Alexandra & Gabriel

MONOCHROME MONDAY # 11

Let me introduce you my great-grand-father Emile Mardon.

He was born the 3rd of March 1878 in Arras, North of France.

In his family, they were all pit workers.

Laissez moi vous présenter mon arrière grand-père Emile Mardon.

Il naquit le 3 Mars 1878 à coté d'Arras.

Il était d'une famille de mineurs.

He had no choice and was compeled to participate to WWI where he survived to the slaughter of Verdun.

Look closely to his sweet-looking man. His eyes don't deceive. He was a very kind man, gentle.

Il n'eut pas le choix, et fut obligé de participer à la Première Guerre Mondiale où il survecu à la boucherie de Verdun.

Regardez plus près à cet homme au regard doux. Ses yeux ne trompent pas. Il était un homme très gentil et attentionné.

Here, you can find him in this picture, just behind the 2 children.

Sur cette photo, il se trouve derrière les 2 jeunes enfants.

After war, in the civil life, he was a typographer-worker. (The man in black without hat)

Après la guerre, dans la vie civile, il était ouvrier typographe. (L'homme en gris sans chapeau)

He married Helène Challange on 1904.

And had a girl Lucie who was my grand-mother on my mother side.

Il épousa Hélène Challange en 1904.

Et eut une fille Lucie qui était ma grand-mère maternelle.

At the end of his life.

He didn't lose his wonderful kind look during all his life.

Listening to those in my family who knew him, I regret not to have had the privilege to meet him.


A la fin de sa vie.

Il ne perdit pas son merveilleux et doux regard de toute sa vie.

Ayant écouté ceux de ma famille qui l'ont connu, je regrette de ne pas avoir eu le privilège de le connaître.

To see more Monochrome pictures, go and visit Aileni's Monochrome Maniacs.

RUBY TUESDAY # 7

Are you.......

Traditional

or original

You get something Red to share on your pictures, Visit Marie The teach to join the team of

Ruby Tuesday.

MONOCHROME MONDAY # 10

Montmartre is a hill inside Paris, it is also called butte Montmartre. Stairs are on every side of that hill, like streets. Due to the declension, you can be at the first floor on one side of your apartment, and on the opposite side of your apartment, you live at the 3rd floor.

Montmartre est une colline dans Paris. Ce quartier est aussi appelé la butte Montmartre. Des escaliers se trouvent sur chaque versant, comme des rues.

A cause de la déclinaison, on peut habiter au 1er étage d'un coté de la rue et au 3 ème sur la rue de l'autre coté de la maison.

To watch many others Monochrome pictures, join the Aileni's Monochrome Maniacs.

CITY HALL 18th ARRONDISSEMENT

Between this postal card ( sent in 1907) and my today picture, a hundred years passed.

And nothing has changed. My City Hall is exactly the same as 100 years ago, the building disposition is the same.

Behind the trees on the right, our chuch, which is also in front of the City Hall.

The hamlet of Clignancourt and the Montmartre area are attached to town of Paris in 1860 the city Hall has been built at this occasion. Previously, they were just independent.

Have you noticed that the drugstore is still here on the left?

Entre cette carte postale de 1907 et ma photo d'aujourd'hui, 100 années ont passé.

Et rien n'a changé. Ma mairie du XVIIIème est exactement la même , la disposition des immeubles autour n'a pas été modifiée.

Derrière les arbres sur la droite, se situe notre église.

Le hameau de Clignancourt et le quartier de Montmartre ont été rattachés à la commune de Paris en 1860 , le batiment a été consruit à cette occasion. Aupavant, ces 2 quartiers étaient juste indépendants.

Avez vous remarquez que la pharmacie est toujours en place à gauche?

MODERNITY OPPOSED TO CLASSICISM

Here, the building of a famous cars French constructor on the Champs Elysées; Very futurist, and unusual in this area because most of the facades are preserved, sober and lined up. This new place is called C42

An architecture contest won by Manuelle Gondrand in 2002 for this wonderful realization.



Le batiment d'une des célèbres marques de constructeur Français de voitures sur les champs.

Le concours d'architecture a été gagné par Manuelle Gondrand en 2002 pour cette magnifique réalisation appelée le C42.

The brand is symbolized by 2 chevrons, the window shop "reflects " it.
By night.

MONOCHROME MONDAY # 10

My Monochrome Monday is the following of the previous post. But in Black and White to participate to Aileni's Monochrome Maniac. Picture taken the same day at the same time on Place de la Concorde.
You're invited to visit other Monochrome collectors.

ARTIFICIAL SUN

What is that?
We need desperately sun at this specific time.
Will this be enough to satisfy us?

Place de la Concorde.

Behind the Big Wheel, les Jardins du Luxembourg.

At the right of the Big Wheel, l'Obélisque de Louxor made in pink granite. It is one of the 2 Obélisques which was in front of the Louxor temple .

It has been transported in France from Egypt by boat and assembled again in this place around 1830.

It was at this place that Louis XVI has ben executed, as well as Robespierre a few years after. The wheel has turned also for revolutionaries. That's History.

In my back, avenue des Champs Elysées.
Here, our shining sun in the evening

Don't pay attention to the traffic, it's Paris! And some of us haven't understood yet that we have public transport! They keep using their own car.

Agrandir le plan

Won't blog during a few days.
Family reasons

RUBY TUESDAY # 6

If there's one region in France which is "specialized" in Christmas preparations, I would say it's Alsace. It's a region at the border of Germany. By historical links inhabitants are very close to Germans, they speak both languages. They inheritated from their neighbors the Spirit and tradition of Christmas. Their Christmas Markets in many cities of Alsace are famous on both sides of the border.

In Paris, the Christmas market gets its Alsace representant.

The seller of Ginger Bread.

Many forms and decorations.

Just for information? I present you La Maison d'Alsace, (a kind of Tourist Information Office representing Alsace culture in Paris), on the Champs Elysées, which is decorated as the Hansel &Gretel's House .

You can join the

at Mary's Work of The Poet.

Go and visit many other participants to the Ruby Search.

MONOCHROME MONDAY # 9

Pictures taken from my window.

Pure monochrome, no changed colors.

Blurry shadows against the cold Sky.

"The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider's web. "

Pablo Picasso

Feel like an artist, visit other participants at Aileni's Blog : Loose Ends

Other Monochrome Maniacs won't deceive you

MY BABY GABY IS . . . . . . . . . .

FIVE

I mean F I V E

on Sunday

When we'll count with the other hand, will you stay the Baby of our family ?

Can we stop the time ?


We you so much !

Don't pay attention to my haircut! My parents are negligent. But they love me as I am.

Ne faites pas attention à ma coupe de cheveux! Mes parents sont négligents. Mais ils m'aiment comme je suis.

Joyeux anniversaire

Happy Birthday

SKY WATCH FRIDAY # 22

TGI's Friday and Sky Watch
Dieu merci c'est Vendredi et Sky Watch.

Let me share with you our each day weather since last Friday (28th of November) until Thursday 4th of December. From left to right.
As you can see, we've had one beautiful blue Sky on Tuesday, the rest of the time all was grey, rainy, and sad.
Laissez moi partager avec vous le temps de tous les jours entre Vendredi dernier jusqu'à Jeudi (4 décembre). De gauche à droite.
Comme vous pouvez le constater, nous n'avons eu qu'une journée de ciel bleu Mardi; le reste du temps ce ne fût que grisaille, pluie, et tristesse.To watch more Skies, visit other Sky Watchers, with a little bit of chance, you'll find sunny places, ......or snowy ones, it depends on whom you visit. Join the team of Sky Watch Friday!

CHRISTMAS FOREMOST IT'S . . . . .

After the previous post, and all its bling decorations, I propose you to come back to the essential meaning of Christmas.

Après le "post" précédent et toutes ses décorations scintillantes, je vous propose de se remettre sur le voie de la signification essentielle de Noël.

La Crèche. Nativity Scene.

Here, in France, when I was a liitle girl, we used to create it with Santons of Provence it comes from "Santoun" little saints in provençal

Quand j'étais une petite fille, noous avions l'habitude de préparer la crèche avec des santons de provence (le nom vient de "Santouns" en provençal qui signifie petits Saints).

The crèche is composed with original figurines of Nativity:

They are figurines made in clay, and hand-painted. None of them is similar to an other, they're all unique creation!

And also figurines of the day to day life in Provence at the 19 th Century. They were all "coming" to celebrate the birth of Christ.

Each of them represented a former trade.

Les vieux métiers du 19ème siècle :

Shepherds with the Priest (Curé) , Mistral, Grinder...

Berger avec le Curé, le Mistral, le Rémouleur.

Some of them are famous and particular to Provence :

Le Ravi :

with his arms up above his head He is the simple minded of the village. He puts up his arms, by surprise, learning Jesus's birth.

le simple d'esprit, qui élève les bras au ciel à l'annonce de la naissance du Christ.

Mistral :

a figurine of a shepherd with wind in its cloak. The wind of South of France is called "le Mistral"

le berger au vent dans la cape.

The shepherd : generally carrying a lamb

The old man and woman (le Vieux et la Vieille) :

They're generally represented arm in arm.

Généralement, présentés bras dessus bras dessous.

Water Carrier ( Le Porteur d'eau) : to remind the importance of water in the region of Provence.

I have taken all these pictures at one of the Paris Christmas Market , near Concorde.

During my youth, they were sold in almost every stores at the same place you bought Christmas tree decorations. Nowadays, trend is reversed, while we find decorations everywhere, Nativity scene figurines are found only at specialised stores.

Pendant mon enfance, les personnages étaient vendus presque partout avec les décorations de Noël. De nos jours, la tendance s'est inversée, alors que l'on trouve partout les décorations de Noël, les figurines de la crèche sont vendues dans les magasins spécialisés.

RUBY TUESDAY # 5

Ruby Tuesday : Subject Christmas

Nowaday, Santa no more lives in cold country. He retired in Provence

De nos jours , le Père Noël ne vit plus dans un pays froid. Il s'est retiré en Provence.

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First of all, you have to invite Santa Claus.

No problem, he is a close friend of us. Look, how we're familiar. He recognized me!

"Hey! Père Noël"! That's his true name, answer my son Gabriel.

He just made ME a sign! Have you seen ? I have been a good girl this year.

Tout d'abord, il vous faut inviter le père Noël.

Pas de problème, il est un de nos amis proches. Regardez comme nous sommes intimes. Il m'a reconnu.

Eh! Père Noël! Il vient de m'adresser un signe. Vous avez vu ? J'ai été gentille cette année.

In time of crisis, he sold his reindeers for 1 pony.

Pendant ces temps de crise, il a vendu ses rennes pour un poney.

Then you need a Christmas tree.

Well decorated. We've prepared ours to participate to Ruby Tuesday

Puis, il vous faut un arbre de Noël.

Bien décoré. Nous avons préparé le notre pour participer à Ruby Tuesday.

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An amazing ceiling .

Un plafond somptueux.

To maintain the structure, you need a strong Red hook.

Pour maintenir la structure, vous avez besoin d'un solide crochet rouge.

Then , final touch, you need precious Red decorations made of silk.

Alors, touche finale,vous avez besoin de précieuses décorations rouges faites de soie.

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When all is ready , you get to write to Santa, to give him your gifts-list.

No more write a letter, it's old fashioned. Now, you'll have to clic. Look, follow instructions :

Et quand tout est terminé, vous devez écrire au père Noël, pour lui donner votre liste de cadeaux. N'écrivez plus de lettres, c'est dépassé. Maintenant, vous devrez cliquer.

Suivez les instructions :

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If you need to watch more Red things with Christmas theme go and visit our hostess

Mary The Teach at her blog Work of The Poet,

she gets all addresses.