I just wanted to make a little comment on the new link I have added on my site: Dessein.

This is a site started by my cousin, Karine Bernadou, who - I am very proud to announce - has just won the drawing competition on the Festival of Angouleme (the biggest graphics novel festival in France and possibly in Europe) for her piece of work called “Gachis” - which can be translated as “Waste” and talks about alcoholism.

She most definitely deserved her price and I cannot wait to see her full graphic novel, “La femme nue,” be edited which should be happening soon!

Congratulations Karine!

That was something to be right next to one of these! The noise, the dust everywhere… it felt like war was upon us!

The procession… not always appreciative of all the people lighting firecrackers after firecrackers as it went by!

And here comes, out of the cloud of dust, the very expected dragon… Happy Chinese New Year everybody!

Lots of pigeons trying to cope with the cold, and a lady at her window.

This little alleyway is a shortcut from my street to the Place de Republique, and I take it every morning to get to the underground. It countains various shops such as a shoe-repair and key maker, a chinese restaurant, a cafe, an estate agency, a school for languages… and it is open during the week and on Saturdays until about 8pm. The rest of the time I need to take the long way around to get home!

My very own Place de la Republique (well it feels like this now that I live here!)

As you can see from people’s dress - it is horribly cold these days… in fact I am ill! Hopefully I’ll be better after the week-end…

Sorry for not posting any photos in the last two weeks. I’m going to try and make up for it now that I have internet access at home!

Last week: A very peaceful walk by this canal in the evening. The Seine is much further from where I live!

View from my kitchen window, yesterday 11: 36 AM.
Yesterday was the first time I was seing my new flat during daytime! I love it, It is even nicer with daylight and I am starting to get organized.

That’s it! I’ve moved in my own little place in Paris, near Republique in the 3rd district of the city. I am really happy about it! Right now there is not much to it and I am in the middle of bags and realising every 5 minutes that I am missing something crutial (such as plates, or a table, or cisors to open this box full of other things that I need!) but I’m managing, and even getting to work on time in the morning.

Right now it’s a bit of a luck that allows me to post this: a bit of free wifi in my appartment! It wasn’t there yesterday and might not be there tomorrow. Well I will get a phone line installed soon so that I can post my photographs regularly and not just when luck strikes.

I really like the area where I am now living and soon you’ll understand why! (translation: you’re getting many photos of this place soon…)

The Arc de Triomphe by night.

Olga and little Mila are back from their holidays! I love the contrast between Mila’s face and Olga’s face

The Sacré Coeur, seen from la Place du Tertre by night.

Place du Tertre by night

Yesterday night - going up the stairs to see my favourite spot in Paris.

I am ashamed to say I don’t have any 2006 pictures yet! It’s been a bit rough starting work again right after the new year, on Monday the 2nd of January. Did not get much time to get my camera out!

But here are some photos of the end of 2005.

This is the view from my brother’s appartment, on the Friday 30th of December. We had quite some snow this day!

My brother and I went to visit a friend in the area of Montparnasse in Paris in the afternoon of Saturday, 31st of December. A lovely area with very nice cafes as you can see here…

… and some original places too!

And what did we do at my brother’s friends’ place?

An adventure game of course

A very happy new year to you all!