Keeping warm in the Kibble Palace

Enough fantasizing about Mediterranean islands. Back to gloomy Northern Europe. How about a visit to the stylish Kibble Palace in the Glasgow Botanic gardens ? The 19th century glasshouse underwent a costly restoration between 2003 and 2006 but it was well worth the effort.





In the tropical atmosphere of the palace, you can see all kinds of carnivorous plants.


The marble statue is usually photographed like this.


But you can also look at it this way (cheeky !).


Kibble Palace is a nice place to keep warm when the weather's bad. And it's set in the most pleasant area of Glasgow, the "boho" West End (plus, it's free !).

Malta on my mind

Cher blog,
Je ne vais pas te mentir, tu l'auras remarqué de toi-même, j'ai peu de temps à te consacrer actuellement. Alors, puisque l'on rentre dans l'hiver et que le compte à rebours vers Noël a commencé, je me replonge dans mes photos de vacances. Direction Malte, un concentré de Grande-Bretagne, de Sicile et de Tunisie sur 320 km².

Dear blog,

I know I've let you down a bit lately. How about flicking through pictures of my summer holidays in Malta, a concentrate of Britishness, Sicilian laidback atmosphere and Tunisian climate in the middle of the Mediterranean ? I don't feel like thinking about Christmas just now.

Kitsch pubs galore in the tiny English-speaking island.

The Maltese transport system is reliable and fun.

Clichéed but nice.

Malta is serious about religion.

And door knobs.

As for the Scottish connection : Sir Walter Scott has been there !

Can he fix the White House ?

Did you notice Barack Obama borrowed his slogan from Bob the Builder ? "Can we fix it ? Yes we can !"



"Peut-on le faire ? Oui on peut !" Bob le bricoleur l'a dit avant Barack Obama.

Note to self : Pascale, get a life !

The Lighthouse, Glasgow

Funny signs in the Lighthouse in Glasgow.

This tower was designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and has become a gallery devoted to architecture.

It's worth going to the top floor to have a look at Glasgow from above.

Expos Paris-Glasgow

Le musée de Cluny, alias le musée du Moyen-âge de Paris, consacre une exposition aux Celtes et aux Scandinaves jusqu'au 12 janvier 2009. On y voit plein de chouettes objets anciens écossais, comme cette fibule du VIIIème siècle.

Meanwhile, in Glasgow, the Burrell Collection holds an exhibition about silk embroideries in

Uzbekiztan until January 4th.

Si ça, c'est pas du bon conseil culturel...

10 must-see DVDs for kids

With all these bicultural children being brought into the world this year (including Perrine's expected twins in a few weeks !), I thought it would be a good idea to share my list of favourite films and books for pre-school years.

Let's start with the DVDs that have kept my two sons (now five and two) happy for the last couple of years. Obviously, they are all at their best in their original language, although the French versions are usually very well made (except for Wallace & Gromit).

1- Wallace & Gromit. From their debut in the short film A Grand Day Out to The Curse of the Ware Rabbit, there's no beating the lovable plasticine duo.
2- Chicken Run. Created by the same studio as Wallace & Gromit, a hilarious remake of The Great Escape, with a distinct Scottish-friendly tone to it (hey, there's Mel Gibson in the cast).
3- The Jungle Book. Disney is supposed to be ancient history, but this classic has it all : great graphics, catchy tunes, unforgettable characters.
4- Shrek 1, 2 & 3. Dreamworks' answer to Disney became an instant hit seven years ago. The first film was good, the second one was okay, the third one was phenomenal. Can't wait for Number four in 2010.
5- Stuart Little 1 & 2. A mouse is adopted by a New York family. Voiced by Michael J. Fox, this cool rodent will win your heart, especially in the sequel (his dad is played by Hugh "Dr House" Laurie !).
6- Fantasia. More Disney but a great excuse to introduce your child to classical music.
7- Kirikou et la Sorcière. A French film at last ! You couldn't get more different from Hollywood blockbusters, but this African tale is universal.
8- Thomas the Tank Engine. Choo choo ! Two-year-olds still love to board this chubby locomotive.
9- Enchanted. Disney again ! But this time the Dream Factory has decided to have a laugh at itself. Definitely designed for seven-year-old girls, but my boys were enchanted too.

And also : Toy Story 1 & 2, Ice Age 1 & 2, Bob the Builder, Jay Jay the Jet Plane, Balamory (a Scottish TV series recommended by Mo)... I couldn't choose a number 10. The great news is, most kiddies films are catered for adults as well, so you're bound to have a good time with your wee one(s).

Spéciale dédicace à Perrine, qui va bientôt découvrir les joies des DVD pour enfants avec la naissance prochaine de ses jumeaux. La bonne nouvelle, c'est que le cinéma pour les petits est souvent excellent, un vrai plaisir pour les grands aussi.

Ghost-hunting in Delgatie Castle

Delgatie Castle near Turriff, in Aberdeenshire, may not be the most attractive castle in Scotland, but it's worth a visit thanks to the care and love its late owner, Captain Hay, put to its restoration. Capt. Hay served in Afghanistan, hence the many Buddhas and Oriental memorabilia displayed in the dungeon.

The property dates back to the XIth century and boasts original painted ceilings from the late XVIth century. Mary Queen of Scots herself stayed there for three days in 1562.

Like all Scottish castles, Delgatie has its very own ghost, a monk who was buried in the wall many many years ago !

And the garden is charming.

The remains of the original chapel.

Souvenirs of American visitors in early XXth century.

Two cute poneys welcome you at the gate.

The romantic garden.

Delgatie Castle, dans la région d'Aberdeen, n'est pas le plus beau château d'Ecosse, mais il est émouvant d'y constater le soin que son ancien propriétaire, le capitaine Hay, a mis dans sa restoration. Le capitaine Hay a servi dans l'armée britannique en Afghanistan, d'où les nombreux Bouddhas et autres souvenirs orientaux disposés dans le donjon.

Mary Stuart, la malheureuse reine d'Ecosse exécutée par Elizabeth Ière, y a séjourné en 1562.

Evidemment, Delgatie Castle possède son propre fantôme, un moine dont le cadavre fut retrouvé dans un pan de mur !