Trip to SINGAPORE from September 21-24

I had not been back to S'Pore for quite a while. Old friends kept asking me to come back. So, I finally made up my mind and flew back for about four days. And I must say I was quite amazed by the city transformation in all these years.. The 'Merlion city has become a world-class place to visit and has an awesome array of landmarks to discover.

Flight to Singapore. 

To go, I chose to fly Thai Air Asia from Don Mueang Airport. Air Asia has drastically improved its flying experience:

- 'Big Shot' is the name of their fidelity membership,

- You can book a hot seat online,

- You can also choose & buy an inflight meal,

- They provide priority boarding for hot seat travelers.

- The onboard experience is good: attractive cabin, attentive air attendants, reclining seat.

The A320-200 flew to S'Pore in 1h55. Luckily the haze that has been affected Singapore lately was not too bad.

Changi Airport and MRT connection to downtown.

Air Asia gets to Terminal 1 at Changi Airport, which remains as pleasant as ever before. The MRT station is now a huge hall that links the airport to the city. The only drawback is that there are only two automatic ticket machines for all the travelers.

Hotel Peninsula Excelsior.

I chose this hotel because it is centrally located. It is only a short walk from City Hall / MRT station. The allocated room was on 16F and had a terrific view over Marina Bay and part of the city. From this hotel, it is possible to walk to many places to visit.

Bedroom view on the city

DAY 1 - 21/09.

Old Hill St. building

- In the afternoon, I took a quick walk around: St.Andrews Cathedral, the Supreme Court, Singapore River, Old Hill Street Police Station, the Armenian Church and two fine heritage buildings: the Fire-station and the Philatelic Museum.

- In the evening I met with Hélène, the daughter of long-time friends. She used to teach in Malaysia, near Ipoh, but moved to S'Pore two years ago to teach at S'Pore University. This is the time when I discovered S'Pore latest landmark: the stunning Marina Bay Sands Hotel. I met Helen at the foot of Tower 3 to take the elevator up to 59F. The Skybar offers a magnificent panorama on the city. Later, we also explored the Mall and the promenade on Marina Bay. We ate at a restaurant offering beer and pizzas. In the evening, there was a musical fountain show that was really worth seeing.

Marina Bay at night

View from the infinity pool

Musical water show

DAY 2 - 22/09.

S'Pore River

- The haze was a bit worse today. I had a long walk that took me to many landmarks: the Padang, Victoria Memorial building, the Cricket Club, the Cavenagh Bridge, the 'Kids Jumping into the River' statue, the venerable Fullerton Hotel and the Merlion. I saw that now the S'Pore Merlin was surrounded by shops, cafés and restaurant along a lovely bay promenade offering a magnificent view on the Marina Bay Sands, the new Arts Science Museum and the Esplanade-Theatres on the Bay. I came back via Boat Quay and its many lovely townhouses turned into bars, cafés and restaurants. I looked for a tapas restaurant as my friend Rick had requested on the next day for dinner.

- I also spent some time visiting the Asian Civilisations Museum. Entrance is free and it is truly a wonderful place to see.

- Later in the evening, I went back to Boat Quay for a drink at happy hour. Then I decided to have dinner at Clarke Quay. I chose to eat at a Mexican restaurant. On the way back, I walked through the area that has been entirely revamped.

- Later on at night, I had a visit from another old Chinese friend, Edwin Chan. We had not met for almost 15 years!

S'Pore River sculpture

The Merlion & the cityscape

DAY 3 - 23/09.

Chinatown

- It was a long day's walking tour. First, I went to Chinatown. All the townhouses on the way to Chinatown on South Bridge Rd have been restored. I noticed Speaker's Corner at Hong Lim Park. I passed in front of Masjid Jamae (the Mosque) and Sri Mariamman Temple before re-exploring the streets of Chinatown, which has had a huge revamping look. The townhouse facades are gorgeous  and very colourful. I pursued the visit to Buddha Tooth Relic Temple & Museum. I walked as far as Neil Rd and revisited the area of Tanjung Pagar that has been entirely restored and looks so interesting. I stopped for a drink at a Russian café. 

- From there, I walked down Maxwell Rd as far as Telok Ayer Park to take the MRT and go to Orchard Road. This part of town has now an entirely new look. Near the Orchard / MRT station, they had a display of bronze statues showing Dali's work. I walked all the way down to Dhoby Ghaut before taking the MRT back to City Hall and the Peninsula.

- In the evening, I met my old colleague and friend Rick Bisset, who has been teaching at Singapore American School for the past ten years. I met his new wife, Kate, who is from Isan in Thailand. We had a nice entertaining dinner with beer and tapas at Charlie's on Boat Quay.

Chinatown townhouses

Emerald Hill St.

DAY 4 - 24/09.

Today the haze was really bad. I did not do much before checking out of the hotel by 12-noon. I went back to Changi early in the afternoon to visit the new Terminal 2, do some window-shopping and relax with coffee while waiting for boarding time.

Changi Terminal 2

Terminal 2 tropical garden

Flight back to Bangkok.

Tiguerair is a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines. Boarding and departure were on time. However, we had to wait on the tarmac due to an unexpected closure of the airport (probably due to the haze hazard). The flying experience was good but I thought that Air Asia was slightly better. It took exactly 2 hours for the A320 to get to Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Journée du Patrimoine européen: intérieur de la Résidence de France à Bangkok

 Dimanche 20 septembre : la Résidence de France était à nouveau ouverte au public pendant la journée du patrimoine.

La galerie de photos suivante révèle la richesse d'un intérieur colonial préservé avec goût.

Extérieur de la résidence côté fleuve.

Décoration thaïe.

Fenêtre salle à manger

Salle à manger

Décoration murale

Arrangement floral

Coin salon

Grand salon

Alcove

Bibliothèque

Petite salle à manger

Sculpture moderne

Bouddha thaï.

Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert (Hérault, Région Languedoc-Roussillon)

Place de la Liberté

Un nom bien étrange pour un petit village mediéval hors norme qui semble vouloir se cacher au creux d'une vallée rocheuse, si étroite qu'on n'en voit tout d'abord que les toits.

La diversité culturelle de la France réside dans la richesse de son patrimoine. Ce ne sont pas seulement des sites, des monuments ou des villes d'art. Cet héritage existe également dans de tous petits villages comme Les Baux-en-Provence, Èze-Village ou bien Mougins, pour n'en citer que quelques uns dans ce sud occitan ou provençal. Hommes de lettres, artistes, et autres célébrités ne s'y trompent pas. Ils ont parfois choisi d'y vivre – même pour une courte durée - car il existe un flux mystérieux entre l'homme et son environnement : Vassarély à Gordes, Beckett à Roussillon, Picasso à Mougins, Lawrence Durrell à Sommières, Camus à Lourmarin ou encore Peter Mayle à Ménerbes.

Rien de tel pour Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert qui ne compte guère plus de 262

Vieille porte

habitants (en 2012). Pourtant, comme Les Baux ou Gordes, le site a été classé parmi « les plus beaux villages de France ». Et comme de surcroît, il se trouve sur le chemin de Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle, il fait aussi partie du patrimoine mondial de l'UNESCO. C'est d'ailleurs aussi le cas du site voisin du Pont du Diable.

Voici donc l'histoire et ce qui fait le charme de ce petit village dont la beauté n'a d'égale que son site avec lequel il se confond.

Le paysage appartient à celui d'une haute vallée du département de l'Hérault, au confins des premiers contreforts du Massif Central. Pour y accéder, on traverse le Pont du Diable construit au 11e siècle par les Bénédictains à l'entrée des gorges de l'Hérault. En longeant la rive gauche de la rivière, on passe ensuite devant l'entrée de la grotte de Clamouse, l'une des plus belles de France. Quelques kilomètres plus loin, on atteint alors le site de Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert à l'entrée des gorges du Verdus où ce minuscule cours

Passage

d'eau se jette dans l'étroite vallée rocheuse de l'Hérault. On ne voit rien du vieux village hormis ses toits en contrebas de la route. Une impression identique caractérise le village des Baux-en-Provence, où seules les tuiles romaines rouges laissent deviner aux habitués une présence humaine. Ici par contre, les tuiles sont grises et se confondent avec le paysage. C'est donc cette harmonie entre l'homme et la nature qui frappe avant tout le visiteur découvrant le lieu. La gorge de la rivière s'élargit ensuite et on y découvre alors le village perché au dessus d'une sorte de cirque où le petit Verdus saute en cascade. Après avoir laissé le véhicule sur un parking ombragé jouxtant le cimetière communal, on part alors à pied à la découverte de ce petit trésor d'urbanisme.

Au départ, en l'an 804 de notre ère, Guillaume (Guilhèm en langue d'oc), duc d'Aquitaine, fonde ici une abbaye à l'écart de tout, comme dans un désert. Guillaume meurt en 812 et est canonisé en 1066. L'abbaye devient alors l'abbaye de Saint-Guilhem. La relique qu'elle conservait était un morceau de la vraie croix. Étant sur le chemin de Compostelle, elle était ainsi un lieu de pélerinage. C'est comme cela que s'est développé ensuite le village. Une aile du cloître a été démantelée et fait aujourd'hui partie du Musée des cloîtres à New York.

En arrivant sur la place centrale du village, dénommée Place de la Liberté, on est tout d'abord frappé

Église abbatiale

par l'étendue de cet espace dans un lieu que l'on croyait pourtant étriqué. Un énorme platane vieux de 150 ans se dresse au milieu de la place. Planté en 1855, il apporte toujours ombre et fraîcheur à la période estivale. L'église abbatiale se trouve sur la droite. Quelques arcades abritent aujourd'hui des boutiques. Car Saint-Guilhem est devenu un lieu touristique abritant surtout des commerces et des artistes. Ses habitants ont su mettre en valeur la beauté intrinsèque du lieu. Il faut alors partir à sa découverte nonchalamment. Les ruelles du village médiéval s'étalent sinueusement le long de la vallée. Elles sont parfois relayées par des rues en escaliers. Quelques porches ouverts entre deux bâtisses conduisent à la petite rivière. Et lorsque l'espace est suffisement large, on y trouve même parfois un petit jardin. Certaines façades aux fenêtres à meneaux témoignent de la Renaissance. Quelques vieilles portes attirent le regard. Alors, quand on revient sur la place du village, on se dit qu'il est temps de s'asseoir à la terrasse d'un café et de se laisser emporter une nouvelle fois par la magie du lieu avant de le quitter.

Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert mérite sans aucun doûte un détour dans cette jolie partie de l'Hérault, plantée de vignobles dans sa partie vallonnée.

Christian Sorand

Chemin de St.Jacques-de-Compostelle (route d'Arles)

LIENS :

Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert

Les Plus Beaux Villages de France

UNESCO-Chemins de Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle

Pont du Diable

Grotte de Clamouse

The Cloisters

Virtual Tourist

Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert

« Human », a film by Yann Arthus-Bertrand

Yann Arthus-Bertrand

Being keen on photography, I have always been a great admirer of world-class photographers. I first came across Yann Arthus-Bertrand many years ago. It happened at the time when I was researching on the Berbers. I still remember discovering his first aerial pictures of the Sahara. Being from Arles, France, I then became more acquainted with his photographic approach during the International Festival of Photography in Arles [RIP d'Arles]. It is worth to know that Yann Arthus-Bertrand became the first photographer - with the late Arlesian photographer Lucien Clergue - to be elected at the French Académie des Beaux Arts (Academy of Fine Arts).

His trademark is to see the Earth from above. In 2006, he published 'Algeria seen from Above'. He then continued to offer his vision from the Earth 'Vu du Ciel' (Seen from Above). Afterwards, he published many more photo-albums : the 'Earth,' 'Planet Ocean', 'Paris', 'Switzerland', to name just a few. What Yann Arthus-Bertrand's eye sees from above is not just plain photography. He captures amazing shapes and colors that he has the knack to discover on the surface of our planet. His profound admiration for the Earth has a natural consequence : the protection of our environment. And this has clearly become one of his main objectives. In 2009, he directed a documentary called 'HOME', which was produced by Luc Besson. The film shows various places on Earth also taken from above.

And this year, in 2015, he made another film called 'HUMAN' The extended version already came out on 'YouTube'. This is what I want to talk about today because it is not only another superb production but an up-to-date topic too.

This new documentary is extremely powerful. It is an artist's attempt to reveal what it takes to make us humans in our complicated diversity. The film is threefold : the images, the interviews and the music.

Armand Amaris a French composer who grew up in Morocco and who has already worked with Yann Arthus-Bertrand. The opening scenes, probably shot in Afghanistan, give the tone to the background of this movie. The voices heard singing and the ongoing music serve the beauty of the images well and add to the quality of the production.

I am particularly sensitive to the pictures. By watching them unfold, you know they are the work of a great photographer. The composition using natural shapes and colors bear the mark of the keen photographer behind the camera. They are there to stress the beauty of our environment. Yet, at the same time, they convey a symbolic significance. This impression is enhanced by the mobility a vision from above produces. It is true that the Earth does not look the same depending from which angle you are looking at. Yann Arthus-Bertrand masters two techniques. First, he has the clear eye of an art photographer. But then he uses dramatically the telephoto lens effect. The images move and slither like a giant snake. This snake-like smooth effect seems to pair and blend with an undulating countryside made of sand-dunes or rivers and where caravans of men seem to adopt an identical gentle undulation. The camera becomes the eye of a giant dragon as it pursues its aerial exploration through the skyscrapers of New York at night. Therefore, it is also a time machine that ends in the brightly lit darkness of glass windows, Men's golden prison. But the sceneries are only flashbacks. The film is about « human ». The movie-camera becomes camera and presents a stunning gallery of human gallery of portraits of all races, sex or religion. This fantastic swirl of portraits progressively reveals what it takes to be a human. It is done in many languages. But it always comes with a visual English text on the screen. Then we are simply blown away by the flow and diversity of the people met image after image. It has a powerful effect that presents poignantly human life on Earth. This is also set in a progressive manner. The purpose is to show how our lives have changed with Time.

José Mujica

In turn, this leads us to the other powerful element of the film : the various people being interviewed. The portraits are not simply photogenic. The same movie technique is used to make them  become alive and speak. What is LOVE. What it takes to be rich or poor. « Poverty is a state. It's a state that lasts. And for many. » What it is to be a woman versus a man. What it means to be free, to be like a slave and have no other alternative in life... One of the most powerful speakers at the end is José Mujica, the former president of Uruguay, who has often been called « the world's humblest president ».

The beauty of the image and the sound of the music are mostly opposed to the harshness of people's lives. And eventually, a main question arises : why can't we all live happily and in harmony ? At a time, when Europe realises unexpectedly what it means to be a refugee, the words uttered by an old bearded Aborigine take a new dimension. « In the old days, it was a given thing that we would share things. […] But nowadays, it's mine. […] We don't share our things anymore. It kills us as human beings, as a society, as a race.[...] We deny other people shelter. We deny other people food. We deny other people their survival, purely because of money.»

I believe this documentary needs being watched and shared not only between adults but with school-children as well. It is an artistic testimony of the state of our human planet nowadays. Thank you Mr. Arthus-Bertrand for this wonderful production.

« What would I like to ask ? What the hell I am doing here. Why can't I be where you are to see what the hell is going on? Let's switch for a minute. Let's switch ! You come here and be me and I'll go there and be you. We'll meet up in the middle line on the Equator and we'll play golf. »

LINKS:

1. Yann Arthus-Bertrand

2. Home (2009 film)

3. Human (2015 film)

4. YouTube film ('Human')

5. Armand Amar

6. José Mujica

Reportage du film, 'Petit Journal' (Français)

New trip to southern France (September 02-12)

Day1- Suvarnabhumi Airport, BKK.

Airbus A380-800

Off again for a brief period of time. I have already checked in for Doha (DOH) and Paris (CDG) with QATAR AIRWAYS (QR). I also got my boarding pass to Marseilles (MRS) with Air France (AF) from Paris. As I arrive at Terminal 1 and that I have my connection at Terminal 2F, I hope I will have enough time to catch the flight to Marseille-Provence!

Anyway, tonight I will stay over at Hamad Airport Doha at the business lounge. So, since the boarding time is close, I will continue later in Doha...

BKK to DOH flight path

The A380 is fully booked today. I noticed there was no traveling kit provided this time. However, service was good as usual. Smiling Asian air-hostesses. Hot meal with metal cutlery served soon after take-off with a glass of Spanish red wine (had a choice of two reds), followed by hot tea with Cognac. They provide more drinks later and another snack before landing. Smooth flight to the Gulf: it lasted 6:05 today.

Day 2 - Hamad International Airport, DOH.
As I won't leave for CDG until morning, I can find a place to rest and perhaps sleep for a couple of hours. At the lounge counter desk, I find out I can get an upgrade to business class on the flight to Paris. Great! It means I will be among the the first passengers to disembark in Paris with a priority pass to the police control. It will make it easier to get the connecting AF flight to MRS.
Al Mourjan Business lounge. This is a huge and truly amazing lounge with all needs provided. I asked to get a cubicle in the allocated resting area. I was able to get one at 2:00AM. Meanwhile, I found a quiet area in the lounge with a long sofa to lie down for a while. But I first paid a visit to the upstairs lounge restaurant for a snack and a glass of red Argentine wine.

Al Mourjan lounge

View of Al Mourjan restaurant

The A380-800 at HIA before boarding

Flight DOH-CDG aboard the A388 business class.

A380 business class

The Airbus A380-800 left Doha with a slight delay. It was a hazy morning. I tried to fully enjoy the onboard experience. There is a lounge with a bar behind the cabin. It allows passengers to relax and to chat with other travelers. I met an elderly couple from Melbourne going on a holiday across France as we were flying above the Greek islands. Lunch is a la carte and remains a 5* experience. The wine list offers a choice of about ten different types of prestigious wines. I chose a white champagne. The flight to Paris took 6h25.

Aircraft bar & lounge

Lunch entrée

QR route from DOH to CDG

Transit at Charles-de-Gaulle Airport.
The aircraft arrived half an hour later past the scheduled time at T3. The connecting AF flight was at T2F. Fortunately, a ground staff was expecting me to take me to the Air France gate. It only took 20 minutes. So I arrived there in time for boarding.

AF domestic network

AF flight CDG-MRS.
Unfortunately, the flight was delayed because a handicapped passenger was aboard the oncoming flight and there was no ground staff to take him out. It lasted 1:20! The A320 flew to Marseille-Provence in just 60 minutes.
My sister was waiting for me to drive me off to Arles. It was a long trip covering a 36 hour's period!

Flight route from BKK to CDG via DOH

Day 3 - Arles
Market day today. So, I walked to the Saturday morning 's market. It is always colourful and interesting. Today was Mum's 88th birthday and it was a family affair at my sister's house.
Day 4 - Arles 
Today, the whole family was there including my elder nephew from Nice with his two young boys.
Day 5 - Full day at Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert & Clermont-l'Hérault.

St.Guilhem's square

We spent the full day in the Hérault department north of Montpellier in the first foothills of Massif Central. The highlight was the village of Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert. This is an incredible place in a very narrow rocky valley,  where the medieval village is hidden. The only sight you see when you get near this place are the roofs. I will write a specific section regarding St.Guilhem-le-Désert, which is both a UNESCO World Heritage site and classified among 'Les Plus Beaux Villages de France'.
Les Plus Beaux Villages de France
UNESCO: Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert
Day 6 to 9 - Arles.
Just enjoying being at home, visiting friends and family.
Day 10 - Trip back to Thailand.
Early morning drive to Marseille-Provence Airport with my sister. Another beautiful day ahead. Not too long to wait for the AF flight to Paris. The airplane (an A320) takes off and land on time. The flight lasts 1:10. The weather is still nice over

A320 MRS-CDG

Paris-CDG Airport. There are not many traveler today. So going from T2F to T1 is long but easy. Qatar Airways counter is about to open and there is no one on my queue. I get my usual fast track ticket and lounge pass. But of course the Air France Premium Lounge has nothing to compare with either Bangkok or Doha.
A380-800 Flight to Doha.

Upper rear cabin onboard the A388

This was a daytime flight. It left CDG late again but since my transit time in Doha was comfortable, it dod not affect the rest of my trip. It took 5:55 hours to fly from CDG to DOH. The flight was smooth and I used the time to listen to some music, watch a documentary on modern architecture designs and using my laptop. We had a nice sunset over Turkey and reached Doha at night.

Transit at Hamad Intl. Airport.
Transit time was short this time. But I was able to use the Qatar Silver member lounge for a while before boarding the next flight to BKK.
Day 11 - Flight back to BKK.
The flight from Paris was not full but the flight to BKK was even lighter. In the upper economy class of the A380-800, there are 60 seats. We were only two in the cabin with two air attendants. This time, the flight was on time. I had been allocated the front window seat (nº25A) but slept on the four middle seats as the cabin was empty. But in the middle of the night, I started fo feel sick and realised it was food poisoning. The rest of the trip was no so pleasant. They actually had to whisk me out of the airplane in a wheelchair and I spent the next few hours at Suvarnabhumi clinic.