ROYAL AND ANOTHER WEDDING

Yesterday I attended the Royal Wedding in London and as you can see I had an excellent vue on the whole event !



I could see them from so close, the place I choose was just the best !



I sat on our sofa and took the pictures from our TV. With a nice cup of tea I watched from the beginning til the end, although I have to admit that when boring people showed up or when the music played I dusted our living room. Household duties first.

A few weeks ago I thought I take the Eurostar and go to see it life, but then I thought I would I see more at TV although I missed the atmosphere on the streets.

But it also brought back memories



I was in the same situation nearly 42 years ago, of course there were less people, I didn't stand on a balcony to wave to the crowd and instead of a carriage we sat in a black limousine.

But I think the feelings at this special day are the same for everybody, rich or poor. Royal or not.

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

1. I finally managed to give a mini birthday party for Mr. G's 70th birthday. On his birthday 3 weeks ago, I was sick and when I came back from France for Easter, he was sick. This was then on Easter Monday where our best friends and neighbors came over for a glass of Champagne. It was the first day he felt a little better.



He was very happy with a new Ferrari for his collection and the Tiramisu Dominique had prepared for him.



She even managed to make a 70 with the candles !

2. Two days before I left France my camera fell out of Claudie's car when I opened the door of and the screen was broken.



It was quiet new only 3 years old and had been working so good. I was really sad. It had accompagnied me through Turkey, Morocco and Egypt, the UK and all other excursions I did and now I had to say good bye.

3.



As soon as the shops were open again after Easter I bought a new one, nearly the same, with a little more capacity and options, even smaller as my previous already small one, and very handy, ideal for my paparazzi purposes. Now I have to get used to the new one. Fortunately I had a spare camera so I could continue to take pictures, while I was on holidays, but they are not so good of course.

4. I was very busy with all the photos I had taken in Southern France to sort them out and put them into folders, and after 2 weeks of school holidays my painting class started again, but I have to admit that we didn't paint very much because we had too much to chat about our 2 weeks holidays.

5.



and today I will be here, watching THE wedding on TV, the report is starting at 9 am our time which is 8 am in London.

BRIGITTE BARDOT

more participants at Jenny Matlock's Alphabet Thursday

Letter B

When I was about 18, I started to admire Brigitte Bardot, because she was just the opposite of all the classical Hollywood beauties and was called a mixture between woman and child.



She created a completely new look for young women, with her long wildly in the wind blowing hairs and had not the sophisticated hairdoes of actresses like Marilyn Monroe or Liz Taylor. To me she represented the female freedom. Of course she was the scum of the earth to most of the women because their husbands cross eyed on Brigitte's pictures and also of her "immoral" life style.

I think nobody in the early 60 realized that this girl was also extremely intelligent, she was taken for a "new look " stupid blond. She dared to do with her life what she wanted and had also to pay dearly for her celebrity. She was hunted by Paparazzis and surrounded by men who all wanted only one thing .... sleep with her.

Finally Brigitte Bardot withdrew to the seclusion of Southern France where she had bought an old farm house which she had called La Madrague in Saint-Tropez in May 1958, where she tried to live a normal life. Not for long however, Paparazzis were quickly there.

And from this day on everybody of the jet set or the new richs wanted to spend their holidays in St. Tropez. I remember that it was a real "Must" to go there at least once. Of course in the 60th people couldn't travel like they wanted there was not enough money for that.



"La Madrague" by BB

When I visted Claudie last week and she proposed that we go to St. Tropez together with her sister and family, I was enthralled, 50 years later I finally would see St. Tropez which had been Brigitte Bardot's refuge for so many years.

What a disappointment ! There are so many people that I almost felt like in a supermarket on a saturday morning and it was in the middle of the week not even high season ! Crowds and crowds of people from all social classes were there walking on each others feet. It must be a nightmare to go there in high season !

From Brigitte Bardot of course I only saw a few posters and "La Madrague" had been transformed by her to a refugee for animals. Anyway all villas of famous stars were probably also protected by high walls and it would have been like driving through Beverly Hills where the walls are also painted in white. We didn't take the sightseeing boat for that !



Along the habour, restaurants, cafés, boutiques and the crowd



To sit here on the terrace of this patisserie and salon-de-the "Sénéquier" which is located at the heart of St.Tropez is also a "must". Years ago famous actors or jet set people sat here too. Now it's rather seldom to see one. But it is a perfect place to people watch while enjoying an afternoon coffee or ice cream. Despite having been around for 120 years it is still of the moment.

Karl Lagerfeld just recently premiered his Chanel Resort 2011 show here.
I am not sad that I missed this event, I would rather have prefered to see BB, although she has become a rather quaint person and is rarely seen in public.



Instead, after a walk through St. Tropez' little streets we had a wonderful picnic with rice salad, french bread, fruits and cheese on a bench under shady trees and could watch Petanque playing people.But even there we had to hurry to get a bench for all of us. After our picnic we went back to the habor and had an ice cream with coffee at Häagen-Dazs.

I didn't meet Brigitte Bardot, but my dream was also 50 years old !

More about Brigitte Bardot if you wish.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

more participants here

French Riviera

MY WORLD - French Riviera

is here

WHAT DID YOU DO LAST WEEKEND

Helps you to remember what you have done on the weekend of April 16. You never know if you need an alibi ! If you participate please put the little logo on the top of your post and leave your link.

When I came back from Southern France where I had spent a week with Claudie my ancient "virtual" friend who now became a real one in flesh and blood, Mr. G. was sick and I very tired, so we just didn't do anything besides he caughing and sneezing and sleeping and I busy with my photos. So that's not very interesting that's why I prefer to describe my last weekend.



Here I found the ideal place to update my blog daily on her balcony.



When I arrived in Marseille at 10 am they immediately took me to the family property where her sister lives and where she is building her new house. It's a beautiful place overlooking the sea from far.



it's growing slowly, slowly, from what I could see from the plans it will be very beautiful !



Her sister had invited us to celebrate the 2nd birthday of her little granddaughter and we had a barbecue on the property. Of course I had forgotten a hat to protect my head against the sun, so Claudie's sister gave me an old hat, which made me look like Miss Marple !



We all watched when the little granddaughter blow out her 2 candles, which really was a hard work !

After our barbecue we went home and the "fiesta" continued. I really felt home, because it was like in Italy, people from the South are so open and cheerful, even the plants and trees and the color of the houses reminded me Mr. G's region.



Claudie and her husband Pierre had invited their sisters plus husbands and a friend and we were again around 10 people. Pierre prepared a delicious buffet.





Doesn't it look yummy ?



We chatted and laughed but at 11 pm, I left them to fall into my bed, I was so tired because of the early flight and all the events I went through the whole day. I slept like a baby !




Next day we ate the left overs (not me alone !) before starting my "sightseeing tour" of the region.



And the flat on the last floor was my home for the week.

HAPPY EASTER

to all of you !