Effervescent Refractions » travel

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Stephane — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:17:42 +0000

I returned from Iceland about a week ago and it’s taken quite a bit of time to sort the seven hundred photographs I took during my two weeks there. Finally, I narrowed them down and have organized the results at my gallery, in the album appropriately titled Iceland. The trip itself was exceptional and a window for panoramas that inspired emotions of fantasy, solitude and awe. It’s a country for those who love landscapes and fish, I can only urge you to visit.

Elsewhere

Stephane — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 18:31:48 +0000

I’m hopping on a plane tomorrow for Egypt. I’ll be off for two weeks swimming in the Red Sea, reading a few books and trying not to get a sun burn. I decided I really need to refresh my French so I picked up three books, the first being The Last Days by Raymond Queuneau. His Exercices in Style is a brilliant piece of literary technique and in a way a very educational book that I’ve always loved. I can’t speak for the translation but give it a read and I’m sure you’ll see what I mean. I’m rather optimistic that Queneau will perform as well in the novel format.

My second pick was the tried and true Guy de Maupassant with The Horla, and other short stories. Maupassant is without a doubt my favorite author, his short stories can be as chilling as humorous and the good thing is that he has written many of them. However, every compilation I’ve owned includes a different set of nouvelles and rereading them doesn’t bother me one bit, so I bought a copy with several unfamiliar titles. I’ll probably end up recommending his stories again as I have a true love for the format and am thinking of juxtaposing my favorite writers (Dahl, Poe, Buzzati, Gogol…) in a new entry someday. Get reading if you want to be fashionable at my next party (cough).

I barely moved to the next shelf for my third pick, The Venus of Ille, Mateo Falcone and Colomba by Prosper Merimée. That’s three stories by the way, two shorts and a novella. I had read The Venus of Ille in high school and loved it, very much a continuation of my fascination for short stories, and one that seemed to flow directly into his “grander” work that I never explored until now.

To sum up, that’s my next two weeks on the literary front, hope you have fun with your fortnight.

Victory!

Stephane — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 18:35:47 +0000

What an unbelievable day. Yesterday I called up Westvleteren, and surprise - their beer was for sale today! I immediately decided I would drive up from Paris so I might finally get my hands on this elusive elixir. After having read many horror stories about the kilometers of queuing at the abbey I settled to leave at 5:30 this morning. By 9:20 I was in line at St. Sixtus, and what a short line! I was able to get my two cases in about 45 minutes. With all that free time ahead of me, I stopped by In De Vrede for a taste of the Blond and a side of trappist cheese. I was not impressed by any of the three, but the beer deserves another chance in a more fitting ambience.

I had contacted Carlo last night about stopping by the Deca brewery where Struise operates and produces the praised Pannepot, among others. Unfortunately he had business to attend to, and was not going to be present at the brewery though his partner Urbain would. When I arrived around noon, Urbain allowed me to purchase just a few bottles of Pannepot (rather than a full case), and in return asked that I give their Rousse and Wit a try (of which he supplied two bottles gratis). That’s a “favor” I’ll do for anyone! Faced with such generosity, I pulled out a bottle of Mephistopheles that I had kept in my car if such an occasion were to arise. Urbain seemed very excited about it, especially since an Imperial Stout was in the works at the brewery. After some chat, he hinted at their new Flemish Sour Ale named Earth Monk, currently aging in oak barrels and asked if I wanted to give it a try. Who would refuse such an opportunity? I followed him out to the farm where we were joined by Carlo for a tasting session. The Earth Monk was excellent and already showing signs of maturity with its sweet ascerbity and gentle balance. A complex and luscious fruity blend that I am impatient to untangle if I can obtain a bottle for deeper reviewing. As a surprise, I got to sip on a glass of Pannepot Reserva (!) from the barrel sample. Brown sugar and delicious fruity ester aromas are subtly laced together in the exceptional nose of this beer, which I also hope to taste again.

We had a fantastic and very informative (for me at least) talk about beer until I forced myself to stop drinking so I could hope to drive back to Paris somewhat sober. A wonderful encounter and a wonderful day, I must admit I wasn’t expecting my first Westvleteren experience to be topped by these self-proclaimed amateur brewers! Thanks again Carlo and Urbain (and the timid Tony as well)!

Update: Here are a few pictures from the trip, I wish I had taken more!