Tile details, on the way to Oriente Train Station, Lisbon - The 21st of April 2013

The sun was shining bright this morning so I decided to walk down towards the Oriente Train Station and take my camera just in case I came across something interesting.

Soon after I looked at a tile panel which partly decorates one of the Hotels on the way towards the Station, which I had photographed previously but this time it were its details, which I found to be rather interesting, I decided to concentrate on.

I don't exactly know what it was that caught my attention as I selected them but some of the cartoon characters' facial expressions were certainly responsible for that choice  ...

ICAEA International Aviation English Forum moments - The 18th and 19th of April 2013

The reason for having gone to Paris was the ICAEA International Aviation English Forum on Cross-Cultural Awareness and Aviation English Training held at the French DGAC and although this blog is not intended for work-related purposes I can't help mentioning how important it is to gather around a table and discuss common Aviation issues with colleagues from different Organizations and  a number of equally different countries.

As I collected my badge and looked at the list of participants I rejoiced at the fact of having identified a number of colleagues and friends I had had the pleasure of meeting over the years, to be more precise since having attended the second Aviation English Teaching Forum held in Paris in 1985.

I have known some since the first meeting, whilst others are more recent acquaintances, but irrespective of the degree of "intimacy" it is interesting to acknowledge the important role some of them have played (and still play) in both my professional and personal life.

The photos which follow correspond to some of the high moments of the forum (in no particular order).

 

It has been a break from routine as well as an increased awareness that there are issues we shall have to continually address in the name of safety.

On a rather personal level it has been a pleasure to acknowledge that some of us, despite being "older" are still quite active and will certainly continue to ...

"Details", Paris - The 17th of April 2013

Still under the "spell" of Marc Chagall's exhibition I strolled around the Saint Sulpice area focusing my attention on small details as I wandered about. 

Just across the road an architecturally interesting building, close to which stood the Hungarian Centre with this exquisite statue of a lady I just noticed as I sat on a street bench right  in front of it in a rather similar posture.

Back onto the Square of Saint Sulpice I finally stopped to look at the 1844-1848 fountain of the four Bishops, jokingly referred to as the fountain of the four "non-Cardinals" (once each statue stands in the four cardinal directions, but none of the four esteemed Bishops ever became "Cardinals").

I then headed towards the Issy-les Moulineux area where the venue would take place and the hotel I would be accommodated at was located in.

As the weather was good and I still had some time left prior to  collecting the material and the identification badge for the event I decided to "explore"  the surroundings.

Saint Cloud square imposed itself with the Eglise the Sainte-Jeanne-de-Chantal and the two majestic fountains decorated with beautifully sculpted bas-reliefs symbolising the sources of the Seine river.

A few minutes walk from it stood The Mercure Hotel, which from the outside looked just like any other 4 star hotel, but which was decorated with some rather interesting cinema-oriented photographs and paintings everywhere.

 

Entrance Hall decoration

Restaurant decoration

Bar decoration

"My" bedroom decoration

I was given a map and soon walked across the Pont D'Issy heading towards the Heliport area. Soon after having gone across the river Seine I stopped for a while at the Park de l'Ille Saint Germain, where I was surprised to see so many children  playing about under the direction of people who very much looked like teachers or play group coordinators. I was soon told that most children were on "Spring holidays".

It was quite a tiring day, I must confess, but undoubtedly an enriching one ... Paris can be (is) an interesting place to visit irrespective of the time of the year (or even the year) ... and that's undeniably true.