White London - The Gloom Culture

I'm still amazed from this morning news... a clash of realities...
It snowed 10cm overnight in London. A white and silky blanket covered London. What a cool sight!

I went downstairs, turned the tv on... just in time to be splattered by the adult world reality (bbc news) describing this morning situation as 'near-blizzard conditions shredding the country travel network into pieces' or how London commuters were facing 'another travel chaos bringing the country to a stand still'.

I then went to work, walking down the road to the train station... just in time to be cheered up by the children world reality. All I could hear were screams of joy and laughter from kids discovering the snow and fighting in this new over-night playground!!!

While the US are living in the Scare Culture, UK adulthood has embraced another type... The Gloom Culture!!! sad.

Nevertheless, I let you enjoy this morning beautiful view.


On a similar topic.. read this

When the Moon flirts with Saturn...

Last 2 nights, the london skies cleared up, uncovering some cool astronomical stuff happening those days.
It was too late for Comet McNaught 2006P1, which displayed an amazing show for those who caught it in time. The brightest comet for the last 30 years at least. It lasted 4 days as she circled the sun mid January. pics here

But it was right in time to see the Moon flirting with Saturn. What an amazing vision, seeing the moon, 200 thousand miles away from us, transiting in 1/2h in front of Saturn, 821 millions miles further away. Here is a picture I've taken with my telescope and a simple digital camera...

And Here is the close-up to Saturn



Other pictures from this night are here

Tartes aux poireaux et lardons

Tarte aux poireaux et lardons pour 6. 30 min pour preparer et 30 min pour cuire

Ingredients
-1 pâte brisée
-2 poireaux
-200grs de lardons non fumés
-150ml de crème liquide
-2 œufs
-fromage - parmiggiano
-persil
-sel
-poivre
-muscade

Preparation
-prechauffer le four a 180 degres

-cuire les poireaux 10min dans l’eau
-cuire les lardons a la poele
-melanger
-battre les oeufs avec la creme liquide et ajouter le fromage râpé, le sel, poivre muscade et persil

-mettre la pate brisee dans un plan
-mettre les poireaux et lardons sur la pate.
-verser par dessus le melange d’oeufs

-mettre au four pour 30 min
-5 min avant la fin ajouter du fromage dessus et gratiner.

House almost ready...

It's been now 3 months since the start of the work in the house, and for the first time, we're getting to something decent... just in time for G's family's arrival... it's been strenous and continuous effort. didn't think that 100m2 could require so much work!



But result is there...

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premieres laitues

Voila 45 jours que nous avons emenage, et sans aucun doute, la premiere chose que nous avons fait a ete de profiter du jardin. bref debrousaillage, nettoyage, profiter du soleil sur sa pelouse a soi, quel bonheur pour nous et notre chat qui decouvre la nature pour la premiere fois de sa vie (il vivait en appartement a rome)


Et puis on a refait le potager... les precendents proprios avaient laisser tout en vrac, mais il y avait des restes de fraisiers, pommes de terre, et parsnips. on a repris le tout, et plante un peu plus, qq salades, radis, poivrons, pommes de terres... ca pousse tout seul et nous avons deja fait notre premiere recolte de laitues et radis. Bref la premiere salade d'Auckland fut a la hauteur, legerement epicee, au gout pointue... tres bon!!! on en replante plus.

Done!!!

Just one picture to say we've got it !!!

J-8 ...

Une etape de plus franchie dans l'achat de la maison. Les rapports techniques sont bons et on devrait echanger les contrats demain si tout va bien!!!

One step closer to moving into our new house. The technical reports are OK and we're setup to exchange contract tomorrow! Can't wait...