JONAH LOMU IN MARSEILLES

Jonah Lomu is the man that introduced me to rugby. Rugby is not a sport we Finnish know and though before the last World Cup a Finnish Team did play the qualification plays, most Finnish have never heard of it or know what it's about.

I still remember the day I first saw Jonah Lomu touring France with the All Blacks running, five French players holding his jersey like there was no problem. Nobody seemed to be able to stop him. But illness did and he hasn't been playing for many years since his kidney transplantation.

It all came back to me when I read in La Provence that Jonah Lomu is going to play with Marseilles-Vitrolles rugby team next winter. Of course he is not anymore in his youthfull best but his legendary name still attracts public - and advertisers. He explains his coming to Marseilles-Vitrolles by saying that it is the only club to ask him. Marseilles-Vitrolles plays in the 3rd division, meaning that it is not a first rate club but they will be making a bid to get to second division with the impact of Lomu's coming.

Jonah Lomu est l'homme qui m'a emmené à suivre le rugby. En Finlande on ne connaît pas du tout le rugby et donc c'etait un sport complètement etranger pour moi. Je me rappelle encore vividement le jour où j'ai vu Jonah Lomu jouer pour la première fois. Il etait en tournée en France avec les All Blacks et je l'ai vu emmener le ballon, avec cinq joueurs Franç ais pendus à son maillot comme si de rien etait. RIen ne semblait pouvoir l'arrêter mais la maladie a pu. Il a disparu des terrains et a subi une transplantation de rein.

Aujourd'hui il veut reprendre sa carrière sportive et à partir de septembre il jouera à Marseille-Vitrolles. Il explique son choix de club par le fait que Marseille-Vitrolles, qui joue dans la 3eme division, etait le seul club à croire en lui. Certes, il n'a plus sa forme d'antan mais son nom légendaire attire toujours le public - et les annonceurs.

CHRISTIAN LACROIX

As an allmost inhabitant of Arles and a lover of beauty I was appalled and surprised when I heard that the famous couturier Christian Lacroix is bankrupted. Lacroix who was born in Arles and has done a lot to his native town just showed his 45. and maybe last collection to a supportive public.
I don’t know if the economical crisis is to be blamed or if some bad decisions have been taken at the Maison Lacroix. It is true there are only about 200 women in the world that buy haute couture. But these days no couture house lives from the haute couture. Haute couture collections are the show case that attracts people to buy bags, scarfs, sunglasses and perfumes bearing the couturier’s name.
Personally, I don’t know if I would, had I the means, buy Lacroix clothes. But I admire his unique, bold and highly creative style. He is no couturier for the bling bling –searching nouveau riche (hello, Karl), his clothes are for the women with strong personality and daring. Even more importantly, Lacroix wanted to give a living to the small hands in all the specialised ateliers dealing with lace, sequins, embroidery, ferthers and skins that France has to offer to luxury industry and which are today in danger of disappearing.
To France luxury business is an important part of its economy and it should take care not to loose that specialised know how. The new French cultural minister, Mr. Frédéric Mitterrand (who happens to be former socialist president François Mitterrand’s nephew and the latest socialist addition to Sarkozy government) has allready promised to help to find a solution to Lacroix’s predicament. Fingers crossed !

En tant que presque habitant d’Arles et amoureuse de la beauté j’ai été surprise et choquée d’entendre que la Maison Lacroix a déposé le bilan. Lacroix qui est né à Arles et a beaucoup fait pour sa ville natale vient de montrer son 45eme et peut-être dernière collection avec le soutient de son public.
Je ne sais pas si c’est la crise économique qui est en cause ou s’il y a eu des erreurs faits dans l’administration de la maison. Il est vrai qu’il n’y a guère 200 femmes au monde qui s’achètent des robes haute couture. Mais cela fait bien longtemps que les maisons de haute couture ne vivent plus de la haute couture mais des parfums, sacs et écharpes griffés. Les défilés ne sont que des vitrines qui attirent ces clientes moins fortunées mais beaucoup plus nombreuses.
Personellement, je n’ai pas vraiment le style Lacroix. Mais j’admire son style personnel, unique, fort et très créatif. Il n’est pas un couturier pour les nouveaux riches en manque de reconnaissance et du bling bling (salut, Karl). Il fait des vêtements pour les femmes ayant une forte personnalité. En plus il tient à faire vivre tous ces ateliers spécialisés en broderies et autres artisanats sans lesquels il n’y aura plus d’industrie de luxe en France et qui sont en danger de disparaître.
Dans le monde entier la France est la patrie de l’industrie de luxe, elle n’a pas les moyens de la voir disparaître. Le nouveau ministre de la culture, Frédéric Mitterrand a déjà promis de chercher une solution pour sauver la Maison Lacroix. Croisons les doigts.

PAYSAGES

Still glued to my sofa. I am looking at the Tour de France at tv and going through old photos.

Toujours clouée sur mon canapé. Je regarde le Tour à la télé et je regarde mes vieux photos.

This is a photo from tv, yesterday the Tour was in Arles. It's nice to see the landscape one knows so well in tv and from up high since the tv puts a lot of resources like two helicopters in covering the Tour.

Cette photo vient de la télé. Le Tour était hier à Arles.

Next photo is from Nyons. This beautiful little olive grove is just next to the old town center.

La photo suivante de Nyons, une oliverai juste à côté de la vieille ville.

Soon it will replaced by ... this:

Bientôt à la place il y aura ceci:

I know towns grow and everybody needs to get a roof over their heads. But I would like to see cities take bigger care of leaving more green spaces in towns, specially in old town centers which are cruelly lacking in greenery.
Je sais que les villes grandissent et tout le monde doit s'abriter. Mais j'aimerais qu'on cherche plus à maintenir des espaces verts dans les villes, surtout les vieilles villes qui en manquent cruellement.

RED SPOTS

Second day of the Tour de France and we Finnish can allready be happy: Jussi Veikkanen, a Finnish contestant has won the maillot blanc aux pois rouges, the red-spotted white shirt of the best climber, the first Finnish in the history of the competition.

La Finlande peut être contente: pour la première fois dans l'histoire de la Tour de France, un Finlandais, Jussi Veikkanen, a gagné le maillot blanc aux pois rouges.

TOUR DE FRANCE

Today begins le Tour de France, the big bicycle race. This every year phenomena is a big event here in France. This year we have again American interest in the game too, since Lance Armstrong is back in the competition.
In France cyckling is not considered a leasure activity like we do, for instance in Finland. Here most bikers have serious competition sportswear and good bikes. The few bikers with leasure wear must be foreign tourists.
The big buckle, le grand boucle, is a very popular race. Some specialistist explained its succes by the fact that it is the last of professional sports competitions free for the public. And the public loves it, the race of course but also the events accompanying the race.
I would have a good opportunity this year to see it in real since the buckle is going to pass from Montelimar to Mont Ventoux, very near my hometown the 25 of July. The next day it will end in Paris, at the Champs Elysées.

MY NEW FRIENDS

We are inseparable. They are called cannes anglaises or English canes in French

- I wonder what is so English about them?

It's a long time since I've been around here. I came back from Finland a month ago. I then took a part-time job on an organic vegetable farm. The combination of commencing heat and a rather bad physical condition have left me worn out every afternoon, taking long naps in bed with my dog that shamefully profits from my tiredness to do things that are normally forbidden...

Still, I like my work a lot and love the smells of early morning, the flowers (vegetables have some amazingly beautiful flowers too, have you ever seen the pretty mauve of the aubergine plant?), and working with plants and soil. Moreover, I am learning every day. I've done a course in growing flowers but vegetable growing has never been my forte. I am very concerned by environement issues too and love to learn the tricks of the trade of organic gardening with specialists. The other day we installed what is called in French auxiliares, the little bugs that will eat the naughty bugs that try to spoil our crops. We shall be seeing the results through this summer.

And then guess what? Last weekend we went to visit Daudet's windmill near Fontvieille with some new friends and I made a little, silly slip and now I am stuck in the sofa. One week forced holiday I could have done without but am trying to console myself by updating my blogs.

Un long silence. Je suis rentrée de Finlande il y a un mois. Depuis j'ai pris un travail comme jardinier dans un jardin maraicher biologique. Le travail est intéressant mais fatiguant car les chaleurs sont déjà là et ma condition physique de départ n'était pas excellente. J'ai passé les après-midi faisant le sieste avec Nina.

Mais je m'accroche car j'apprend énormement de choses tous les jours. En plus, j'adore l'ambiance, les odeurs de la nature du petit matin, les fleurs. J'aime avoir mes mains dans la terre et travailler avec des plantes. Comme je suis aussi très "verte" je veux apprendre tout ce que je peux de la lutte biologique.

Et puis, le weekend dernier nous sommes aller visiter le moulin de Daudet près de Fontvieille en compagnie de nouveaux amis et j'ai fait une chute stupide et maintenant je suis clouée sur le canapé - entorse de pied gauche. Une semaine de congès forcé; dans les champs avec les beguilles, ça le fait pas, comme disent les jeunes.