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ZOOLON’S FRENCH TRIP

by George Blamey-Steeden

Having just returned from a spectacularly hot France I thought I’d share a few random thoughts that hit me while I was there. But first, to set the French scene a bit of music, Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Bardot singing ‘Un Jour Comme Un Autre’. For reasons unknown, I like this number;

fontainbleau3

This is a statue in the Palace of Fontainebleau just outside of Paris. I was told that normally you must queue for ages to get in the place. What with the high temperature the day I visited (40 degrees Centigrade; 104 Fahrenheit) very few people/tourists had been stupid enough to go out and about, except me. No queues at all.

While I was standing looking at the statue an older American bloke was stood next to me. We stood together vacantly staring at it. It was then that the American asked me what I thought the statue of the girl with multiple breasts was all about. In my mind, I was guessing it might be a representation of some Greek Goddess, but I didn’t mention that. All I said was, “I think she’s the one who went down in history as the most successful wet-nurse of all time.” He just nodded in agreement then let me know his wife was about three rooms back still reading the notes on what was in each room and that he was bored out of his brains. Nice guy. We got on well.

provins

Monoprix is a French retail chain. Having run nearly out of toilet paper where I was staying I popped into the branch in a town called Provins (a beautiful old medieval town I would strongly recommend to anyone). The place sells pretty much everything yet after looking everywhere and then some, I couldn’t find toilet paper. I discovered that they didn’t sell it. Why? I mean they sold everything else you might need for a bathroom or loo.  This could mean only one thing, namely that the residents of Provins are all morbidly constipated.

fontainbleau4

French chateaux and palaces major on ceilings like this one from Fontainebleau. I rarely look up. But this one (the photo shows only a little part of it) did catch my eye. The gold plating is the genuine stuff. The sad thing was I didn’t have a ladder, a wallpaper scraper and a bag with ‘SWAG’ written on it with me at the time as there was a small fortune to be made what with the room being empty save for me.

fontainebleau5

Here’s another Fontainebleau shot. It shows the last ‘royal throne’ left in all of France. Looking at it the thought struck me that it was a good thing the English King, Henry VIII wasn’t French as likely his larger than average bum wouldn’t have fitted it, and even if some of his servants had shoehorns on them and had manoeuvred him down onto the throne he would have ended up stuck in it. Vive la France!

 

By the way, here’s link to my new album, ‘DREAM RESCUER’. It costs not much, and is available worldwide.  If you fancy buying it and feel able to post a review on Bandcamp, I’d appreciate it.

https://zoolon.bandcamp.com/album/dream-rescuer

Also, the Zoolon Audio website it is at www.zoolonaudio.com

Copyright © 2017 Zoolon Audio.  All rights reserved.  Unauthorised copying, reproduction, hiring, lending, public performance and broadcasting prohibited.

43 thoughts on “ZOOLON’S FRENCH TRIP”

  3. I zoomed in on that pic. Lol. I saw three, lol. Anyways , I am quite sure your presence in the capital had something to do with rising temperatures. This is an I interesting post. I enjoyed reading.

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  4. George, ‘Un Jour Comme Un Autre’, was it? It sounds like you had a marvelous trip in so many ways, filling your SWAG Bag with brilliant ideas and memories that will feed inspiration and creativity for days to come. Your photos are wonderful, there’s something very appealing about the ceiling, maybe because it’s so ornate. I hope you’re having a terrific Monday, welcome back. ~ Mia, Rexie & Erniefunkle

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    1. You got the song in one, Mia. The ceilings in that palace were amazing. Fontainebleau was always going to be a place I would like or hate – no in-between’s. Luckily, I liked it. More ceilings to follow.

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  8. How did you make it in that heat.. Thank goodness you didn’t melt! I’m laughing at the wet nurse comment – and thinking that guy had already tuned out everything.. But I’m in suspense – did you find toilet paper?! PS Welcome home 🙂

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    1. How did I make it in the heat? The plus was an indoor swimming pool. I spent most afternoons swimming with my GoPro camera fixed to my forehead. I have about 4 hours of footage. They are amazing little camera’s. I’d wanted to write some music but it’s hard to get motivated when you’re boiling alive. I hoping to match some edited footage to music sometime for a spot of sound art. The loo rolls were eventually discovered at a massive branch of the French supermarket chain E.Leclerc. I was spoiled for choice there. I’m glad to be back, but I always miss France. I’m off there again in September, to The Ardennes for the bi-annual marionette festival. There were even exhibits from Australia there last time I visited. The festival is so surreal. I trust all is OK with you. George

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      1. While I am not envious of the uncomfortable heat that was around you, I do find myself wishing I was able to vacation in Paris! One day 🙂 I’m glad you found the rolls and that you didn’t melt.. and I know you’ll find inspiration for your music soon. After all, you’re so creative that little will hold you down 🙂

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      2. Paris is a lovely city but not in such heat. I’m told it’s raining there this week. Perhaps I should have gone there then! I hope you make it there one day. It is inspiring.

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  10. Woahh man!! Brilliant peace of writing. This blog is 💯💯💯❤.please visit my too it will be my pleasure that gr8 bloggers like you visiting. But still dude you rock. 🙇🙇🙇🔥

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    1. All winter we want the heat, then when it arrives as an oven we all go mad. Odd! By the way, my dad Mike Steeden asked to me let his mates on WP know that he’ll be running a little late getting back to blogging as he had a nasty fall on a granite stone polished floor, landing face first. He’s on the mend but looks like he lost a world title fight.

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  13. Sounds like an exciting trip! I’m in Brazil now and having similar experiences in shopping. There is literally no women’s shaving cream here. I don’t get it.

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    1. Weird things happen abroad. We had a Brazilian builder. Nice guy, but he warned that in Brazil never cross into places off the tourist route, other than that he said it’s the most beautiful country there is. Enjoy, have a great time there.

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  15. You know, I’ve had that same experience–with the toilet paper, that is. For some reason the more touristy towns in the North Woods are happy to charge you hundreds of dollars for a table made of antlers or a stained glass lamp shaped like a turkey, but toilet paper? Never would they stoop to sell such common fare…

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