On a lovely Sunday afternoon in Armadale, Melbourne, Australia

I left behind summer and all, to meet up again with the man of my life and find the first days of spring on the other side of the globe, in Australia.

Took off on Friday August 30th, noon, Paris time. Landed on Saturday August 31st, noon, Paris time, 19h30, local time.

Rather than a long story, here is a little photographic stroll, on a lovely Sunday afternoon in Armadale, residential precinct, 7 kilometers southeast of Melbourne center.

Café break and delicious sandwiches @ The Pour Kids

1E Winter St., Malvern VIC 3144

High Street, Armadale

High Street, Armadale

High Street, Armadale

High Street, Armadale

First day of spring in Armadale

First day of spring in Armadale

Glennferrie Rd., Armadale

A church with a quirky sense of communication, on the corner of Dandenong Rd. and Glennferrie Rd.

And an orchid which would make envious any of our European orchids grown in industrial greenhouses

To be continued...

The four-leaf clover, the fireworks over the Yarra River and the Saint-Jacques tartar with tender endives

Like Walt Disney's Snow-White chattering with the doe at her window, I question the dove resting on a hazelnut branch in the courtyard. She's been coming here for a couple of days and is now looking at me with a doubtful eye. What is she trying to tell me?

My man on the other end of the world is calling me. In Paris it is 11am. 7pm in Melbourne. He's going out for dinner. I show him Le petit livre des tartes et carpaccios I bought at a book stall in the rue Daguerre. I open the little cook book at random and find a withered four-leaf clover. The book is from 2004. Has its owner used the quota of luck which the clover is supposed to contain?

Laurent doesn't believe me. I insist. Then, it is his turn to marvel at something unexpected. On the road leading to his friends', glorious fireworks are illuminating the Yarra River in Melbourne. In our naivety we imagine immodestly that the city is already celebrating our reunion...

...or the jackpot we'll win tonight at Euro Millions thanks to the four-leaf clover tucked between the fish tartar with spiced lemon and the Saint-Jacques tartar with tender endives.

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French version: 

Your laugh in the drawer

"Purpose" by Seth Sawyers  

Photo : Flickr creative commons

A small conversation by video. Small and tender minutes while I work, when my man on the other end of the world, with the 8-hour time difference, is about to go to sleep. I want to wish him good night in my suit and tie.

FaceTime, free video phone calls via wifi, allows my man and I to share little bits of everything, nothing, bits of our daily lives, until we meet again physically, soon. While I am in the office, answering emails from clients, the iPhone standing on the desk in front of me, Laurent and I are discussing the sun in Paris allowing him to see the French Open matches, and his dinner with his friends. A guest then comes to the front desk, right next to the office. I take hold of my iPhone still on video mode. I don't disconnect the call. I put it in the drawer which I close. He doesn't see me anymore but can hear my restaurant tips for the night, deadened by his presence in the drawer. I open the drawer to wink at him, to give him a clown face. I close the drawer again. I talk with the guest. I can hear Laurent's laugh in the drawer which I open again. I put my finger to the lips to say sh! Laurent raises a bemused eyebrow and offers me his most beautiful and happy smile.  

- I had never been in a drawer before, says a little later my man on the other side of the world.

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French version: