Favorite podcasts

This is a fairly new passion of mine: discovering new podcasts, new topics, new questions and enjoying the sheer talent that's out there. Far from the mainstream media.

Over the past year or so, I have had the pleasure of listening to some extremely interesting shows on topics as varied as: 

-feminism

-style

-literature

-writing

-creativity

So what are my latest discoveries? Here we go, grab a coffee and read on!

-La Poudre (in French) by Nouvelles Ecoutes

In this show the interviews go deep into politics, feminism and activism in general. 

What I like about it? The host's acumen: Lauren Bastide is very at easy with pretty much all types of profiles. You can picture her smiling or getting emotional as she speaks and asks her questions, it is a pleasure to listen to her. At the same time, there is no complacency on her part, but rather a sound dose of authenticity that is really refreshing. 

Good to know: some of her episodes are in English. Some of her questions have turned into rituals; it is highly interesting to compare the answers of different guests, they give us a larger perspective and the opportunity to see what we take as our reality from new angles.

-Le Goût de M (from the Le Monde Magazine).

I already quite enjoy reading the lifestyle magazine and the podcast brings a new twist to the picture. This is all about style and having taste or no taste, its meaning and roots. Again, the great variety of guests makes it an enriching experience, spanning every walk of life, generation and social aspect and layer - yes, don't get me started, as much as I regret it, there are layers out there... :-/ Each guest offers an excuse to take a social look onto our current situation and history, going back and forth between the past, the present and... the future.

-Bookmakers by Arte Radio

This podcast is about the making of books. It takes us into the fascinating creative process of the guest writer: how did he/she become a writer? Where does inspiration come from? What is style? How do you fuel it? These are just some of the questions xxxxxx asks his guests who unveil every aspect of their writing ritual. The experience is an enriching insight into a writer's mind and everyday life - I am fascinated by each writer's own rituals and creative process and could listen for hours on end to each of them. One of the latest (great) books I recently bought is by Alice Zeniter who was a guest on the show.

-The Accidental Creative

This podcast is not the only one I listen to in English, but the circumstances in which I have come across it make it very special to me. I was coming back home after my father's passing away and our train could not continue its journey. We were transferred to a coach and it took us a whole night to drive back. My mind and heart were shattered and I found solace into the voice and topics discussed by Todd Henry on his show, Accidental Creative. The podcast is like a golden nugget every time, sharing tips, strategies, case studies and examples about creativity and its applications in everyday life and business.

Now tell me, what kind of podcast listener are you? Have you listened to any of the podcasts listed above? Let's share tips and titles!

Source : Her Creative Studio

Welcome swallows! {Look around}

When the swallows shoot through the sunlit sky, you know it is time for Spring. There are only a few things that I love more than watching their  pursuits above me and listening to their varied, high-pitched calls - if this isn’t a major expression of happiness, what is?

This evening, I will be waiting for them again. Sitting outside, craning my neck to reach the infinity above. Like dark spots of light, they will come and trace acrobatics in the sky, spreading their magic powder over all of us below.

Welcome Spring!

P.S. I do love their Italian name, "rondini", that comes straight from their family name, Hirundinidae. Their French name - "hirondelles" - is even closer to their original name and is also a beautiful word to pronounce, or so I find…

Credits: BNF Gallica - L'Amitié d'une hirondelle ! Romance, lyrics by Philippe Théolier, music by Alfred d'Hack.

Agur, Basque Country

When all doors seem close and your latest holiday as far away as the next rainbow... Just leave on the spur of the moment! Well, easier said than done, of course. But that's pretty much what we have managed to muster - a last-minute get away. Much needed. Just the four of us. Before the lockdown.

It is a known fact that whenever you turn the corner of your street, you may discover an entirely new world. No need to head for the farthest destination ever. So, map in hand and kids in arms, we leave for the Spanish Basque Country. Just around the corner.

And boy, are we right to do so. To un-plan, to follow our guts and go for an easy ride that proves to be utterly refreshing if not entirely relaxing! Despite the horrid weather, we manage to move around every single day... Well almost every single day. Once, we all feel we need to do... nothing. Or rather, just hang around, listening to music, painting, drawing, cutting and following the inclination of the moment.

Mundaka is our home-base. This emblematic surf spot is quite deserted at this time of the year - something surfer hubby is beyond happy. The first sign of surfers' life are the stickers that cover almost entirely the sign Mundaka at the entrance of the village, making it illegible. We know this is the place, we just know it.

The camping we have chosen offers an excellent restaurant and for our first lunch, we treat ourselves to local "risotto", fish, sea food and pasteles. From then on, we take over in our own kitchenette and enjoy a full array of local pinxtos, with the occasional glass of Txakoli wine (make it a spritz for me, always...sorry!).

The coast on either side of Mundaka is amazingly green (and obviously rainy), boasting a dense eucalyptus forest that smells devine while we wind through it. I would advise a tour of the Urdaibai bird reservation: they have a very detailed educational itinerary for adults and kids alike. The audio guides are included in the price and offer additional explanations and figures that are very interesting, enlightening and playful.

All in all, and before we headed to Bilbao to visit the world-famous Guggenheim museum, we make the best of all that surrounds us, taking deep breaths and contemplating all that natures offers us, from its incredible green hues to the ever changing blue of the ocean.

It is as if taking a step back from the urban civilization was the best way possible to then plunge back into it and be ready to welcome every single one of its riches. So, beware, Bilbao: here we come!

Books I have read twice {Cover to Cover}

Somebody famous recently said that they'd rather be read twice than actually be remembered for that one book in their life. I think I may be referring to a podcast guest, maybe one of La Poudre's or PILE Le Podcast... (French speaking folks, don't miss these podcasts, I mean it.)

It got me thinking about the books I have read twice. Because, come to think of it, and despite the incredible pile of books I would like to read before I shut the door and leave this world, I have read some of them several times - and not just twice, truth be told.

Now, you have to understand that my memory being in the state it is now... I may forget a couple of those books along the way. It does not really matter, as I will then have the perfect excuse at the ready to put together the sequel to this post ;-)

The first book that comes to mind is:

 - South of the Border, East of the Sun by Aruki Murakami
I have totally fallen in love with the love story of the two main characters. Because yes, for me there are two of them, starting with Hajime, a man with a pretty successful life and whose name means "beginning". The short novel shows us how life can always change and take on a new turn, especially when we seem to be settled and satisfied. Murakami is one of my favorite authors because he artfully mixes reality in its most evocative form and haunting magic. And that's what makes this book so incredibly elegant and rich, letting my imagination go with the flow.

"Sometimes when I look at you, 
I feel I’m gazing at a distant star…. 
Maybe the star doesn’t even exist any more. 
Yet sometimes that light seems more real to me than anything."

- Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto

Banana Yoshimoto excels in the art of writing descriptions that bring to the surface the quintessence of her characters. Every object and space is described in details. And in the middle of it, appears life with its whirlwinds. She is another wonderful example of the efficiency and poetry of Japanese style.


- Nagasaki by Eric Faye

This book is a recent discovery of mine. And the fact that it unveils events that have taken place in Nagasaki and it describes the life of a Japanese character is no coincidence. Eric Faye has efficiently adopted the Japanese way of writing. Short sentences that drill to the core of our existence. And a character faced with mysterious events or people who bring back reality to the forefront.


- A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

The first pages of this book will forever remain etched in my memory - and that's a big statement for someone who tends to lose every bit of it...! Owen and his shrill, high-pitched voice have accompanied for a long time after I closed the book. And you know what? I have missed him ever since. That's why at some point I have felt the urge to open the book again, and start it over. For those who know me, it's also no coincidence if my dog's name was Owen. Bless him.

What books have you read more than once? Which one would you recommend to me?

Happy reading - and daydreaming - to all of you!

Souce: SincerelyMedia via Unsplash

Bach Flower Remedies {Discover}

When I take a look back at all the latest posts (like those from ages ago...ehm...), I realize that there's quite a few of them, if not the majority, that fall under the "Discover" subtitle. You know, that's the additional title I add in between brackets in the title... It may not be very SEO friendly, but it does set the post in stone, as it were. It does add a definition, in a nutshell, with no frills.

Here's another Discover post. What does it mean...? Well, to start with, it is a pretty clear symbol of what my life has been like over the past four years. A roller coaster, for sure. And a quest that has led to quite a few discoveries. If it sounds positive - without rallying the rainbows and unicorns of the world - it is because it is so.

And finding out about the Bach Flowers Remedies is part of the inspiring and healing discoveries. The story of how it all happened a year ago is quite symbolic too.

While scrolling through Instagram - what else? - and trying to figure out the whole buzz around InstaStories, I stumble across a beautiful account: @aromassentiel The pictures talk to me, the words even more (you bet). There's light and shadow in both. The final portrait is one of intricate details and infinite compassion and energy.

Mustering all my e-bravery, I click through the InstaStories. That's where I see that Agathe, Aromassentiel's founder, is located in Bordeaux and is willing to share one of her gorgeously inspiring deck of cards.

Long story short, we meet in Bordeaux and share a nice coffee in a place I need to tell you more about. What happens then? We talk endlessly... and almost forget about the deck of cards! If this isn't a positive sign, I don't know what is. I am sure the oracles know what I am talking about.

That's how Agathe, who is a certified Bach Flower Instructor, came to accompany me during my mental therapy as a Bach Flower specialist. She is sensitive, ready to listen and inspire change without being pushy. At the time, she started explaining where the Flower Bach Remedies come from, what they are for and how to use and understand their action.

If it wasn't all that easy for me to open up at the onset of our series of encounters and interviews, little by little and with Agathe's guidance, it all started to feel natural. I was reaching out to a fellow soul, we were exchanging and nourishing each other. 

What I like about the Bach Flower Remedies?

They are natural, they make sense on their own as long as you listen to yourself, open up to your needs, both physical and mental. They evolve at your pace, delivering their energy as they go - hand in hand with you. And that's another point: I now understand that everything radiates energy in our world, and this has shifted my way of acknowledging its every angle. Bach Flowers are no exception.They can affect our emotions, the way we express them and they are involved in our decision-making process, as well as our ability to recognize change and adapt to it.

The experience wouldn't have been the same for me without Agathe - I probably would not have ventured in this territory... who knows?

‘Disease of the body itself is nothing but the result of the disharmony between soul and mind. Remove the disharmony, and we regain harmony between soul and mind, and the body is once more perfect in all its parts.’

– Dr. Edward Bach

Pssst...! Agathe and Marie are holding a workshop in Bordeaux on February 15  - there are a few spots left.

By the way, this is not a sponsored post. This is just me, sharing - as always - a speck of my life and daydreaming discoveries along the way.