En France Deux
Mar. 28th, 2010 06:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
peterbirksWell, I went to sleep at 10pm last night and, despite waking up at 3am, managed to keep dozing off, amidst some rather worryingly symbolic dreams (naked in public, flying, AND my teeth falling out? Surely that's a winning trifecta?) until I eventally got up at 7.45am, which was, of course, 8.45am. That's two hours forward in two days. Weird.
Had very little energy this morning, and eventually went back to bed! I finally got up at 12.30, feeling properly recovered. Indication, I think, of how much I push myself when I am in London. 100 hours of poker a month on top of my job is too much effort at my age, I think.
I caught the 13.50 to Cap Ferrat, having just missed the previous bus. That gave me the opportunity to take a quick walk around a "non-commercial" part of Vieux Ville.
This was actually one that I took the evening before.
A view down to the vieux ville shopping area.
A typical non-commercial part of vieux ville. I love the arches!
I commenced my walk at 14.15. It being Sunday, it was considerably more crowded than I would expect during the week, with many French people taking advantage of the good weather.
I had another shock in store.
Whatever happened to the French sense of danger? A number of points had these fences newly installed, although other, equally dangerous points, remained unprotected.
Fortunately, my faith in the French (well, French youth) was restored. Having completed the main Cap Ferrat walk, I decided to do the additional tour of the "small" prominitory that houses the old Hospice. That made the total walk about six miles.
A daring youngster.
It being spring, there were some interesting plant sights. Buttercups were out, and I found some fresh rosemary. And also some young cones.
I am getting very old and very fat. I may well stop posting any pictures of myself less than a decade old, ... but not yet. Alternatively, I may, one day, manage to lose that old gut, brought about by 20 years of boozing.
Finally, a shot of a beach just to the south-east of Port Jean, on the north side of the eastern promonitory of Cap Ferrat.
Well, it's 7pm here and the sun is still up, so I guess that it will be 8pm before it gets dark. Gawd knows what it will be like in the countries even more out of synch with "real time". No wonder the Spanish and Portuguese eat really late; it's probably only about 6pm in real time when they sit down to their 10pm meal.
++++++++++++++++
Later: I downloaded GIMP and attempted to follow the instructions on changing the balance, but I couldn't get the hang of it with "Adjust colour curves" (I could adjust the curves, but not in any way that seemed to improve things!). However, "adjust colour levels" was far more effective -- using the imbalance of the histograms as a guide, and then moving all levels up by trial and error.
This was the result. OK for a first attempt, I think. This GIMP looks like it has promise...
Had very little energy this morning, and eventually went back to bed! I finally got up at 12.30, feeling properly recovered. Indication, I think, of how much I push myself when I am in London. 100 hours of poker a month on top of my job is too much effort at my age, I think.
I caught the 13.50 to Cap Ferrat, having just missed the previous bus. That gave me the opportunity to take a quick walk around a "non-commercial" part of Vieux Ville.
This was actually one that I took the evening before.
A view down to the vieux ville shopping area.
A typical non-commercial part of vieux ville. I love the arches!
I commenced my walk at 14.15. It being Sunday, it was considerably more crowded than I would expect during the week, with many French people taking advantage of the good weather.
I had another shock in store.
Whatever happened to the French sense of danger? A number of points had these fences newly installed, although other, equally dangerous points, remained unprotected.
Fortunately, my faith in the French (well, French youth) was restored. Having completed the main Cap Ferrat walk, I decided to do the additional tour of the "small" prominitory that houses the old Hospice. That made the total walk about six miles.
A daring youngster.
It being spring, there were some interesting plant sights. Buttercups were out, and I found some fresh rosemary. And also some young cones.
I am getting very old and very fat. I may well stop posting any pictures of myself less than a decade old, ... but not yet. Alternatively, I may, one day, manage to lose that old gut, brought about by 20 years of boozing.
Finally, a shot of a beach just to the south-east of Port Jean, on the north side of the eastern promonitory of Cap Ferrat.
Well, it's 7pm here and the sun is still up, so I guess that it will be 8pm before it gets dark. Gawd knows what it will be like in the countries even more out of synch with "real time". No wonder the Spanish and Portuguese eat really late; it's probably only about 6pm in real time when they sit down to their 10pm meal.
++++++++++++++++
Later: I downloaded GIMP and attempted to follow the instructions on changing the balance, but I couldn't get the hang of it with "Adjust colour curves" (I could adjust the curves, but not in any way that seemed to improve things!). However, "adjust colour levels" was far more effective -- using the imbalance of the histograms as a guide, and then moving all levels up by trial and error.
This was the result. OK for a first attempt, I think. This GIMP looks like it has promise...
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no subject
Date: 2010-03-28 06:18 pm (UTC)Good grief, I have exactly the same dreams.
Either walking nonchalantly naked only half caring or just in pyjamas (which I have not worn since the 80s), the ability to fly without recourse to a machine and having teeth fall out one by one until I am toothless.
Some dreams must be common to many people though what they mean I am not sure. I worry about losing my teeth but I have good teeth and only go to a dentist once a year for a polish. No idea what the other two mean.
Thankfully, I am no longer getting the train journeys that end up back where I started.
Cauchemar sur la mer
Date: 2010-03-28 07:32 pm (UTC)I yearn for those old-fashioned dreams where I only lose my teeth whilst jumping naked from one insubstantial cloud to another in order to save a close relative from death. Those dreams were fun.
Don't get me started on the nightmares.
Accumulated abdominal alcohol
Date: 2010-03-28 07:45 pm (UTC)I'd recommend circuit training rather than that silly rowing machine stuff, plus a few weeks of a strict Indian vegetarian diet, based on as many pulses as possible. Sure, you won't be doing much for Gaia's carbon footprint, but who cares? You won't be alive long enough to enjoy the benefits anyway.
Unless, that is, you get back from Nice and start dating smart young late-thirties/early-forties girls again. There's no point in taking a break from your pointless, harried, unimportant little life unless, when you get back, you force yourself to pick an entirely different sort of pointless, harried, unimportant little life.
With beans. And sweaty running around in a circle. I wouldn't recommend sex, pulses, or circuit training for everyone, but they've always worked for me.
no subject
Date: 2010-03-29 07:49 am (UTC)Try a 'gamma correction' on a before levels attempt and an after levels attempt.
Maybe add a 'sharpen' in the mix too.
Of course, being a night-shot then you have a slightly longer exposure.
You could try a shorter one in addition and compare the two photos after manipulation. The darker one will not be so visible in the camera but there maybe less washed out pixels so that after gamma, brightness and contrast manipulations you have a better picture.
no subject
Date: 2010-03-29 09:54 am (UTC)Oh, and I tried the "use a piece of white card to get the balance", but I don't think that I did it correctly. May experiment this evening on the Rue de France!
PJ
no subject
Date: 2010-03-29 04:51 pm (UTC)Let's see what happens!
PJ
Can we all watch?
Date: 2010-03-29 01:16 pm (UTC)And if it helps your mood, England has reverted to temperatures of 4C and it's been pissing down all morning. Snow is forecast for the Pennines.
Re: Can we all watch?
Date: 2010-03-29 03:52 pm (UTC)How's that stupid thing with the white cards going?
Re: Can we all watch?
Date: 2010-03-29 04:52 pm (UTC)PJ