I am in China! Yesterday was a long day but it finally ended up with me being in China; quite extraordinary isn’t it?

To sum up: it all started with Ryanair that I love so much. It’s interesting how the flight attendants seem to be raking up the passengers, trying to extract as much money as possible in the allocated time of the short flight from Nimes to London. They must have passed at least 100 times, each time with something new to offer: sandwich, drinks, duty free crap, and even donations for charity in the end. Charity for Ryanair? Ah…

But I survived these back killer seats quite well. Arriving London I was welcomed by the famous British rain. So I ran to catch the bus to Heathrow, trying to avoid the drops of water (I failed). The bus ride was longer than the flight itself, but at least I got to the Air China check in counter.

But then I hear that I cannot enter without a flight out of China! So they made me buy a refundable ticket from Beijing to Hong Kong, which I will cancel as soon as possible. As I was doing all of this I was starting to realize that I would soon be in China for the second time, with a little apprehension. Anyways, the flight was horrible. I was stuck between 2 big Chinese guys, which made me feel like I had a big panda on each side. So I was stick between 2 giant pandas for 10h. One started to sleep on the little tablet in front of me, so almost on my lap. The other panda was so big that he was spilling everywhere on me. So that was an interesting flight.

But then, then, when we finally arrive in Beijing, as I was walking by the “anti-pig-flu” infrared thermometers the machine start beeping like if I was a terrorist. So the quarantine people start redirecting me toward a tent in the middle of the airport where they could further check my temperature… Of course I am slightly hot as the terminal is like a furnace and I haven’t slept for 24 hours almost! Luckily enough the second check was apparently satisfying so they had to let me go, quite unwillingly.

And then I was in Beijing! It’s hot like hell, just the way I like it! I will soon write more on Beijing…

p.s: this post in French here

Calanque de Sormiou around Marseille

Et voila. After my previous post people might start thinking that the only good thing about France is it’s Art of Baguette! But I write today to bring light and understanding upon you all. There is also Provence, the jewel of France! When you first set your feet on the fairy ground a subtle sparkle of shiver goes through your entire body. Yes, nothing less.

So, in my three weeks here I went to many places; the Calanque of Marseille being one. The cristal clear water, the little creek, the sun, the mini beach… very nice! And then when tired of this awfull situation you can head back to the city of Marseille, have a salad or something with a glass of rosé on the Vieux Port and it’s many terraces. Wonderfull.

But to the request of some of my friends I also went to the village where I grew up to picture it a bit. This is Maussane les Alpilles ‘downtown’… On the right you have a specimen of a local villager buying cigarettes in the ‘Tabac’.
I spent about 10 years in this place, and I come back each year if I can. Life is definetly more “chill” here than in Montreal or China or the rest of France. The only other part of the world where I could accept to have a house later in my life would be the Caribean, maybe in Mexico around Qintana Roo or Yucatan. Yet it will be long before I settle anywhere, and first of all in a week I will be in China for the second time in my life, and in two weeks I will be on following the ancient path of the Silk Road all the way to Kashgar…

Here is a little slideshow with more pictures from the region of Provence and Côte d’Azur, just click on it to have it bigger: