Réflexion sur ma frustration

Ce matin, j'avais un plan. Ma journée était organisée, mes tâches du dimanche accomplies. J'étais prête. Oui, mais...mon plan est tombé à l'eau. La déception attaque alors ma bonne humeur déchirant ma joie, morceau par morceau. Décidée à ne pas me laisser abattre, je produis un plan B. Seulement, je n'y met pas du cœur et mon plan de secours devient une opération catastrophe. Retour à la case départ ? Non, me voilà au pays de la frustration, la déception, et l'ennui.

La question qui me fait poser ces lignes tardive est : pourquoi ? Ça n'est pas ma faute si un imprévu a détruit plan A. J'aurais pu, dû me dire, «ok , plan A tombe à l'eau, rien que je puisse faire. Par contre, je peux reprendre le contrôle de ma journée, en commençant par plan B ». Mais non. Mon humeur dépérit et avec ça l’effort mis dans plan numéro 2. Au lieu d'être salvateur, plan numéro 2 devient vexant. Le reste de la journée évolue lentement entre ennui, déception, et générale manque de motivation. Je cherche vaguement quoi faire de mon temps, rien de vient. Je me pose bêtement dans le canapé sans y trouver satisfaction. Il me faudra plusieurs heures pour retrouver l' humeur du matin.

Les divers sites de psychologie de base trouvée sur internet indiquent la même chose : J'aime le contrôle et quand je perds le contrôle, je tombe dans la frustration. Ok, jusque là, on est accord et ça a du sens. Même moi j'avais compris ça. Dire que je n'aime pas le contrôle reviendrait à dire que les français n'aiment pas les croissants. Cependant, je reconnais que je ne peux pas tout contrôler et surtout pas des événements hors de ma portée. Alors pourquoi ai-je tant de mal à accepter cette situation ? Pour être précise, mon raisonnement échoue à comprendre ma réaction dans l'espace temps entre plan A et B. Plan A échoue. Je suis frustrée, ok, c'est normal. Comme je ne contrôle pas cet événement, je ne peux que l'accepter. J'acquiesce et je passe à plan B. Et là, échec sourd et cinglant. Échec car je ne suis pas dans ce que je fais, mon attitude se reflète dans mon action, et je n'arrive pas où je voudrais être. Frustrée, j’abandonne. Pourquoi ne comprends-je pas que la faillite de plan A ne dépend pas de moi alors que le succès de plan B, si. Pourquoi laisser mon premier échec ruiner la réussite de mon deuxième essai. Je cherche des raisons a une attitude aussi irrationnelle mais je ne vois pas. Ma logique crie « passe à autre chose, ça tu le contrôle » mais mon esprit refuse de reprendre les rennes. A moins que je ne sache pas reprendre les rennes ? Je veux tourner le volant mais je suis assise à l’arrière, les bras trop courts.

Lors de mon voyage en Australie, je fus étonnée par la différence d'attitude générale entre Australiens et Français. Les premiers semble former une nation entière de gens capable de comprendre que les aléas de la vie ne sont que ça. Les seconds semblent programmés à courir vainement après ce qu'ils ont inévitablement perdus. Dans le mien, je suis au sommet des accrochés. Ceux qui pendouille désespérément au bout de leur frustration, incapable de voir le gouffre se creuser et attraper un autre branche. Le plus étrange dans l'histoire, c'est que dans mon boulot, je passe mon temps à sauter de branche en branche. Mon boulot consiste à surpasser les imprévus, ne pas se laisse abattre et avancer, avancer, avancer. Et je suis bonne à ce que je fais (j'ai d'autres traits psychologiques négatifs qui se réveillent au travail, mais ça sera une autre note).
J'imagine la scène dans mon cerveau: 17h30, l'ordre sonne : «les rebondisseurs, on coupe tout, les accrocheurs prennent le relais ».  Un switch off de ma logique de la journée. Soir et weekend, chaque imprévu me frustre et m'abat alors qu'au travail la frustration se transforme en énergie et devient mon arme de guerre. Peut-être simplement, à la fin de la journée, je n'ai plus l’énergie de me battre. Je laisse la vie poser son empreinte, tantôt bonne, tantôt mauvaise, sans broncher.

My Oasis

The music was blasting on the radio. Or maybe it was just a phone, I couldn't see. I could just hear some dance, marketing shit as I would call it. Inside Hozier was unsuccessful at covering the noise they would call good sound (gosh I sound old). When they walked away up the large pedestrian avenue, I felt relieved. My oasis was given back to me.
The trees on each side of the path, the banches where my neighbours sit to discuss the latest news and gossip, give a village feel to the concrete island. Most of the time, the laughter of kids slaloming between them rises up to my balcony.
A black and a red cat are sleeping on a car's roof. It's one of these red convertible with a fabric roof. With the sun shinning over it, the black fabric heats up nicely, giving them a safe and warm view point.We are Scientist are avoiding the subject of Science while I wonder about nature. At the back, the park is quiet. The trees haven't blossomed yet but their leaves are enough to give it a spring feeling. The flowers are coming out of my strawberry pots and the lavender is growing by the minute. I don't think there is a better thing to do than watching the colours reclaim their terrritory. Maybe because I'm a spring baby myself. Maybe because,we,human, like to know there is hope. What we should really learn is that nature has the power and should be respected as greater than us. No one else.
Turning back to the car, I can't help but laugh at the idea that someone would run to the cat's owners and shout "witch!" at them. What a silly past we have. Worst is, some people would still run up to a black person or a red hair and shout nonsense at them.
Anyway, I'm digressing. Point is, I'm fighting my fear, sitting on my balcony and enjoying the sun coming down on the estate. My oasis, for now.

Happy New Year

Another year has ended, it's time to look back on 2013. Here are some of my "highlights".

My rugby shoes are on fire!

January:
Three touches. That's three left for a try. We need to score. I wish I could score for a change. Simon touches an Italian player. They start running backwards. Mathew throws himself between the lines and breaks them. He keeps running. I start running after him hoping the Italians won't catch up with us. We are reaching the line. Mat throws the ball at me and I crush it on the ground. Score!


February:
London in winter. Pedestrian hurrying from a door to another. Happy to leave the cold outside and enjoy the warmth of a pub. The big screens are out. It's the Six nations. At the end of the tournament, the Welsh are ecstatic. The French, bringing home the wooden spoon, are not. Italy is 4th in front of Ireland and France, that's something.

The devise I wore 3 months to keep my jaw in place

March:
They broke my jaw. They broke my jaw and now my guinea pigs are laughing at me. "Look at her cheeks" they say, "she's one of us now" would say Mitsu. "Like her stupid laugh wasn't enough" would add Tira.
I try to recognise myself in the mirror but I can't. The bandages I wear all around my swollen face make me look like an Easter egg. It doesn't hurt but I feel down. I wish I could hear reassuring words but there is no one here to tell me I'm beautiful. Only my mum and that's probably worst. 

 April:
"In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit". The priest has just poured the water over the little boy's head. His blue eyes are piercing through the church's roof. We come out, say hello to a few late people and head to the beautiful mansion for tea. Children are playing around, some angels, some evils. My oldest friends are standing, talking, walking, drinking. I feel good around them. I worry for some of them, sometimes. The little boy finally goes to bed. It's already late on the clock and still so early in his life.

May:
Back in the game! The surgeon gave me the green light to play the tournament. After few months without exercising I'm not a great asset to the team but it's good to be back. I make up at the 3rd half. We win, we celebrate. Chairs are banging, drinks are flooding, songs are sung loudly and badly. We are winning the party.

June:
Happy birthday me. I fly to Brittany.  The land of our enemies and some of my best friends. I am a godmother again. Sea, sex and sun. 

Brittany - Baie de St Malo.

July:
Oh Normandy, you are my home country
In Normandy, we are very apple friendly
People are so jolly, we never feel chilly
I always feel comfy in the warmth of my family
Everybody loves Normandy,  it's the place to be happy

August:

Boat on the Riviera

Tourists tourists. Who wants a tourist?  5 euros for the red German! 5 euros for the drunk English! 5 euros for the over tanned Italian! 5 euros for the bling bling Russian! Come, they're all here on the Riviera, blocking your driveway, giving an excuse to your local bar to double their prices, creating a human wall between you and the sea, turning the shop owners into rude bouncers. Come in August on the Riviera, you'll love to hate it.

September: 
Satuday morning/ Afternoon: *excited* E la nave va. Week-end on the boat, yeeeaaahh! I love boats. Sea sick? No worries I never get sea sick!
Evening: *brainless* oups I forgot I do get migraines...well, that's was fun being alone on the top desk while the other are having fun inside...
Night: *zombie* it pours! Why is my pillow turning into a washing mitt? (I'm so out I don't realise the window over my head is not fully closed)
Morning/ Afternoon : *doutbfull* It's so windy, I still feel rough from last night. Will I survive this?
Evening: *confused* I'm off the boat, why do I still feel like I'm on the boat?
Monday: *masochist* Colleague "Did you have a good time on the boat?" Me "I did, I love boats!!"

Octobre:

My horse mate

The horse experience sounds very much like the boat revival: I love horse, let's go horse riding in the beautiful Mercantour. Oh my, the size of those teeth! *scared* Ouch sore bottom. Ok let's not walk too close to the edge *scared*. I shan't be scared, horses can feel that *not scared but not relaxed*. Ouch my arse is killing me I need to get off this horse. Once off: I love it! *masochist*

Once I can feel my bottom again, I sit in a plane and fly off to Stratford Upon Avon. Lovely to walk on Shakespeare's steps. Well his and his wife's, daughter's, son in law's, cousin's, the plumber's, the wife of the plumber's cousin. Hold on, whose house is that again? Has Shakespeare actually been here?

Bye bye rainy London, hello sunny Madrid (I know it's easy but so true...). It looks like the Spanish government has employed my friend in a plot to kill the French visitor by overfeeding them. You thought it couldn't be done? Well it can, and it was!

Novembre:
I knew going out with an Irish and a Kiwi would be dangerous. I'm hangover and tired. Sitting in a plane to Sydney. Oh Australia, so beautiful, so surprising and your inhabitants, so helpful and friendly.
The blue moutains, Uluru, Alice Springs, Cairns, the great barrier, the rain forest, the lava tubes, Gold Coast, Byron bay, Brisbane, Surfer's paradise, Sydney. What a trip!
I'll tell you more "soon".

Moreton Island

December:
Australians really understand how to live. I want to relax and simply enjoy the ride, forever.
But I won't live here. For better and worst I am European and couldn't live anywhere else.  It's time to go home.
A stop by the South of France just to be remembered that it will be never be my home but that's fine, I've just been told that I'm moving back to the UK. Hop in a train for a cold Christmas in Normandy. Do you want another beautiful poem about it?

La chasse au crocrodile

De nos jours beaucoup de célibataires utilisent des sites de rencontres.
Un gros problème se pose alors à elles: quoi dire dans l'annonce?
Si vous en mettez trop peu, ils se diront que vous n'avez rien d'intéressant à dire.
Si vous en dites trop, vous êtes désespérées.
Bien sur, il n'y a pas de solution miracle. Certains aiment les mystérieuses et les désespérées après tout.
 
Pour les plus audacieuses, voici la méthode Chandler Bing.
Elle vous permet de cacher votre ennui mortel sur ces sites par de l'humour.

Étape 1: Une phrase qui résume pourquoi vous passez vos soirées à regardez l'icon "Chat" clignoter.
Exemple: "Jeune fille dans son année de résurrection cherche bedmate."

Étape 2: Une fille sur un site de rencontre à la même espérance de vie qu'un Gnou dans une marre à crocodiles. Dès le départ, énoncez avec fermeté les espèces qui ne pourront pas vous croquer.
Exemple: "Sont exclus: les hommes ayant un sèche cheveux; une montre en or; une décapotable; un salon d'esthétique en numéro préféré ou portant leur pantalon en bas des fesses pour montrer leur caleçon CK".

Étape 3: Combien de fois avait vous entendu l'histoire de la personne qui va à un rendez-vous, le téléphone sonne, l'autre est là, mais en la voyant il fait demi-tour ? Pour éviter ça, casser les attentes.
Exemple: "Si vous aimez les petits seins et les gros fessiers, passez votre tour. Si vous aimez les blondes et les gymnastes, vous perdez votre temps".

Étape 4:  Et ce bedmate alors, il va vivre où? Enfilez votre cape d'agent de location (pas celle d'arnaqueuse. Elle se ressemble beaucoup faites attention) et décrivez votre nid d'amour.
Exemple: " L'appartement est un 45m2. Tout équipé. Place de parking négociable une semaine sur deux".

Étape 5: Profitez de la description pour éliminer encore quelques crocodiles.
Exemple : "Les murs s'effritent à l'écoute du Rap & RnB, l'écoute en est donc proscrite. Le latino doit être consommé à petite dose. Pas de contre indications pour la Pop/Electro/Jazz. Notez que les murs se régénèrent grâce au Rock anglais, une écoute régulière est donc obligatoire".

Étape 6: Rappelez les conseils d'hygiène.
Exemple: "Le lit n'est pas un king size; il faudra donc prévoir la pratique de positions permettant un gain d'espace, tout ceci, en restant couvert."

Étape 7: Je vous ai dis qu'il y en avait des centaines de crocodiles, virez-en encore!
Exemple: "La télévision est en mode VO alors si vous ne comprenez pas l'anglais ou ne savez pas lire les sous-titres; vous avez déjà perdu votre temps."

Étape 8: Comme tout contrat digne de ce nom, finissez par les règles de mise en vigueur.
Exemple: "La visite des amis/famille et autre Couch Surfers est autorisée en accord avec le planning. Loyer et période d'essai à négocier. Femme de ménage exclue".

Étape 9: L'impolitesse est le drame d'une 21ème siècle, finissez par une formule chaleureuse.
Exemple: " Cordialement."

USA West coast road trip - Part 8 - La vie de Manouche

Une petite note en Français pour conclure ce road trip Américain. 
Partir trois semaines sur la route, c'est un budget (environ 2000 euros tout compris).  Pour s'y tenir, il nous arrivait d'être très imaginatifs. 
Voilà, un petit aperçu des grands moments où nous étions telles des manouches en vacances! 

1/La nourriture:
Restaurant ou fast food tous les jours c'est mauvais pour la santé et ça coûte cher. L'astuce: Acheter une glacière, faire ses courses au supermarché et faire des pique-niques. 
-Glacière = glaçons. La plus part des hôtels ont des frigos où vous pourrez refroidir votre pack de glace. Si, comme au Mirage de Las Vegas, vous ne pouvez pas utiliser le frigo, prenez un sac plastique et piquez les glaçons au distributeur dans le couloir. 
Si vous n'avez pas eu le temps de faire de course pour remplir la glacière, pas d'inquiétudes :
-Mettez un pantalon à grande poches et remplissez-les de la nourriture à disposition dans les petit-déjeuner/buffets à volonté des hôtels pour manger le midi ou même pour le petit dej du lendemain. Ex: bananes, yaourts, œufs dur, pancakes, céréales, muffins et confitures.
-Si vous allez au restaurant, en tant qu'Européen vous remarquez rapidement qu'une assiette peut nourrir votre famille pendant une semaine. Alors pour le repas du soir (généralement plus léger) commandez une assiette pour trois! La plus part des restaurants acceptent, quand vous leur faite votre mine d'Européen perdu. S'ils ne veulent pas, demandez-leur un doggy bag pour manger les restes lors de votre pique-nique du lendemain midi.
N'hésitez pas à vous servir généreusement de tout ce qui est à votre disposition sur la table tel qu'un grand bol de cacahuètes. Ça fera un encas pour les longs trajets en voiture.
-Les chambres d'hôtel ont souvent des bouilloires et donc du sucre et du café. Prenez-le, si ça ne vous sert pas au prochain hôtel, ça vous servira quand vous logerez chez un ami! (Car on peut voler les hôtels mais pas les amis, soyons raisonnable). 
-Quand on se réveille tôt pour voir le levé de soleil sur le Grand Canyon, on a vite faim et froid. L'idéal est donc d'aller petit-déjeuner au logde. Hélas, vous devez consommer. Qu’à cela ne tienne, prenez un café mais mangez discrètement le petit-déjeuner que vous avez piquer dans un hôtel la vieille. 
-A Mexican hat, le choix de restaurant est limité. Le restaurant du "village" est très cher alors alternativement, achetez à manger à la station-service. Si vous avez, comme nous, un micro-onde à l'hôtel, je vous conseille le fameux soupe/burger. Un classique!

2/Le linge:
Pendant un road-trip, se pose le problème des lessives. Si vous êtes comme les filles vous avez prévu pour environ une semaine vous avez de la marge. Si vous êtes comme moi et que vous avez eu si peur d'en prendre trop que vous n'avez rien pris, c'est un peu plus compliqué. 
-Heureusement les hôtels ont des lavabos et du savon. Et même dans un  grand hôtel de Las Vegas, vous pouvez laver vos dessous. 
-Pas envie de payer le sèche-linge? Transformez votre chambre en musée d'art contemporain. Une exposition sur la mode, le capitalisme et la montée de la Chine, ça fait toujours classe. Et tant pis si vous devez dormir avec des culottes accrochées à la tête du lit. 
-Si vous n'avez pas le temps pour le sèche-linge. Faite sécher vos fringues sur le tableau de bord! La voiture aussi peut être un musée itinérant.

3/Divers:
-Au final, tout ce qu'on trouve dans un hôtel est bon à prendre. A commencer, bien sûr, par le grand classique: le savon! Vous aurez une peau de serpent pendant trois semaines mais les produits pour la douche ça pèse lourd dans la valise alors il faut faire des sacrifices.
-Après un tour à Monument Valley et Mexican hat. Votre Dodge grise se transformera en tas de sable rouge. Vous ne trouvez pas de Lavomatic? Pas de soucis. Dans une station essence, prenez les raclettes gentiment mises à disposition pour laver les vitres et lavez toute la voiture avec. Votre voiture ne sera plus rouge mais elle aura beaucoup de marque de savon. Pas très joli, mais ça ira jusqu'à ce que trouviez enfin un Lavomatic à Los Angeles. 
-A Vegas, les dépenses sont nombreuses. Il se peut que vous ne trouviez pas la banque jumelée avec la vôtre qui diminue vos commissions. Heureusement, votre ami vivant à Los Angeles est venu vous voir pour le week-end. Prenez son argent. Mais n'oubliez pas de le rembourser quand vous arrivez à LA! 
-L'hôtel de Bryce à le wifi mais ça ne capte pas dans votre chambre? Caillez-vous les miches dehors, de nuit, assisses par terre devant la réception fermée, pour avoir une connexion.  La famille ça n’attend pas. 

Voici la fin de nos aventures. Un chapitre se termine. Un autre commence.

THE END
(Vraiment cette fois)

USA West coast road trip - Part 7 - Los Angeles

Day 17 
We arrive around 3pm at Greg's. He lives in a lovely old-fashioned flat of Santa Monica with two flatmates. After 5 hours in the car, we need a stretch and go for a walk around Venice beach. The girls go Alert of Malibu style while I get nostalgic thinking about the Brighton pier. We wave again at the end of road 66 before going to the Big Dean. We sit next to a group of big Mexicans covered with scary tattoo. We learn that they are acommon reference to the Día de Muertos. Warmed up by the beers we shared with them, we go to the Basement . It has a warm wooden decoration but is not as friendly and fun as our previous stop. We then move on to another bar which I forgot the name of (nothing to do with the amount of alcohol I had by then).

Day 18
We have a big and delicious brunch in the garden of the Omelette Parlor then drive around LA with Greg. The streets are wide and if it's hard to believe I'm in the same State as San Francisco. Compared to the smaller city, Los Angeles looks like a concrete maze. After a drive through the boring Beverly Hill we end up at the Drag Queen Bingo in West Hollywood. If you have to do one thing in LA, this is it! The host were just hilarious, food was good and Caroline even won a basket of Dvds and stuff. Great night!

Tag rugby at Venice beach

Day 19
We spend the day at the Universal Studio. I love the 3D attractions especially the Transformers which is so fun. I am disappointed that the train just goes through the decors. Even if seeing a tube station get flowed is impressive, I wish you could actually play hide and seek in them. At the end of the day, it's not really worth the price. 
To compensate we have cheap Hot dogs with Greg in a delicious Hot dog bar of Santa Monica. 

Day 20
Shopping day! That was a big discussion, how much time we would allocate to shopping etc..In the end, we nearly did no shopping before we reach LA. So a day on the 3rd street was quite a change. We don't spend nearly as much as we tought we would. Greg takes us to the Backstage to do a little spending there (of food no drinks of course).

Day 21 
We have breakfast at The Coffee bean and tea leaf, which will become my favourite coffee shop (their cakes are just so good).
Then finally walk the Hollywood boulevard. So disapointing. People are just gazing at stars on the pavement. They are only few hand prints, even less than in Cannes.

"Charmed" house

We hit the road again to see the Charmed house. Even if you are not a serie's fan, the street is lovely and its houses are a good occasion to play "which house shall I buy?". Of course, "none" is the answer.
We have Thai food at Greg's before heading to a Mexican restaurant (very hungry girls we are). We then hit a hip hop bar (don't ask me why) before going to the Circle bar which his really nice American friends.

Day 22
Last day in LA. We have breakfast at the Omelette Parlor again before heading to the aiport. 
Glad, we decided to do SF to LA as it is much easier to leave LA than it was to leave SF. 

As it turn outs, the girls' flight will be delayed and they will stay one more night in LA.  

In the end, everything went well, we had fun, saw beauties and were enchanted by our holidays in the States. Three French girls on the road for three weeks. Two of them hardly knew each other. I didn't do much of the planning, I kind of jump the train. I'm very happy I did.

THE END 

(If you read French, it's not really the end, there is one more post ;)

USA West coast road trip - Part 6 - On the road to LA

After Vegas, being back in the wild is pure pleasure! 
This week is filled with beauty, the hundred colours of the desert are amazing. We move every night from one town to another. With three drivers it doesn't feel like a chore, we split nicely. And we can really enjoy what feels like more than ever like a road trip.
 
Day 11 - Valley of Fire
We drive allong the Valley of Fire scenic drive to admire Rainbow Vista, walk up to the Fire Wave, play at the Piano Rock and the Arch Rock. 
We spend the night at the Super 8 Hurricane hotel in Zion.


Day 12 - Zion Park
An early breafast, drop some cards at the post office and we're off to Zion Park. Riverside walk; Court of Patriarchs viewpoint; 
Pic-nic at the Emerald pools trail; Checkerboard  Mesa;
I love it all! Desert and so green at the same time, it's like an oasis. 
The girls also did the Canyon overlook trail. I tell them to check out if the trail is dangerous (as I'm completly scared of heigths!) so they take off...with the car keys (which equals house keys during a road trip) ... Instead of walking back they just give them to a stranger asking him to bring them to me (hum..no comment...)
They come back, and, as the man did give me the key back, we head off to the Bryce way motel in Panguitch. Laundry time, yeah! 

Day 13 - Brice Canyon
We walk the Queen's trail and Navajo loop (I go crazy from the heat and the fact that we're walking up. I don't enjoy it much but the girls cope nicely). 
Then drive to Natural bridge; Bryce's point; Inspiration point. 
We stop for a coffee and off to the Holiday Inn in Page. We cross the road to have a fun diner with country music. 

Day 14 - Antelope canyon/ Monument Valley
At 8.30am we get tickets for the 11am tour. We head to Horseshoe bend so the girls can make videos of me being scared again... 
The Antelope Canyon tour starts around 12.30pm and last one hour. Lorie, our Navajo guide, is friendly and  knowledgeable. There are far too many people for my taste but we manage to ignore them and enjoy the breathtaking canyon. 

We hit the road again and after a lunch break on the side, we reach Monument Valley around 3.30pm. We do the scenic drive which nearly drive Caroline crazy and our bottoms through a lot of pain. But we have fun. We definitely agreed that the American natives smoked some good stuff to see Elephants, Camels,
Spearheads etc..when we only could see big rocks. As a western fan, I do love it and expect John Ford to be riding a horse as we walk on the red sand. By 7pm we are back on the road and an hour later at the Hat rock Inn in Mexican hat. We walk to the only  restaurant (a little walk during which a stone manages to make a hole in my foot) but it's expensive so we buy ready meals instead.

Day 15 
We drive to Mexican hat (funny); Valley of Gold; Mulley point; Gooseneck State park and arrive at the Grand Canyon to admire the sunset. The Plazza hotel announce they are giving us a suite, great! If we were not waking up at 5 the next day...

Day 16 - Grand Canyon
We watch the sunrise but the lights are not great so we are a bit disappointed (Death Valley was def better).  We have breakfast at the Village park lodge. I take the bus to the view points (Maricopa; Hopi; Mohave; Pima and Hermits rest) while the girls walk closer to the canyon. It is so huge, it's hard to belive it's a canyon, it looks like two mountains embracing each other. The river at the bottom seems thin as an hair. I spend a hell of a time watching the eagles and vultures fly around.
On the road again, we stop on the road 66 at Solignan where there is us and a bus of French tourist. We spend the night at the Mirage in Needles after eating ribs in a bar close by.  

Day 17
We leave Needle at 10am and drive to our final destination : Los Angeles.

To be continued...

USA West coast road trip - Part 5 - Las Vegas

Day 9

I didn't care about going to Vegas but it was a good stop for the week-end before another week filled with sightseeing. The girls were keen on seeing the famous city build in the desert. It's true that going from full sand to full concrete is visiually impressive even though technically logical. 
Day light is not a good time to reach (or be in) Vegas. Everything's cramped, desorganised, even the beautiful Eiffel Tower looks like a fake kid's toy. As we drove in, I started to think my intuition was right.
The girls wanted to taste the "real" Vegas and had booked a famous hotel on the Strand. Again, I wasn't bothered. I thought (and was proved) it was a waste of money but I could afford it and they really wanted it so I didn't go against it.
At 1pm, we parked in front of the Mirage. A flat tower from the 60s dressed with a shiny gold ruban. We were tired and wanted to enjoy the evening life so we decided to take a short nap. 
Once alive and kicking, we bought sliced pizza and went to see the pirate show of Treasure Island and water show at the Bellagio, both entertaining. The girls were keen on seeing the Thunder from Down Under show. I told them they go could and I would be happy to wait for them in a bar as serioulsy, whats the point in seeing naked guys if you can't play with them?! They tried to convince me, gave up and we all went to the Jimmy Buffet's bar. Caroline left early but Ju and I stayed til closure. It was fun but not the party I was expecting. I had crazier nights in my local in London...

Day 10
We go down to the Casino so that Julie can burn 10 dollars in 20 secondes. I am not a gambler (you can see by now why Vegas is not for me) but was impressed by all the kind of people who were sitting around us hoping to gain a few bucks. 



I headed back to the bedroom where I was hiding most of the day. Caroline had gone for a shopping trip (which turned out like hell) and Julie wanted to try the swimming pool (in which you can't swim). I saw my non interest for the city as a good thing: I could charge up my battery for the coming week. When they both come back, Gregory arrives (he's a friend of Julie and our future host in LA). We all go for a walk around town then to the Venitian which italian interior is actually impressive, making it my favourite hotel on the Strand. 
After diner we take the tram from the Mirage to the Treasure Island and head to Gilley's saloon. I'm keen on trying the rodeo but I'm not wearing a mini-skirt and a string which seem to be the fashion for the girl who are testing it so I decide against it. The girls again, are really keen, and I again, am the party killer. But we still hit the dance floor and have a few drinks to save our honor and show to the local (if any) population that you can be shy on a bull and fun on a mule (oh come on give me credit for the rime!).

Day 11
Jumping in the tram again we taste a disgusting breakfast at the Treasure Island's restaurant. The gambles are already up, sport is on. We enjoy a breakfast filled with shouting, swearing and highly annoying machine noises. 
Another walk in a hotel, another expensive drink. We finally escape from the maze like casinos where exit sign and night do not exist, the noise of coins dropping and the view of half-naked female dancing on tables. Time to hit the road.
Saying that I'm happy to be back in the desert is an understatement. And I don't even know yet, the beauties we're about the see. 

To be continued... 

USA West coast road trip - Part 4 - Death Valley

Day 8

I'm not a morning person, the girls don't like driving by night so splitting the driving schedule was easy. Julie and Caroline drove out of Yosemite (so I wouldn't lose it in the mountain) and I took the wheel in the desert. Nothing around, just you and the road straight in front of your eyes! With the heat, the road was a bit blury and sometimes it would go up and down giving us the impression of being in a little theme park (which I loved but Julie's stomac hated). Like they say, simple pleasures, are often best. I absolutely loved driving there.

I was glad for the air conditioning. I could see the temperature rising as we got nearer to the park's entrance. 39º at 6pm...scary! I was anxious about going to the desert, to say the least. I'm from Normandy, I lived the last years in London. I'm a frog happier with the rain, so desert didn't seem like the place to go.

We arrived at the Sovepipe Wells around 6.30pm. Getting out of the car and into the oven. To my surprise, although it was hot, it was so dry that it felt kind of nice. It wasn't this sweaty heat that I faced in Vietnam, turning you into a dirty and flappy creature. It was like walking into an hair dryer...My lungs took few seconds to adapt then it was as if I'd always lived in one and it didn't bother me.

The "village" is like a Dr Quinn film set left in the middle of nowhere. There's the hotel, the restaurant, the shop and that's pretty much it. As we check in, we see people coming in with no reservation.

-"Sorry no room for tonight" advises the desk manager.

-"Ok" answer politely a couple. We're staring at them and wondering if they realise the next hotel is min 100km away... Will they end up sleeping in their car or with the snakes outside? We'll never know...

We bought a few over priced items at the shop (mainly food and a cap as I had forgotten my hat and my pale scalp is not friend with the hard sun) then went for dinner at the restaurant.

I'm so happy to see "snake bite" on the drinks menu ( not a common drink in France) I don't pay attention to the extra mention. When the waiter brinks a beer darker than ebene, I first think he's put too much blackcurrant. I happily raise my glass and yyyaaaakkk! It's a snake bite with sout! Desappointed. I leave my glass on the side of the table.
We stop by the swimming pool but actually the dip is not as enjoyable as we thought it would be. The water feels weird on my skin. We're quickly out... and off to an early night.

Day 9

The alarm clock rings at 5am. That's arsh. We pack our food and head to the dunes for breakfast. We play silly games like "look I'm dead in the desert" or "let's jump in the dunes" and take another hundred of pictures of us, the sun rising, the desert, etc...

Around 8am we leave as we want to check a few sites before the sun is high. First we start on a tiny bumpy road and a walk up to the Natural Bridge; before heading to the salty Badwater bassin; and finally the beautiful Artist's palette and Zabriskie point. 

I was scared of the desert and I fell in love with it. It was a short romance but one I'll never forget.

Can't say the name about our next stop: Las Vegas. 

To be continued...

USA West coast road trip - Part 3 - Yosemite

 

Day 6

Sequoia

After a quick breakfast and a short stop at Avis, we finally take our new Dodge on the road to Yosemite. An hour and half later, we park at the entrance of Mariposa grove. The friendly rangers welcome us and give us some recommandation. Mainly on hygiene as, sadly, the hantavirus killed travellers just a few weeks before. Like people of  Chernobyl, I appreciate the honesty. 
It's already lunch time so we decide to take our icebox and sit on some fallen trees near the car. This was without counting on the bees who are so stubborn in their quest for our food we have to hide in the car. 

One of our many deer friends

In the afternoon we follow the two hours park's walk though the Tunnel Tree to the Fallen Tree. Amazed at the size of Sequoias, we keep on taking pictures where we look like midgets. It's like visiting a giant's house. Everything is out of proportion. Even the mountains we see in the back are impressive. Walking back we pass by a couple stopped. That's when a deer crosses the path two meters in front of us. We stop, amazed, and realise the others had spotted his friends still standing on the other side of the path. A thousand pictures later, satisfied, we leave the park for the day. Initially, we were suppose to spend days and nights inside Yosemite but after the outburst, we decided it was safer to sleep further away from the, otherwise, lovely rodents. 

Finding the Bug Mountain hotel was not an easy task. We drive around it for nearly an hour before being able to park under the many trees overshadowing the reception desk. We have diner in the all wooden restaurant. Its very cozy, big wooden tables, wooden chairs. A huge open kitchen in the back. Lovely. As always, the plate is huge. Caroline takes turkey and ends up with three breasts in her plate. That's what you call a light dinner in America.  

We take the hill up to our lodge. A couple is using the first room. Both rooms are separated by a bathroom. You need to come out, to the balcony to reach it.  In our bedroom, the furniture are cut in huge piece of light wood. There a little desk, a table, one double bed and a bunk bed, on top of which I set camp. 

Day 7

The next morning we have breakfast on the balcony. It's a morning full of beauty: Valley view, the sadly dry Bridalveil fall, the impressive moutain El Capitan.

Coyote

Squirrel in front of "Half Dome"

We pic-nic near the river. The quiet lunch is postponed again as we are "attacked", by ducks this time. 
We get more information from our Rangers friend at the Yosemite village and take a walk toward the lower Yosemite falls. Sadly, in September, the fall is more a tear. We continue to Cook's meadow where we cross path with mule deer again. Then drive though Tunnel view to admire the views over Yosemite of Washburn point and Glacier point. There's a coyote looking at us. He stays stills on the side of the road as all the cars slow down to look at this rare creature. Back at the restaurant, Caroline orders the same dish but this time we share it all together and it's enough. We're already filled with beauty.

Day 8

The upside of vising Yosemite in September is that you are sure to be able to take the Tioga Road. A beautiful drive where you can dip in the Tenaya or Tioga lakes, or if you have cold feet, admire the Cathedral peak amoung other mountains. We picnic in the meadow near Soda spring. For a change, we can eat, our huge sandwich bought at the hotel, without having to chase animals. They, though, have given us many laugh. When we leave Yosemite, as much as the impressive mountains, the clear lakes, the green forest and the clear meadows; we miss the deer, squirrels, ducks, coyotes we met during our days in this heavenly place. 

It is now time to see hell and enter Death Valley.  

To be continued...