The Long Way Home

Unfortunately, our blog photographer Emilee got a better job offer back in Paris, and left us in the lurch. This leaves me in charge of iPhone pics again, so you won’t see many of me again now.

Planning our hike in the alps, a short ride from Baden:

More things to avoid doing, this time on the chairlift:

The hills were alive with the sound of Christos, Ari, Martina and Natalie, on a spectacular hike:

Click to see full panorama:

A final quiet beer at the Baden Beergarden.

Baden is an interesting, clean and peaceful place. The council supplies pharmaceuticals to every resident; in the event of a meltdown at the local nuclear power plant, one is alerted by siren and must take the pill, which protects the thyroid against radiation damage. Also head immediately to the basement of the apartment building, closing the 30cm-thick concrete door behind you. Strangely enough, Zurich, just 15 minutes away on the train but in another council zone, does not offer these life-preserving services, even though fallout would likely spread there in a very short time. Maybe this is why Baden is a great place to live…

Zurich does have fantastic trams. Amazing trams in fact. Being in a country where cars are not a neccesity, is very much a pleasure. If only cars were a luxury in Melbourne, and you could get to every place you needed to, including snowboarding, hiking, and work, by public transport.

What not to do on the tram in Zurich, from left: smoke, turn out your pockets, play guitar, saw seats into pieces, or put your rollerblades on them:

Inside a German car inside a Swiss tunnel, as good as automotive quality can get:

A free open-air concert in Zurich:

Paris to Baden to visit Christos: 2nd class train seats + sealed windows + no a/c = 5 hours of roasting:

But, Martina was lucky enough to discover Bolognaise chips!! Spag Bog on a fried potato:

Hanging out with Christos in Baden and Zurich: a White bratwurst, staple fare in these yonder parts/

Novelle Vague live: over-priced, brief, and bad choice of venue – but entertaining:

Michael Jackson tribute at the Palais de Tokyo:

And an original black and white photo booth, bargain price of 2euro for four shots:

A scene from ‘The DaVinci Code’:

Napoleon’s dining table. I’d love to host a Greek Easter here someday:

And his Louvre-ly balcony:

More imposing Parisian perspectives:

Brooding clouds over the tower:

The Death of Cleopatra, by Giovanni Pietro Rizzoli:

Don Eiffel:

How can the Mona Lisa look at this all day, every day?

Notre Dame, metro entrance and a station:

Emilee is joining our team as the new blog photographer. Here’s her introductory Paris self-portrait on the staff camera. This should ensure a few more photos of me…

Busy eating icecream in the background, we are…

Our new location was right by the famous Paris cemetary.

Reminiscent of Martina after hours of coffee-less walking:

UPDATE: Paris sucks when you book only one night to have the option of relocating to a better place once learning a thbg or two about the capital, just to discover the French open is on and finding a reasonable (read: cheap) hotel is nigh on impossible. Our first day was spent looking for somewhere to spend the second.

France really is quite civilised. But Paris sucks. Hopefully it will redeem itself.

Congratulations Jamie and Melanie, on a wonderfully successful wedding. We’ll have the photos to you as soon as we can!

We’re sitting opposite the closed Office De Turisme in Bergerac taking advantage of their free Internet. It is VERY fast and even the uploading of our Toronto job that Marti’s doing at the moment is speeding along. Doesn’t leave me much time to blog, so here are a few pics of Greece from my iphone albums to whet your appetite, in case you’ll be in Greece this year too…

Abramovic’s yahct moored at Mandraki, Rhodes.

Theo and Sappho sitting beneath a ~2000 year old olive tree at Χαλάσματα, Militsa.

Militsa, Longa, Messinias, Greece.

Τραουνού (Traganou), how we miss you!!

Mum and dad cool off at Agia Roumeli after completing the Samaria Gorge walk.

Michali’s tractor at the vineyard, Soroni.

Martina waters our newly expanded garden in Soroni.

The view from Kastellorizo towards Turkey; yacht cruises often pass through this narrow strip of the south-east Aegean.

Eleni and Vangeli Hatzis, on their weddng day in Militsa. The first time either of them have seen a camera.

Peter contemplates my perrenial problem; how do you stop yourself eating so much of the kokoretsi that you still have room for lamb?