20120204Saturday Feb 4 Edwards Colorado

In the morning I opened my parcel of ski binding repair bits from Burnt Mountain and repaired my broken ski bindings. I was able to build the left binding OK but I could not unscrew the toe piece screws on the right binding. This was not a major problem as the right toe piece itself was not broken and only the mount needed to be replaced. So I kept the new right toe piece as a spare. All went together ok and both skis were completed fixed.

I ventured out at lunchtime onto the lower slopes of the local Arrowhead ski area and gave the new binding a work-out and all proved to successfully operate. I skinned up the first steep slope about 10 times and by the time Steve and Julz arrived with Julz's telemarking friend I was too tired to join them.  My jet-lag cut in and I suddenly felt like sleeping.  So I stayed in the Arrowhead bar and returned with Julz's flat mate, Bob Bailey, back home.

The group stayed of course and skinned up to the top of the Arrowhead ski fields and returned at 7pm in the dark. So I was very wise not to go.

That evening Julz had arrange for Steve and I to attend the local art school exhibition. Steve and I turn-up in our best clothes at 8:30 and pursued to offering that were for sale. The standard was very low and I was only impressed with 1 painting and 1 drawing. There were a number of photography entries and there were some interesting one. Snack food was provided but Julz had already feed us know this was insufficient for our needs.

To our surprise some people in elaborate dressed arrived and they were announces as the "Burlesques and Boylesques" trip-tease group. We were then entertained by this old-fashioned striptease 'artists'. It was amazing for Steve and I as we were under the impression that all US citizens were conservative and this would not be acceptable. The whistle and cat calls for the audience were a testament that this was not so. We had already noticed that many of the sculpture (wood, dolls, ornaments and also cake decoration) had very robust and racy themes. The trip-tease act topped them all. The girls were not thin, lets say they were well endowed. They danced to music with heavy beats and racy lyrics doing all the tradition teasing acts. They reminded me of Marlene Dietrich and Marilyn Monroe in their gushing movements and fabric play. A very well built black American got the greatest response from the females in the audience. There male audience were quiet. He was a beautify built man and I could recommend him for our Australian Ku-ring-gai Art School for a model. Remembering that this performance was in the Edwards (Vail) Art School, and that the Troupe were encouraging the Art School to start a group to learn these demonstrated skills, I could also ask them to approach our Australian Ku-ring-gai Art School for the same consideration. I can imaging the response. I must talk to Marie about this idea :)



At the drinks afterwards I showed some of our new friends our local art work and got a very strong response. Maybe I should get our art school to exhibit in Vail - they are all well above this standard. Most were asking from $100 for the smallest work to $890 for the large (a very nicely posed female nude - the only one approaching our standards).

I slept extremely well that night.

20120203Friday Feb 3 LA with Julie H & Arriving Edwards Colorado

The flight across the Pacific was the roughest flight I have had on this route. For more than half the trip the Pilot was continuously telling the cabin crew to go back to their seats and buckle-up. The plane was buffering up and down all the time. I was luckily to have two free seats beside me and got some good sleep. My flight arrived in LA 20 minute late. I was to be met by Julie Kresko's Friend Julie Honadel and it was 11 am before I got through customs and met up with her in the terminal 4 driveway. 

I had already established with Julie H by emails/SMS that I did not want to see the city of LA, as I had seen it many times before, but wanted to get out and see some local scenery. So we headed to Malibu and and on to the Leo Carrillo State Park. 

We passed thought general cityscape and, reaching the coast, the houses became more interesting and the coastal scenery and expanses of beaches were nice to see. We passed the infamous Beachwatch beach (took some photos on the way back).

There was a small car park at the start of the trail and we set out immediately up the trail. Passing through low heath the trail wound it way up to a small hill top. We were on top in about 20 minutes and there we could see beaches to the north and south to Malibu. Generally a very pleasant spot and a much needed stretching of the leg after the long flight. It was a very pleasant and enjoyable break in the trip.

Julie then decided that we should return to Santa Monica, where she lives, and have a Mexican meal at a local restaurant. We had an open taco which was fine but not as good as the Burredo I had a Durango in 2008. The restaurant was very friendly and Julie dropped me back at the Airport in time for my flight.

The Airport security gave me a full body pat-down twice - once in public and once again in a private room.  They searched my cabin bag and I found later they had search my ski bag. I think I'm on their list of suspects as the last time I went though LA we were also privately searched by security and on that time we nearly missed our flight. 

Planning for Colorado Hut trip February 2012

The Colorado trip this year will be a small affair compared to our previous trips.  Steve Rowse and myself will be the full Australian continents and Julie Kresko in Edwards CO is organising the US end. A number of her regular back country friends are coming with us to various huts. Trip planning has been completed  for the next three weeks.

The plan at the present is based around some 10 Mountain Division Hut trips.
The first trip will be to Vances Hut on the Tennessee Pass north of Leadville for 2 nights..
The Second with be Benedicts Hut high above Aspen also for 2 nights.
In between these trips Steve and I will ski at the local ski fields and join Jules' friends on as many back country trip in the Edwards/Vail area as we can arrange.
After the Benedict Hut trip we will leave Aspen we will head to Pagosa Spring with Jules and some other friends. We are planning to ski at Wolf Creek for a number of day and will work out some back country day trips in the area. We are also planning to meet up with some old friends as well.  
Steve will leave after this trip and I will stay on a Edwards for a few more days.  I have yet to decide what I will do in this time.

The snow fall to date in Colorado has not been very good in the central mountains around Vail. Is has been better in the south in the San Juan Mountains and at Wolf Creek.  A good snowfall about 1 week ago improved the cover.  There has been little snow since.

Final packing today - Steve tells me he has done his first major pass at packing.   
I am a bit of a mess personally as I have had a nasty mole removed from my cheek yesterday and have an unsightly bandage on the wound.  I have been negotiating with the Doctor who has been concerned about this trip and was suggesting I cancel or delay it.  Jules has a medical friend in Edwards Colorado who will look after my wound and remove the stitches after I arrive. My Doctor is happier to let me go now.

Flight out is on a Qantas flight at 3pm on Friday Feb 3. - I will arrive at Eagle Airport at 20:05.  Steve will be travelling on a different flight and will arrive  at Eagle at 19:35 just before me.

I'll try and upload more photos this trip.

Monday April 11 Charters Cathedral and village

Monday April 11 Chartre Cathedral and village

After a day of a needed rest-up I'm all refreshed and off on the early morning train from Gare Montparnasse (this means I have now left Paris from everyone of its main railway station in the City - there are 6 stations). The train was not a TVG but only managed 160kmh according to my GPS. We are very far behind he rest of the world on our public transport in the land of Oz..

Chartres was not a very large city/village, I walked from the station to the Cathedral in about 10 minutes. After checking out what to do I decided I would do the Village walk with an audio guide and return at 14:30 to do the main Cathedral.

I started the walk from the main entrance of the Cathedral and walked around the south side though interesting village streets.Walking past the Canon's house the city wall gates and small clock tower with a 24hour, one had clock. A little audio information about the very famous stain glass windows - I was to listen to an audio on the windows later on in the afternoon.

I then proceeded to the terrace of the Bishop's palace where there was an nice view of the Chartre Town. Then I walked down a long stairway past some very ancient houses and a very old church - Saint Andre collegial church and St Nicolas fountain. Onwards to St Thomas's bridge crossing. the Euro river. Old mills and public washing platforms were pointed out. These were allocated for males on some days then females on other days. In the lower town the river provided a very nice setting the old houses built on the banks and framed by hanging willow branches, the Bouju bridge, and colourful spring blooms in riverside gardens.

We came to a busy village corner where the trail turned and crossed a larger bridge, over a wider branch of the Eure, with some old ruins on either side. An archeological dig was set-up on the far bank with some information signs. The bridge is called the Guilleum (that is: William) Gate Bridge and it was blown up by revengeful German solders as they retreated from the British advance in 1944. There was originally a very large gatehouse with high stone walls.  When I was taking some photos a very old lady shuffled up to me and started talking to me in French insisting that I should take certain photos to capture the importance of the destruction and to emphasis what was there beforehand. She was unconcerned that I could hardly understand her and she dragged me across to a small shop window where there was a collection of old photographs in a frame. It became clear that she was there when the Germans blew up the bridge and that I was very lucky to have this encounter. She was also delighted that the city had been given money to do the archeological research and re-build the old gatehouse.

The loss of culture and history is one of the greatest impacts of the world wars in Europe. WWII caused the greatest loss of life of all wars in human history. Basically big and powerful schoolyard bullies doing their worst to each other and using the simple people and their culture as pawns in their evil games. All the direct civilian bombing done by all sides were direct contraventions of all the "Just War" conventions agreed by all at the time (although the UK did not sign the London Agreement but this omission does means the laws do not apply to them). All these "strategic bombing" "campaigns" and their justification under the cry of "Total War" were war crimes of the highest magnitude and there are many leaders on all sides who should be standing the world court justifying their decisions to use civilians and desperate refugees as tools in their wars.  The politicians who negotiated the Versailles Treat in 1919 are the root course of WWII and nearly all the conflicts since.

From Guilleum's Bridge I walk up the hill passed some beautifully restored old houses, in particular one with an external spiral stairway tower. This staircase was called the Queen Berthe's Staircase. Here I became the curiosity object for some school children who very quickly became very friendly and we conversed in a mix of French and German and they allowed me to take some photos of them. They were very interested in where I came from and how many kilometers I travelled from Australia to get here. They told me that they were out of school on a lunch break and would have to return soon. (Painting of girl added Sept 2011)

I continues down the Flat-Foot stairs back to the river and crossed the Taillard Bridge. There were pretty scene of old riverside buildings and gardens and I re-crossed the river on the Saint-Hilaire bridge to pass the children's school and to briefly visit the Saint-Pierre church with its large flying buttresses and excellent stain glass windows. The  ceiling plaster was falling down and a large net had been suspended underneath to protect people in the church.

A little father up the hill was a smaller church which was also very interesting. The highly decorated ceiling and beautifully painted stain glass windows telling the usual story of the old Testament and the wages of sin. These windows were for the illiterate people to visually "read" the bible as well as to impress them of the importance of the local church leaders at the time.

I continued up Grenet St passing some old houses with interesting brick and stone work facades on the old Citizen's Council Room. Passed the old market place at Billard Square and oldest building called the salmon house because of the fish on the front column.

This was the end of the city walk and I returned to the Chartre Cathedral. I picked up the audio tour of the Cathedral and this mainly deal with the details of al the amazing stain glass windows and who funded the creation of each one. The local weapon makers, the money traders and the shoes makers etc. no doubt guaranteeing them a place in heaven.  The choir stalls were surrounded by panels of intricacy carved picture stories of the life of Christ and Mary of course.

I walked around the inside of the cathedral looking at all the elaborate chapels with many candles burning (2-5 ?? Euros to light a candle - size is important to get the message though)







I got the 5pm train back to Paris and slept all the way.  Luckily Paris was the termination.

I had to finalise my packing for the flight back to Australia on Tuesday.  I had to check Fritz's list to ensure I had watered all the plants and locked up correctly.  Get my overloaded pack and ski equipment thought the Korean Airline weight check proved to be a challenge but a little juggling and some slight of hand got it all through without any extra charge.

Chartre Cathedral and walk through village

Monday April 11 Charters Cathedral and village

After a day need rest-up I'm all refreshed and off on the early morning train from Gare Montparnasse (this means i have now left Paris from everyone of its main railway station in the City - there are 6 stations). The slow train only does a mere 160kmh and I was there is a little over an hour.

Chartres was not a very large city/village, I walked from the station to the Cathedral in about 10 minutes. After checkout what to do I decided I would do the Village walk with an Audio guide and return at 14:30 to do the main Cathedral.

I started the walk from the main entrance of the Cathedral and walked around the south side though interesting village streets.Walking past the Canon's house, the city wall gates and small clock tower with a 24hour, a one hand clock! A little audio information about the very famous stain glass windows - I planned to do an audio tour on the windows in the afternoon.

We (me and my headphones) then proceeded to the terrace of the Bishop's place where there was an nice view of Chartre Town. Then I walked down a long stairway past some very ancient houses and a very old church - Saint Andre collegial church and St Nicolas fountain. Onwards to St Thomas's bridge crossing. the  Eure river. Old mills and public washing platforms were pointed out. These were allocated for males on some days then females on other days. In the lower town the river provided a very nice setting, the old houses built on the banks and framed by hanging willow branches, the Bouju bridge, and colourful spring blooms in riverside gardens.

We came to a busy village corner where the trail turned and crossed a larger bridge, over a wider branch of the Eure, with some old ruins on either side. An archeological dig was set-up on the far bank with some information signs. The bridge is called the Guilleum (that is: William) Gate Bridge and it was blown up by revengeful German solders as they retreated from the British advance in 1944. There was originally a very large gatehouse with high stone walls.  When I was taking some photos a very old lady shuffled up to me and started talking to me in French insisting that I should take certain photos to capture the importance of the destruction and to emphasis what was there beforehand. She was unconcerned that I could hardly understand her and she dragged me across to a small shop window where there was a collection of old photographs in a frame. It became clear that she was there when the Germans blew up the bridge and that I was very lucky to have this encounter. She was also delighted that the city had been given money to do the archeological research and re-build the old gatehouse.

The loss of culture and history is one of the greatest impacts of the world wars in Europe. WWII caused the greatest loss of life of all wars in human history. Basically big and powerful schoolyard bullies doing their worst to each other and using the simple people and their culture as pawns in their evil games. All the direct civilian bombing done by all sides were direct contraventions of all the "Just War" conventions agreed by all at the time (although the UK did not sign the London Agreement but this omission does means the laws do not apply to them). All these "strategic bombing" "campaigns" and their justification under the cry of "Total War" were war crimes of the highest magnitude and there are many leaders on all sides who should be standing the world court justifying their decisions to use civilians and desperate refugees as tools in their wars.  The politicians who negotiated the Versailles Treat in 1919 are the root course of WWII and nearly all the conflicts since.

From Guilleum's Bridge I walk up the hill passed some beautifully restored old houses, in particular one with an external spiral stairway tower. This staircase was called the Queen Berthe's Staircase. Here I became the curiosity object for some school children who very quickly became very friendly and we conversed in a mix of French and German and they allowed me to take some photos of them. They were very interested in where I came from and how many kilometers I travelled from Australia to get here. They told me that they were out of school on a lunch break and would have to return soon.

I continues down the Flat-Foot stairs back to the river and crossed the Taillard Bridge. There were pretty scene of old riverside buildings and gardens and I re-crossed the river on the Saint-Hilaire bridge to pass the children's school and to briefly visit the Saint-Pierre church with its large flying buttresses and excellent stain glass windows. The  ceiling plaster was falling down and a large net had been suspended underneath to protect people in the church.

A little father up the hill was a smaller church which was also very interesting. The highly decorated ceiling and beautifully painted stain glass windows telling the usual story of the old Testament and the wages of sin. These windows were for the illiterate people to visually "read" the bible as well as to impress them of the importance of the local church leaders at the time.

I continued up Grenet St passing some old houses with interesting brick and stone work facades. The old Citizen's Council Room was the best example. I continued past the old market place at Billard Square and oldest building in Chartre called the Salmon House because of the fish on the front column.

This was the end of the city walk and I returned to the Chartre Cathedral. I picked up the audio tour of the Cathedral and this mainly dealt with the details of all the amazing stain glass windows and who funded the creation of each one. The local weapon makers, the money traders and the shoes makers etc. no doubt guaranteeing them a place in heaven.  The choir stalls were surrounded by panels of intricacy carved picture stories of the life of Christ and Mary.

I walked around the inside of the cathedral looking at all the elaborate chapels with many candles burning (2-5 Euros?? to light a candle - size is important to get the message though)

I got the 5pm train back to Paris and slept all the way.  Luckily Paris was the termination.

I had to finalise my packing for the flight back to Australia on Tuesday.  I had to check Fritz's list to ensure I had watered all the plants and locked up correctly.

Getting my overloaded pack and ski equipment thought the Korean Airline weight check proved to be a challenge but a little juggling and some slight of hand got it all through without any extra charge.

Homage to Monet at visit to Giverny

Saturday April 9 Giverny Monet and Bonnard
Check

(click here) my photo album of Monet's garden.

I was going a little soft on Monet as I was saturated in his Water Lilies and Haystacks and his obsessions with light. In the true abstract tradition that you must not be distracted by reality. But after my visit yesterday to the d'Orsay I had got over this softness and was keen to go to see was he was up to in Giverny.

I used my Eurail pass to get out to Vernon and then rented a bicycle to do the trip to Giverny. I got ripped off. There was a big hassle at the bike rental area as many had got off the train and headed straight for the bike shop. Being in the 1st class carriage I got there first and was protecting my allocated bike. The bike looked at a glance like a good mountain bike and I first checked the brakes and they were well adjust so I make a generalized decision that all else was ok and gave up my money. It was the worst bike I have ever ride. It was a 21 speed bike and the rear cluster would not change passed number 3 which meant I was peddling really fast. The back wheel I soon realized was buckled and was rubbing on the brake pads every turn. The seat looked ok but it was hard and hit all the wrong spots.

I rode around the old village of Vernon trying to find the information de tourist to get a map and also buying my lunch and keeping to the RIGHT side of the road. At the deli the shop keeper refuse absolutely to sell me 50 gms of jellied beef and emphasis that the smallest piece she would sell was 250gm. I could have bought my lunch for less. But the jelled beef looked nice (as was) so I parted with my euros. The girl at the tourist office was very pleasant and gave me the map I needed by didn't tell me that there was a nice safe bike track all the way to Monets house. She indicated that I follow the main road. The building this office was in, and all the building beside it, was leaning substantially to the right that they must be close to collapse. But inside the office was fitted out in as a modern office with no concern as to the fact it could all fall down at any moment. (I had noticed this problem in Amsterdam as well)

It was only when I started of the 7 km ride to Monet's house that I began to realize that the bike had problems - there had been too many distractions in the village to pickup any problems as It took me some time to workout how to change the gears by the twisting the handgrip close to the brake. I crossed the bridge over the Seine River and took some photos, then turned right at the round-a-bout and headed along the river flats to Giverny. After a few kilometers a local stopped me and told me that I would be happier of the bike track and indicated when I could join it. The cars whizzing past me had been worrying but French driver are very good and always consider bike riders. I was always aware that drivers were slowing and give me (and any other bike rider) space.



The bike track was a much more pleasant ride and I was able to look at the houses as I went by and to watch tradesmen working on roofing tiles etc. The village on Giverny was a simple street village with the church on the high point.

There were only three things to do in Giverny: Monet's garden, the Impressionist gallery and Monets grave. I stopped in front of Monet's house and saw the long queue of tourist (I'm not one of them of course) so I stopped by a park bench and ate my expensive lunch. When I joined the queue is was very short (the tourist were all at the very expensive restaurant) and I got in straight away.

The entrance was though a small side cottage and not the main house. It contain the essential Museum Shop to get even more money out of the tourist pockets, I often wondered why they even charge admission at Museums but then they know there are mean spend-thrifts like me and they can't let them though the door for nothing.

On exiting this little building I was "hit" with the garden.

It was an incredible sight which just got better and better as I walked through it. I was stunned. I have never seen flowers as big and as colourful as these here. Very large flowers of every colour planted carefully beside other colourful small flowers of suitable close or contrasting colours. Monet planted this garden as if it was a painting. I continually took photos to tried and capture this contrast.

The little paths guided me to an under-pass. A railway, and then a road, had been build through the centre of Monet's garden many years ago - clearly the village planning bureaucrats had no idea of the value they were trashing. This took us under the road to the waterways and lake which Monet constructed to make his Japanese bridge and water lily garden.

This was truly a wonderful place. Each turn of the track gave yet another vista to glimpse this bridge (a reconstruction and not the original bridge we were told) across the lake with the willow trees hanging branches and leaves partially obscuring the green bridge. An enormous amount of coloured blooms were arranged around us as if a huge painting brush was swooping down and splashing colour in all the right places.

I'm running out of words and I have put up a photo album of the garden at the top of this post.

It was clear the Monet was not poor in his time as the house was well appoint with a very nice wood burning iron kitchen stove and oven. The utensils were all copper and the house generally would have been very comfortable to live in. The views across to the Seine River were very pleasing and restful. Entertainment at this time of the year would have been most enjoyable.

I left the house dazed with colour and rode back along the street to the Impressionist gallery to see the Pierre Bonnard exhibition. This was a prize for me as I have always admired Bonnard and have come to think that he had found the right point between representation and abstraction. I was to now look at 80 of his work be did while living in Vernon as a close friend of Monet and the usual crowd of impressionist artist of the time.

His 1930 'Self Portrait" --- great

1920 'The Head of a Woman' --- great

1924 'Reflecting on the day'



1913 'Standing nude from behind' --- great painting

1939 'Terrace at Vernon' --- one of a number of great landscapes










1920 'The Balcony at Vernonet'

Other great painting which I have not yet got images were:

1916 'The Lunch'

1915 'Nude before Mirror'

1925 'Nude at her bath'

Audio commentary quote: "Bonnard's start his painting in a space that is already abstract"
Bonnard would do his initial painting from a model and then complete the painting from his memory!!

I bought a same English language book on Bonnard at the Museum shop and the Bonnard images above are photographed from this book as they wouldn't let me take photos in the gallery.

I slowly rode back to Vernon giving unnecessary thought time to how I was going to get a refund from the guy who had rented me this bike. I had to get the train at 6pm and rode around looking at the bridge gatehouse which was a four-tower cluster with slate conical rooves. The remain of the old bridge stone work stretched out across a narrow channel of the Seine to an island and the section over the main river channel was gone completely.

I rode around the Vernonet section of the village of Vernon and explored the narrow street and alley ways. I came across a tavern where there were men playing the French bowling game of Petanque. This is played with 8 Steel Boules in a set. A small plastic 'jack' is thrown out on the ground, which can be anywhere that is basically flat, it doesn't seem to matter if the are plants and trees about. It all works out. The steel balls are them thrown (not bowled) towards the jack with a carefully crafted 'back-spin'. The thrower does this so when the steel ball hit the ground they don't roll quickly forward but slow and go to the right or left depending on the thrower's spin. They have to get closest to the jack (as in our bowls) and may knock opponent's ball out of the way. It is always watched by spectators giving unwanted advice. A few minutes of entertainment for me to watch real pub culture in action.

I rode back across the Seine bridge and thought the main village, where I bought a very nice pistachio ice cream, very nice after a long ride. I then took my bike back to the bike shop and tried to make my point with the man. He tried to trivialised my complaint and when I loudly pointed out the problem he immediately disappeared. Another shop person arrived and I try to tackle the problem with him and he denied that there anything wrong with the bike (language is no problem here - its all gesture and noises). Finally the original guy returned with my deposit and tried to avoid the problem. The only support I got was from the crown around but the bike men keep up the pretense of 'being too busy'. I gave up of course.

The train came and it was nice to have first case seats to escape into sleep for an hour. I woke with a start thinking I had gone passed my station but Paris was the termination of course. I returned to the Ile St Louis by the now very familiar metro.