At My Mom's in The Bordeaux Wine Country

Visiting my mom in Bordeaux...

Now that's my kind of glass!

 Note the healing chin, no more stitches and down to a small band-aid

The logo of the city of Bordeaux looks terribly familiar...

 Oh I know! It's basically the biohazard symbol...

 Sunset on the Garonne river

Dinner at chateau de Talleyrand in Chalais, the ancestral home of France's (in)famous foreign minister.

I love this old cinema at La Roche Chalais, where my mom and I were the only 2 people there to see Moonrise Kingdom (in English).

Very cool old bar in the movie theater...

Visit of an old monastery that used to control vast extends of land across France and England...

 Mom nerding out on the carved stones...

Which are actually very cool. As per this medieval representation of the devil. Kinda looks like an alien to me...

Adam and Eve

Storm rolling up...

Visiting my old friend David in La longue, possibly the smallest village in France...

Arthur (standing) and Simon (seating), his two little devils...

View of Riberac, the charming local town

Bienvenue a Paris :-)

Having finished my four month South American adventure, this is "half time" and I'm travelling around France  visiting friends and family. Starting in Paris...

 Hanging out with my (fab') sister Lesley and (equally fab') nephew Charlie

At the Centre George Pompidou

 ... looking out on Notre Dame with Juliette, and her two boys Lucien (Italy shirt) and Martin (Spain shirt) representing europe's footie powerhouses...

Brazil Bonanza 4: Rio De Janeiro

Visit to the amazing botanic garden

Where there's some monkey business...

The sugar loaf...

Opera House

Christ the Redemptor by night

Christ the Redemptor by day and up close....

Which really gives the best views...

CLICK HERE for video of the Rio bay 1

Copacabana beach

Brazil Bonanza 3: Salvador de Bahia

Salvador de Bahia is a few hours north of Rio and has an afro-carribean vibe.

View from a local "hole-in-the-wall"

The whole place has a slightly rundown vibe...

Not a lot of people speak english. Which may be why enrolling at the Okey Dokey language school seems like a good idea.

Tuesday night is Samba night in Paraty and this entire entire staircase fills up with a stage, band and people dancing. I forgot my camera that night but it's quite the scene.

A new friend at the hostel...

Classic local costumes...

 And it has some awesome beaches

CLICK HERE for some perfect (virtual) beach time.
https://picasaweb.google.com/100130280030649365234/VideoBahiaBrazil?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCLXamazowZXWkgE&feat=directlink

Down the street from my hostel:

 Old letter box.

 A friendly invitation to join the Capoiera circle (Brazilian martial art, also originary from Bahia).

Sound system cart selling CDs and apparently MP3s