My favorite cities : Dingle (An Daingean)

Dia Duit  (hello)!

The paradox about me is that I support and love England for any kind of manifestations (sports, arts, etc.) but I truly fell for Ireland and Irish people years ago.

Thanks to the Murphy Family (at least 20 people around the table, parents, children, grandpa and closest relatives during regular days), I discovered a lovely place in the Kerry county : Dingle. They’ve been going there yearly (and quite often) to spend time altogether.

After landing or sailing to Cork (so gorgeous city, indeed), the road up (N22) to Dingle is quite delirious with them all : Volkswagen minibus, Irish music, Irish legends, Guinness and Whiskey in the truck. Should I mention the cat, Connolly, on Grandpa Francis’ knees ?

Generally the first stopping is Killarney (Cill Airne) : Grandpa Francis is the one who sings along and starts telling jokes in Gaelic to his “gang”… Of course, I never got them as I don’t even understand a damn word. I just learnt a couple of sentences and the Gaelic names of Dingle (An Daingean), Killarney (Cill Airne), Cork (Corcaigh) and Galway (Gaillimh).

Dingle is on the southern west coast of Ireland, in the Dingle Peninsula (less touristic, but breathless beauty) ; Main city of the county, close to Blasket Islands and Slea Head (surfing spot). It is also lovely harbor with a famous dolphin called Fungie. Years ago, it was quite a quiet place and harbor hosted fishermen and boats ; Nowadays, touristic matters emerges and it is more popular and crowded. Some sailing competitions cross around on spring and summer.

To have the best view over harbor and bay, you have to take the road to Tralee for about 1,5 km and walk to the ancient tower and you will reach the entrance of the harbor. It is absolutely gorgeous and rather wild.

Some places have to be seen in Dingle : Dingle Oceanworld (turtles, sharks) –rather expensive to my opinion-, Trinity Tree with the biblical characters engraved on, and St Mary’s Church (Green St).

I’ve liked having lunch at the Mystic Celt or Armada. Sometimes, a stopping is needed at An Café Liteártha, nice tiny place at the bottom of a bookshop. Whenever we need music and entertaining, Maire de Barra is the place to be.

Leaving Dingle is not easy because it is just a marvelous and extraordinary quiet place. But the touristic places in the area worth the leaving. For instance, Cloghane (An Clochán), south west from Brandon Bay, has a wonderful beach and the major point of departure to Mt Brandon. Drive to Brandon Creek, then Dún An óir Fort, Ballyferriter, Dunquin (Dún Chaion), Dunmore Head (where 2 Spanish Armada boats sunk in 1588), Slea Head, Dunbeg Fort, Ventry and back to Dingle.

Wherever the weather is nice and sunny (and warm, do not except hot temperatures !), go and lay on Inch (Inse) Beach. It’s also a surfing spot and it is a beautiful.

If you ever want to visit the most occidental islands of Europe, go and sail to Blasket Islands (Na Blascaodaí). You can have great walking (Read “Kerry Walks” by Kevin Corcoran, to convince yourself to go there) ; Of course, it depends on the weather, but from Easter time to September, it takes about 20 minutes by boat to reach the Islands from Dunquin, 10 am to 3 pm.

Dingle is a little part of paradise for me and I can feel my heart beat a bit faster whenever someone points out its name.

But Ireland is just a treasure to share… it is splendid, wild, quiet and the colors, lights and people are definitely wonders.

Some counties deserve to be visited too, such as Mayo (Moyne & Rosserk Abbeys), Connemara & Clare (Cliffs of Moher) ; Not to mention, Northern Ireland and its magnificent areas (Belfast –Beál Feirste-, Hillborough, Legananny Dolmen, Killevy Churches, Navan Fort, Dungannon, Dunseverick Castle, Giant’s Causeway, Magilligan Point, Rathlin Island, Carrick-a-rede & Derry – Doire-).

 

Derry

Derry

One of my favorites places to reside : Currarevagh House in Oughterard (Uachtar árd), close to Galway. It’s a lovely country mansion beside Lough Corrib with private woodlands.

Slán agat ! Erin go Bragh !

Please, watch your feet, girls !!!

Honestly, I am aghast !

It’s spring time here, in France, and the weather turned a few days ago to sunny and bright… and warm temperatures. So, mainly girls are putting short skirts, tops and opened shoes (no matter high or flat shoes)… they are just walking like Snow White after the Prince’s kiss and they look like quite lovely…

BUT…. (yes, indeed, there is a major But !) they neglected their feet ! For God’s Sake, girls, can’t you look to your feet and especially to your heels ! You can clearly see callus or cracks. Not only is it disgracing but you ruin your lovely shoes ! I really hate that ! It disgusts me !

Yesterday I was on the bus and a young girl came in. She sat and she crossed her legs elegantly, revealing so a nice high heels shoe. It was a black/white shoe with little butterflies on the top and on the rein around her ankle (only saw the left side!). Anyhow when she crossed her legs, I was horrified. It was cracked, with dead skins on both sides on the heel and around toenails. She put a nailpolish (probably an OPI due to the specific color) but the dead skins annihilated the impact of it !

Although, girls, it is not difficult to get soft and clean feet, without spending a lot of money at the pedicure shop ! You can use two solutions my grandmothers used and shared with me :

1)      Buy Nivea© cream and put a lot on your damaged feet before going to bed. Add socks and sleep with those on. Yes, I know, it is not sexy, but you can easily do it whenever your darling is off or he might appreciate not having cold feet close to his ! You have to do it a couple of times if your feet are really cracked. Then, the morning after, you just have to rub your feet with grindstone and then, do the “socks” operation the following night. Yet, just do it once in a fortnight (if feet are soft), or twice a week (if they are quite dead)… Do not forget to put cream on your feet each morning too ! Neutrogena© special damaged feet is excellent or any kind cream with Argon oil would be good.

2)      If your feet are totally smashed : ask to your pharmacy a bottle of ½ 90° alcohol ½ glycerin and do the same “socks operation” for a week. Alcohol would disinfect your hurt feet and the glycerin would soften the areas. Then, subsequent, just do the same soften issue with a daily cream.

And, please, girls, DO NOT go out without perfect feet (and hands) with manicure or not on, but without callus on your heels ! It sucks ! 

Why I liked Krissy Taylor and still do.

First of all, paying a tribute to Krissy is not that easy to do. I don’t want this paper to be unhappy, or make even sad her family and friends. Krissy was everything to them all and I know how much it means to miss someone. 

Anyhow, Krissy was part of my life in this amazing models business and she deserves to be celebrating by a post here. So, Krissy, whenever you are, be sure that this paper is written with so much respect, love and sweet thoughts.

Krissy’s real name is Kristen Erin Taylor. She was born in 1978 and was a very lovely little girl, smiling to life and to her parents (Barbara & Ken) and her sibling Joelle & Nicole (aka Joie & Niki).

Krissy was what Americans call the girl-next-door. But she was more than that. She was a real sunshine and a true beauty. The first time I’ve seen her in early 1990, I was so surprised by her big smile and long legs that I thought she was a dream. She was only close to 12 and twinkled in this Seventeen March 1990 editorial, starring with her “older sis” Niki. 

Only a couple of photos and she was gone from the magazines. But I guess that, like me, Editors in Chiefs of fashion magazines saw the potential of her and finally casted her more often about two years later. Seventeen and Australian magazines (Dolly, Girlfriend, etc.) offered her their cover and editorials. At the beginning, she frequently worked with Niki and did some catwalks in Milan with her (for instance in 1993).

Soon, Krissy modeled on her own and won covers & editorials as long as many fans all over the world. She was this young lovely and fresh Floridian born teenager and she brightened the pages of youth magazines. Through the years, she became a splendid young woman, charismatic and with this incredible deep and warm voice. I know that it’s not obvious but here is an interview of her.

 

Krissy did start a career and she did great. She didn’t like to travel and go far away from her home, family, friends and life. She turned to be a Country girl, dancing in line and listening country music with her friends. All her shootings (or so) were done in Miami or its area. One of her last shootings was for Cosmopolitan UK june 1995.

She represented, for me, and many, an icon of beauty. Niki is perfection but Krissy was the woman we all wanted to be. I mean she was the kind of girl that I would have loved to hang out with and spend nights out with. The kind of girlfriend I would have loved to look alike.

I fully agree with Niki’s statement : “Krissy’s totally real”.  She had this incredibly smile and laugh than made me thought that she was really special. I liked her too and still do for all the reasons a person likes a famous one… because of her beauty whatever includes the word of beauty (inner, physical, etc.). through the interviews in magazines or TV show, she let me think that she was that easy going friend whom you could call up at any hour and talk for hours with. She liked her parents, her sisters, her family, her friends and she liked life. She liked her life and cared for others’.

So, if I had to choice to look like to someone, it should to be her. She was the girl to look alike, to talk with, to think about, to collect on… Krissy was a star that turned into a butterfly who flew away from us but still looks over us all… I hope that she is watching over us all and that her beautiful smile shines on and lights ours ways and mine too.

I clearly remember when I heard about her death on July 2^nd 1995. It was a total shock. She was so young but died from a right ventricular dysplasia (a heart condition). I won’t explain here the circumstances because it has been told many times and no need to hurt her family more about that.

Later in 1995, her family planted a Royal Poinciana tree at the Markham Park in Miami, where Krissy’s Memorial was held. I put a few souvenirs for her there (xoxo to my dear sweetie Leighton) and made a website for her and her sibling, Niki.

Her mom, Barbara, a great photographer, dedicated to her a website.

She was only 17, a glorious future to come and thousands of people who liked her, and still do.

"Remember her that way" headlines her website. I do it.

New Sherlock... I am a fan...

Here, we go again ! England, British guys, Literature, Obsession, London and Fashion. It seems that those six words are quite bonded to my posts lately.

I’ve been a fan of British literature for years as I already mentioned and, indubitably, Conan Doyle’s famous character Sherlock Holmes is one of my favorites.

Books, films and series had been done upon him and it was very enthusiastic. However, last year, French channel France 4 put on air the BBC series “Sherlock”.  It is modern adaptation of Sherlock Holmes. He is brilliant, aloof, bizarre, smart, intuitive, obnoxious, arrogant, and dismissive. He still has this astute logical reasoning and use modern technology such as texting and blogging (he cannot live without this BlackBerry®) to solve cases. The fact is that he lives in the 21e, based in London where it has forbidden smoking in most public areas so that he replaced his pipe with multiple nicotine patches (hilarious scenes !).

Moreover the scripts are brilliants and honestly, everything is accurate and obviously addictive. Yesterday, I was quite disappointed when the end arrived. It was such an intense episode !

About Sherlock, in Doyle’s books, he was quite elegant and a kind of “cat-like” person, because hygiene means a lot to him. The modern Sherlock is still a bit obsessive with his figure and cleanness, but also he is so fashionable. I guess that the actor featured the “new Sherlock” is the main point on this “so styled” version.

Benedict Cumberbatch whom I am speaking of, is a British actor. I noticed him in the BBC series Spooks in the season 1. I thought he was tall, slim, and elegant and has this surprising beauty. He is still years after. Many of my friends (girls mainly) told me that he has an unusual face, quite strange indeed. I was rather the only one who points out how cute he was. One told me that I am “not objective” whenever it comes to British men and that I am not a reference about judging the beauty of Brit boys ! Anyhow, apart from his face and figure which are so classy and lovely for me, Cumberbatch has another good point : his voice. His character is so sharp whenever he talks and speaks like a machine gun. British accent is probably one of the loveliest accents I know.

So, yes, I know that some bloggers already made papers over the clothing and the style of new Sherlock Holmes, so I won’t comment on this topic. He is classy; the wardrobe is just remarkable and typically British and the director of photography is actually a very clever one. I would like to focus on the fact that an actor can brighten a series or darken it. For instance, whatever you may think about Cumberbatch’s beauty, he is Sherlock. He is unbeatable for this part. The best casting the production certainly made.

I’ve always thought that Sherlock Holmes had to be unlike others men, strange but attractive, distant but caring in his own way. Last episode has shown that part. Sherlock was laughing at a colleague who is clearly in love with him and he thought not on purpose that she was dressing up like a queen (a slut should be more precise !) for this guy, buying him a gift with a nice decoration on, to realize that he was that guy. You would assume from Sherlock to be selfish and to start a conversation over another subject, but he just kissed her on her cheek and apologized.  It was so cute and so not Sherlock indeed. To cut it short, he looked like a child quite immature when it comes to feelings and human relationships. Even more immature with the woman he fancied in this episode.

But back to the main actor, I think that he is the best part of the success of the BBC series. I am sure that Conan Doyle invented, too, a timeless character whom can live in the 20e, 21e and probably late 21e !

So, just have a look to the series and let me know what you think of this British actor and its unique beauty. 

United we (should) stand

Since yesterday, I’ve been quite irritated by some comments on TV or radio shows. I don’t have to explain what happened since last Monday in Toulouse and the 7 killed by a young man whom referred himself to terrorism and Al-Qaida. He killed 7 people (3 children included), cold-blooded, without no remorse (why should he have remorse for, knowing that he was convinced by his deeds?) and resisted for more than 30 hours to police forces.

Police Forces…. Not the basic police forces ! An Elite Unit calls RAID (Research, Assistance, Intervention, Deterrence), of the French National Police. It is one of the 3 Elite Units in France and obviously one of the most competent and secret. Anyhow, and since I’ve been a little girl, this Unit is respected and its work is definitely not a piece of cake.

Their first job is to open a dialogue with the suspect and try out to make him (her?) surrender without any violence. Most of the time, I assume they perform in that case, but last Thursday, march  22th, they had to give the assault against this young man (23), whom didn’t want to give up and aggressed them back when they entered in the flat.

On the whole following afternoon, the Unit was acclaimed for its cold-blooded action and the fact that, despite the death of the killer and the absence of trial for hurt families, the situation was back under control and that it would have any more killing.

But, yesterday evening, some tweets popped up and some radios or TV shows entered into a kind of trial of “what did the RAID do wrong ?”. This morning (Friday, march 23th), a tweet really bothered me. I was quite angry when I read that. This was a development about the measures the RAID should have done and it was quite insulting for them.

Tweetos didn’t insult them directly but pointed out the “so-called” negligence they might have done. This is obviously a wrong process toward this Police Unit.

Of course, I would have preferred that the killer would have been arrested and judged for the murders he committed, to give the families to ability to mourn their beloved ones and to show others supposed terrorists that France won’t let unpunished those who kill innocents people in the name of God (or you name it).

I am not into revenge against a community, a religion or a race (even though this word seems to be forbidden lately in French language, it is not an insulting expression, for God’s Sake !).  I’ve been raised up with the French motto “Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité” (Freedom, Equality and Fraternity) in mind and the fact that we are all human beings.

Moreover, a religion does not define a person. I am a catholic and if you ever learn History a bit, Catholics had done such horrible acts those past 2 000 years. Am I responsible for any of them ? No, I am NOT ! So are the Muslims whom pray Allah daily nowadays in harmony with others religions ! So are the Jews, Buddhists, etc !

Anyhow, I guess that killing a person is not the first and main idea which came into mind of the RAID Commander in Chief. He might have hoped to solve the case without any hurt for his men and for the killer, knowing that putting him on trial would have been the best solution for anyone.

So, yes, a RAID sniper killed him. He protected his colleagues and it might have been the best solution. Of course, some might think that a pepper spray should have been an easier solution to make the killer capitulate. Albeit….

People should put themselves into the Police Unit situation and think twice before tweeting or questioning. Of course, the freedom of the press and their questions are legitimate and asking for answers is too, but is it necessary to give advices after the fight?

In front of fragile and war situations (it was a kind of war within a city !), none can say what they would say or do. You have to be IN those circumstances to know exactly how to react. The “I would have done that” are not an option for those kind of events.

In front of a determinate young man, strongly armed and fearless to die, there is no other way to solve that. You kill or you die.

It is tragic for families and I do sincerely pray for them and their beloved ones who died under the fanatic vision of a man.

So, to quote the famous US sentence : United We Stand.

We really should and stop the polemics !

Why I like supermodel Niki Taylor

When I wrote the post about fashion and designers, I‘ve mentioned that I was into modeling and models. 

As I read fashion magazines around my 10-11, I noticed the models photographed. Late 1982 (on 2 ELLE France December issues), one model drew my attention. It was a lovely blue eyed and sublime young woman from Denmark : Renee Toft Simonsen. She won the Ford Agency contest face of the 80’s. She was going to be one of the few models whom can be honored to be called “supermodels”. She became one of my true favorites (basically, the only one !) and I always thought that she was the most gorgeous woman in the world (and still !). So, I started collecting on her and pen palled with dozens of fans around the world : “Models collecting business” as we nicknamed ourselves. 

The trading was papers/covers/clippings and we posted abroad weekly anything we found out (and bought the magazines for) to our “traders” and their wishing lists. Renee entered into another dimension than fashion when she began to date Duran Duran bassist John Taylor in the mid-80’s and attracted Duran Duran fans ! The trading became hectic and it was quite a full time job to look through magazines at the newsstands and get the ones my pen pals might want. It was expensive too. Very expensive !

Anyhow, I kept on pen palling and trading until a Seventeen magazine confused me and my collection life. It was SEVENTEEN, US magazine, September 1989. I had subscribed to that magazine because I liked a fashion photographer, Paul Lange, and he was doing a lot of photos with it. On that particular issue, a blonde and skinny model drew my attention and I asked directly the photographer about her name. His answer was Niki Taylor. I’d been told that she did a few Italian GRAZIA magazines (along with another soon-to-be famous model : Carla Bruni) and did the August 1989 SEVENTEEN cover. I knew instantly that Niki Taylor would be a terrific and great model. It was printed on the paper. She was astounding and so fresh. So, I wrote to any of my pen pals and asked for “Niki Taylor only”. I stopped Renee Simonsen collection (she was kind of quitting the modeling business, though).

   

Here start my collection about Niki. Yes, I can call her Niki. I’ve been collecting on her for 23 years now and I know her career so well, that she could be a professional relative of mine. But I’ve never been (too) intrusive into her private life.

Niki is the incarnation of beauty, kindness and cleverness. She is smart, a great human being (due probably to her parents, whom are delightful and caring persons), and a strong woman. Her life is well-known by most Americans. She’s been through so much in a so very short time that she looks like invulnerable.

From her early years, 1989 and the fastness of her line of business (1991-1993) to the Red Cross Ambassador (2010-2011) and mother of 4, she’s been into so much joys and pains.

Apart from her divorce, her car wreck in 2001 (in which she nearly died, and went under 2 months of coma and months of recoveries and dozens of surgeries) her greatest pain is surely the loss of sibling Krissy, back on July 2^nd 1995. I will post about Krissy later this month because she does deserve to be celebrated and that she is missed so much.

Anyhow, Niki endures a lot and despite her eyes looked darken on some pictures (especially the Delano layout from ELLE December 1995, a few months after Krissy’s passing), she was still smiling and looking healthy.

She is down to earth and surely knows that she is an exception in this modeling business (she’s one of supermodels, along with Cindy, Naomi, Christy, Linda, Helena, Claudia, Kate etc. You know the ones you don’t have to say the name to exactly identify whom they are, Supermodels of the 90’s). Been close to be a “retired model” but never stopped to work and been asking for commercial, advertising or even editorial. Putting Niki Taylor in a cover is being sure to double selling !

Nowadays, Niki works for her company, runs a shop, does TV shows, some editorials and covers, offers her face and fame to American Red Cross, helps others women through her NikiTaylorInc., enjoys her family, her friends and her way of life, raises four children (twin boys Jake & Hunter born in 1994, Ciel born in 2009 and Rex Harrison born in 2011) with her husband, Burney Lamar.

She shall never stop to incarnate the perfection to me. The older she gets, the more respect I have for her. I guess that everyone has its own heroes in life, people you are referring to whenever you need a bit of strength. For me, one of the happy few is Niki, someone whom gives me strength, happiness (knowing that she is blissed in her life lately) and the determination to go on. It might be a bit superficial or stupid to say so, to call a supermodel a leader, but her job doesn’t determine what she is inside.

Once a magazine referred to Niki as “Supermodel, Super sexy, Supermom, Super smart… Niki Taylor is gorgeous inside and out”, it sumps up it all.