Snow in Rodez

Yesterday we had the first snow in Rodez of this year. Not so much, but we have it!

Amsterdam - Schiphol

I visited my parents. So I was obliged to stay 6 hours in Schiphol airport. Very boring.
Finally something funny :

Roquefort-sur-Soulzon

This week-end we visited Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, famouse for the blue cheese. We visited the Papillon Roquefort cave.

St. Cirq Lapopie

Located at the centre of the Lot, less than 25 km to the east of Cahors, St. Cirq Lapopie, dramatically overhangs the river Lot clinging precariously to a rocky outcrop high above the river.

Cahors

Cahors is on the river Lot. It was the capital of the old province Quercy.
The Valentré Bridge is the symbol of the town. Building began in1308 and it was completed in 1378. The legend associated with this bridge is one of the most fully realized of all Devil's Bridge legends, with a carefully developed plot, complex characters, and a surprising dénouement. When the bridge was restored in 1879, the architect Paul Gout made reference to this by placing a small sculpture of the devil at the summit of one of the towers.

Top12-Tournoi International Benjamins

This week-end, I helped to organise the rugby tour for the children under 12 years. 40 teams was participated 10 nations for the challenge. My favourite team was Ariesul Cluj from Romania.

Sete

Last Sunday I was to the sea, looking for a warming place. We visited Sete the 'Venice of Languedoc'.

Aveyron 360 degree

This thursday I was invided to a vernissage of of photographyer Gilles Tordjeman in Arvieu, a small village of Aveyron.
http://www.aveyron360.com

Figeac

Figeac lies on the river Célé. It has an unspoilt medieval centre, not too encumbered by tourism.

La Chartreuse St-Sauveur (Villefranche sur Roergue)

The Chartreuse Saint Sauveur was builded in 1452 by a rich textil trader for the Carthusian monks community.

The Chartreuse Saint Sauveur has a lovely cloister - one of the largest in France - and some good woodcarvings on the interior stalls.

Journées européennes du patrimoine

The week-end of 21-22 September 2008 was the Journées européennes du patrimoine or Heritage days of Europe. All the government buildings are free open to the public all the week-end all over Europe. For me, I take this opportunity to visit some villages in district of Aveyron and and district of Lot (both in France).
First we planned to visit Villefrance-de-Rouergue, a commune in the district of Aveyron.
We heard beautiful stories from our guide. The Count of Toulouse builded this "bastide" to control and populate his lands. At the end of the Albigensian Crusade from the northern "barons" against the southern Occitania on a religious pretext (fighting the Cathar heresy), the Count of Toulouse was defeated and concluded the treaty of Paris in 1229. By this treaty he gave the Rouergue county to his daughter who became the wife of Alphones de Poitiers, brother of Saint Louis, king of France. Alphonse founded Villefranche on the place of an old village called La Peyrade in 1252.

US and Canadian car number plates

No way! I saw that the canadians and the americans have imagination. On my trip I saw a lot of funny car number plates. Please enjoy them!

Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls (French: les Chutes du Niagara) are massive waterfalls on the Niagara River, straddling the international border separating the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of New York.The Rainbow Bridge is an international steel arch bridge across the Niagara River gorge. A design by architect Richard (Su Min) .

CN Tower

The CN Tower, located in downtown Toronto, is a communications and tourist tower standing 553.33 metres.

Casa Loma

Casa Loma is the former home of a Canadian financier Sir Henry Pelatt.

Toronto

I am back to Canada. I spent a short holiday with my cousin Catrina and her familly in Toronto and Niagara Falls.
Toronto is the largest city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario. The name Toronto is likely derived from the Iroquois word tkaronto, meaning "place where trees stand in the water".According to some prominent Toronto residents, and architects who have designed buildings in the city, such as Will Alsop, Toronto has no single, dominant architectural style.

Yorktown

It is most famous as the site of the surrender of General Cornwallis to General George Washington in 1781.I visited the monument of celebrating victory in the American Revolutionary War. Installed 1884.

Washington D.C. by night

There was a warmy evening so, I was outside to take some pictures. A beautiful evening with moon on the sky.