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Fête de la Musique 2025

In 1982, Minister for Culture Jack Lang decided to organise a popular music festival for the summer solstice. The idea was that every person and their dog (sometimes preferably the dog) could take to the street to sing or play an instrument. Over 40 years on, the Fête de la Musique has become a national tradition.

Local bands of all kinds will pop out to a square or street corner to play, while bands with more notoriety will get a stage. In villages, it'll just be just the one on the main square, often not on 21 June itself (similarly Bastille Day fireworks aren't all done on 14 July to allow people to visit these smaller villages), while in big cities, there'll be something for everyone, an wider mix of genres, and some big acts. I remember seeing Catherine Ringer a few years ago, she's quite well-known in France.

Above wasn't the biggest stage in Strasbourg (it was plenty busy enough for me, thank you), but it was the one in front of the Cathedral. Fittingly, in a way, the band playing was the Soutanes* of Swing, a group of Catholic missionaries singing "we love Jesus"-themed parodies of various rock and variety songs in front of the Vatican flag. Not for me, but they had some serious fans cheering, and I love the joke name, that's clever.

*A soutane is a priest's robe.

Finally, everyone's favourite bar is bound to have a gig or a DJ for the evening. If the weather's good, even better: the party can be out on the terrace, though when every bar has one, it can get noisy between locations. And as ever with the Fête de la Musique, DJ installations come in all shapes and sizes...

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Quick one tonight - just running through the June archives and found this picture from a couple of friends' wedding reception. No question that the people and classic car improve this view: across the estuary is the Le Havre oil refinery...

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JR Shikoku's Anpanman Trains

I might be doing this post a bit early, though I can always do a follow-up in a month or so *wink-wink*nudge-nudge*, but while we're on the subject of Shikoku, here's JR Shikoku's biggest Joyful Train programme: the Anpanman collab. There are at least seven vehicles in circulation, and since 2000, over a million passengers (1万 is 10,000) have been carried in these colourful specials, as indicated by the flag seen at Takamatsu station. I've only seen one, but it's a wow-ee:

If the fact that there are seven trains based on this character running around isn't enough of a clue, let's spell it out: Anpanman is a big deal in Japan. I feel he's not very well known outside, but domestically, it's a huge childrens' media franchise - grossing higher than Hello Kitty consistently since 2002, and that character's got a few trains in collab with JR West, including a banger Shinkansen set, but not seven!

So what is Anpanman? The titular character is a superhero with an anpan, a red-bean filled bun, for a face. All the characters and world are food-themed, with the antagonists being incarnations of mold and germs - the main baddie is Baikinman, just left of the rainbow below the windows. Bottom right of the picture are four of Anpanman's allies: Cheese the dog, Uncle Jam his baker and assistant Batako-san, and Melonpanna the melon bread-head. There's clearly more, and this train's 5 carriages long!

Anpanman trains come in many forms, from more leisurely tourist trains to Diesel and electric express sets. This is the electric one: a tilting 8000 series than runs mainly between Okayama/Takamatsu and Matsuyama, along the North coast of Shikoku. After spotting this train in Okayama, I caught a normal 8000 the next day to go to Imabari.

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The recently-retired JR Tôkai 923 class Doctor Yellow has entered the museum at Nagoya!... replacing the 922 class that was there before.

No worries, the 922 isn't getting scrapped, it's being transferred to another museum in Ishikawa.

ドクターイエロー。

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I actually did a little more that I let on, and walked on the right-hand bank. I kind of felt like I shouldn't have been there, it's overgrown and uneven under foot. Still got to see one train (a push-pull Corail TER 200 set) going by the canal, plus the one in the overhead shot at the end of the original post.

The abandoned Arzviller station

The old canal we followed yesterday is flanked by the Zorn river and the Strasbourg to Sarrebourg railway. Trains call at Lutzelbourg and/or Réding, while, half-way in between and opposite lock n°6, sits Arzviller station - actually located on the territory of Saint-Louis - closed. Shockingly, I can't find when it was closed (one source suggests the 1980s, though in my mind it was more recent).

Going from the canal to the station requires dropping down to the level of the Zorn river, crossing it, and going under the railway and road. There is a very dark underpass, but if you look closely and sport the light switch... Club Vosgien, the association which manages hiking trails in the Vosges mountains, literally shines through with this installation!

Given that Arzviller station is closed, and not wanting to tread the same ground twice, I decided to walk from one station to the next, Réding to Lutzelbourg, and I can't recommend the part from Réding to Arzviller: not signposted for hikers, really requiring a map if you're trying to avoid roads... and the only real highlight is the chance to glimpse the twin canal & railway tunnels: boats and trains enter and exit together at the West end (no boats on the day I visited though).

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A giant screw in Imabari

On the Shikoku end of the Shimanami Kaidô is the city of Imabari. It has a very elegant rebuilt castle which deserves its own post one day, and this enormous ship propeller. Because this part of the Seto Inland Sea is shipbuilding country.

This 9-metre, 93-tonne screw is a replica of one fitted to a 320-metre container ship built by Imabari Shipbuilding in 2008. The company was founded in 1901, so the propeller serves as a monument to the longevity of the business that no doubt contributes hugely to Imabari's economy and population.

As mentioned, there are many shipyards in the area, Imabari being the largest, and probably the only one that can manage a ship needing a 9-metre screw. Another is visible along the Shimanami Kaidô - this would be the Iwagi Shipyard, seen from the expressway just East of the Tatara suspension bridge.

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Shimanami Kaidô: the Seto Inland Sea's cycle* route

*Disclaimer: I took the bus.

While the Seto Ôhashi opened in 1988, and is the only road-and-rail link between Honshu and Shikoku, a second road crossing was completed a decade later, between Onomichi in Hiroshima Prefecture, and Imabari in Ehime Prefecture. Unlike the Seto Ôhashi which has a rather direct, straight-line profile, the Shimanami Kaidô Expressway makes smaller hops from one island to the next, and snakes along, constantly looking for the shortest channels.

The expressway is paralleled by a 70 km cycle path, including dedicated lanes on almost every bridge. The exception is the bridge at Onomichi, hence the official Shimanami Kaidô cycle route includes a ferry crossing to Mukaishima, but from there, it's plain riding all the way to Shikoku.

As stated at the start of the post, I did not cycle this route. I planned to visit Imabari in the morning, and take the bus to Fukuyama, with a walk-around at at least one bridge along the way. I stopped at Tatara suspension bridge, on which the border between Hiroshima and Ehime prefectures is situated. There is a service station (which serves ミカンソフト - mandarin ice cream!) and an observation platform. After that, I decided to terminate at Onomichi instead of Fukuyama, getting off the bus on Mukaishima and taking the ferry. Even as an afternoon bus cruise, it was a very satisfying trip, with lots of spectacular Seto Inland seascapes to take in.

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Discontinued: the Fukumoto ferry of Onomichi

When I stumbled on this NHK report about a ferry company ceasing operations, the picture had a familiar vibe, like I'd been there. And I had: this is Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture. Famous for its temples and narrow alleys in the hills (which I didn't visit, it was the end of the day when I arrived), the city now covers some islands of the Seto Inland Sea just opposite. Naturally, these islands are heavily reliant on ferries for quick crossings between the shipyards on Mukaishima and Onomichi town centre.

This was one such ferry: 第拾貳小浦丸, Dai Jûni Koura Maru, or "Ship Little Beach n°12" (note the complicated kanji spelling of the number 12, which would commonly be written 十二), built in 1971 and owned by the Fukumoto Ferry Company - the company that, after 135 years of service on the route, ended operations at the end of March. So I had seen it, though not the precise ship that did the final runs. The reason given for the end of the service is the "aging of the docks", which sounds like maintenance or upgrading was necessary that the company maybe couldn't afford.

Fukumoto is not the only ferry company in the area though. In fact, I rode into Onomichi on a different route, further East, with the Nyû Shimanami above. Nearer to the Fukumoto route, this other ferry, the Mukaishima II, with an interesting pagoda-style bridge was also running.

So I guess I should talk about Shimanami Kaidô next! However, I'll be skipping a post this weekend due to a family occasion. Next post Tuesday or Wednesday.

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Storks at Orangerie Park

Hadn't been to Pourtalès and Orangerie parks for at least 2 years, and some things have changed - the area between the bus stops and Pourtalès is being rebuilt with a cyclobahn installed, the zoo at Orangerie stands closed and fenced off with only two animals remaining (two mouflons that are carrying a disease, so can't be transferred), and the bowling alley's been demolished. But the storks are still nesting on the roofs and treetops at Orangerie, so that's something!

I'd say there's a good dozen stork couples nesting at Orangerie, and we're in the middle of rearing season: the eggs have hatched and the juveniles seem to be growing nicely, some starting to stretch their wings although they can't fly just yet. The adults, meanwhile, keep watch, bring material to maintain the nest, find food, drink from the fountains...

It's not just the zoo that's been cordoned off: a dying tree is also off-limits to wanderers. It should be cut down, but as storks have nested there this Spring, management is going to wait until the birds leave for Africa to get rid of it. This allows some activity on the ground, with this squirrel and, if you can see it, a little mouse.

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Animals at Pourtalès Park

Realised I haven't been out much this month, nothing meaningful since the week in Germany. I'm planning something big this Summer so I need to get active... Should at least get out to a park this weekend. Pourtalès, to the North of Strasbourg, leads into the Robertsau forest. It's quite big and there's a chance to see some animals if they don't shy away because it's too busy. You're still not likely to get the Frog Song from an old Rupert cartoon I remember...

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"Those red cars were the bane of my existence" - 2000-2004 Ferraris

When Aidan Millward said something along those lines in a recent video, I felt it, because as a Häkkinen fan in the late 90s and early 2000s, Ferrari and Schumacher were the adversary. And like Aidan does in his videos, I have to admit that, looking back, they were only that insufferable because they were that good. The ultimate adversary of sorts, with generational talents in driving, managing and engineering under one roof: Michael Schumacher, Jean Todt, Ross Brawn, Rory Byrne, Nigel Stepney...

It took a few years and a few attempts, but in 1999, Ferrari won their first Constructors' championship since the early 80s, with Schumacher's first Drivers' title in red, and the first for Ferrari in 21 years, came a year later, with the F1-2000 pictured on the left. The momentum had built up, and for the next four years, the well-oiled machine that was the Scuderia with the aforementioned people in charge, were consistent contenders, always in the conversation to win races and championships... though more often that not, they were the only ones in the conversation. 2001, 2002 and 2004 were write-offs if you weren't Michael Schumacher. 2003 (F2003-GA on the right) was a closer affair, as a tyre war allowed McLaren and Williams to get close to breaking the streak.

But it didn't happen, and Ferrari won Drivers' and Constructors' doubles for five straight years, something no-one had done before, and only an equally dominant Mercedes has done since. All five cars were on display together at the Museo Ferrari in Maranello - the set-up may have changed, but I expect all five to still be shown in some capacity. After all, 2000 to 2004 were Ferrari's best years, even though, as someone who wasn't a Ferrari fan, they didn't feel like F1's best years.

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The first race car I supported: the McLaren MP4/13-Mercedes

Aidan Millward, a YouTuber who talks a lot about racing history and current affairs, recently went to an exhibit at Silverstone and came face to face with the first Formula 1 car he supported, Damon Hill's 1996 championship-winning Williams FW18-Renault. Which reminded me: I've met my first F1 hero too.

The Formula 1 season I remember paying attention to more or less in full was 1998, and the driver I supported - as you usually start in sport by supporting someone before growing more neutral when they leave - was Mika Häkkinen. Like Hill two years earlier, Häkkinen was in a car designed by Adrian Newey, who had changed teams in 1997, and he won the championship with it. The McLaren MP4/13 has a wonderful shape, and the black, silver and white with red accents is an unmistakable turn-of-the-millennium livery.

This car can be found at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, courtesy of McLaren's engine partner of the time. On the racing floor of this very complete museum, well worth the visit, the MP4/13 is in fine company: Mercedes's other F1 champions from the 1950s with Fangio and since 2008 with Hamilton, Sauber Group C sportscars, the CLK-GTR, DTM touring cars, race trucks (yes that's a thing), and many more...

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The Osaka Monorail

The final post in this mini-series on the Osaka Expo 70 Commemoration Park is the obvious: how does one get there? Considering the Expo was all about bringing together the world's shared (or non-shared) visions of the future, the Monorail seems perfect! Except this line wasn't launched in time for the Expo - it was a later project, opened in 1990.

The straddle-beam monorail links Osaka Airport to Kadoma, and is due to be extended by the end of the decade. A short branch line pops out just to the East of the Expo 70 Park station, so a visit to the park is also a chance to see some mighty impressive sets of monorail points either side of the station, as the West side (above) also connects to the depot.

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Expo 70 Japanese Garden

While most of the pavilions of the 1970 World Expo at Osaka were demolished, a very large exhibit was preserved: the Japanese garden. Located in the North of the enormous Commemoration Park, it's designed as a stroll through the ages, with four sections inspired by different periods, Ancient, Medieval, Modern (Edo period) and Contemporary - kind of like the zones from The Crystal Maze, just without the puzzles and Richard O'Brien.

From rock gardens to ponds and rolling hills, from a bamboo grove to wisteria and maple trees, it hits the notes you'd expect from a summary of Japanese landscape styling, but allows one plenty of room to contemplate each tableau - I'm emphasised how big the overall park is, but the Japanese garden alone covers 26 hectares.

One of the few gripes I have with Koishikawa Kôrakuen, my favourite garden in Tokyo, is that some buildings are close and large enough to appear in the background. With the Expo pavilions gone however, most views in this park don't have that problem. Only the Tower of the Sun and the Osaka Wheel are able to rise above the park in this view towards the South.

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Been a busy bee today, so here are some animals from the Expo 70 Commemoration Park.

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The Tower of the Sun

With another World Expo underway at Osaka this year, a massive park to the North of the city (actually in the neighbouring city of Suita) sits on the site of the first Japanese World Expo in 1970. There's usually some form of centrepiece: in 1889 it was the Eiffel Tower, and at Osaka Expo '70, it was the Tower of the Sun.

It is a massive sculpture by Taro Okamoto, which it was possible to climb into to view another work called the Tree of Life. As it was going to have people inside, it needed a lightning rod - that's what the top face (officially a mask, but I tend to call it the "bird face" - whose eyes light up at night apparently) is sporting. The three faces on the back, front and top represent humanity's past, present and future respectively, though some art critics and historians have a more bleak interpretation due to Okamoto's larger body of work and stance against technological progress, something the Expo would put emphasis on.

Similarly to the Eiffel Tower, the Tower of the Sun was supposed to be a relatively ephemeral structure, and nearly all the Expo pavilions around it have been demolished. Like the Eiffel Tower, it was avant-garde and no doubt not everyone liked it. But this building is one of the few to be preserved, and requires regular attention - again, like the Eiffel Tower which needs periodic repainting. In any case, the Tower of the Sun is one of Osaka's most iconic landmarks.

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Feeling rather non-committal today, so here are some flowers from the Expo '70 Commemoration Park near Osaka. This is probably going to start a mini-series because the place is huge, so more information will come later.