Kuranda Bike Show

 
 
Back in Cairns, off  to the Kuranda Bike show, not many attended, may be the newly passed law to fight bikies and at the same time to eliminate as many  bikers as possible - a politician dream is to see no more bikes on the road - has left many bikes in their sheds. I did not attend the party afterwards as I did not want to get into any more trouble with the local cops .....
 
 From the old
 
to the arty
 



This is more like my style


 

Returning to OZ


Charle De Gaulle airport

Air France going green, paper bags are used on board to collect plastic bottles and cups
 
The best toilets in France are ....at the airport! beautiful tiles on the floor, like the ones I dream of having at home....
 
 
Comparing to this toilet in the country.....

Charleville Mezieres International Puppet Festival

When I heard that the International puppet festival was on late in September, I could not miss this great opportunity. Managed to rent a room close to the center of town and hoped on a train.....
Although it is a full week of events, I could only stay 4 days as I could not changed my airline ticket.
It was all worth it, the free shows in the street were of high standing and if you were lucky to purchase a ticket for your favourite international show ( from 11 to 18 euros) your mind would just get blown up by the quality and creativity, evolution of the puppet world.

Toon Mas From Holland

 
 The streets are buzzling
 
 Venus sur la place Ducale


 
 The artists from 'Holy,'the Bulgarian show

Theatre Rugissant. This wagon was made by the artist, mum playing piano , 12 years old daughter the violin, dad and young son playing the characters
 
kangaroos made out pushbike tyres
 
at the railway station.....
 
 
Moving People, Monsieur, Madame; an amazing show!


 
Charleville by night, Place Ducale
 
 
This one could be a pick pocket in disguise, he only lasted one day....
 
 
Popular couple from the 70's
 
all timber....
 
This motorbike cruising through the crowd, where is the operator? Evaristo from Spain
 
Our people....


so real....
 
 
Highly recommended:
Holy by Cie Sofia Puppet Theatre
Le Fil Blanc from Canada
Double Exposure , Sungsoo Ahn from Korea/Finland
Le Drame des autres by Les Green Ginger
Theatre Rugissant: Tout Seul
Transit by Ananda Puijk from Holland
Mary Brown by Cie Akselere
Ombres de Sichuam  de Nanchong, China

Paris

I had not been to Paris for 12 years, I felt I should catch up with friends from my youth . When I started riding motorcycles in the early 70's, I rode on week ends with Jose, musician at times working for Coluche. Today he is a member of the Big Band playing Jazz. I went to a rehearsal.





 
To get there you follow spooky corridors covered with graffitis and heavy doors
 
 
Too many tourists at the main attractions
 
 
 
 
Some are taking advantage of the crowded streets to illegally run a mobile casino, bets of  minimum of 50 euros to guess where is the white dot under one of 3 black pieces of rubber placed on a cardboard box..
 
A great exhibition at the Grand Palais, art of  crafts....

 
 
 
 Korean thread figurines

 
 glass jewellery

These hand made frames are worth 15,000 euros a pair!

 modern table
 
basket made with concrete reinforcement mesh
 
 

 from Denmark
 

 
recycling old mattresses?
 
A visit to the Puces is a must....
 
 
 
 
This not an official rubbish bin!
 
 In Paris if you don t want anyone to pinch your motorbike, make sure it stands out and probably not to the thieves' taste


 
Or lock it up properly!
 
 Front and rear



stuffed rats in the window of the local hardware shop, typical Parisian rats leaving underground

Works at Les Halles have been going on for years, the workers live in these stacked containers

You can hire a Ferrari in Paris, 89 euros for 20 minutes....

 


How about this lifestyle?