Memories...After Jordan, in Brussels, before Japan.

This is an old pic which featured for a while somewhere on my old blog last year in the summer, and I stumbled on it today while cleaning my files. It's unforgettable one, of course! Sometimes things that happen just make you feel more dead than alive.

Best from Knokke

On the weekend, Cedric and I went to the sea. In need to breath sea air even if it's la mer du nord à la belge. Clearly, it being july, we were not the only ones who got the idea. Train Louvain-Brussels-Knokke was swamped by (lower-)middle classes, of whose existence you are only vaguely aware on every day basis, but who descended progressively as we stopped in Gent and Brugge. Packed train is, however, a great environment for pics. Look below. What people you encounter! Gad. Ced and I were actually separated from each other for an hour due to the crowd density. It was fun. I didn't get beaten, contrary to Ced's prediction that it is bound to happen one day or other...Peeps actually loved being paid attention to.

And then Knokke. Knokke used to be that ultra posh resort - I wish I lived in 19th century - think Brighton at that time - think Turner, Sisley; think Ostende of Spilliaert. Knokke now does have its pockets of posh-ness but you'd hardly call it luxurious, not to mention stylish. We had our baby-homard and other sea-foods, talked usual dirty and played a guessing game featuring 'space station Mir'...

Trip to Knokke

Gare du Luxembourg

Louvain

Train Louvain-Brussels

Train Brussels-Louvain

Boats in Jaffa

The derelict port full of acient wrecks is where I spent a lot of my weekends. Well, just a reminder that many pics did find their way to my old blog, now long gone and many pics lost for good ...Tel Aviv, Jaffa, Negev, Jerusalem, Dead Sea, Haifa, Acco, Galili, Golan and more. I will put a randon one or two over here, from time to time, geste reserved for moments of feeling particularly senti about those good old times in the Holy Land.

Belatedly....Japan

Also with a huge delay, here I am, posting some images of Japan. Actually Tokyo and Kyoto only and I wish I saw more but, even after Tel Aviv, humidity and heat were such a killer for my poor littlet self out there in august, that eventually I opted for a very modest route. I think the most amazing was the nature that you encounter even in the cities. Lush of trees and greenery inhabited by unidentified creatures. And a lot more in fact. Mix of modern and old...Some of it maybe here in the pics.

Belatedly....China

This is just a fraction of the photos I took during my one month in China this winter. Hong Kong, Shanghai, Souzou, Xian, Simantai. Enjoy! It's been fun to make this slide show. Some moments are deep in my memory, like strolling the streets of Xian at dawn, in the cold, grey and fog. Apart from Hong Kong, if someone would like me to describe how I felt in China, I'd say 'freezing' but I loved every minute of it. Winter makes places look so much more real. This is why my Moscow trip is planned for December!

Social scenes...Italy...

 















I took it with my old small Cannon, last year in Venice, during the World Cup - hence those concentrated figures in the bar - you know now what they are watching.

Brussels

This is a very special photo. Or it rather comes from a special period. It's from a year ago, June, when I came back for a long weekend from Israel, to bring part of my luggage back, breathe Europe, be in Franz Merjay again, and to see some people for who I cared very much at the time. Probably it was then that I realised Israel wasn't a place for me after all. I slept on a matress in Pat's study, and had those new clothes from American Apparel. We smoked a lot on the balcony too. The weekend was boiling, and I took it to rediscover Brussels somewhat, went to eat in Le Portrait de famille just round the corner, which I never normally do, and to rue de Flandre...This one is Boekhandel/Café exactly there. A superb place, smoky but nice. I have a big folder of pics from Brussels cafés from that weekend. It was that time also that we went with Pat to Cordelia in Auderghem. And that time also FX introduced Bindu to us. And Marco was in Belgium....

Social scenes...Jordan...

Washington DC...

Stelios took this photo. I didn't like DC and took no photos, save those of Pati and Stelios. Who were wonderful, of course. This pic conveys well how I felt in the city... Morbid.

Social scenes...Munich...

Social scenes...Brussels...

Social scenes....Egypt...