Exhibition at the Musée de Carouge «Ma vie de Courgette, on vous dit tout!»

In mid-May, I visited the new exhibition at the Musée de Carouge “Ma vie de Courgette, on vous dit tout!” which runs until 20 August 2017.

I loved it a lot. It was a rainy and grey day, but I do think that the sun always seems to shine down on Carouge, no matter what the weather is doing. This neighbourhood is a “must see”, just like this museum which exhibits works of local artists.

I went all by myself to learn more about the film by Claude Barras “My Life as a Zucchini”, a worldwide success which has won many major cinematographic awards.

The exhibition presents the “backstage” of this Franco-Swiss production. Step by step, the exhibition reveals the construction of this animation film shot using the technique of stop-motion. It makes us understand by showing us the  production process: storyboard, sketches, costumes, sets, puppets and so on...

In the hall of the museum, a large panel with the main characters of the cartoon. There is a description of each one below.

Who is Courgette? 

Courgette (or Zucchini) was nicknamed Courgette by his deceased mother. He is nice, but doesn’t let anyone tread on his toes. He is a little boy with big eyes and blue hair who, having become orphaned, is placed in an orphanage named the Foyer des Fontaines. Gradually he conquers the whole planet!

The success of the film lies in its sincerity and poetry. The tenderness and humour of the different characters shine through.  Although dark and sad at the beginning, it shows the adaptability of the hero and his friends as well as their optimism.

The author’s message is: “My life as a Zucchimi is a tribute to all children who are alone or in difficulty, with hope as the key.” 

We can see various drawings and scale models.

Ahmed: is a kind boy. He was placed in the home after his father committed a hold-up and his mother abandoned him.

Aunt Ida: Camille’s aunt is a vulgar, lying and selfish woman.

Madame Papineau: the Director of the Foyer des Fontaines, has severe airs, but she proves to be of great generosity.

Office of Mme Papineau.

Rosy: a dynamic, jovial, generous and protective educator! The children will learn that she has a lover and that she has just become a mum.

Gendarme Raymond: a policeman with a big heart.

The canteen of the Foyer des Fontaines.

The boys’ dormitory in the Foyer des Fontaines.

Classroom at the Foyer des Fontaines. 

Chalet in the mountains.

Walls of a room.

Foyer des Fontaines, seen from the outside.

Musée de Carouge

Place de Sardaigne 2

1227 Carouge

Entrance Free

Tuesday to Sunday from 14:00 to 18:00

Tulip Festival in Morges

Since the beginning of spring, the parks are covered in beautiful flowers and we all rush to the green spaces of the city. It is normal to see bankers and students during lunchtime picnicking, reading or simply relaxing on a busy weekday.

Walks at this time of the year are incredible in this country. In mid-May, I was in Morges (29 minutes by train from Geneva), a small, cute and agreeable town on the edge of Lake Geneva. After a short stroll around the town centre, I made my way to the Parc de l'Indépendance to visit the “Fête de la Tulipe”.

View of Temple de Morges from the Grand-Rue. A protestant temple from the 14th century

Grand-Rue - Morges’s charming main street with plenty of shops, restaurants and fountains and a Museum

Musée Alexis Forel - Founded in 1918, the museum is located in a historic house. You can see permanent collections and temporary exhibitions. Among the permanent collections, more than 150 dolls, Russian icons and paintings…

La Boîte à Thé - A beautiful and very nice tea-room and tea shop

Tea for the best mum, for Mother’s Day on May 14^th

Located between the Château de Morges, Lake Geneva and La Morges river, the Parc de l'Indépendance is home to 51 species of trees and plants (including chestnut trees, tulips, giant sequoias...).

Once a year (April to mid-May) “La Fête de la Tulipe” takes place. Morges becomes the capital of the tulip by exhibiting an array of tulips, narcissi and hyacinths. In an area of over 30,000 square meters, more than 120,000 bulbs allow us to discover more than 380 different varieties of tulip belonging to the various species (I give you their names in French: simple, double, triomphe, frangée, viridiflora, perroquet, hybrides et pluriflore).

I leave you with my photo album of that day, when I spent a lovely moment...

Tulipe frangée, Cummins

Séquoia géant, Sierra Nevada en Californie

Tulipe triomphe, Rosalie

Tulipe simple tardive, Café Noir

Monument des Patriotes Vaudois

Pin pleureur de l’Himalaya

Tulipe triomphe, Cheers

Kiosque à Musique

Marronnier rouge

Château de Morges - Built in 1286 by Louis de Savoie, the castle of Morges now houses several museums

Quai du Mont-Blanc - A very pleasant walk with views on the small port of sailing boats and the Morges castle…

Quai Lochmann - A magnificent walk on the shores of Lake Geneva, there are many beautiful residences…

View of the Temple de Morges from the Quai Lochmann

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris (2016)

Everyone knows a couple like Jack and Grace.

He has looks and wealth, she has charm and elegance. You might not want to like them, but you do. You’d like to get to know Grace better. But it’s difficult. Because you realise Jack and Grace are never apart. Some might call this true love. Others might ask why Grace never answers the phone. Or can’t meet for lunch - without Jack - even though she doesn’t work. How she can cook such elaborate meals but remain so slim. And why there are bars on one of the bedroom windows.

Sometimes, the perfect marriage is the perfect lie.

Author:  B.A. Paris is from a Franco/Irish background and was born in 1958. She was brought up in England and moved to France when she was 21. She spent some years working as a trader in an international bank before re-training as a teacher and setting up a language school with her husband. They still live in France and have five daughters. Her first novel “Behind Closed Doors” was published in 2016 and became a tremendous bestseller.

My thoughts: After reading “The Breakdown”, which is the second book by B.A. Paris, I wanted to read this one, which is her first novel. I read it in early April and I loved it. But, to be honest, I prefer by far the first one I read. “Behind Closed Doors” is a superb psychological domestic thriller, but best suited as a summer read.

It is a surprising and suffocating story but without any spectacular twists. It is a “huis clos”, as its title evokes. It makes us think how much we know about the people we choose to marry and how much we know about the secrets of our friends and acquaintances…

It's the story of an apparently perfect couple – with the looks, career, money, a beautiful house and, as they say here, “with all the superficial things that matter”. How appearances can be deceptive!

Jack is a handsome, brilliant and dedicated lawyer and a loving husband. Grace is an elegant and gracious hostess and a devoted wife. They live in the most beautiful house in the village and they often travel to Thailand and go on getaways around the country. They are also such altruistic people; they look after Grace’s sister named Millie who has Down’s syndrome. How on earth don’t they get sympathy from us? Well, the reality is, in very subtle ways, as scary and sinister as it can be. As you know, I never give away a plot in my reviews, but put the words captive and psychopath together and you know what this domestic thriller is all about.