My cough is better

I have been languishing, coughing my heart out in Jersey, virus ridden, since we arrived. Hence the paucity of blog entries. However I feel much better now - thank you Dr Bellamy. 
How could one not feel better when surrounded by such beauty and gorgeousness (as Dame Edna would say) It was nothing to do with the endless antibiotics and steroids after all !

Poppy and I - about to have morning tea. Poppy is a rescue dachshund who thinks that she has been in heaven for the last four years

Spring is springing in Jersey

One of the earlier indicators is the daffodil.
Thrown in the hedgerows by the farmers when harvesting, some get left behind and this is what happens.
The island is full of them and I drive around with a smile on my face, making any excuse to travel across the island in the narrow lanes, choosing a shop far away to get the milk and bread - not that anywhere is far when you are on an island nine miles by five...

Daffodils amongst the gorse

Down the road from the house

This house below was sold a couple of weeks ago for AUS$22,971,508.36
 
http://jerseyeveningpost.com/news/2014/03/11/the-12m-house/

The driveway - rather understated

Like a ship when viewed from the sea

A house of a different class - Rozel Manor in the distance

My friend's pink magnolia

This is John's house and he is the custodian of the largest pink magnolia in Europe. So glad we are here to see this ephemeral beauty

...and here are the overblown camelias

The delight that is Cesky Krumlov

Recommended by our dear friends, the Bellamys in Jersey. And what a recommendation. We absolutely loved it

DM was wandering in the gardens of the castle, saw a locked building and wondered what was inside. Poked his lens high up through the window and now you can see what few people see - much to the amazement of some passing Americans who were a bit baffled by his suspect behaviour - that's my man! 
A beautiful reception/music room in the grounds of the castle. A steady hand a VERY slow shutter speed.

Dinner in a posh restaurant wearing Eva Vogt's pearl bespoke creation

A tapestry in that restaurant

This is a sconce on a wall in a street. Easily accessible to all. I wonder how long it would last in OZ

We had a good red there - shades of South America

and wandered the cobbled streets to our abode  - taking photos along the way - of course. Not up to usual standard - my small camera (pre Leica) and after the wine

Our hotel is where the restaurant sign is - right in the heart of the action - though not much action tonight in the streets of downtown Cesky Krumlov

Much more to come on Cesky Krumlov

IMAGO in Vienna

Whilst we were in the Czech republic DM was invited to moderate a session at the 2013 IMAGO Cinematographers workshop. We were whisked down to Vienna and put up in a very central hotel (importantly near the Cafe Sacher - think chocolate cake)

http://www.imago.org/index.php/societies.html 

It was a four day conference and the Aussie contingent was made up of Peter Weir, Russell Boyd and Dick Marks. It was celebrating the director and the cinematographer working together over a collection of films, in this case over a long period of time - collaboration as the theme


The conference opening night dinner
 

The Aussie members doing their bit

 
DM thanking Peter and Russell

Peter Weir - not only of Picnic at Hanging Rock fame - but also:

Peter Weir was born on August 21, 1944 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia as Peter Lindsay Weir. He is a director and writer, known for Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003), The Truman Show (1998) and Dead Poets Society (1989). He has been married to Wendy Stites since 1966. They have two children.

His characters often interact with technology, especially television, in ways that harm them or surprise the viewer, e.g. the church big screen TV in The Mosquito Coast (1986); the living room TV and TV control center in The Truman Show (1998); radio playing in the barn in Witness (1985), and so on.

His films very often deal with people, who find themselves in surroundings, where they do not fit in (e.g. a Philadelphia Cop among the Amish, in Witness (1985), or a progressive teacher on a strictly conservative school, in Dead Poets Society (1989)).



Some amazing films amongst that lot

Russel Boyd - fantastic cinematographer

Russell Boyd was born on April 21, 1944 in Victoria, Australia. He is known for his work on Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003), Liar Liar (1997) and Ghost Rider (2007). Member of the Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS) since 1975, and the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) since 2004.

He shot these films with Peter:

Picnic at Hanging Rock
The last wave
Gallipoli
Master and commander
The way home
The year of living dangerously

A fine collaboration

DM as moderator - unofficially voted as 'Best in Show' of the moderators - but he does love a chat - and I am not biased at all am I?

A slap up lunch provided by the Vienna Film Commission. To be fair it is an iconic sausage stall right in the middle of Vienna and I had an excellent Bratwurst there

We were hosted by the Vienna Film Commission who did their level best to keep us all informed and entertained in our spare time. We drank lots of wine and ate far too much Sacher Torte than was good for us.

More on Vienna later

Clignancourt - les Puces - The Flea Market

Also known as the market at St Ouen - open on weekends only.
I could go there every weekend for the rest of my life and still find something that I can't live without

Penny and Bob coveted this screen  - too big for the suitcase

...and we bought this lamp. Now we have to get it back to OZ.    Oh dear !