bateaux de papier ... a diary for Elsa

Days of snow

2012-02-29T19:51:00.000+01:00

The last photos are inspired by a post of Claire's beautiful blog.

Dreams of snow

2012-02-26T22:26:00.003+01:00

I grew up in south of France, where summers are hot and winters mild. To the child I was snow was a rare marvel. On a precious day of snow I asked my mum and dad “where is the land of snow?” “Siberia” answered they. Why Siberia amongst the world’s snowy places? … realm of bitter cold and as inaccessible as the Snow Queen’s palace. But since then, I dreamt for many years about Siberia as a bright snow jewel. Years came and went, the image changed, turned into a darker yet mysterious and desirable jewel. And then I went, and went again. Snow had then little to do with it anymore, though I never considered going there in summertime … I was 19, and thought dreams were to be realized.
I had many dreams of course… become mother of six children, live in a house made of wood and glass … dreams that went with life, echo of Lilli's words: “sometimes dreams become like old friends, to say goodbye can be hard, but necessary”.

I still marvel at snow…

First photo: Novosibirsk, March 1990

"Je vous écris d’un pays lointain : il se situe entre le Moyen Age et le XXIème siècle, entre la terre et la lune, entre l’humiliation et le bonheur, ensuite c’est tout droit". Chris Marker Lettre de Sibérie, 1958.

Memories from Japan. Random things in Kyoto. 京都

2012-02-22T23:07:00.001+01:00

Flying origami crane

The fish and clouds photo is by Elsa

Memories from Japan. 天龍寺

2012-02-21T08:50:00.000+01:00

天龍寺 was Elsa's favourite temple in Kyoto. She took there a lot of photos.

Last photo by Elsa.

Snow petals

2012-02-17T23:09:00.000+01:00

Last year, spring was in the air and Elsa a spring flower... today, Carnival was wintry and Elsa a ballerina, bouncy little snowflake.

Memories from Japan. Gold and silver 金と銀

2012-02-12T22:47:00.000+01:00

My winter baby. Seven

2012-02-09T22:54:00.000+01:00

Today, Elsa is seven. Happy birthday, my dear.

WHERE have I come from, where did you pick me up?" the baby asked its mother.
She answered half crying, half laughing, and clasping the baby to her breast, "You were hidden in my heart as its desire, my darling.
You were in the dolls of my childhood's games; and when with clay I made the image of my god every morning, I made and unmade you then.
You were enshrined with our household deity, in his worship I worshipped you.
In all my hopes and my loves, in my life, in the life of my mother you have lived.
In the lap of the deathless Spirit who rules our home you have been nursed for ages.
When in girlhood my heart was opening its petals, you hovered as a fragrance about it.
Your tender softness bloomed in my youthful limbs, like a glow in the sky before the sunrise.
Heaven's first darling, twin-born with the morning light, you have floated down the stream of the world's life, and at last you have stranded on my heart.
As I gaze on your face, mystery overwhelms me; you who belong to all have become mine.
For fear of losing you I hold you tight to my breast. What magic has snared the world's treasure in these slender arms of mine?"

Rabindranath Tagore.
The beginning in The crescent moon

Memories from Japan. Inari 稲荷

2012-02-07T21:42:00.001+01:00

Memories from Japan. Ueno park 上野

2012-02-05T00:08:00.002+01:00

The afternoon Elsa and I spent at Ueno park is a precious memory of peace and beauty. We discovered the small peony garden with its open air tea room where we enjoyed warm green tea.

We were accompagnied by this black bird, flying from hut to hut and pecking the top straws. After a while,the gardener in charge came to the bird, bowed low and started speaking to the bird. From his movements, we could understand he was asking the bird to leave the straw huts and flowers alone and fly away. Then, the gardener politely noded and bowed again before withdrawing. As we witnessed the scene, I thought that it surely couldn't take place anywhere but in Japan.

Memories from Japan. 東京

2012-02-02T22:31:00.000+01:00

Our first day in Tokyo. Elsa spent most of the morning running around this fountain, nearby the imperial palace gardens. It kept changing shapes and the sun was playing rainbows in its sparkling waters. At first, I felt a bit impatient, longing for discovering, well, other wealths of the city... But her joy was so communicative that I sat there and enjoyed with her this idle and happy moment.

Memories from Japan. 冬の日本

2012-01-31T19:41:00.002+01:00

Japan was for many years a country of dreams and inspiration, until, two years ago in January ... Elsa's papa was sent to work in japan for some weeks. Elsa and I followed.

She was about to turn 5 at the time, curious and enthousiastic, she immensely enjoyed it... the hot springs and many temples specially, and to our surprise - she who had never been much interested in food - raw fish and dry squid!

1. Elsa's watercolour inspired by camelia, then in bloom in Tokyo. 2-4. Nikko. 5. Tokyo bay. 6. one of my old painting, now in Elsa's room.

龙年 Year of the Dragon

2012-01-23T00:38:00.002+01:00

龙和冰。

日光, 日本, 2010年1月23日。

新春快乐!

One year

2012-01-20T20:17:00.000+01:00

It's been a year since I open "bateaux de papier". One year. I don't know what I was expecting at the time - I was merely led by my interest and admiration for a few blogs I had started following - but I wasn't expecting how much joy, meaning and frienship it it will bring in my life. I have made new friends here, now very dear to me. Thank you, all of you, for being there, for sharing so much, this is precious.

Paper boats by Elsa

Where in winter ...

2012-01-18T22:50:00.000+01:00

Winter in Sologne

2012-01-14T22:11:00.000+01:00

Christmas day

2012-01-11T09:35:00.000+01:00

Blue reflections

2012-01-06T23:04:00.000+01:00

Elsa is wearing the beautiful creations of Fei An. Linen shirt and wool robe from Naive days's AW collection "Mongolia, Mongolia!!". This is so precious, thank you, dear Fei An.

Liebster Blog

2012-01-05T22:27:00.003+01:00

I'm very touched to be gifted the Liebster Blog award by ShannonAnn. Her blog is a magic and gentle window on the marvels of Newfoundland. That's a beautiful present for the new year! Thank you dear ShannonAnn.

The Liebster Blog award is given to bloggers with fewer than 200 followers.
The rules:
1. You are to thank the giver, the person who awarded you the gift.
2. Reveal your 5 blogger picks, and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Copy and Paste the award on your blog.
4. Hope that the people you sent the award to, will forward it to their 5 favorite bloggers.

So my 5 Liebster Blog are

Naive Life Under the Scandinavian Sky, by my friend Fei An. She is a beautiful woman with clear and generous heart. Her blog is a place of delicacy and simplicity, where I find joy and beauty. Had not it been for her encouragements, "Bateaux de papier" might have not existed. Thank you dear, dear Fei An.

Naive Life Under the Scandinavian Sky

Izakoo, by dear Alliot. Because it is a place of stunning beauty, just the most beautiful blog of the internet. There might be millions of blogs, but (for those who wouldn't know Izakoo already,) just have a look and you'll be convinced. Because Alliot is also a rare kind and high-minded woman, whose frienship is one of the most precious presents of 2011. (I'm not quite sure that Izakoo's got less than 200 followers, but as it's not visible on her blog pages ...)

Izakoo

Sara smile, by my dear Sonoko. A gentle place, precious moments of wander in Japan in good accompagny, enlightened by sweet little Sara.

Sara smile

Caramel Caramelo. A place like no other, of silence and poetry, of music, treasures of dear Kenza. The unknown beauties of Ouzbekistan, and the most beautiful eyes a little boy has ever had.

Caramel Caramelo

Good Night, Olivia by Lilli, also from Mothwise. A place I found, a place to listen, a place to contemplate and think. A place like walking along a slow river...

Good Night, Olivia

It's a pity I'm only allowed 5! There are others dear to me I would have like to see on this list. I specially think of Ce que me souffle le ciel by Evelyne, and Alma des Brimborions ... choosing is always distressful for me ...

des brimborions

Candle lights

2011-12-31T19:13:00.000+01:00

Happy New Year!

We wish all of you a wonderful 2012.

Christmas Eve

2011-12-30T22:31:00.000+01:00

Tale of tales

2011-12-21T23:36:00.001+01:00

Nous sommes au bord de l'eau,
le platane et moi.
Notre image apparaît dans l'eau,
le platane et moi.
Le reflet de l’eau nous effleure,
le platane et moi.

Nous sommes au bord de l’eau,
le platane, moi et puis le chat.
Notre image apparaît dans l’eau,
le platane, moi et puis le chat.
Le reflet de l’eau nous effleure,
le platane, moi et puis le chat.

Nous sommes au bord de l’eau,
le platane, moi, le chat, et puis le soleil.
Notre image apparaît dans l'eau,
le platane, moi, le chat, et puis le soleil.
Le reflet de l'eau nous effleure,
le platane, moi, le chat et puis le soleil.
Nous sommes au bord de l'eau,
le platane, moi, le chat, le soleil, et puis notre vie.
Notre image apparaît dans l'eau :
le platane, moi, le chat, le soleil et puis notre vie.
Le reflet de l'eau nous effleure,
le platane, moi, le chat, le soleil et puis notre vie.

Nous sommes au bord de l'eau,
le chat s'en ira le premier,
dans l'eau se perdra son image
Et puis je m'en irai, moi,
dans l'eau se perdra mon image.
Et puis s'en ira le platane;
dans l'eau se perdra son image.
Et puis l'eau s'en ira,
le soleil restera,
puis à son tour il s'en ira.

Nous sommes au bord de l'eau,
le platane, moi, le chat, le soleil et puis notre vie.
L'eau est fraîche,
le platane est immense,
moi j'écris des vers,
le chat somnole,
nous vivons Dieu merci,
le reflet de l'eau nous effleure,
le platane, moi, le chat, le soleil et puis notre vie.

Nâzim Hikmet.

Légende des Légendes (Tale of Tales)

IouriNorstein and Franceska Yarbousova’s movies are the most precious, the dearest to my heart. Tale of tales, inspired a poem by Nazim Hikmet, is about the author’s childhood during WWII, and not really intended for children. I was amazed how Elsa has been immediately deeply interested in it, even at her first sight (she was around 3 at the time). It’s akin to life, and as such, despite its quite complex form, directly touches the heart of even a small child.

My wish is that I live long enough, is that they live long enough so that I’ll see the achievement of the Overcoat, adapted from Gogol’s novel, a movie they undertook nearly thirty years ago. So far, there exists about 15 minutes of the movie, that can be seen sometimes in festivals and exhibitions, 15 dazzling minutes, already beyond words. Each single image is a jewel long and delicately crafted.

All photos here from the catalogue of the exhibition held in Paris in July 2001. I’m sorry I couldn’t find an english version of Nazim Hikmet’s poem.

A Merry Christmas to all of you !

Advent

2011-12-18T22:27:00.000+01:00

Dancing with reflections

2011-12-15T21:39:00.003+01:00

Fun with light

2011-12-06T22:16:00.000+01:00

Pale lights of November

2011-11-21T23:15:00.000+01:00

Light is changing in the morning mists of November. Winter is in the air, but it is so mild still...

Autumn in Sologne (2)

2011-11-13T21:51:00.000+01:00

Lantern lights

2011-11-12T09:25:00.000+01:00

The lantern feast at Elsa's school took place yesterday nignt. A walk in the woods, hundreds of paper lanterns carried by children, parents and teachers, and a warm vegetable soup at the end. And Elsa running around in all directions with her lanterns like a little elf, with her mother trying to keep her still a few seconds for a tentative photo!

Looking glass

2011-11-07T21:25:00.001+01:00

O si chère de loin et proche et blanche, si
Délicieusement toi, Mary, que je songe
À quelque baume rare émané par mensonge
Sur aucun bouquetier de cristal obscurci

Le sais-tu, oui ! pour moi voici des ans, voici
Toujours que ton sourire éblouissant prolonge
La même rose avec son bel été qui plonge
Dans autrefois et puis dans le futur aussi.

Mon coeur qui dans les nuits parfois cherche à s'entendre
Ou de quel dernier mot t'appeler le plus tendre
S'exalte en celui rien que chuchoté de soeur

N'étant, très grand trésor et tête si petite,
Que tu m'enseignes bien toute une autre douceur
Tout bas par le baiser seul dans tes cheveux dite.

Stéphane Mallarmé

My friend Gilles, amongst many interesting things, creates these mirror mosaics on the walls of the little city of Pully in Switzerland. Elsa enjoyed our private guided tour through this secret open air museum. Elsa was very enthousiastic. After nearly one hour walk she was still asking for more!

Elsa's cat, inspired by Gilles' mirrors.

Switzerland, August 2011.
Photos 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 & 9 by Gilles Pandel

Glass

2011-11-05T10:22:00.001+01:00

Switzerland, August 2011.

November bloom. 秋季開花

2011-11-01T22:36:00.000+01:00

When we arrived in our new home in spring, I planted morning glory seeds in front of the house, expecting them for the end of August. At that time they were growing and growing green ... now blooming, unexpected flowers of autumn.

Autumn in Sologne

2011-10-28T20:30:00.000+02:00

Chalk

2011-10-12T21:48:00.000+02:00

Ticino. Val verzasca (2)

2011-10-08T22:51:00.000+02:00

Ticino. Val verzasca

2011-10-05T21:53:00.001+02:00

October

2011-10-02T23:12:00.000+02:00

Ticino. Locarno

2011-09-26T22:58:00.001+02:00

Equinoxe

2011-09-22T22:44:00.000+02:00

Colours of our summer

2011-09-21T21:36:00.000+02:00

Summer days in Switzerland. Aletsch

2011-09-20T23:16:00.000+02:00

Summer days in Switzerland.

2011-09-19T21:56:00.000+02:00

Summer days in Switzerland. Waters (2)

2011-09-18T23:17:00.000+02:00

Summer days in Switzerland. Waters

2011-09-15T19:42:00.000+02:00

Summer blue

2011-09-12T23:40:00.000+02:00

1. Flying boats noticed by Elsa, Saint Prex, Switzerland
2. Weeds by "Lac de Joux", Switzerland
3. In the always perfect house of my friend Muriel
4. Saint Prex, Swizerland
5. Ticino, Switzerland
6-8 Gardens of Chaumont
9. Elsa in Puycelsi

Elder berries

2011-09-11T08:59:00.000+02:00

Our old elder tree also produces berries. One of our favourite summer dessert, as a coulis on poached peaches and strawberries.

Southern lights. Old Stones (5)

2011-09-10T10:37:00.000+02:00

Puycelsi

Southern lights. Old Stones (4)

2011-09-09T20:39:00.000+02:00

Saint-Cirq-Lapopie

Puycelsi

Southern lights. Old Stones (3)

2011-09-07T22:46:00.000+02:00

Saint Antonin-Noble-Val

Saint-Cirq-Lapopie

Puycelsi

Southern lights. Old stones (2)

2011-09-06T08:00:00.000+02:00

Cordes-sur Ciel

Saint-Cirq-Lapopie

Cordes-sur Ciel

Saint-Cirq-Lapopie

A new primary school student

2011-09-05T22:01:00.000+02:00

Elsa entered primary school this morning. She is a very enthusiastic student !

Southern lights. Old stones

2011-09-05T07:32:00.000+02:00

Saint-Cirq-Lapopie

Cordes-sur-Ciel

Saint-Cirq-Lapopie

This summer, after so many years, I went back to south west of France, where I spent my childhood. Sharing these moments with Elsa, papa Michel, and our dear Elena, Konstantin and Maxim was precious.

Feeling southern lights and aura was a great joy. We visited many places I liked or once lived, old towns and villages, Albi, Cordes-sur-Ciel, Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, Puycelsi, ...

Southern lights. Summer weeds (2)

2011-09-04T14:02:00.001+02:00

Waters

2011-08-29T10:04:00.000+02:00

Shores of the Tarn in Albi and a bath in the Célé in Cabreret

Southern lights. Albi (2)

2011-08-20T12:17:00.000+02:00

Southern lights. Albi

2011-08-17T12:22:00.000+02:00

When I first saw Albi's cathedral, I was hardly older than Elsa. I still vividly remember it. How stunned I was by the contrast between its massive pink brick walls and the white stone lace of its archway and choir.

Southern lights. Summer weeds

2011-08-16T13:21:00.000+02:00

Limeuil. Dordogne.

2011-08-10T09:50:00.000+02:00

Paper boats is on holidays...

I may be able to edit a few posts from time to time.

Have a nice end of summer.

Elsa & Maxim

2011-08-08T22:16:00.000+02:00

My dear friend Elena and I both became mothers very late in life. After so many years of friendship, it came as a miracle that our children were born nearly at the same time. Maxim is only three months older tha Elsa. We are separated by an ocean and a continent, but we try to meet once a year, so that Elsa and Maxim grow up together.

Garden festival (5)

2011-08-08T20:09:00.000+02:00

At the end of the visit, we try some of their amazing ice creams.

I had a pineapple-coriander, while Elsa enjoys here a violet flavour.

Garden festival (4)

2011-08-06T22:48:00.001+02:00

Garden festival (3)

2011-08-05T22:53:00.002+02:00

Garden festival (2)

2011-08-04T22:32:00.000+02:00

Garden festival

2011-08-02T23:01:00.000+02:00

My mother lives in the Loire valley.

In summer, we always visit the Chaumont garden festival together.

A beautiful 2011 edition.

Roses

2011-07-25T23:11:00.000+02:00

Since we moved last spring, our lives are filled with paint, dust, and the hassles of inexperienced attempts to restore our new (old) house. It is often a bit depressing, and my heart is longing for a time when we will feel home again….

but the place is blessed by an old rosebush, covered in roses since mid-May. Roses bloom and fade, new buds come and bloom again…

Black & White

2011-07-21T23:22:00.002+02:00

Before the dance gala, Paris June 2011

Outdoor music, Cabrerets, Lot, July 2011

Summer in the garden

2011-07-14T13:48:00.001+02:00

Les petits bateaux du Luxembourg

2011-07-12T21:24:00.001+02:00

Solstice night

2011-07-10T13:58:00.000+02:00

Solstice feast at school

... and the charming cherry blossom apron from Alexandra

Rabbit tales

2011-07-03T00:28:00.002+02:00

Elsa and I love the work of Komako Sakai.

Her books are treasures of poetry and tenderness.

Here, Elsa enjoys her « The Velveteen Rabbit».

My very old rabbit, still alive.

This very old book has first been read by my parents.

Then it became one of my favorite readings as a child.

I read it to Elsa last summer, and was amazed how a 5y old
could stick to that long 300 pages novel.

She enjoyed it so much that she’s now asking for a third reading …

... now playing the adventures of Hazel, Fiver and Bigwig with her rabbit toys.


Flying rabbit.

Le luthier de Venise

2011-06-17T22:24:00.003+02:00

When I saw the pictures of Iza playing violin in Venice, I remembered

« Le luthier de Venise » and its beautiful illustrations by Frédéric Clément.

I had not read it for years. Elsa was first a bit frightened by the Venician masks,

but as soon as I began reading she fell in love with the story of the cello turned back to a tree by the magic of music …

Elsa’s wisteria-violin

The snow queen. Владислав Ерко

2011-06-06T23:55:00.006+02:00

Elsa’s ukrainian godmother and godfather, our dear friends Elena and Konstantin, offered us this beautiful version of the Snow Queen. We discovered the stunning illustrations of Vladislav Yerko, also illustrator of a version of « Alice in Wonderland » and « Through the looking glass ».

Thumbelina

2011-05-29T23:45:00.001+02:00

For so many years, my mother kept our children toys.

I’m so thankful to her, seing them back to life when we visit her.

Elsa is playing "Thumbelina" with my little wooden doll, once called Lisa.

Elder blossom

2011-05-20T22:38:00.001+02:00

Elsa came back from school with this little bottle of a delicious elder flower syrup.

We decided to prepare more, from the eldertree in our small garden.

Violin on a spring wednesday afternoon

2011-05-18T23:14:00.000+02:00

A sweet shop

2011-05-14T22:50:00.000+02:00

Another favourite place close by our former flat is this charming sweetshop. Mummy, who generally doesn’t approve on sweets is here considerably softens being herself offered some of her favourite coriander sweets ! We’re buying orange blossom marshmallows.

Paris' mosque

2011-05-10T22:54:00.002+02:00

We’ve just moved. Before we leave, Elsa asked me to go and take pictures of places she likes around our home. The first one is Paris’great mosque, with its peaceful garden and its tea room where she enjoys mint tea and rahat loukoum.

Spring Blue

2011-05-07T23:06:00.000+02:00


Embroiderie for Elsa by my mother

Easter by the sea (2)

2011-05-04T22:14:00.000+02:00

Easter by the sea

2011-05-01T21:55:00.000+02:00

Spring in the courtyard

2011-04-25T22:15:00.000+02:00

A parcel from Norway

2011-04-25T22:06:00.000+02:00

A parcel has come from Norway bringing Fei An’s delicate and poetic handwork.

Dear Fei An, Elsa wants you to know that she adores the dress.

She said it’s her favourite one. Of course she immediately put it on !

Spring at home

2011-04-24T14:01:00.000+02:00