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5.05.2019
John attended a classical music concert at the Rennes Cathedral, a beautiful church in the centre-ville section of Rennes. The cathedral is on a site which hosted a church since the 6th Century. The present cathedral was started in the 12th Century and rebuilt and refurbished many times since.
The concert was a mixture of the old and new playing compositions by Bach, Elgar and Cochereau. Most enjoyable about this concert was the combination of organ music with percussion instruments. The use of a rain stick in a performance was a first for John.
John wandered through the historic quarter (which is always fun to do) and took some pictures of the architecture and building decorations as he was going to and coming from the concert. To give you a more detailed experience of the center villes area John's photos (below) show different perspectives and distances from the photos of our earlier posts.
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| Here's a closeup of the cobblestones on the historic quarter of Rennes. | The Chapelle Saint-Yves is very ornate. | This medieval cat was part of the decoration of Chapelle Saint-Yves. |
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| Any tour of the historic quarter wouldn't be complete without a half-timbered house. | The view across the square from the cathedral. | The imposing view of the facade of Cathedral Saint-Pierre de Rennes. |
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| Imagine how a medieval person felt looking up at the front of the cathedral. | Stained-glass in the entryway. | Under the 17th Century organ in the balcony. |
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| One view of the Baroque ceiling. | The view from the opposite end of the cathedral. | The musicians work out the final details. |
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It appears that some work is being done on the interior. |
Cymbals clashed! | Many of the half-timbered houses had sculptures decorating the exterior. |
22.05.2019
We recently learned that Paris will build a new "largest garden" by 2024 Olympics.
Video of projected site on Twitter page of Anne Hildalgo (Mayor of Paris).
" It will aim to 'create a plant link' of more than one kilometre in length, allowing pedestrians to move freely between the Trocadero and l'École Militaire, via the Eiffel Tower.
New promenades, arenas, grasses and trees will be installed. There will only be two "corridor roads" through the garden area, which will be accessible solely to public transport, and emergency vehicles."
23-26.05.2019
An election to the European Parliament was held between 23 and 26 May 2019, the ninth parliamentary election since the first direct elections in 1979. As of 2018, a total of 751 Members of the European Parliament represent more than 512 million people from 28 member states. For the most part Centrists did not fare as well as both ends of the political spectrum. The Greens exceeded expectations in Germany, Finland, France and the UK. I guess having the Greens in charge during accelerated global warming could be a very good thing. Countries that were already right-leaning became more so. In France the center lost just a little and the right gained just a little. For more information click on the links below.
Analysis by country
Results in maps and charts shows election turnout and that the liberal ALDE group was particularly buoyed by President Emmanuel Macron's support in France.
Greens become a political force
2019 European Parliament election Wikipedia
Lessons for the U.S.?
25-27.05.2019
Cannes film have long been shown in Paris a day after they were shown in Cannes. This year, this weekend, those showings take place in 4 additional French cities: Rennes, Nantes, Toulouse and Lyon.
29.05.2019
Nuclear waste map of France published by Greenpeace
The map features a button saying "Agir! (Act!)", allowing members of the public to add their support.
A year or two ago Germany banned construction of new nuclear plants but Europe has been dependent on nuclear power for a great many years. Nuclear waste (not accidents) is the cause for a move away from nuclear power in Europe.
"A public debate is set to be held on September 25 on this exact question - the issue of nuclear waste in France. It will be held on a platform via which the public will be able to ask for further information and have their say.
Nuclear waste disposal is also expected to be on the agenda at the G20 summit being held in Japan next month."
30.05.2019
We went to visit the duckies at the Parc Oberthür pond (with the camera this time). May is the month for duckie babies here. They are so cute! Having the park and pond nearby is a happiness factor for us. The ducks and ducklings aren't afraid of humans. They even eat from our hands. They climb up on the deck soon after we start spreading some seeds for them. Duckies - you gotta love 'em!
Flowers are also in bloom everywhere. Trees, too, are in bloom and the flowers against dark green foliage are beautiful. Lovely ambience.
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Colorful flowers line the entrance to Parc Oberthür. |
The ducks always come around once we start throwing seed. | John fed one duck from his hand. |
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| Lunch time! | Seems like May is the time for baby ducks! | The parent ducks are never very far away. |
31.05.2019
Smoking in Paris.
Good news! Paris has banned smoking from 52 public parks and gardens (effective June 8). Smoking in France is still prolific but the situation is steadily improving.
Free transport in Rennes.
The mayor of Rennes said she was open to the "debate of a step by step in the free public transport," as is already the case in twenty cities in the country. It isn't certain this will take place as it is costly, but enforcement will no longer be needed saving some money.
More information
(translated to English)
(French)