Yes, I understand that every life must end, uh-huh
As we sit alone, I know someday we must go, uh-huh
Oh, I'm a lucky man to count on both hands the ones I love
Some folks just have one, yeah, others, they got none, uh-huh
Stay with me, oh, let's just breathe
(Ooh-ooh)
Practiced are my sins, never gonna let me win, uh-huh
Under everythin', just another human bein', uh-huh
Yeah, I don't wanna hurt
There's so much in this world to make me bleed
Stay with me, you're all I see
Did I say that I need you?
Did I say that I want you?
Oh, if I didn't, I'm a fool, you see
No one knows this more than me
As I come clean
I wonder everyday, as I look upon your face, uh-huh
Everythin' you gave and nothin' you would take, uh-huh
Nothin' you would take, everythin' you gave
Did I say that I need you?
Oh, did I say that I want you?
Oh, if I didn't, I'm a fool, you see
No one knows this more than me
As I come clean, I
(Ah)
(Ah-ah)
Nothin' you would take, everythin' you gave
Oh, hold me 'til I die, meet you on the other side
Thursday, 6 November 2025
STAY WITH ME, YOU'RE ALL I SEE. LET'S JUST BREATHE...
Wednesday, 5 November 2025
1499, JEHAN LAGADEUC’S THE CATHOLICON IS PUBLISHED
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She has been reading about the Catholicon, the first Breton dictionary as well as the first French dictionary, which was written by Jehan Lagadeuc and published on a day like today in 1499.
The Catholicon, from Greek Καθολικόν 'universal', is a 15th-century dictionary written in Breton, French, and Latin. It is the first Breton dictionary and also the first French dictionary. It contains six thousand entries and was compiled in 1464 by Jehan Lagadeuc , a man from Plougonven who was probably a priest. It was first printed in 1499 in Landreger; its early date classifies it as an incunable.
The work takes its name from an earlier dictionary, the Latin Catholicon of John of Genoa. The Breton/French/Latin Catholicon is referred to by some historians as the Catholicon Armoricum (in reference to Armorica, a name for the region of Brittany in Latin) in order to distinguish it from other documents with similar names.
The dictionary is arranged alphabetically with Breton entries, followed by translations in French and Latin. Each entry contains additional commentary in Latin, and most editions use Latin for their introductions and any clarifying notes.
Spelling at this time was not standardized in French or in Breton, and different forms of the same word can be found in the text, sometimes even within the same article. French was undergoing changes in pronunciation in the 15th century as Middle French emerged. These changes, along with the replacement of one dialectical form of a word for another, are responsible for the variations in the spelling of French words in the Catholicon.
Breton, on the other hand, has been more conservative in its evolution, and at the time of the Catholicon was only lightly differentiated from Welsh and Cornish.
Multiple editions exist of the dictionary, some of which differ significantly from each other. The earliest manuscript is dated 1464, August 31, and was compiled by Jehan Lagadeuc. The original is believed to be lost, but an early copy is preserved in the national library in Paris, identified as Latin 7656.
-1499, November 5. First edition by Jehan Calvez, a printer from Landreger. Its early date classifies it as an incunable; only five copies are extant.
-Early 16th Century. Second edition by Jehan Corre.
-1521, January 31. Third edition by Yvon Quillévéré.
Modern editions have been published, starting in 1867.
There is nothing more rewarding than time.
Breton Proverb
Tuesday, 4 November 2025
THE 1966 FLOOD OF THE ARNO, DESOLATION IN FLORENCE
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The 1966 flood of the Arno, in Italian Alluvione di Firenze del 4 novembre 1966, in Florence killed 35 people and damaged or destroyed millions of masterpieces of art and rare books. It is considered the worst flood in the city's history since 1557. With the combined effort of Italian and foreign volunteers alike, or angeli del fango (Mud Angels), many of these fine works have been restored. New methods in conservation were devised and restoration laboratories established. However, even decades later, much work remains to be done.
Located in the Tuscany region of Central Italy, the river Arno is approximately 240 kilometres long. It flows from the Mount Falterona hills of the Apennine Mountains to the Ligurian Sea, just 11 kilometres west of Pisa. Lush vineyards and olive groves line the river's scenic course to the west, out to sea. Principally utilized for irrigation purposes, only 32 kilometres of the river is used for navigation.
The highest flows of the river generally occur in spring and autumn of every year, when rainfall in the Apennines is at its greatest. The intensity of the 1966 flood was further increased by both the topography of the Apennines, which contributed to the high run-off rates and river discharges, and urban development. Roads, such as the Via dei Calzaiuoli, served as narrow channels for floodwaters, allowing for their greater speed and destruction within the city; bridges, on the other hand, hindered river flow where it was needed, allowing water to pour over the floodplain with great force.
The flood has had a lasting impact on Florence, economically and culturally. City officials and citizens were unprepared for the storm and the widespread devastation that it caused. There were virtually no emergency measures in place, at least partially because Florence is located in an area where the frequency of flooding is relatively low. In fact, approximately 90% of the city's population were completely unaware of the imminent disaster.
Residents were set to celebrate their country's World War I victory over Austria on 4 November, Armed Forces Day. In commemoration, businesses were closed and many of their employees were out of town for the public holiday. While many lives were likely spared as a result, the locked buildings greatly inhibited the salvaging of valuable materials from numerous institutions and shops, with the exception of a number of jewellery stores whose owners were warned by their nightwatchmen.
5,000 families were left homeless by the storm, and 6,000 stores were forced out of business. Approximately 600,000 tons of mud, rubble and sewage severely damaged or destroyed numerous collections of books, manuscripts and fine art.
It is estimated that between 3 and 4 million books and manuscripts were damaged, as well as 14,000 movable works of ar.
Artist Marco Sassone, in a 1969 interview, recalled the impact of the flood on Florence's residents: The only thing you could do was watch and be helpless. Nature was master...the women became crazy with fear. They began throwing things from the windows and screaming 'who is going to save my children?' It was reported that 101 people lost their lives in the flood waters.
-Archives of the Opera del Duomo (Archivio di Opera del Duomo): 6,000 volumes of documents and 55 illuminated manuscripts were damaged.
-Gabinetto Vieusseux Library (Biblioteca del Gabinetto Vieusseux): All 250,000 volumes were damaged, including titles of romantic literature and Risorgimento history; submerged in water, they became swollen and distorted. Pages, separated from their text blocks, were found pressed upon the walls and ceiling of the building.
-National Central Library (Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale Firenze): Located alongside the Arno, the National Library was cut off from the rest of the city by the flood. 1,300,000 items (a third of their holdings) were damaged, including prints, maps, posters, newspapers and a majority of works in the Palatine and Magliabechi collections.
-The State Archives (Archivio di Stato): Roughly 40% of the collection was damaged, including property and financial records; birth, marriage and death records; judicial and administrative documents; and police records, among others.
-Library and Archive of the Italian Unification (Biblioteca e Archivio del Risorgimento): 7,000 volumes were inundated. The facility and collections were restored and the Library and Archive reopened in 1969.
-Academy of Agriculturists (Accademia dei Georgofili)
-Historic Institute of the Resistance (Istituto Storico della Resistenza)
-Hospital of the Innocents (Ospedale degli Innocenti)
-Institute and Museum of the History of Science (Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza)
-Uffizi Gallery
-Book shops and antique book dealers, many in possession of rare materials
-Numerous private collections
-The collections of numerous churches and cathedrals
Regional officials in Tuscany are responsible for organizing a massive project, the purpose of which is to not only protect the area from future flooding but to maintain high water quality and effectively utilize water resources.
Work commenced in 1984, with the construction of the Bilancino Dam, near Florence. The Sieve tributary and spillway at Pontedera are among other developments. The national government has funded a majority of these various subprojects, with the city of Florence being the primary recipient of the money.
More information: The Guardian
Like air pollution, flood risk is a threat
that government should be protecting us against.
Barry Gardiner
Monday, 3 November 2025
HAR DU FYR, HAR DU LØKTER LANGS DIN VEI, HAR DU FYR
Kan hende du seile di skute
Kan hende du seile tilfeldig som gjest
Kan hende du går her i rute
Uansett treng du et punkt som e fast
Der du frakte di skjøre last
Det e nok at det står der og brenn
En trofast gammel venn
Har du fyr
Har du løkter langs din vei
Har du fyr
Et signal om riktig lei
Ei lampe som gløde i mørket
Og lose dæ ut og frem
Som tar dæ bort og hjemmefra
Men også tar dæ hjem
Vår herre sa det da jorda vart te
La det bli lys og det ble det
Så sette han sol og måne og stjærne
Opp så vi kunne se det
Men de som Han glemte i skapningens gry
Var alle de som e dømt til å fly
På havet i vær og vind
Mens skodde og mørke sett inn
Har du fyr
Har du løkter langs din vei
Har du fyr
Et signal om riktig lei
Ei lampe som gløde i mørket
Og lose dæ ut og frem
Som tar dæ bort og hjemmefra
Men også tar dæ hjem
Et landemerke for håp og drøm
Helst sku vi la det bemanne
Der skarven flyr og der seien svøm
Ute på kanten av landet
Et hus i havet som står 'an av
Og gjør en seilar så gla så gla
Og rope så sjøen skvett
æ vil bli sett
Har du fyr
Har du løkter langs din vei
Har du fyr
Et signal om riktig lei
Ei lampe som gløde i mørket
Og lose dæ ut og frem
Som tar dæ bort og hjemmefra
Men også tar dæ hjem
Men også tar dæ hjem
You might sail your ship
You might sail casually as a guest
You might sail on a schedule
No matter what you need a permanent point
Where you transport your fragile cargo
It's enough that it is there and burns
A faithful, old friend
Do you have fire
Do you have lanterns along your path
Do you have fire
A signal to show the right way
A lamp that glows in the dark
And leads you out and forward
That brings you away and from home
But also brings you back home
Our Lord, he said it when he made the Earth
Let there be light, and it happened
Then he put the sun and the moon and stars
Up there so we could see them
But those who he forgot in the dawn of creation
Were all those who are doomed to fly
On the ocean in weather and wind
While fog and darkness come
Do you have fire
Do you have lanterns by your path
Do you have fire
A signal to show the right way
A lamp that glows in the dark
And he yells so the sea splashes
"I want to be seen"
I wish we had it manned
Where the cormorant flies and the saithe swims
Out on the edge of the land
A house in the sea that stands by
And makes a sailor so happy so happy
And shout so the sea splashes
And will be seen
Do you have fire
Do you have lanterns by your path
Do you have fire
A signal to show the right way
A lamp that glows in the dark
And leads you out and forward
That brings you away and from home
But also brings you back home
Men også tar dæ hjem
But also brings you back home
But also brings you back home
Hekla Stålstrenga
Sunday, 2 November 2025
CATHÉDRALE SAINT-JEAN-BAPTISTE-ET-SAINT-ÉTIENNE
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Lyon Cathedral or the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist of Lyon, in French Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste-et-Saint-Étienne de Lyon is a Roman Catholic church located on Place Saint-Jean in central Lyon, France.
The cathedral is dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, and is the seat of the Archbishop of Lyon.
Begun in 1180 on the ruins of a 6th-century church, it was completed in 1476. Despite its long construction time, it has a relatively consistent architectural style.
In 1998, the building, along with other historic sites in the center of Lyon, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The cathedral was founded by Saint Pothinus and Saint Irenaeus, the first two bishops of Lyon, in the 2nd century.
The cathedral is also known as a Primatiale because in 1079 Pope Gregory VII granted to the archbishop of Lyon the title of Primate of All the Gauls with the legal supremacy over the principal archbishops of the kingdom.
It is located in the heart of the old town (Vieux Lyon) and it backs up to the Saône river, with a large plaza in front of it and a metro stop nearby providing easy access to and from the city center.
Patiens of Lyon, who was bishop around 450 AD, built a new cathedral, dedicated to Saint Stephen. Later, in the seventh century, a baptistery dedicated to Saint John was constructed as an accessory building to the church. The Church of St. Croix was also near. This location later became the site of the Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste.
In 1245, the cathedral hosted the First Council of Lyon.
In 1819, J. M. W. Turner sketched a study of the cathedral as seen from the heights of the Fourvière Hill. Edgar Degas used the cathedral for the setting of his painting Ceremony of Ordination at Lyon Cathedral.
Each December, Lyon holds an annual Festival of Lights. The tradition dates to 1643, when on 8 December the people of Lyon would place a lit candle in the window, a custom still maintained by many residents to this day. During the festival, a choreographed lighting display appears on the façade of the cathedral.
The building is 80 meters long (internally), 20 metres wide at the choir, and 32.5 meters high in the nave. The apse and choir are of Romanesque design; the nave and façade are Gothic.
Noteworthy are the two crosses to right and left of the altar, preserved since the Second Council of Lyon of 1274 as a symbol of the union of the churches, and the Bourbon chapel, built by the Cardinal Charles II, Duke of Bourbon, and his brother Pierre de Bourbon, son-in-law of Louis XI, a masterpiece of 15th century sculpture.
The cathedral also has the Lyon astronomical clock from the 14th century.
The cathedral organ was built by Daublaine and Callinet and was installed in 1841 at the end of the apse and had 15 stops. It was rebuilt in 1875 by Merklin-Schütze and given 30 stops, three keyboards of 54 notes and pedals for 27. Renowned organist Édouard Commette served as the resident organist for most of the first half of the 20th century.
Until the construction of the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière, it was the pre-eminent church in Lyon.
More information: Primatiale
Leonard Ravenhill
Saturday, 1 November 2025
LE TOUR DE GAULE D'ASTÉRIX IN DÉCINES-CHARPIEU, LYON
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The Grandma has had to cancel her trip due to health problems. She is still in the hospital recovering, but she will also follow the Northern Star from a distance. She is very happy that her friends can enjoy the match live. She promises to recover well and return to Lyon as soon as possible to enjoy another match. The days are getting long in the hospital and she has decided to read a new Astérix adventure, this time Astérix's Tour of Gaul.
Astérix and the Banquet (also known as Astérix's Tour of Gaul -translated from French Le Tour de Gaule d'Astérix) is a French comic book story, written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo. It is the fifth story in the Astérix comic book series, and was originally published by Dargaud as a serial for Pilote magazine in 1963, before later being released as a comic album in 1965.
The story focuses on Astérix and Obélix travelling around Gaul to find and secure various delicacies in order to win a bet against a Roman Prefect that seeks to keep their village isolated from the rest of the world. Much of the plot features notable parodies and cultural references surrounding France, including its history and society, and was the first to introduce the character of Dogmatix, after Goscinny and Uderzo found him to be popular with readers.
Astérix and the Banquet received positive reviews following its publication, with the original cover of the comic later being sold for a record sum in an auction in Paris in 2017.
Key Lessons From Astérix and the Banquet
Astérix and the Banquet featured many cultural references to France and the various regions, along with its culture. The plot of the comic was deeply inspired by the Tour de France bicycle race. Alongside this, other major references to France included:
-In the original publication, the sack carried by Obélix was coloured yellow, in reference to race leader's jersey colour in the Tour de France.
-The dishes are Lutentian ham, bêtises de Camaracum, wines from Durocortum, sausages and meatballs of Lugdunum, Nicae salad, Massilian fish stew, Tolosa sausages, Aginum prunes, and oysters and white wine from Burdigala.
-A scene involving the backalleys of Lugdunum, references the traboules of Lyon that were used by the French Resistance during World War II. The creators paid homage to the Resistance with a parody outfit called The Gaulish Resistance.
-Several scenes in Massilia reference the works of filmmaker Marcel Pagnol-Marius (1931), Fanny (1932) and César (1936). Pagnol greatly approved of the parodies the Astérix creators made, remarking that work will be immortal...because it's appeared in Astérix!
-A number of parodies reflecting the regional stereotypes of inhabitants of Normandy and Marseille, as well as Parisian traffic and the holiday season in Nice.
-A phrase in the comic -Je vous promets qu'on n'a pas fini d'en parler de l'affaire du courrier de Lugdunum!- is a reference to the trial le courrier de Lyon, where an innocent one was sentenced for the murder of postmen and the theft of their mail in 1796.
In addition, the comic featured other cultural references:
-A quote made by Roman poet Horace -Exegi monumentum aere perennius (translated: I have erected a monument more lasting than bronze.)- is uttered by a legionnaire during the scene involving the stockade's construction.
-A phrase written by Roman poet Lucan in The Pharsalia -Victrix causa diis placuit, sed victa catoni (translated: The victorious cause was pleasing to the gods, but the lost cause was pleasing to Cato)- is referenced by a crew member of the pirates after their defeat at the hands of Astérix and Obélix.
-In a scene at the candy shop that the Gauls visit, the creators made reference to the play Patient Grissel with the lyrics from the lullaby Golden Slumbers.
Fun is poked at various French regional stereotypes:
-The inhabitants of Normandy are shown as being unable to give a direct answer and smothering their food in creamy sauce.
-The traffic jams in Paris (Lutetia in the comic strip) are spoofed.
-The inhabitants of Lutetia (Paris) are shown going to Nicæ (Nice) for their summer holiday. (Obélix refers to Nicae as the Gaulish Riviera.) Like modern Parisian travelers, the visitors from Lutetia cause huge traffic jams with their carts on the road into Nicæ, and huge crowds on the beach.
-The inhabitants of Massilia (Marseille) are hot-blooded and shown to exaggerate enormously.
Download Astérix and the Banquet (Asterix's Tour of Gaul)
Astérix
Friday, 31 October 2025
BELIEVE ME [...] THE AURORA WILL SHINE YOUR WAY...
And tried to make the noise
Them black blind poet generals
And restless loud white boys
Time's grew thin and the axis
Grew somehow incomplete
Where instead of child lions
We had aging junkie sheep
Well, how many wasted have I seen signed:
"Hollywood or bust"
And left to ride the ever ghostly Arizona gusts
Cheerleader tramps and kids with big amps
Sounding in the void
High society vamps, ex-heavyweight champs
Mistaking soot for soil
So break me now, big Mama
As Old Faithful breaks the day
Believe me, my good Linda
The aurora will shine the way
The confederacy's in my name now
The hounds are held at bay
The axis needs a stronger arm
Do you feel your muscles play?
Well, the doorstep blanket weaver
Madonna pushes bells
From house to house I see her
Giving last kisses and wishing well
To every gypsy mystic hero
That the kids might find a place
Who get lost forever their mom and pops
On their weekends out in space
Well, sons they search for fathers
But the fathers are all gone
The lost souls search for saviors
But saviors don't last long
Those nameless, questless renegade brats
Who live their lives in song
They run the length of a candle
With a goodnight whisper, then they're gone
So break me now, big Mama
As Old Faithful breaks the day
Believe me, my good Linda
The aurora will shine the way
The confederacy's in my name now
The hounds are held at bay
The axis needs a stronger arm
Do you feel your muscles play?
Well, the missions are filled with Hermits
They're looking for a friend
The terraces are filled with cat-men
Just looking for a way in
Those orphans jumped on silver mountains
Lost in celestial alleyways
They wait for that old tramp Dog Man Moses
He takes in all the strays
Now don't you grow on empty legends
Or lonely cradle songs
Billy the Kid was just a bowery boy
Who made a living twirling his guns
The night she's long and lanky
And she speaks in a mother tongue
She lullabies the refugees
With amplifier's hum
So break me now, big Mama
As Old Faithful breaks the day
Believe me, my good Linda
The aurora will shine the way
The confederacy's in my name now
The hounds are held at bay
The axis needs a stronger arm
Do you feel your muscles play?
The confederacy's in my name now
The hounds are held at bay
The axis needs a stronger arm
Do you feel your muscles play?
As old faithful breaks the day
Believe me, my good linda,
The aurora will shine your way