At the Beaubourg (1)

The Beaubourg is a museum where contemporary art is kept in Paris. I visited the museum this summer but thinking back, it had not been a very good experience, not because of the displays but what was outside, waiting in the Parisian Metro: pickpockets. I had been a victim and when I talked to friends - many evoked the same experience with the Parisian Metro in summer. They are everywhere and seem to be out of control...the fact that even the Police was not very helpful when I wanted to lodge a report really spoilt my day (they asked me instead to turn to the Embassy for help, yeah on a weekend).

Well, back to the paintings at the Beaubourg, or Centre George Pampidou...here's a glimpse at the permanent collection (because of fatigue and puzzling exits and entrances, I somehow missed the star of the show this summer - the Roy Litchenstein Retro...)

Hallmark of Beaubourg - the factory-like external escalators...

Warhol's "Ten Lizes" are among the firsts to greet the visitors...

Cy Twombly: Achilles Mourning the Death of Patroclus, 1962

David Salle: Blue Paper 1986

Thomas Huber: Das Bilderlager 1988

Christopher Wool: Untitled 2002

David Balula: Burnt Painting (IIIIII)/Imprint of the Burnt Painting (IIIIII) 2012

Sean Scully: Dying Day 2007

THEVERYMANY (Marc Fornes): Y/Struc/Surf 2010

Ernesto Netto: We Stopped Just Here at the Time 2002

Kader Attia: Ghost 2007

Greta Bratescu: The Gate 2011

 Gerhard Richter: 1024 Farben (350-3) 1974

 Verner Panton: Sofa Living Sculpture 1970-71

 Gerard Fromanger: En Chine, à Hu-Xian 1974

Ed Paschke: Joella 1973

Geneva in summer

I followed an excursion organized by the university this summer and was able to visit Geneva and Annecy on a day-trip. Well, the visit was really type touch-and-go and we had about 2 hours to walk around Geneva, by the lake side. Geneva is one of the many Swiss lakeside cities that share the lake with France (Lac Léman), the biggest in Europe: so, you can actually take a ferry from France and go to Switzerland in the heart of continental Europe (and on the mountains too!).

I would say that Geneva is not really a tourist town - things are expensive and there isn't that many a thing to visit, especially if you have only a short excursion: there's the lake and then there's also the lake, with a fountain...(less you're there for expensive watches).

Well, here's the fountain by the lakeside...

Les Bateliers, seafood restaurant in the mountains of Jura

Of course that is just a technicality - the restaurant is just at the edge of Besançon city in the Franche-Comté région of France. I wanted to try good oysters even though we were far from its usual places but heck, I wanted to...so my friend Francine took me to this fab little place called Les Bateliers...

 Our little corner - we didn't have reservation so couldn't complain either. Bit too tight for 3 persons...

The interiors was a bit rustic in the tradition of the region and had a nice and cosy feel to it. The restaurant specialises in seafood: fishes, shellfish and a meat or two...

 They always have little chalk boards like this in French restaurants. The waiters sometimes even take it to a table to help explain the menu to customers.

 My half a dozen of fresh oysters, served with traditional mignonette sauce (wine vinegar and shallots), lemon, butter and bread. There's no logic in it taste-wise but I swear this is still my favourite way to eat oysters. Really.

Next a simple dish of moules marinières meaning mussels cooked in white wine and shallots. Simple and pure.

 Of course it is always served with, au choix (choice of) with frites (fries) or salade (salad). The choice was obvious.