It doesn't happen that often that I look at my city from above. Like the "small town Icarus" I went up the hill, went inside the "3rd castle" patio and then I started to look towards the dark horizon. Down not that far there is the lake. Down, meters below, there are 2 other castles. Yet, what strucked me was the beauty of my city from above. Detached from the everyday. Detached from the street level. Detached from those routines that, day after day, create my urban experience-(s). Now, on top of the hill, all I see is a perfectly calm image. Lights softly guide you through the mysterious darkness of the night. As I drove back down a song was playing at the radio. It's words started to fly through the open window... "These streets will make you feel brand new Big lights will inspire you"...
I'm not sure how much my town still inspires me but, many stories have already being written, nothing new appearing on the blank pages of my urban everyday journey but, looking at it from a different perspective yes...those lights inspired me. And made me feel brand new!
Photo by lilypenelope - Bellinzona from above.

The third castle of my city. The one that is situated above the other two. Alone here I stand, at the beginning of the street that will take me towards this beautiful medieval construction. No one around. Just me, a light and a road towards the past. Photo by lilypenelope

A monument. A billboard. History. Of art, of architecture, of social trends. Past and present. The present hiding temporarily the past. Yet, tomorrow, even this present/presence will be history.
Photo by lilypenelope

Letters. Words. Messages. Signs. Advertisement.

What if we start over?

Same letters.

Mix. Mix. Mix. Mix. Mix.

Anagrams.

Different Words. New Signs.

{RE}- Arrangement(s).

What if you do that in your life.

With your day?

Seconds. Minutes. Hours.

Conversations. Paths. Feelings. Informations. Collections.

Your Life.

L - I - F - E

MIx. Mix. Mix. Mix. Mix. Mix.

All informations are processed.

Your memories are still the same.

You just stack them in different Files in your sub-conscious.

The F-i-l-e. Of L-i-f-e.

Some good music, a constructive conversation, interesting people and a good cold drink (maybe more than just one!) can really make an evening spectacular. It doesn't happen very often. But it did happen last night. I shot pictures to share with you. I'll describe my evening, I'll try to point out details and make you feel you were part of it too. Unfortunately though, the virtual world will omit very important details. Here you will not find smells, sounds, and no...you can't even touch the drinks on the tables! Yet maybe this particularity of this world is the best one! It's up to you to fill the gaps.
I was told, couple of days ago, that in my favorite spot of my town, the bar where we hang out, that a concert would take place, right under the castle walls.

A famous Dj from Milan would play all night accompanied by a violinist. I surely couldn't miss it! I love electronic music, very experimental, very addictive, and I love the idea of something so extreme combined with a classical instrument( with amazing modern power) such as the violin. All of this happening at the feet of one of the 3 castles that are located in my city! Such a splendid combination.

I was already imagining all of it even before going there, on my funky bycicle. My usual friends didn't like the proposal of the night so...I went alone! I could hear the music already from far. Imagine a classic, imagine rocks, try to hear an electronic background music and try to smell so amazing food around the city! That was the beginning!

I sat down with other friends (from the usual!) ordered a fresh swiss beer (the first one of a long night!) while waiting for the music to continue. The violinist was thirsty and sat down at our table. No music and a lot of prosecco for her! Finally she goes back on stage and start to perform incredible and amazing music!

Unbelievable! Suddently we all got taken into a complete new dimension (and believe me...it wasn't the alcohol..at least for us...the violinist was a different story!!!). No one was talking anymore, the music was already doing that for us!

The stores window seemed to be interested in this spectacle too.

Beer and food kept coming on our table. Fish, veggies, meatballs! All of us were sort of paralized listening to the amazing sounds that were echoing around.
Great.
The music kept going til 11pm. We remained alll seated thinking it would start again but it did not. Time for the last beer.

Paris is the city I would love to live in for the rest of my life. The streets, its lights, its people and even its sometimes polluted air make me seriously feel at home. Maybe it is the underlines I put in every detail I see and feel with my constant wandering through its unbelievable rues and avenues, its uncanny {un}-expected urban surprises. Paris has the power to make you dream with your eyes wide open. It was very beautiful my arrival in the "Ville Lumière". Check in at the hotel as fast as possible to be ready for a full immersion experience of the city. Crossing the first bridge with a strange guy playing his accordion made me almost cry of joy! A typical dinner in a bistro with foie gras, warm goat cheese over a fresh-crunchy salad, a casserole and a bottle of brouilly wine! I was then ready to sleep! Excited for what would have come next. Waking up and go cross the same bridge to discover all the hidden "merveilles" of the city!