A certain fascination with train travel

I dropped someone off at the Rodez train station today.

Despite its modest proportions, I think the Gare de Rodez has quite a bit of charm to it.

But then again, I admit to a certain fascination with train travel.

I wish I did more of it.

A favorite building in Rodez

This is one of my favorite buildings in Rodez. I like to call it our little Pyramide du Louvre.

I'm not sure if it is still being lit up in the evening like it was at the time I took this photo, though.

Rodez view and grey cars

Today, I spent hours at the Conservatoire de Musique de l'Aveyron, Antenne de Rodez rehearsing for an upcoming orchestra concert.

I didn't take any pictures, but this evening went back through my photo archives and looked for some views taken from this building.

I think I have some better shots, but this one shows the well-known Café de la Paix, where one of my daughters has spent many hours.

It also demonstrates something I have noticed the past few years: there used to be a preponderance of white cars in France, but lately the trend seems to be to grey.

Rodez by (museum) night

Musée Denys-Puech

(All photos courtesy of Thierry Jouanneteau)

My husband and I went to quite the lovely event last night: La Nuit Européenne des Musées.

It's an annual do, but we hadn't attended it for a few years.

We ran into some old friends

We used to go to the Musée Denys-Puech often with the girls when they were little ones. It was a suitable outing for rainy Sundays, and at the time, was Rodez's only functioning museum. (Musée Fenaille was closed for remodeling for years.)

"Post rock" among the menhirs

The principle of La Nuit des Musées is not only to open for free on a Saturday night, but also to provide various types of entertainment inside the establishments. We got in on the tail end of a concert in the Musée Fenaille's stunning inner courtyard.

It was a great evening: we started it out with a light dinner at one of our favorite Rodez eateries, the wine and tapas bar La Gargouille.

We ran into some old friends.

And we finished up with a photo-taking stroll through centre ville.

Window to window

Stuck in some of the endless road work that is going on in Rodez these days, I was able to catch this kitty from my car window. I suppose all of those vehicles below gave him/her/it something to contemplate...

I've gotta get out of this place...

You know it's February when Rodez looks like this

My daughters just started two weeks of school holiday.

My students have one week of school holiday.

I have half a day off on Friday afternoon, and I am sure as hell going to make the best of it.

Mind you, this is not a complaint. Although my particular education job doesn't give me "les vacances scolaires," I have a generous vacation plus R.T.T. plan that will allow me to take much of the summer off and still have a few days left over here and there.

In other words, the amount of time off from work is not my point here.

The point is, when Rodez starts looking as it does above...I've got to get away! I've got to run away!

So this morning, I planned out a little one-night escapade with my youngest daughter to a nearby, yet sunnier clime.

I'm already looking forward to posting next week, when I should have much more of interest to say!

Wordless Window Wednesday

Old meets new in Rodez, or who was Désiré Malzac?

What's really strange about this photo is that I had never noticed the "D. MALZAC" on this building in Rodez's rue Neuve.

I have unfortunately noticed the Pimkie and Promod signs more times than I care to mention, daughters obligent.

This got me wondering what the D. MALZAC establishment used to be, and none of my books about the history of Rodez were able to enlighten me.

I was convinced that this search for knowledge would be un-Googleable, but I was mistaken.

Désiré Malzac was clearly a printer/editor of some sort; at any rate, his establishment turned out postcards that are now for sale on eBay, or on display on the cool site Europeana.

There was definitely a little "thrill of the knowledge chase" involved in writing today's post.

Fresh photos: Friday in Rodez

rue Aristide Briand, Rodez, January 28 2011

I've been carrying my camera around lately again, and it's been a good time to do so.

I have seen the deepest blue skies, and the most striking contrasts between shadow and light.

Sometimes passers-by look at me a bit strangely when I photograph scenes like this:

They probably can't really place me; I'm not decked out like a tourist -- there aren't many in Rodez in late January, at any rate. But I certainly don't quite look like a Ruthénoise either.

And why would I want to photograph a building like this?

They may not know, but I'm sure you do.

rue Aristide Briand, Rodez, January 28 2011

Dusky blue sky over Rodez

This photo really didn't turn out the way I had hoped; I am aware it is not that clear, and Notre Dame de Rodez hardly looks as stunning as she actually did when I took the shot.

But it is a nice example of the gorgeous, dusky blue skies I have been noticing this week.

The weather has been cold and clear, and blue skies help remind me that the days are, finally, getting longer.

I wish I had a favorite café...

I've already revealed here that I am, unfortunately, not much of a market person.

Neither am I much of a café person, although in my imaginary life here in France, I would show up every day at my favorite Rodez café to sip a coffee or a glass of wine...

However, I have to admit I don't have a favorite café in Rodez.

But I like the looks of this one.

Rodez weirdness 1

While I love to photograph scenic shots of Rodez, I also enjoy capturing some of its weird places.

About three years ago -- already! -- I ended up, for some reason, out and about on la rue Béteille.

This is not a frequent activity for Ruthénois.

The mere mention of this decrepit yet strangely fascinating street will often bring on gasps and knowing looks from locals.

I'm not sure if this old Midi Libre façade had been visible all along, or if it sort of reappeared from behind another wall when the street was being "redone"... but personally in 13 years of driving up the street, I had never noticed it.

Theme Thursday: Jump

Jumping through teen life in Rodez

This evening, I was a woman with a mission.

I am doing NaBloPoMo.

I had decided to get by with a little help from a friend: Theme Thursday, the site that has been "Preventing Blogger Burnout Since 2008."

Today's theme was "jump."

I was sure that somewhere in my youngest daughter's thousand-plus Facebook photos, there was a photo imitating this one.

I found it -- do you have any idea how long it takes to open a Facebook photo page with over a thousand pics?

But oops -- they were vaguely trying to imitate this one, albeit in a slightly jumpier way.

Whatever. My post is done for today.

Fresh photos: Today in Rodez

Rodez, late morning; January 8, 2010

Call it serendipity.

I was planning a post about photos today, and it's funny how one of my best online and real-life friends blogged on the same subject.

Unlike myself, Loulou has not experienced a drought of photography inspiration. More power to her.

Speaking of "power," I stumbled upon the joys of photography when my husband gave me a Canon PowerShot S45...a long time ago.

The model has apparently been around since 2002; I must have gotten mine shortly thereafter.

One of the many "weird places" in Rodez; January 8, 2010

When I was blogging at La France Profonde, I got into cropping my photos. For example, I would have cut out the mailbox and the whatever-it-is door-on-the-right from the above. But they're part of what I see; I think I'll be doing photo vérité from now on.

L'Hôtel du Cheval Blanc, Rodez; January 8, 2010

This is one of the places that has fascinated me for years in Rodez, although I've never stepped through its door. On the ground floor there is some sort of strange café -- I think it used to be a restaurant too.

A long-standing American friend of mine has sipped various drinks there, and recently told me that if I wanted to go, he "should probably go with me."

Would anyplace in Rodez really be that daunting for me in broad daylight? I mean, it does have a Facebook page, after all.

At any rate, I hope I will make it before it closes down or is remodeled.

And I will try to take some photos.

Not to market, not to market...

It's sad to say, but this is my only market-related photo of Rodez

When I lived in Montbazon, near Tours, and in Albi, I used to be a market-goer. What self-respecting shopper who lives in France isn't?

Somehow in Aveyron, this laudatory habit went by the wayside.

First, my toddlers got in the way.

Then, my work schedule got in the way.

After that, ecological compunction about driving back to Rodez (36 km round trip) on a Saturday morning when I had made that commute all week got in the way.

Recently, a commitment to buying produce from my village's grocery has "gotten in the way," although this certainly stems from good intentions.

I do make every effort to buy locally -- it just doesn't happen at the charming Rodez markets.