7zZGvK8u4WU5l-7QR6D1UDbI_ji5eOi_jofqISfjW3qb36skeWS6I7mVOJYd3wMdA3LjU7WN/w640-h362/Blog1b.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>It is 11:30 on Saturday July 2nd 1988, deep in the farmlands of Eysines, and the relative silence is broken by the sound of a Transall C-160D military transport aircraft crashing to the ground. Miraculously, the six people on board all survived. What happened? </b> <br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">The aircraft belonged to the West German air force. It had departed earlier that morning from Landsberg, near Munich, and was one of a fleet flying into Mérignac with a view to picking up German paratroopers who had recently completed exercises alongside French counterparts at the Camp de Souge military base in Martignas-sur-Jalle. <br /><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgWRZTJI4FxHp371uDKese74VmDG5xhZ51lBWdDI0kVr0m1gPtHmBW5BHaxw0whgend0zaUjRegwS-Y0i2g3PcTvXqxqCiLbBax1b1Vp7-BBz2hTHBfntQAgrBBlyUI0pEh503QIEUu9L1LV_-4X1c3Tfhk_2o8CNdneDVaP0Lb26o1Dt0J2ATFVTW/s1600/Transall.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="693" data-original-width="1600" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgWRZTJI4FxHp371uDKese74VmDG5xhZ51lBWdDI0kVr0m1gPtHmBW5BHaxw0whgend0zaUjRegwS-Y0i2g3PcTvXqxqCiLbBax1b1Vp7-BBz2hTHBfntQAgrBBlyUI0pEh503QIEUu9L1LV_-4X1c3Tfhk_2o8CNdneDVaP0Lb26o1Dt0J2ATFVTW/w640-h278/Transall.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A modern-day German Air Force Transall C-160, like the one involved in the crash. The aircraft type is currently being phased out in France and Germany, and being replaced by the Airbus A400M Atlas. Picture source: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transall_C-160" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Reaching la Gironde, the Transall had entered its approach phase when the pilot realised the left engine had cut out. With the plane virtually gliding and rapidly losing altitude he steered it away from the flight path, and in the hope of avoiding built-up areas pointed westwards towards <a href="https://invisiblebordeaux.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-potatoes-of-eysines.html">the fruit- and vegetable-growing plains of Eysines</a>, with a view to conducting an emergency landing. <p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br />However, with landing gear now in position and flying just a few metres above the ground, an unexpected and unwanted obstacle appeared: high-voltage power lines. There would be no way of rising above the cables, so the pilot attempted instead to guide the plane underneath. That is when the wheels of the aircraft hit the banks of the “<i>jalle</i>”, the stream that runs through the heart of the Eysines vegetable-growing patches, and the plane twisted and turned over a short distance before breaking up and coming to a sudden halt… at a spot not far from where the Cantinolle terminus of tram line D can now be found. </p><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRvy_ry0dpw57mQPg6J3OCcbVZHHBsTUWYjwGizZWWmXTjxb27d-jJcY_w6IGTttgmrwwKjD2DQ9JEpY9BZ8yP3CaE2Vb-QVyVLYP-qn9MYR1neV1HOp8sj-F7uAHqd-m6f0loiPKOfiOyb5jkcOIG-elT2H83RDV5MVbz8FOnog6-FlkWwKeGFP85/s1076/EysinesSudOuest3.PNG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="780" data-original-width="1076" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRvy_ry0dpw57mQPg6J3OCcbVZHHBsTUWYjwGizZWWmXTjxb27d-jJcY_w6IGTttgmrwwKjD2DQ9JEpY9BZ8yP3CaE2Vb-QVyVLYP-qn9MYR1neV1HOp8sj-F7uAHqd-m6f0loiPKOfiOyb5jkcOIG-elT2H83RDV5MVbz8FOnog6-FlkWwKeGFP85/w640-h464/EysinesSudOuest3.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aerial picture credited to Caroline Marmolat (from an Airlec helicopter) which featured in the Monday July 4 1989 issue of Sud Ouest, incorporating a dotted line showing the trajectory of the aircraft, and Eysines-Cantinolle roundabout in the background. Source: <a href="https://www.sudouest.fr/archives/" target="_blank">Sud Ouest archives</a>.</td></tr></tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmYjtUqMtA3eqjVRfs_3jzuqtnsEMhzu6f8cX3jGhsXKuynmD2g_N51sKir4VYApzjSolVeL2EeBRBtZjjRngFoO4twVDT2W5TTvhInZKElPlC5CHCZCFIR4WIaFTBzl8B78R_Sou7kMBuFE3OwVYK24nK3EEpG-JuA785hOQsZbJv89Uw7jALAvQK/s2000/Blog2.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1124" data-original-width="2000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmYjtUqMtA3eqjVRfs_3jzuqtnsEMhzu6f8cX3jGhsXKuynmD2g_N51sKir4VYApzjSolVeL2EeBRBtZjjRngFoO4twVDT2W5TTvhInZKElPlC5CHCZCFIR4WIaFTBzl8B78R_Sou7kMBuFE3OwVYK24nK3EEpG-JuA785hOQsZbJv89Uw7jALAvQK/w640-h360/Blog2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The same area at ground level today, note the <i>jalle</i> over to the left, and power cables towards the right of the picture.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;">Four of the six crew members were immediately able to escape from the wreckage, the two others had to be cut free by rescue services. All were transported to Bordeaux’s Pellegrin hospital, where it was soon established that three had come out of the ordeal totally unscathed, while the three others – though initially considered “seriously injured” – ultimately suffered little more than a few broken bones. As early as the next day, they were able to assist investigators with their enquiries. Meanwhile, the 48 paratroopers who were set to return home were no doubt shaken when they heard the news, wondering what might have been had the aircraft being fully loaded when the faulty engine cut out. </p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br />A couple of days later, local newspaper Sud Ouest ran an interview with one Pierre-Élie Baron, who was among the first on the scene of the crash: <i>“I saw the plane go by at a very low altitude, just above the treetops. An engine had cut out because the left propeller was no longer turning. There was a loud thud and I knew it had crashed. I jumped on my bike and got to the crash at the same time as the gendarmes who were patrolling the Majolan caves."</i> So it certainly made for a busier afternoon than expected for the gendarmes who had been assigned to the notoriously peaceful Majolan park in Blanquefort…</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieOsfNYGB959F-iw5CQlON9f9luSroMs6C68FsLrDfxrrFBI5eEi4nCgkUXUZyeOmcrPtPdrp2zsAEXTXtcoLFQ7wd-6nIR5oXpoW2akCGZTD7VG8u6rm27-fG7-lg_o5fQajZpGjaVEXt63gBCrCt5b3dK5ZTwIjthnMeT4c3T-Y7tamoKldp1Fgf/s2000/BlogComp.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="2000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieOsfNYGB959F-iw5CQlON9f9luSroMs6C68FsLrDfxrrFBI5eEi4nCgkUXUZyeOmcrPtPdrp2zsAEXTXtcoLFQ7wd-6nIR5oXpoW2akCGZTD7VG8u6rm27-fG7-lg_o5fQajZpGjaVEXt63gBCrCt5b3dK5ZTwIjthnMeT4c3T-Y7tamoKldp1Fgf/w640-h360/BlogComp.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sud Ouest coverage of the accident, including the interview with Pierre-<span>É</span>lie Baron. Photos credited to Caroline Marmolat and Guy Martineriq (?). Source: <a href="https://www.sudouest.fr/archives/" target="_blank">Sud Ouest archives</a>.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p>Monsieur Baron added: <i>“One of the pilots had been ejected. I asked him how many were in the plane and he answered in German. He was totally shaken, poor man! There were guys trapped but none of them were moaning or screaming. It was impressive!"</i></p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br />Vegetable farmer Francis Barrière was also interviewed, he actually owned the plot of land where the plane crashed: <i>“That very morning, I was ploughing just 50 metres away. It's a miracle that there was no one in the fields at that time.”</i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br />If things turned out the way they did, much can be attributed to the exemplary work of the emergency services, who were quick on the scene, providing an efficient and effective response. This was saluted a little later, on March 7 1990, at the Ornano fire station in central Bordeaux, when 16 members of the emergency services were awarded distinctions of merit by the German military, in the presence of the mayor of Bordeaux, the German consul, and various Bundeswehr dignitaries. The formal ceremony was followed by a festive reception, technically hosted by German authorities, who provided (reportedly substantial quantitites of) beer on tap for the 300 guests, including the six crew-members of the Transall. </p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br />It was certainly an upbeat epilogue for this plane crash with its own happy ending… the outcome of which was all the more poignant so given that it occurred just six months after <a href="https://invisiblebordeaux.blogspot.com/2018/02/flight-af1919-from-brussels-to-bordeaux.html">the AF1919 flight from Brussels to Bordeaux came down barely two kilometres away in Eysines</a>, resulting in the death of all 16 people on board. The late 1980s were clearly quite a period in the skies above Eysines. </p><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>> Locate on <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1mkQycktU2e128cvPIDr4OUWyBmg&msa=0&ll=44.84376%2C-0.578585&spn=0.017709%2C0.038581" target="_blank">the Invisible Bordeaux Googlemap</a>: Site of 1989 Transall C-160D plane crash, Eysines</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>> This article was almost entirely based on articles from back issues of Sud Ouest available on <a href="https://www.sudouest.fr/archives/" target="_blank">the 'Archives' section of the newspaper's website</a>. <br /></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>> <a href="https://lebordeauxinvisible.blogspot.com/2022/09/le-jour-ou-un-avion-militaire-ouest.html" target="_blank">Ce dossier est également disponible en français.</a></b><br /></p>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14391698533722905666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4990702592078012308.post-4597201492516887872022-09-03T17:11:00.003+02:002022-09-08T13:09:31.954+02:00Sean Bouchard tells all about record label Talitres ahead of the 'Talitres In Waves' evening of museum courtyard concerts<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnDXcBCAD_OpeXshsHqaQZh1a0ymvVkDrj5xta_4RRb37gDXtJfhG_Q1oYeWFZn5eqVNCYIA41s5T7O39vWrDh9ts6t_O6F8YKZ6EligvTqM5ispx-pGFHJS2zn4MHLPOBUX2ofxyz3eEb7e_2GWbDsTuj6c_T_FRt6vOGJQUf0Uax89bUisk-PBEz/s1916/Talitres-Blog.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1057" data-original-width="1916" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnDXcBCAD_OpeXshsHqaQZh1a0ymvVkDrj5xta_4RRb37gDXtJfhG_Q1oYeWFZn5eqVNCYIA41s5T7O39vWrDh9ts6t_O6F8YKZ6EligvTqM5ispx-pGFHJS2zn4MHLPOBUX2ofxyz3eEb7e_2GWbDsTuj6c_T_FRt6vOGJQUf0Uax89bUisk-PBEz/w640-h354/Talitres-Blog.PNG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>In order to know everything there is to know about the 'Talitres In Waves' event being held on Saturday September 17 in Bordeaux, and more widely about the independent record label Talitres, Invisible Bordeaux talked to Sean Bouchard, founder and director of this highly international Bordeaux-based label. French-language podcast below!</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b>"I have always wanted to create bridges with other artistic fields, to decompartmentalize things, to create concerts in singular places, to propose a different experience." - Sean Bouchard</b></i></span></h4><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br />The (sorry, THE!) most unmissable event in September will be taking place on Saturday 17th, during the European Heritage Days weekend, in the delightful courtyard of Bordeaux’s <a href="https://madd-bordeaux.fr/" target="_blank">Museum of Decorative Arts and Design</a>. We give you <b>'Talitres In Waves'</b>, an exceptional evening organized by the Bordeaux label Talitres in partnership with the Museum and Musiques de Nuit (part of the <a href="https://lerocherdepalmer.fr/" target="_blank">Rocher de Palmer</a> structure), showcasing Talitres artists along with various other cultural happenings. <br /><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlBXYUOYO70DNSijXBeBXxic6-YgRPMjKhiz_zN71nxQ6LXo6SK9VyYbGpXXrDwl6dsHq4SMwjFlApGRm0dSNOjoqj5ruuoV5WRvYakhyFf5BMXgpXbiMXhhe-1NqXW-nuvToozYhkAeS9y6R3awpbwfGbfZxMy6Z3qzx_HNCQb8NFfpdN76FrMtsU/s1087/Talitres-Comp3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="469" data-original-width="1087" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlBXYUOYO70DNSijXBeBXxic6-YgRPMjKhiz_zN71nxQ6LXo6SK9VyYbGpXXrDwl6dsHq4SMwjFlApGRm0dSNOjoqj5ruuoV5WRvYakhyFf5BMXgpXbiMXhhe-1NqXW-nuvToozYhkAeS9y6R3awpbwfGbfZxMy6Z3qzx_HNCQb8NFfpdN76FrMtsU/w640-h276/Talitres-Comp3.png" width="640" /></a><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Two of the label's standout artists will be performing live. At 8:30 p.m., the Anglo-Lebanese musician <b>Nadine Khouri</b> and her musicians will be unveiling tracks from the album <i>Another Life</i> (produced by the legendary John Parish), to be released on November 18, and which Talitres announces as <i>"a work of stunning beauty in which the arrangements offer majestic breath to these impressionistic songs and to Nadine Khouri's voice, that suspends, stretches and prodigiously becomes part of us"</i>.</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br />Then, at 9:30 pm, the stage will host the lush orchestral pop of the most surprising of musical bedfellows, <b>Maxwell Farrington & the SuperHomard</b> (performing as a five-piece band). The coming-together of Farrington's smooth crooner vocals with the imaginative, seductive arrangements penned by Christophe Vaillant (AKA the SuperHomard) has already resulted in the album <i>Once</i> and the EP <i>I Had It All</i>. Ranking somewhere between The Divine Comedy, Scott Walker and Burt Bacharach, it is fair to say that Invisible Bordeaux is very much a fan... </p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br />To find out more about Talitres as well as the background and the objectives of the 'Talitres In Waves' museum courtyard concerts, <b>proceed with confidence to this podcast discussion (in French) with Sean Bouchard</b>. He reveals all about the creation of the label, the Talitres philosophy, his collaborations with artists such as The Apartments and Laish, gives inside information about the work done recently with Maxwell Farrington & the SuperHomard and Nadine Khouri, the advantages of being a label based in Bordeaux, the current context for record companies, and what the future holds for Talitres! It makes for a fascinating and rewarding listen, enjoy! </p><br />
<center><iframe frameborder="0" height="102px" scrolling="no" src="https://anchor.fm/invisiblebordeaux/embed/episodes/17---Sean-Bouchard-et-le-label-Talitres-e1nbam6" width="400px"></iframe></center><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><h3 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><center><a href="https://anchor.fm/invisiblebordeaux/episodes/17---Sean-Bouchard-et-le-label-Talitres-e1nbam6" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Click here if player does not display properly!</span></a><br />
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</h3><h3 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">You can also listen to the podcast on miscellaneous platforms including <a href="https://anchor.fm/invisiblebordeaux/" target="_blank">Anchor</a>, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/invisible-bordeaux/id1449430814?mt=2" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6ZjceHdtul9Js32ZvZuYoA" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy84OTJkODc4L3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://player.fm/series/invisible-bordeaux" target="_blank">Player FM</a>, <a href="https://pca.st/1a2n" target="_blank">PocketCasts</a>, <a href="https://radiopublic.com/invisible-bordeaux-6pw1RN" target="_blank">RadioPublic</a>, <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1449430814/invisible-bordeaux" target="_blank">Overcast</a>, <a href="https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/pnkab-86bf4/Invisible-Bordeaux-Podcast" target="_blank">Podbean</a>, Podcast Addict and <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/anchor-podcasts/invisible-bordeaux" target="_blank">Stitcher</a>.
Feel free to hit the subscribe button on the app of your choice!</h3><p style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Vital stats <span>about the event</span>: </b></span> <br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>> Talitres In Waves - Soirée Musicale & Rencontres Culturelles <br />> Saturday September 17 2022 – doors open at 7:30 p.m.<br />> Musée des Arts Décoratifs et du Design, rue Bouffard, Bordeaux <br />> Beverages and nibbles supplied by Café Madd by SIP<br />> <a href="https://lerocherdepalmer.fr/artistes/talitres/09.2022.php" target="_blank">€15 advance</a> / €17 on the door<br />> <a href="http://talitres.com/en/news/talitres-in-waves-maxwell-farrington-le-superhomard-nadine-khouri-madd-bordeaux.html" target="_blank">talitres.com</a> / +33 5 56 91 71 45<br /><br /></b></span></h4><h4 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sneak previews of Maxwell Farrington & Le SuperHomard and Nadine Khouri:</b></span></h4><h4 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></h4>
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</center>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14391698533722905666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4990702592078012308.post-60639724147418889602022-08-11T15:05:00.001+02:002022-08-11T15:06:56.367+02:00Back to Puynormand and the place where the Greenwich meridian and the 45th parallel north intersect<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsAuQRSF4_A7x_wwlO74T5Yq2ThBMH2-HCVBXiLDLzAJ4ORw8RmU9T8NYPcDbjKVYB0hZfaOQIs9gMPwnssni-VZg-NmmwP5bkW9-sL5kYvmXUqvU6H30HQpEoxa2lqprzixlndK1AZL38bI2D6fqqOdmbOelssw4wIZMRY0hAw6rk4vy6S9B4RVfh/s1600/Puy2-4.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="934" data-original-width="1600" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsAuQRSF4_A7x_wwlO74T5Yq2ThBMH2-HCVBXiLDLzAJ4ORw8RmU9T8NYPcDbjKVYB0hZfaOQIs9gMPwnssni-VZg-NmmwP5bkW9-sL5kYvmXUqvU6H30HQpEoxa2lqprzixlndK1AZL38bI2D6fqqOdmbOelssw4wIZMRY0hAw6rk4vy6S9B4RVfh/w640-h374/Puy2-4.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>(Very) long-time readers of the blog will no doubt fondly remember the time, back in 2014, <a href="https://invisiblebordeaux.blogspot.com/2014/11/puynormands-point-45n-0-where-greenwich.html">when I hooked up with fellow blogger Vincent and my son Dorian to explore the ultimate “invisible” subject</a>, namely the virtual point where two virtual lines intersect </b><b>virtually</b><b>: we give you the confluence point between the Greenwich meridian and the 45th parallel north! Hurrah! </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">As you will have gathered by quickly cross-referencing with the terrestrial globe you invariably have on hand, the place is of particular interest to anyone with the slightest interest in geographical oddities: this is the very spot that lies not only exactly mid-way between the equator and the North Pole, but also where east also becomes west (or west becomes east). And yes, it’s in Gironde, by the side of a road that runs between Saint-Seurin-sur-l’Isle and Puynormand (it is technically located on the territory of the latter), around 60 kilometres to the east of Bordeaux. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Back in 2014, Vincent, Dorian and I <a href="https://invisiblebordeaux.blogspot.com/2014/11/puynormands-point-45n-0-where-greenwich.html">braved the pouring rain to hammer in a homemade wooden sign</a> that would provide a marker showing where the meridian and the 45th parallel met. At the time, there was nothing there to indicate the exact spot, and our rudimentary sign survived a number of years (and was even ceremonially photographed <a href="https://www.confluence.org/confluence.php?lat=45&lon=0" target="_blank">by a number of latitude/longitude confluence enthusiasts, who post their discoveries online</a>). <br /><br /></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikWqWzVnrwvv_oTzbiMnoJTM_QveUoM4MCM1K-H7gXKMt3SNbGCAh5X2SkZMfOyJBopQZeDqstioX3ha8Lw03SDcv9cmichwnZH1CP4BTX30mb-5p-TzbykVB6VGcDzfVB-zyxIw7pQwU/s1000/147-Puynormand4b.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikWqWzVnrwvv_oTzbiMnoJTM_QveUoM4MCM1K-H7gXKMt3SNbGCAh5X2SkZMfOyJBopQZeDqstioX3ha8Lw03SDcv9cmichwnZH1CP4BTX30mb-5p-TzbykVB6VGcDzfVB-zyxIw7pQwU/w640-h480/147-Puynormand4b.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The very basic sign we hammered into the ground, in the pouring rain, in 2014.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: justify;">But, perhaps even more memorably, thanks to a chance encounter, our time in Puynormand included an unplanned audience with one André Stanghellini. He was the founder of “Greenwich / 45°”, a small association which seeks to raise awareness of this oddball place and which had developed ambitious plans to create a fully-fledged visitors’ area, complete with car park, a sizeable monument and a series of information panels. It made for a fascinating conversation. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Back in the present (August 2022), some eight years on, Puynormand and its unique confluence happened to be conveniently located close to the itinerary of a four-day cycle trek planned with my wife and father-in-law. I could not let up this opportunity to catch up with Mr Stanghellini once again, and hear what progress had been achieved in the intervening period. He was only too pleased to oblige!<br /><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhqUmXVHnGszvz0jUxi-rq5eyKbM9ixh6Mjx6YyMsDjCf_J46DxG1aqMVxBybS1YmlQuTYi2D2CVkGlloT7I2arEHtrysV8v32XKg_JiG1IXSAkwDG6xYvxiXxxHNC1ei_SpfNK1FvEWG89aPQ9tbBD2LU9XGqGzXiLHaGYOrW6r39uP0Bf0udJf2W/s1500/Puy2-2.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhqUmXVHnGszvz0jUxi-rq5eyKbM9ixh6Mjx6YyMsDjCf_J46DxG1aqMVxBybS1YmlQuTYi2D2CVkGlloT7I2arEHtrysV8v32XKg_JiG1IXSAkwDG6xYvxiXxxHNC1ei_SpfNK1FvEWG89aPQ9tbBD2LU9XGqGzXiLHaGYOrW6r39uP0Bf0udJf2W/w640-h480/Puy2-2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of the new sign visible on site.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">Once again, we met at his home in the village of Puynormand, which no longer serves as a <i>maison d’hôtes</i>, but was nevertheless full of life the day I was there, as André and his wife Marie-José were in the company of their son Pierre and family, who were all over from their home in Hong Kong. I asked him what had changed since 2014. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>“We have tried in vain to make things happen and many promises have been made, but nothing has really happened, largely due a lack of finances. However, one major step forward is that the land itself was bought by the local mairie and is now ‘terrain communal’. As we have the full support of the mayor, we were at least able, a year or so ago, to install a large permanent marker.” </i></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Indeed, I was actually already aware of this sturdier marker, having recently read a blog article written by retired schoolteacher François Remodeau who has set himself <a href="http://escapadez-vous.blogspot.com/2020/02/mes-etapes-greenwich-000.html" target="_blank">the challenge of walking the length of the Greenwich meridian from northern England to southern Spain</a> (François was in touch with me and we had discussed André Stanghellini’s plans!). <br /><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_5ONVUFSAsvHuLmep2I4HqqPxnn1muvQoDie2IemgvF3eB0VjhCCIsT-q-yKH_RAfDJM-odBiI_p4br94TJbNzReDxCws6LDlRUy1ojjNw06SJXd9_G7ogeMvo88C_3SP22PKTnBfh673sPgqQHzzZxhvQqcFRhOCvqfy7wOgA0AbbG7e8Ak1iKdx/s1151/Francois.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1151" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_5ONVUFSAsvHuLmep2I4HqqPxnn1muvQoDie2IemgvF3eB0VjhCCIsT-q-yKH_RAfDJM-odBiI_p4br94TJbNzReDxCws6LDlRUy1ojjNw06SJXd9_G7ogeMvo88C_3SP22PKTnBfh673sPgqQHzzZxhvQqcFRhOCvqfy7wOgA0AbbG7e8Ak1iKdx/w348-h400/Francois.jpg" width="348" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">André Stanghellini and <a href="http://escapadez-vous.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Greenwich meridian adventurer François Remodeau</a> (photo courtesy François Remodeau).</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">André added that <i>“we used durable equipment that had also been employed for the sign outside our maison d’hôtes, it should withstand all the elements! Nevertheless, we would still like to take things further. Ultimately, our twin objective is of course to materialize the confluence, but also to provide the back-story, and give a pedagogical guide to what it all represents in terms of the history of structuring and calculating time and space, enabling navigation, and so on. There is a definite chance we may at least be able to install some information panels with the help of a teacher.”</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Marie-José also mentioned that, in the meantime, <i>“the confluence has undoubtedly become a bit of a local landmark, we even incorporated it into a Heritage Days visit of the area – that is where the walk ended up!”</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbtliDlNN-B9WL-B1BVEdRDd1IOt3o9hF_RrFHxGLZPEuR6WVreRXZDp-Bmudi9aYNs7oLaJ3Js5eMq0KgAe2cu-w4ysDwlY4lsHk5qS2SjDHIYZDJu3J2sjf-UL7eWfm1V8GdDos4cUTOn3q8fqwrnvCNU5xu4qRrHtAhLcjWMk2CrhFuL4C4vCcx/s1341/PuyComp2.PNG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="776" data-original-width="1341" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbtliDlNN-B9WL-B1BVEdRDd1IOt3o9hF_RrFHxGLZPEuR6WVreRXZDp-Bmudi9aYNs7oLaJ3Js5eMq0KgAe2cu-w4ysDwlY4lsHk5qS2SjDHIYZDJu3J2sjf-UL7eWfm1V8GdDos4cUTOn3q8fqwrnvCNU5xu4qRrHtAhLcjWMk2CrhFuL4C4vCcx/w640-h370/PuyComp2.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The new roadsign, a general view of how little there is to actually see on site, and a close-up of the marker in all its glory.</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">And although plans for the full-on visitor centre seem to have been dropped, the dream of a more substantial and more emblematic work of art is also still on the cards. André explained that <i>“we are hoping to approach a renowned Bordeaux-based metalwork artist whom we think may be keen to install a piece in such a unique location.”</i> So, just perhaps, a few years from now, people whizzing through the countryside on the A89 motorway or the Départementale 123 will be able to spot a tall sculpture showing where the two imaginary lines meet! <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br />Leaving André and his delightful family behind (André signed off with a warm and sincere <i>“Vive l’amitié franco-britannique”</i>), I cycled down to see the new sign for myself, and was also happy to see there was now an arrow indicating the way from the main road. On site, I realized there were two other more makeshift additions to the landscape, in the shape of separate wooden signs representing latitude and longitude. After taking a few photos, I headed off eastwards to nearby Ménesplet where my travelling party was spending the night. <br /><br /><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqH1C7E-VVVPvEA8EDHa6E6pZIj9DLDqiQ8mEXSH9sOWmjP42YZaJApnlTsHhggtjkhxwxpJiDX-2ls_cMsUtlsc99byJUkv6asYipIDNHZyFY-InB5RwLjzsocekaDBbPoyVhidFBwwYH8zraOovSUGyBNwm12eQpML-XRKA6b6PsS9jSLoSGNq3/s1500/Puy2-3.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqH1C7E-VVVPvEA8EDHa6E6pZIj9DLDqiQ8mEXSH9sOWmjP42YZaJApnlTsHhggtjkhxwxpJiDX-2ls_cMsUtlsc99byJUkv6asYipIDNHZyFY-InB5RwLjzsocekaDBbPoyVhidFBwwYH8zraOovSUGyBNwm12eQpML-XRKA6b6PsS9jSLoSGNq3/w640-h480/Puy2-3.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the other wooden, slightly crucifix-like signs.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">Once again, eight years on, it had been strangely enjoyable to visit something that doesn’t actually exist, due in no small part to having a second chance to witness the drive, enthusiasm, and good humour of André Stanghellini. Invisible Bordeaux (along with the meridian adventurer François Remodeau) certainly hopes his plans do come to fruition! <i>Vive Puynormand</i>!<br /><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>> <a href="http://maps.google.fr/maps/ms?msid=210373862037781084851.0004b3333ef977deb2fc8&msa=0&ll=44.84376,-0.578585&spn=0.017709,0.038581" target="_blank">Find it on the Invisible Bordeaux map: Convergence between Greenwich meridian and 45th parallel North</a></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>> <a href="http://escapadez-vous.blogspot.com/2020/02/mes-etapes-greenwich-000.html" target="_blank">Click here to read the account of François Remodeau's trek along the Greenwich meridian (as far as northern Spain for now!)</a></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>> <a href="https://invisiblebordeaux.blogspot.com/2014/11/puynormands-point-45n-0-where-greenwich.html">Click here to read about the 2014 Puynormand adventure</a></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>> <a href="https://lebordeauxinvisible.blogspot.com/2022/08/retour-puynormand-la-redecouverte-de.html" target="_blank">Ce dossier est également disponible en français !</a></b></p>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14391698533722905666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4990702592078012308.post-45813826012310908032022-08-09T16:05:00.003+02:002022-08-09T16:15:31.730+02:00Bordeaux 'My City' feature in the August 2022 issue of The Simple Things<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBbCTBwpALoI1oYh8f-5GxxVFIKATizQA_hnPRQAW2Ycl2Wn8yS0WF_0Zot6K7jFEiLNuZOJMUo8Nvy5zRUORE0QfWElITnhv8rHABUKAfJ5iPbFJGW1lob1zOA3w93NdJW_XyfmPbiHCzT15Buir0OCH_4h4K2-uISbl5TeYE6-I2p0uo079t9N8V/s2000/Blog1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="2000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBbCTBwpALoI1oYh8f-5GxxVFIKATizQA_hnPRQAW2Ycl2Wn8yS0WF_0Zot6K7jFEiLNuZOJMUo8Nvy5zRUORE0QfWElITnhv8rHABUKAfJ5iPbFJGW1lob1zOA3w93NdJW_XyfmPbiHCzT15Buir0OCH_4h4K2-uISbl5TeYE6-I2p0uo079t9N8V/w640-h360/Blog1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><b><br />Invisible Bordeaux has provided words and pictures for a five-page spread about the city of Bordeaux for UK magazine The Simple Things, currently available from news outlets in the UK and to purchase online. </b><p></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p>In the piece I provide an inside view on what makes the city tick and what makes it different, places to see, food to try, how best to get around Bordeaux, and much, much more, including a personal tour with some useful recommendations. Hopefully it serves as an interesting and accurate introduction to the “Port de la Lune”! And yes, it may even feature a <i>canelé</i>!</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigILhy-YKuXh3BBmcbuSA2C4JQdb4YEtb5Dg-pSKSkF7eNZb094KVGuzkSCHrL2SGv72UxlKoqHfhtsNnKcsopKexrrhnwn52tB_Ojd7qBtwogxsdf7xY1cgm9xft76ExoFX6-qqTxzbQWEBmul_UwJ5JhymR-v-dCD5yD-c22ArKEXG4ksp9zv2W4/s1996/Blog2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="887" data-original-width="1996" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigILhy-YKuXh3BBmcbuSA2C4JQdb4YEtb5Dg-pSKSkF7eNZb094KVGuzkSCHrL2SGv72UxlKoqHfhtsNnKcsopKexrrhnwn52tB_Ojd7qBtwogxsdf7xY1cgm9xft76ExoFX6-qqTxzbQWEBmul_UwJ5JhymR-v-dCD5yD-c22ArKEXG4ksp9zv2W4/w640-h284/Blog2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">> <a href="https://picsandink.com/collections/the-simple-things/products/the-simple-things-issue-122-august" target="_blank">Click here for further information about the “Drift”-themed issue and to order a copy</a></span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">> The Simple Things website: <a href="https://www.thesimplethings.com/" target="_blank">www.thesimplethings.com</a></span></b></p>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14391698533722905666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4990702592078012308.post-85415489776064660722022-07-16T15:42:00.001+02:002022-07-16T20:14:45.724+02:00[Musical interlude] More Invisible Bordeaux themes in the latest E.P. released by Slowrush <p style="text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxKF67CNv9uc_87pzB254Th8kZHK_-Y98ZuisO-DHnmHqhRb5KbVbydW6N6l-8ZPf5hYa-hH4_1I59gKVB5pelOPYhlqHlp0aa9vzqh34m128xwlbrP2VSRivvb9wowqg8q_2ZV77QuW_jWKtZeiVRDkGhF5R6NulvP3jSBTX8w_JA99woNTE2ASkvZA/s950/SlowrushBlog.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="950" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxKF67CNv9uc_87pzB254Th8kZHK_-Y98ZuisO-DHnmHqhRb5KbVbydW6N6l-8ZPf5hYa-hH4_1I59gKVB5pelOPYhlqHlp0aa9vzqh34m128xwlbrP2VSRivvb9wowqg8q_2ZV77QuW_jWKtZeiVRDkGhF5R6NulvP3jSBTX8w_JA99woNTE2ASkvZA/w640-h360/SlowrushBlog.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span></b></span></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">As loyal
readers will know, in recent months my musical project </span></b></span></b><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><a href="https://linktr.ee/slowrush" target="_blank">Slowrush</a></span></b> has once more taken precedence over Invisible Bordeaux in terms of time and energy levels.
But that doesn’t mean the two ventures don’t feed off each other. In fact, two
songs on the third E.P. to have been released by Slowrush are directly
inspired by subjects covered on the blog in the past! We give you 'This Used To Be The Future'! </span></b></span></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span></b></span></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">For starters, the title track harks back to the bygone golden age of large passenger hovercraft, <a href="https://invisiblebordeaux.blogspot.com/2020/09/the-gironde-estuary-hovercraft-story.html" target="_blank">at one time built in Pauillac on the banks of the Gironde estuary, and also operated to connect the towns of Lamarque and Blaye</a>. </span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">You can enjoy this power pop tribute to the noisy, then-futuristic beasts in the Youtube video below! </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6raJ-d968dA" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /></div><center><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6raJ-d968dA" target="_blank">Click here if video does not display properly on your device. </a></span></b><br /></center><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Meanwhile, E.P. closer ‘The Spaceport’ tells the highly unusual story of the creation of a landing pad for UFOs in Arès on Arcachon Bay. At the time of writing, the “ovniport” has yet to be used by its target audience! The chorus calls out to one Bob Cotten, the man behind the oddball project, reminding him that almost 50 years on, we're still patiently waiting - or, as is inscribed on site in Gascon,</span> "<i>Que vos atendem totjorn</i>"!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto">Of the remaining two tracks, the upbeat opener, 'Living The Dream', is an electric piano-driven track
that develops into an aural wall of sound. It is the result of enviously
viewing urbanites who have set up shop in the country. Finally, live favourite
'Seeing Is Believing' is a summery, strummy, folky number, even though
its subject matter concerns the ability the media have to spin the
stories they choose to cover. </span><br /></p><p><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">You'll find the EP on the streaming platform of your choice below. If you prefer, carry on scrolling until you find the individual tracks as beamed in by magic from <a href="https://slowrush.bandcamp.com/album/this-used-to-be-the-future" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a>!</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We hope you enjoy the listen! </span></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto"></span></span></b></p><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span class="pq6dq46d tbxw36s4 knj5qynh kvgmc6g5 ditlmg2l oygrvhab nvdbi5me sf5mxxl7 gl3lb2sf hhz5lgdu"><img alt="▶️" height="16" src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/t40/1/16/25b6.png" width="16" /></span> Listen on Spotify: <span><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl gpro0wi8 py34i1dx" href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftinyurl.com%2F353p5w2t%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR3mvjVfgA4ridXrgp1F54R7tqpvc474qhm_nMXJrzNWEssk4K2SQlHiwak&h=AT2YeB0DpCKBG1ejZXms696caDjm72q4Mp7hL4ynIYOwgWGTSa4e_tZTqewJuhcEkkwAhe2A1hmlVKnP7gsvPE_D2PsA71cti3DZxQ8og7E5yuHssR7Uk8VcEAIsanZbD1g5pmFr5FYJNfQ6&__tn__=-UK-R&c[0]=AT3j21dN-prDCHMyJj6Jv0041AbPdNEGbQoA81dOLFCi-DUz31-VtAziv_8rtgV-3b9mdalgFNOhcIA4yiQgLsuo1BZ7ywLmNXfHLOwP87kcVt8Nx_HxfjApLk3PI-sJ0omjUJR_1ct0HHaYQrQs1ZUfZ9Bgx5ouUFdT5j140w_sScpzzv1ckCUHoAnA8QCe4aAqstL5pdg41PWG3NFA2x6UOSTipIfV" rel="nofollow noopener" role="link" tabindex="0" target="_blank">https://tinyurl.com/353p5w2t</a></span></span></b></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span class="pq6dq46d tbxw36s4 knj5qynh kvgmc6g5 ditlmg2l oygrvhab nvdbi5me sf5mxxl7 gl3lb2sf hhz5lgdu"><img alt="▶️" height="16" src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/t40/1/16/25b6.png" width="16" /></span> Listen on Deezer: <span><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl gpro0wi8 py34i1dx" href="https://tinyurl.com/yu2e6w6u?fbclid=IwAR3BDG2SkMLyFXtaePh3eN1PLO-ztiwcSIi_NpzV8wc9fkDkwqw2kE_WMQg" rel="nofollow noopener" role="link" tabindex="0" target="_blank">https://tinyurl.com/yu2e6w6u</a></span></span></b></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span class="pq6dq46d tbxw36s4 knj5qynh kvgmc6g5 ditlmg2l oygrvhab nvdbi5me sf5mxxl7 gl3lb2sf hhz5lgdu"><img alt="▶️" height="16" src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/t40/1/16/25b6.png" width="16" /></span> Listen on Apple Music: <span><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl gpro0wi8 py34i1dx" href="https://tinyurl.com/mtz5hwfy?fbclid=IwAR3mvjVfgA4ridXrgp1F54R7tqpvc474qhm_nMXJrzNWEssk4K2SQlHiwak" rel="nofollow noopener" role="link" tabindex="0" target="_blank">https://tinyurl.com/mtz5hwfy</a></span></span></b></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span class="pq6dq46d tbxw36s4 knj5qynh kvgmc6g5 ditlmg2l oygrvhab nvdbi5me sf5mxxl7 gl3lb2sf hhz5lgdu"><img alt="▶️" height="16" src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/t40/1/16/25b6.png" width="16" /></span> Other platforms: <span><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl gpro0wi8 py34i1dx" href="https://linktr.ee/slowrush?fbclid=IwAR2rhV2SI8iH145yGCwJUCs7NtQ3cIa9jM-9P6-4i6c0YpUVy6os8e5YbOg" rel="nofollow noopener" role="link" tabindex="0" target="_blank">https://linktr.ee/slowrush</a></span></span></b></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto"><span class="pq6dq46d tbxw36s4 knj5qynh kvgmc6g5 ditlmg2l oygrvhab nvdbi5me sf5mxxl7 gl3lb2sf hhz5lgdu"><img alt="▶️" height="16" src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/t40/1/16/25b6.png" width="16" /></span> <a href="https://express.adobe.com/page/AASefVtIIhdDB/" target="_blank">Click here to get the full story about Slowrush</a></span></span></b></span></span></b><br /></div></div><br /><center></center><center></center><center></center><center></center><center></center><center><iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=809897693/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/artwork=small/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 274px; width: 600px;"><a href="https://slowrush.bandcamp.com/album/this-used-to-be-the-future">This Used To Be The Future by Slowrush</a></iframe><br /><br /></center><div style="text-align: right;"><b>Group shot: Florent Van Liefde</b><br /></div><br />Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14391698533722905666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4990702592078012308.post-6494782666660153722022-04-27T20:39:00.003+02:002022-04-27T20:39:56.455+02:00What signals can be picked up today at Pessac’s radar test tower? <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Ma_V9yKyvj4qFzMd7j_rOWkbtTHP0FkjGcqe7MBT0qzlbQltqkrL7WwvZQ7Sdh4ccrVEbnOyagfQF0jFEOrQfvq-WhEwzM8EMRGnPyI7M0hKbvo1ox0_KHgF65rRIP9oghDR7xrBu9JrIFRke7juzjzn2vzNkJ4DndnRzccAdOdB3GK2rsElz2Mu/s1200/1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Ma_V9yKyvj4qFzMd7j_rOWkbtTHP0FkjGcqe7MBT0qzlbQltqkrL7WwvZQ7Sdh4ccrVEbnOyagfQF0jFEOrQfvq-WhEwzM8EMRGnPyI7M0hKbvo1ox0_KHgF65rRIP9oghDR7xrBu9JrIFRke7juzjzn2vzNkJ4DndnRzccAdOdB3GK2rsElz2Mu/w640-h360/1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><div style="text-align: justify;">In Pessac’s Bersol industrial estate, in the space of land flanked by the <i>Rocade </i>ring-road to the east, and the A63 motorway to the south, new, modern office developments are currently taking shape… although a lone air control tower-like structure remains from the previous incarnation of the area. What is the tower, why is it still standing, and what is it set to become? </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The tower is in fact a remnant of the time when the plot was home to the radar capabilities of Thomson-CSF, now known as Thales. The electronics systems group had opened the Pessac facility in 1974, around the same time as an aircraft electronics branch was also founded in Le Haillan. Teams from the two plants eventually relocated to a new facility in Mérignac in 2016, a modern campus-like setting which now provides a state-of-the-art working environment to some 2,800 people (myself included). </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The area which had therefore been vacated in Pessac became a core part of Bordeaux Métropole’s ‘Bordeaux Innocampus’ priority area for development (along with the zone neighbouring the airport and the area now known as Euratlantique near Saint-Jean railway station). As such, the former Thales site was demolished, the plot was acquired by a “<i>Société d’économie mixte locale</i>” known as Route des Lasers, and this resulted in the ‘Amperis’ project which is currently taking shape, aimed at providing offices and laboratories for innovative start-ups in the fields of cybersecurity, materials chemistry and biotechnologies. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Dw7u5aaDPfz9cHEizV61Ntb3BmigEyNSlj1Mqc1h8CjnANs72azwAC1BgGXTxzivnwTk3ZX0DFk2xb9-Op6WY2ZlRxlvs6hF1RJXEiBYrrr8kmGTaxGIImXK6Ub5CIVF0KBV0QEPRzE99edvy3b4sWx3KgN_6VBfNbYNEPtx6V1JLsl2my-SCzKC/s1200/Archive.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="774" data-original-width="1200" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Dw7u5aaDPfz9cHEizV61Ntb3BmigEyNSlj1Mqc1h8CjnANs72azwAC1BgGXTxzivnwTk3ZX0DFk2xb9-Op6WY2ZlRxlvs6hF1RJXEiBYrrr8kmGTaxGIImXK6Ub5CIVF0KBV0QEPRzE99edvy3b4sWx3KgN_6VBfNbYNEPtx6V1JLsl2my-SCzKC/w640-h412/Archive.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Construction work on the tower circa 1974 (photo courtesy Thales).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">Initially, the tower too should have been demolished, but instead the Pessac town council and Bordeaux Métropole decided to retain it. In 2018, a call for projects was issued and the winning bid was that submitted by Legendre Immobilier to convert the tower into a panoramic restaurant, currently to be known as La Canopée, developed in association with one Jean-François Tastet, the owner of the popular <a href="https://canopeecafe.com/" target="_blank">Canopée Café</a> in nearby Mérignac. Theoretically, the new office spaces and restaurant should have opened in 2021 but, as with so many other projects right now, everything has been pushed back. <a href="https://www.sudouest.fr/gironde/pessac/pessac-le-projet-amperis-sort-de-terre-10070134.php" target="_blank">The most recent reports in Sud Ouest</a> now earmark the first semester of 2023 for delivery. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqu6xM_vqSTpzzd5Xr-S852ioIf9aT993i_2qG11ycebDZGr1BLMshpp-NdnPgCcInDJqB1GXiCB1YqED6YGeEZJEdAgklPTqTEty-56EMBq2AAyYEAvCvOhEGQV4E3Tk-Cgpivymh0GgHW8ah5HmIvyxEVT-VX8Kik3Nv4wN8b44eQ5Jp8dh9Gz2z/s832/Pessac-1973.PNG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="832" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqu6xM_vqSTpzzd5Xr-S852ioIf9aT993i_2qG11ycebDZGr1BLMshpp-NdnPgCcInDJqB1GXiCB1YqED6YGeEZJEdAgklPTqTEty-56EMBq2AAyYEAvCvOhEGQV4E3Tk-Cgpivymh0GgHW8ah5HmIvyxEVT-VX8Kik3Nv4wN8b44eQ5Jp8dh9Gz2z/w640-h386/Pessac-1973.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The way it was in 1973 (source: <a href="https://remonterletemps.ign.fr/" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">IGN Remonter Le Temps</a><span style="text-align: justify;">).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbgyBnXspvZfTMSVAV1Vh4q9mcaotIO3zJNy5GIPHd1dyYB2P8IK_dcsMgzawVBg_HDG0Rb35nJX2RiWjGUHKGYcE5CZhIvZGn369atNWd7eMFPc2MCboZ0IkMOqnzm2MQ7N5CzQJAwECC6gxvNeBxlpa-q1LlPkdSjDr5Wou2dx2fJ1GyVcMX8jfb/s1087/Pessac-1976.PNG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="636" data-original-width="1087" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbgyBnXspvZfTMSVAV1Vh4q9mcaotIO3zJNy5GIPHd1dyYB2P8IK_dcsMgzawVBg_HDG0Rb35nJX2RiWjGUHKGYcE5CZhIvZGn369atNWd7eMFPc2MCboZ0IkMOqnzm2MQ7N5CzQJAwECC6gxvNeBxlpa-q1LlPkdSjDr5Wou2dx2fJ1GyVcMX8jfb/w640-h374/Pessac-1976.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1976: the tower can be seen sandwiched by Thomson-CSF's two long, brand new buildings. <br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWeA026AubiRs9gD1Sh7-4osC7jMdGvRwMrGtEAeVUNqWVN-wj7ez9pgaHb-4EdOKABTKWyfAkE54rygsQMN055RF8dv-ONi2sJ_Dmy36z7EdA6aZagGIY5LIY86_OCME92JBP6VQYGg7fsazp1RyIRJJD8FYPdjli1XugOYeXo6z7_j_WC40HSnoC/s1161/Pessac-1989.PNG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="726" data-original-width="1161" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWeA026AubiRs9gD1Sh7-4osC7jMdGvRwMrGtEAeVUNqWVN-wj7ez9pgaHb-4EdOKABTKWyfAkE54rygsQMN055RF8dv-ONi2sJ_Dmy36z7EdA6aZagGIY5LIY86_OCME92JBP6VQYGg7fsazp1RyIRJJD8FYPdjli1XugOYeXo6z7_j_WC40HSnoC/w640-h400/Pessac-1989.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The picture in 1989.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLJfZy4hX0ZS3r8j0L3-0ZvNimud8SGqhyfvY_6OEFpMLvh2utoEXLlu_B0sxGKS3voWVoEQCtjHf486RaPwxqINb9pfDaeM-S_9K5LcCDsOqf7AJX0BfrOz33sFkXRpJ6t9OHuPSbp0Ix_dUJkdbuZ3pSvox3fVt7hSBAy-muaRPFjq3yqk2s0bpG/s1213/Pessac-2012.PNG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="713" data-original-width="1213" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLJfZy4hX0ZS3r8j0L3-0ZvNimud8SGqhyfvY_6OEFpMLvh2utoEXLlu_B0sxGKS3voWVoEQCtjHf486RaPwxqINb9pfDaeM-S_9K5LcCDsOqf7AJX0BfrOz33sFkXRpJ6t9OHuPSbp0Ix_dUJkdbuZ3pSvox3fVt7hSBAy-muaRPFjq3yqk2s0bpG/w640-h376/Pessac-2012.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Less greenery still in 2012.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTBvPtRM57RGENwLXmBn7vnFKyXit8zDPMxjJCDCitciUi9jp1b9puKn4MXOZf38ht-kQv_gda4VrPzjuf1ZnLGg1ie990juUDmx_JJ9Q6GhOuwX2u2edu3qNwimS02p3PO_RJba-w1o8V1QCUheMBZlBThjQLIdra9TY235SLpZBrF0MWnVXz1Hqu/s1275/Pessac-Current.PNG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1275" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTBvPtRM57RGENwLXmBn7vnFKyXit8zDPMxjJCDCitciUi9jp1b9puKn4MXOZf38ht-kQv_gda4VrPzjuf1ZnLGg1ie990juUDmx_JJ9Q6GhOuwX2u2edu3qNwimS02p3PO_RJba-w1o8V1QCUheMBZlBThjQLIdra9TY235SLpZBrF0MWnVXz1Hqu/w640-h334/Pessac-Current.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">How the area currently looks on GoogleEarth; the buildings have gone but the tower remains.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">Meanwhile, in 2019, the Bordeaux Innocampus zone was an integral part of the annual heritage days weekend, and a video presentation showcased on site provided an interesting, concise history of the reinforced concrete tower, explaining that it really came into its own in the early 1980s when series production began on the airborne radar for the Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft. The dedicated structure was more generally designed for the open-field testing procedures carried out on antennas and radars. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Ten flights of twelve stairs (and an elevator) led up to the structure’s two hexagonal 300-square-metre platforms. A dozen or so people were permanently stationed on the lower storey, situated 21 metres above ground level. It was made up of six partitioned units, designed as anechoic chambers with walls that absorbed electromagnetic waves, making it possible to reproduce free-field conditions without causing echoes which could disturb measurements. Measurement beacons could also be positioned around the platform to receive signals emitted by pylons towards the tower. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The top floor, 25 metres up, was used to test radars, and would only be used by groups of two people at a time. Unlike the first, this level was not split into individual units but was a fully open-plan space. Tests were conducted by liaising with ground-level transponder beacons placed around the tower. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn-VOpIKI0nvPGZvPHMwvErlGizHsVTNrAk_T_loAmH3Igj7lo9yHKVZcBT1NzxvGGGKYo6PFRHKKEenfz_66LFKwhK4Vwq5rsR9FJwguHkcW4TEWTiK-uzJVk2dIE3BmQI4HJg-12NFRiHRMkIa41z0pNqmFCNy5lOx9V-frNYMD5z-gMJTx7gPoW/s904/Comp.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="786" data-original-width="904" height="556" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn-VOpIKI0nvPGZvPHMwvErlGizHsVTNrAk_T_loAmH3Igj7lo9yHKVZcBT1NzxvGGGKYo6PFRHKKEenfz_66LFKwhK4Vwq5rsR9FJwguHkcW4TEWTiK-uzJVk2dIE3BmQI4HJg-12NFRiHRMkIa41z0pNqmFCNy5lOx9V-frNYMD5z-gMJTx7gPoW/w640-h556/Comp.PNG" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Heading there recently to check out the work in progress, it was relatively easy to approach the tower (I certainly wasn’t the first and probably not the last to creep through a gaping hole in the fence). The tarmac surrounding the structure has been broken up, no doubt to prevent the travelling community from setting up shop on the resulting wasteland. I did harbour vague hopes of accessing the tower itself, but the ground level entrance has been totally bricked up to thwart trespassing bloggers. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKZDAC8WMn4OVoy3iAunpRytkngEtAyKvaFhwaj9YufT5yMI4N5v4tJan4fxh6YldeFVBnT1RCqVB6j7ldSD1SLbUr_zIypUdCZly36SPQcMP4DkURV-JmGM58J92FKyva-6kGKjXWGtSkPjw0HATFbF4kC9gLmgn4ydohI5XN-yausXVRhlDuzdj/s1200/4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKZDAC8WMn4OVoy3iAunpRytkngEtAyKvaFhwaj9YufT5yMI4N5v4tJan4fxh6YldeFVBnT1RCqVB6j7ldSD1SLbUr_zIypUdCZly36SPQcMP4DkURV-JmGM58J92FKyva-6kGKjXWGtSkPjw0HATFbF4kC9gLmgn4ydohI5XN-yausXVRhlDuzdj/w640-h360/4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">While on the other side of a tall fence, the Amperis office developments are clearly taking shape, at this point in time nothing very much appears to be happening to the tower, which still sports its original mustard and beige stripes, along with a little bit of low-lying graffiti – but actually not that much. It clearly hasn’t become a massive spot for urbex enthusiasts or graffiti artists. The architects’ impressions of how it will look in the future suggest the tower is set to be painted white. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisTJA30kWQc7Cp61x3qMZILV5AiTWsF5YvX8wbz0ToDnWBfN3OfpWEf4pL2EaZlwwkt01TdBQ2uTcknEGfE8UBQh0mEDB5IQ4yGDb7s6LKa9cVqzeMbvliykH3HMvDVzHon5AMEwgfTnkyf7bir2fCuKQcbmY-XIHaKKA1SKIu6RiWxSkpnyEDHucH/s1200/5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisTJA30kWQc7Cp61x3qMZILV5AiTWsF5YvX8wbz0ToDnWBfN3OfpWEf4pL2EaZlwwkt01TdBQ2uTcknEGfE8UBQh0mEDB5IQ4yGDb7s6LKa9cVqzeMbvliykH3HMvDVzHon5AMEwgfTnkyf7bir2fCuKQcbmY-XIHaKKA1SKIu6RiWxSkpnyEDHucH/w640-h360/5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">So, how desirable a destination will the panoramic restaurant be? Well, given that you tend to dine in a panoramic restaurant to enjoy the view, the hopes can’t be that high. Other than looking out over office blocks and treetops, there can’t be much to see from up there (although it could be a good vantage point to check out the traffic situation on the A63). But as the surrounding area fills up with suitably upwardly-mobile engineers and executives, there will undoubtedly be a receptive audience for lunchtime dates – I’m just not so sure it’s the kind of place you’d head to for a romantic evening meal. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Whatever, it will in time be fascinating to see what becomes of this vestige of the past. Perhaps the next time I return, in 2023, instead of being greeted by a brick wall, a maître d’ will be there to welcome me!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>> Find it on<a href="https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1mkQycktU2e128cvPIDr4OUWyBmg&msa=0&ll=44.83645869184331%2C-0.5785849999999915&spn=0.017709%2C0.038581&z=9" target="_blank"> the Invisible Bordeaux map</a>: Radar test tower, avenue Gustave-Eiffel, Pessac</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>> <a href="https://lebordeauxinvisible.blogspot.com/2022/04/un-tour-pessac-et-une-tour-de-visee.html" target="_blank">Cet article est également disponible en français ! </a></b></p><br />Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14391698533722905666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4990702592078012308.post-24691062094630073392022-03-12T08:10:00.001+01:002022-03-12T08:10:50.632+01:00Podcast #16 - Sophie Poirier and 'Le Signal'<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjuQlxzzrQ6-Zi1DUPqQx7YQPnY6yVOVp8HPJj0f3EZk01D6iPHRxbgKrUf8LAAfSYZ8uJ7lBK8OQcKi3tdR5DfqV1OO5dVo6f8EJMEaH00812geNEKFJDnYTloPnY7AQbHYYibeQ6ak6jk551UhatSumkAfKX0lcvrZlhS9iv7Mf70meRqmLbIY2UP=s2000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="2000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjuQlxzzrQ6-Zi1DUPqQx7YQPnY6yVOVp8HPJj0f3EZk01D6iPHRxbgKrUf8LAAfSYZ8uJ7lBK8OQcKi3tdR5DfqV1OO5dVo6f8EJMEaH00812geNEKFJDnYTloPnY7AQbHYYibeQ6ak6jk551UhatSumkAfKX0lcvrZlhS9iv7Mf70meRqmLbIY2UP=w640-h360" width="640" /></a><br /><b>The Invisible Bordeaux podcast is back! In this latest French-language episode we meet up with Bordeaux-based author Sophie Poirier to talk about her latest book, <i>'Le Signal'</i>. </b></p><p><b> </b></p><p>The book talks about the intense bond which developed between Sophie and this now-iconic residential block, Le Signal, which is somehow still standing on the waterfront in Soulac-sur-Mer, although its residents were evicted in 2014 subsequent to a violent storm and has remained empty ever since. From then on, it became a poignant symbol of climate change and coastal erosion, as well as being synonymous with a lengthy legal battle to see owners being justly compensated for their loss.</p><p> </p><p>The story of the building has regularly featured on the Invisible Blog, such as when a little bit of <a href="https://invisiblebordeaux.blogspot.com/2018/08/gironde-estuary-cycle-tour-34-royan.html">naughty urbex crept into my cycling tour of the Gironde Estuary</a>, but most notably when I got up at an unearthly hour to view <a href="https://invisiblebordeaux.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-day-soulac-sur-mers-le-signal.html">a large-scale artistic installation involving video footage by Olivier Crouzel, and a spoken-word recording written and recorded by none other than Sophie Poirier</a>. The subject inevitably came up in our talk! </p><p> </p><p><b>So this way please to hear all about Sophie's career to date, her upcoming projects, and above all some fascinating insights into <i>'Le Signal'</i>. Enjoy
the listen!</b></p><h3 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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<iframe src="https://anchor.fm/invisiblebordeaux/embed/episodes/16---Sophie-Poirier-et-Le-Signal-e1fiegm" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><br /><a href="https://anchor.fm/invisiblebordeaux/episodes/16---Sophie-Poirier-et-Le-Signal-e1fiegm" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Click here if player does not display properly!</span></a><br />
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</h3><h3 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">You can also listen to the podcast on miscellaneous platforms including <a href="https://anchor.fm/invisiblebordeaux/" target="_blank">Anchor</a>, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/invisible-bordeaux/id1449430814?mt=2" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6ZjceHdtul9Js32ZvZuYoA" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy84OTJkODc4L3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://player.fm/series/invisible-bordeaux" target="_blank">Player FM</a>, <a href="https://pca.st/1a2n" target="_blank">PocketCasts</a>, <a href="https://radiopublic.com/invisible-bordeaux-6pw1RN" target="_blank">RadioPublic</a>, <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1449430814/invisible-bordeaux" target="_blank">Overcast</a>, <a href="https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/pnkab-86bf4/Invisible-Bordeaux-Podcast" target="_blank">Podbean</a>, Podcast Addict and <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/anchor-podcasts/invisible-bordeaux" target="_blank">Stitcher</a>.
Feel free to hit the subscribe button on the app of your choice!</h3><h3 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"> </h3><h3 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">> Check out Sophie Poirier's output on her website: <a href="https://lexperiencedudesordre.com/">lexperiencedudesordre.com</a></h3><h3 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"> </h3><h3 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">> <i>'Le Signal'</i>, published by <a href="https://inculte.fr/auteurs/sophie-poirier/" target="_blank">Editions Inculte</a>, is available in all reputable real-world and online bookshops including <a href="https://www.mollat.com/videos/sophie-poirier-le-signal-recit-d-un-amour-et-d-un-immeuble" target="_blank">Mollat</a>. </h3><h3 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"> </h3><h3 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">> On Olivier Crouzel's website, <a href="https://www.oliviercrouzel.fr/le-signal-projet/" target="_blank">check out the page given over to his Le Signal-related productions,</a> along with <a href="https://www.oliviercrouzel.fr/18-rideaux/" target="_blank">the separate page that covers his '18 rideaux' installation</a>.</h3><h3 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></h3><h3 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">> Here is footage of the March 2015 early-morning event in Soulac-sur-Mer that was dreamt up by Olivier Crouzel and Sophie Poirier:</h3><br /><center><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/122883913?h=1502379b30&color=ffffff&title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="640"></iframe>
<p><a href="https://vimeo.com/122883913">Le Signal / Marée du siècle / 5h41 du matin</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/ocrouzel">Olivier Crouzel</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p><br /></center><h3 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"> Sophie Poirier portrait photo: <span style="text-align: right;">© Claire Lafargue</span></h3>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14391698533722905666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4990702592078012308.post-26111030500359793602022-01-16T15:32:00.008+01:002022-01-22T15:57:39.292+01:00Bordeaux’s changing faces: the bridge, the wasteland, and the flyover<p style="text-align: left;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOMkjopHUkmtF0gA_-Tz1UbYMd-RZtaMXh5KGzhMWFOUroG1D79wdWOp_6n5m0QoJdcGrEY64BNGJYs6lZRKQKY6URAt4SAorLK2vH6gcT2gPatKHGbE_a2gSdJias7oj-yoKXwrhmFGBfkAlXjdT8JxnBiv4KQOP-4M4bkMNcYSqZ8lbG6nfYZB76=s1382" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1382" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOMkjopHUkmtF0gA_-Tz1UbYMd-RZtaMXh5KGzhMWFOUroG1D79wdWOp_6n5m0QoJdcGrEY64BNGJYs6lZRKQKY6URAt4SAorLK2vH6gcT2gPatKHGbE_a2gSdJias7oj-yoKXwrhmFGBfkAlXjdT8JxnBiv4KQOP-4M4bkMNcYSqZ8lbG6nfYZB76=w640-h372" width="640" /></a></b></div><b><br />To the north of Bordeaux, close to where the Aubiers high-rise estate was built in the 1970s, three features on the landscape show how much the city has evolved and continues to evolve, as well as demonstrating how some temporary solutions prove to be far more durable than initially expected. This is the tale of a bridge, some wasteland, and a flyover, i.e. the three areas highlighted above as they appeared at the time when the aerial photo was taken: 1984. <br /></b> <p></p><h2 style="text-align: center;">The bridge</h2><h2 style="text-align: left;"><br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjuRBzX4Ug-xnZfzPQtw3Nb5eelnUqxgPcAWSx7yMjX9GR4xiUg6hwaXwEvFHz-2pNrCKkXOGxosOsNk9DXygQF6Ldl5AB8nbTZt3kyL6AIyIDCon8X5LxvLObMtRG5qos-P6vpatq262HXFlo7nGC422rMgdAIIq36q1gFgYbMiSePieQTeMaCa3qa=s519" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="318" data-original-width="519" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjuRBzX4Ug-xnZfzPQtw3Nb5eelnUqxgPcAWSx7yMjX9GR4xiUg6hwaXwEvFHz-2pNrCKkXOGxosOsNk9DXygQF6Ldl5AB8nbTZt3kyL6AIyIDCon8X5LxvLObMtRG5qos-P6vpatq262HXFlo7nGC422rMgdAIIq36q1gFgYbMiSePieQTeMaCa3qa=w640-h392" width="640" /></a></h2><p style="text-align: left;"><b>The bridge in question is Pont de Cracovie (Krakow). This bridge was completed in 1967 to cater for a sudden influx of traffic entering Bordeaux from the north, as a result of the brand new Pont d’Aquitaine making it possible to cross the Garonne from Lormont, carrying road traffic arriving from the A10 motorway onto the first sections of the Rocade ring-road. </b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br />While it made sense to open up a new way of accessing Bordeaux, there was an obstacle to overcome: a freight railway line which provided a means of connecting the docklands area of the city with Saint-Jean railway station to the south. A no-frills road bridge was therefore delivered to get from one side to the other: a big hand please for Pont de Cracovie. <br /><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCW7WoxSTxFJoPnrGmWeh9gTzyvt-gGQjapfyrAe7Hki2z5bnCHaxcF6fOODzv3ygL76dF2JoIXr58Sp5zJRAEeI5mOHXsi0nNWe_0ez2QgL7-etaL0IOrPGS1EjT_AKp_Rk4gLPi4Ltx6AspbXDpU-AQlWl5I-cM7J6OTAoy6o9GcBBK1arHJOYEQ=s2000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCW7WoxSTxFJoPnrGmWeh9gTzyvt-gGQjapfyrAe7Hki2z5bnCHaxcF6fOODzv3ygL76dF2JoIXr58Sp5zJRAEeI5mOHXsi0nNWe_0ez2QgL7-etaL0IOrPGS1EjT_AKp_Rk4gLPi4Ltx6AspbXDpU-AQlWl5I-cM7J6OTAoy6o9GcBBK1arHJOYEQ=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cracovie tram stop can now be found where the bridge once stood.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Anyway, a bridge is all very well, but while it was synonymous with access for some, it became regarded as a physical barrier for others. For the first residents of the Aubiers estate, the bridge added to the sense of isolation ahead of further developments taking shape. They were physically cut off from the rest of the city, with just a single bus line providing any form of connection. Miss that last bus home, and there was no alternative other than to walk, head under the bridge, clamber across the railway line, and venture through a dangerous and inhospitable environment. <p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br />The bridge was eventually demolished in 2006 to make way for the new tram network, which was installed at ground level, with the use of the freight railway line having ceased in the interim period. Aptly, the resulting tram stop has also been given the name ‘Cracovie’. The bridge coming down was a revelation to some. <a href="https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x11srir" target="_blank">In a video which looks over the history of the Aubiers estate</a>, one witness compared the bridge to <i>“a frontier. As soon as it came down, as if by chance, we noticed Bruges was just next door, along with the Grand Parc estate… It’s strange, the bridge caused problems… it left its mark on us.” <br /><br /></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i></i></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhDLwK-0Cmr2iswbncqRyJSmtnOe_NWW2GxzD4Nw5C6-ogHcY4ikQNJmbTd7F6K81vBqepSsMAyAmD5UaUgn5G62DZ0BXRY4NB2gBac_Rl7Hti3_w6Evsxg5OkHQw8X4b1S4F1MbkJiSToDw_m7t4r2aRbaQMdzbR9zT4LnuumkPhEKB0OOn8V3IaBM=s1369" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="941" data-original-width="1369" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhDLwK-0Cmr2iswbncqRyJSmtnOe_NWW2GxzD4Nw5C6-ogHcY4ikQNJmbTd7F6K81vBqepSsMAyAmD5UaUgn5G62DZ0BXRY4NB2gBac_Rl7Hti3_w6Evsxg5OkHQw8X4b1S4F1MbkJiSToDw_m7t4r2aRbaQMdzbR9zT4LnuumkPhEKB0OOn8V3IaBM=w640-h440" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bridge being demolished in 2006. Source of this picture and the one of the bridge further up the page: <a href="https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x11srir" target="_blank">Bordeaux Ma Ville on Dailymotion</a>.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjngD2i_ugkc7RA8j6naIhEc3iE489fGYQVPYkXqsazSauo4tiQH9o2T-TgDkKKLZUINdXHQpO03QV_NDkPVuC9YcH0MqyWDHebtaxp79vkva4StjclRpoWTfKBlzt_uHryEqF1eq0LrH6kQ9fu4Rxdiz-gQrY85yemhBBnL48ChVv8U4rUGfxvoSMl=s1524" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="876" data-original-width="1524" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjngD2i_ugkc7RA8j6naIhEc3iE489fGYQVPYkXqsazSauo4tiQH9o2T-TgDkKKLZUINdXHQpO03QV_NDkPVuC9YcH0MqyWDHebtaxp79vkva4StjclRpoWTfKBlzt_uHryEqF1eq0LrH6kQ9fu4Rxdiz-gQrY85yemhBBnL48ChVv8U4rUGfxvoSMl=w640-h368" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These aerial shots (to be found on the <a href="https://remonterletemps.ign.fr/" target="_blank">IGN Remonter Le Temps</a> website) date from 1961, 1965, 1976 and 2012. Cracovie bridge can be seen in the 1965 picture, but was not yet in service. The Aubiers estate is visible in the 1970s shot. By the 2012 picture, the bridge had made way for the tram network. See also the video compilation of these and further photos at the end of the article!<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;">The wasteland</h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUbhP1uLKQiCAeFGTvxL9wDkrfA98VASQOV28TWl2GIi3oqH_lquHMykIOIsx7Mb7xYzwjRQhAo5ryuWsKTATpDLdRRukAyxtmBSU1ahkyJyWUOm2aaENTHVKyBJtMrRBO_v0iGlpd_XmUndoQQs3mlr3Z7QuGeTJuMwF04l--AXu90GUHBqoYfQuy=s2000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1124" data-original-width="2000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUbhP1uLKQiCAeFGTvxL9wDkrfA98VASQOV28TWl2GIi3oqH_lquHMykIOIsx7Mb7xYzwjRQhAo5ryuWsKTATpDLdRRukAyxtmBSU1ahkyJyWUOm2aaENTHVKyBJtMrRBO_v0iGlpd_XmUndoQQs3mlr3Z7QuGeTJuMwF04l--AXu90GUHBqoYfQuy=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"><b>What was also keeping the Aubiers residents trapped were the extensive railway sidings that stretched alongside their buildings. The aerial photos above suggest that the rails were removed for good sometime around 2010, but nothing immediately took their place on this land which officially comprises two plots; one of which belongs to Bordeaux Métropole, the other being under the ownership of Bordeaux Port Authority. </b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br />In recent years, the land gradually became a migrant shantytown made up of makeshift accommodation hand-crafted by Romanian and Bulgarian Roms. By early 2021, it is though that up to 400 people were living on site, and over time tension mounted between the shantytown’s inhabitants and their Aubiers neighbours. Reports suggest that this was mainly due to music and noise at all hours, but also the smoke and odours caused by the plastic coating being burnt off wiring to recover copper. <br /><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6moN_kWYombQWsLDapOVBBYu_Pg-2UV9l28hbz7R0hbwPDzOEArl6oOI67iUEG_WKNwb8jsGnmw5dnsl8sm3yr81tyui4DJKkge9g1RnB-G7xUiZ-Vrvb6hIIPZUsoRaIS49zTbJ51yE6jUhKceqcFMxiSQSw9ONg7yzseB5J8smbmy5M779joHE2=s2000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1124" data-original-width="2000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6moN_kWYombQWsLDapOVBBYu_Pg-2UV9l28hbz7R0hbwPDzOEArl6oOI67iUEG_WKNwb8jsGnmw5dnsl8sm3yr81tyui4DJKkge9g1RnB-G7xUiZ-Vrvb6hIIPZUsoRaIS49zTbJ51yE6jUhKceqcFMxiSQSw9ONg7yzseB5J8smbmy5M779joHE2=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><br />Late in 2021, the shantytown was cleared for good although subsequent to <a href="https://www.valeursactuelles.com/regions/nouvelle-aquitaine/gironde/bordeaux/faits-divers/bordeaux-incendies-criminels-en-serie-dans-le-campement-de-fortune-de-cracovie/" target="_blank">a series of fires resulting from conflicts between migrants and locals</a>. At the time of writing, the amount of debris that remains is incredible: cars and vans that have been gutted, caravans, shopping trolleys, random items of furniture, etc. But there are also official signs of what is coming next (pictured above), which is said to be two office blocks and a car park. The new premises will reportedly be home to the Gironde Social Security offices and a circus arts school. <p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: center;">The flyover</h2><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhXdvUcLHOpLR7NzRq1OF_msfZp1Z6Wx-ywvXGt1-dJ0AGgxLHNT9gfwT26nRsn5KYTR5Kjnt5bllak4ZOQ7BJ6fldQXvF7zQQPdhjEU_DtydevmTVL3Lgw5s1nlIfl0BnbEWKagTmVxTQZ-AzEE0vrTe3MrJaAnnR0IDs2j9kGLaJoY6ubn3qws-w4=s2000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1124" data-original-width="2000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhXdvUcLHOpLR7NzRq1OF_msfZp1Z6Wx-ywvXGt1-dJ0AGgxLHNT9gfwT26nRsn5KYTR5Kjnt5bllak4ZOQ7BJ6fldQXvF7zQQPdhjEU_DtydevmTVL3Lgw5s1nlIfl0BnbEWKagTmVxTQZ-AzEE0vrTe3MrJaAnnR0IDs2j9kGLaJoY6ubn3qws-w4=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>Towards the eastern tip of the soon-to-be-former wasteland is a sight that has never, ever featured on a list of things to see in Bordeaux, and yet its resilience certainly deserves to be rewarded with a few paragraphs on the Invisible Bordeaux blog. We give you l’Autopont de Latule or, if you prefer, the Latule flyover. </b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br />This too was a by-product of Bordeaux’s development to the north, and the early-1970s need to facilitate the movement of automobile traffic between central Bordeaux, its “boulevards”, and the Rocade, or indeed the nascent Bordeaux-Lac business, exhibition and hotel complexes. At this strategic point where a number of thoroughfares meet, this then-futuristic flyover was installed in 1973 (it opened on Saturday November 10th 1973 according to <a href="http://www.fl-livres.com/p/lautomobile-bordeaux-1945-2000.html" target="_blank">Frederick Llorens's excellent 'L'automobile à Bordeaux'</a>)… which means it is now coming up to 50 years of age!</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br />The single-lane metallic structure is 254 metres long, 3.5 metres wide, and is made up of 13 sections which vary in length between 12 and 30 metres. As it was initially designed to be used for a short period, by putting in so much overtime it also has to undergo regular maintenance work – which keeps the flyover in the news given that closures result in substantial tailbacks (and affect the travel plans of the passengers of the 13,000 cars who use the flyover each day). It was also fully overhauled in 1984 and 1996.<br /><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGAlzgnTtwfbt4K7FtfrWHHcoBLy5lzBkctij-iTgxn8aw27TWRiAoFgRx2pHXeZYsl6yTkc3opCk-JufsjDKSVvIMLghdLYXPthgmbgmmRACbUEdrL-i_eKAQVwjkDG4De9I8unEGFeudEFxhdRfxhnmqoiFYgbzhu8e92zoTs4FGXHEb38DSg91Q=s2000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGAlzgnTtwfbt4K7FtfrWHHcoBLy5lzBkctij-iTgxn8aw27TWRiAoFgRx2pHXeZYsl6yTkc3opCk-JufsjDKSVvIMLghdLYXPthgmbgmmRACbUEdrL-i_eKAQVwjkDG4De9I8unEGFeudEFxhdRfxhnmqoiFYgbzhu8e92zoTs4FGXHEb38DSg91Q=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">But possibly the most remarkable thing is simply that the flyover is still in position and doing its job. There has been talk of the junction being turned into a massive roundabout, or else of automobile traffic being entirely diverted to free up the space, which would then be handed over to pedestrians and cyclists. But it’s still there, looking slightly out of place, like it should be in some vast American metropolis, a remnant of a bygone but not-so-distant era when urban infrastructure choices were fully focused on cars. Given the current climate and the essential shift to alternative means of urban transport, will we still be talking about the Latule flyover 50 years from now? </p><h2 style="text-align: center;">And now, enjoy a timelapse video showing how much the area has evolved between 1924 and the present day! <br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mV-ymeUYejc" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><a href="https://youtu.be/mV-ymeUYejc" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Click here if video does not display properly on your device.</span></a><br /></h2><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>> Find them on <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1mkQycktU2e128cvPIDr4OUWyBmg&msa=0&ll=44.83951807143286%2C-0.5785849999999915&spn=0.017709%2C0.038581&z=9" target="_blank">the Invisible Bordeaux map</a>: site of former Pont de Cracovie, Cracovie wasteland, Latule flyover.</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>> <a href="https://lebordeauxinvisible.blogspot.com/2022/01/le-pont-le-terrain-vague-et-le-toboggan.html" target="_blank">Ce dossier est également disponible en français ! </a></b> <br /><br /></p>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14391698533722905666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4990702592078012308.post-67168511971237984712022-01-06T20:02:00.007+01:002022-03-06T09:41:10.677+01:00Uncovering the hidden side of Parc Lescure with Laurent Brun<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><p style="text-align: left;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEN111VEo50j5jXNbsGPlK5nW1ZHsaxkQM-BLF8uZd5ILAo3y-179bND3B9RB7KOcD_CRduXXvkko77QSZF2EJUgIvlmgvmQthzW-fXab0EnuCnB_UMFUgXGGwub6frzHzdevZSUXvwdqjenqs6qiIePFsuHcpjyGrM1kQhko4O2yOyfuqZCREdnWvtQ=s4000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2248" data-original-width="4000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEN111VEo50j5jXNbsGPlK5nW1ZHsaxkQM-BLF8uZd5ILAo3y-179bND3B9RB7KOcD_CRduXXvkko77QSZF2EJUgIvlmgvmQthzW-fXab0EnuCnB_UMFUgXGGwub6frzHzdevZSUXvwdqjenqs6qiIePFsuHcpjyGrM1kQhko4O2yOyfuqZCREdnWvtQ=w640-h360" width="640" /></a>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Among the glossy books published lately, one
managed to tick many boxes that are dear to Invisible Bordeaux. Sport: check!
History: check! Heritage: check! Oddball stories: check too! For we give you
<i><a href="http://www.editions-sudouest.com/livres/lescure-insolite/" target="_blank">"Lescure Insolite"</a></i> written by the journalist, author and sports
historian Laurent Brun, which offers a real journey through time to discover
some of the most surprising episodes in the rich history of Bordeaux’s mythical
municipal stadium, Parc Lescure for some, these days known as Stade
Chaban-Delmas!</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">In order to
know everything there is to know about "Lescure Insolite", I recently
spoke with Laurent. Our French-language discussion can be heard in its entirety
<a href="https://anchor.fm/invisiblebordeaux/episodes/15---Laurent-Brun--Lescure-Insolite-et-les-Girondins-de-Bordeaux-e1cjn4e" target="_blank">in the brand new episode of the Invisible Bordeaux podcast</a> (see further down the page) but, as a bit of a teaser,
here is a little of what he revealed about the book!</span></p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
</h2><h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The background to the book</span></b></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">This book
is the fourth in a series started in 2015 with my colleague Julien Bée, who had
proposed, to tie in with the move of the Girondins de Bordeaux football club from
Parc Lescure to Matmut Atlantique, to find a way of highlighting the stadium.
We had initially targeted the legendary players of the Girondins de Bordeaux,
initially in the form of audio reports intended for the radio, but this was never
used. That's where the idea of the book was born, and it evolved into a multi-tome
project. </span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span></i></p><i>
</i><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><i>We
self-published the first volume, </i>La Fabuleuse aventure des supporters des
Girondins de Bordeaux<i>. This work convinced Editions Sud Ouest, with whom we
already had an agreement, to publish the following books, </i></span><a href="http://www.editions-sudouest.com/livres/lescure-girondins-rendez-legendes/" target="_blank"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">"Le rendez-vous
des légendes"</span></a><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> with a historical, heritage and sports angle; then
</span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><a href="http://www.editions-sudouest.com/livres/lescure-80-ans-dhistoires-de-sports-devenements/" target="_blank">"Lescure 80 ans"</a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><i>, where we go beyond football to talk about other
sports, culture, etc. Then my idea was to focus on more unusual and little-known
chapters in the history of the stadium, hence </i>"Lescure Insolite"<i>.</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i><i> </i> </i></p><i>
</i><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-xUFaQhtYT-RZOuVox0xBE2bcK0XbT--_t57tX5DLn4ebhZp3VJBd7f_eOosCFer14GQ0v7SCj-GhoOZ4bq1n-bsMjsOz-tQqGd1buYQFk3I2DaSiW4xo84vT406VllULwftDnDmpUiAVh187HOOKgDjrQ1mkP4mmbE50V75A9RQF2epNnrtsMJ7Fug=s2000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="2000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-xUFaQhtYT-RZOuVox0xBE2bcK0XbT--_t57tX5DLn4ebhZp3VJBd7f_eOosCFer14GQ0v7SCj-GhoOZ4bq1n-bsMjsOz-tQqGd1buYQFk3I2DaSiW4xo84vT406VllULwftDnDmpUiAVh187HOOKgDjrQ1mkP4mmbE50V75A9RQF2epNnrtsMJ7Fug=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">
</h2><h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">What are the most surprising subjects you
uncovered? </span></b></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">With the
help of the Préservons Lescure association, one investigation started with a
photo from the early 1960s showing three men playing basketball who were in
fact Dutch judokas - Anton Geesink, Hein Essink and Jan van Ierland - who at the time were taking classes at the Lescure dojo under the guidance of master Haku
Michigami, who had become a technical advisor to the Dutch judo federation. He
had detected enormous potential in these Dutchmen of rather modest origins and
thought he could train them and make them good competitors. They then beat the
Japanese on their own soil in the 1964 Olympic Games, the first time the
Japanese were defeated in their king sport. </span>The Dutch judokas went on to
become world stars! </i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i> </i></p><i>
</i><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Let's not
forget the Harlem Globetrotters exhibition match in 1951 – the book includes a
beautiful photo of them in action on the annex sports field. These basketball
players were of the calibre of Michael Jordan, they are stars that got me dreaming
while consulting the archives... bearing in mind that they were also managed at
the time by Jesse Owens, the four-time medalist sprinter at the 1938 Olympic
Games!</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"> </p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
</h2><h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">An event recounted in the book that you would
have loved to have attended</span></b></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The game between
Girondins de Bordeaux and the France national team ahead of the 1966 World Cup!
The coach of the French team had targeted the Girondins, then the best team of
the country with FC Nantes, and whose style of play was reminiscent of that of the
Italians, that is to say tough, solid, strong defensively... in order to be
best equipped to compete with Italy or England. This was not a gala match but very
much a warm-up preparation match, the Girondins put the
French team very much to the test (although France ended up winning 3-2). There were exceptional players in both teams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></p><h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
</h2><h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Any upcoming projects? </span></b></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I have
written a couple of other books about things that happened at Lescure, but
from a different perspective. I am waiting for new documents to complete them.
But at the moment I am finalizing a surfing book, more precisely on the history
of the Lacanau Pro competition. So I’m setting aside football and picking up a surfboard!
I will also be shifting to rugby in the future, and I will keep you
posted! </span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h3 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
</h3><h3 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Over the
course of the discussion, Laurent also shared his experience of the stadium,
his feelings on its transition from a multi-purpose complex and football ground to a rugby
stadium, whereabouts on the pitch he would pitch a tent if he could spend a
night there... and we also talked at length about the Girondins de Bordeaux
Football Club, focusing in particular on the achievements, at the end of the
1980s, of the first Englishman to have sported the Bordeaux chevron on his chest! </span>Enjoy
the listen!</h3><h3 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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</h3><h3 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">You can also listen to the podcast on miscellaneous platforms including <a href="https://anchor.fm/invisiblebordeaux/" target="_blank">Anchor</a>, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/invisible-bordeaux/id1449430814?mt=2" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6ZjceHdtul9Js32ZvZuYoA" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy84OTJkODc4L3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://player.fm/series/invisible-bordeaux" target="_blank">Player FM</a>, <a href="https://pca.st/1a2n" target="_blank">PocketCasts</a>, <a href="https://radiopublic.com/invisible-bordeaux-6pw1RN" target="_blank">RadioPublic</a>, <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1449430814/invisible-bordeaux" target="_blank">Overcast</a>, <a href="https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/pnkab-86bf4/Invisible-Bordeaux-Podcast" target="_blank">Podbean</a>, Podcast Addict and <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/anchor-podcasts/invisible-bordeaux" target="_blank">Stitcher</a>.
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Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14391698533722905666noreply@blogger.com0