Hello-Hello, and Happy Friday! We are struggling to accept the fact that Christmas is one. week. away. Oneweekfromtodayomgwhatevershallwedo????  There. Enough hysteria; we solider on.

We have a hodge-podge today, including some last-minute gift ideas. Before we do anything else, we want to acknowledge Sperry Top-Sider, named Brand of the Year by Footwear News.

We’ve made no secret of our love for Sperry, especially some of their recent offerings, like the women’s Print Bahama.

Sperry Top-sider Bahama

As the editor wrote in naming Sperry:

“And while Sperry Top-Sider has owned the nautical category for a long time, clever updating and interesting collaborations put the brand ahead of the fleet in a tough year.”

Not all of the firm’s offerings are for us. The Women’s Abacos look uber-snuggly, but are clearly much-too-hip for TP.

Sperry shares the award with Sam Edelman.

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We begin our nautical gifts section with Jonathan Adler’s Whale Ornament, still available on the designer’s site. Crafted in unglazed porcelain this treasure comes complete with an elegant little box just ideal for gifting.

Jonathan Adler

We like the alternative use for the whale described on the Adler site:

“Decorating tip: break off the metal hanging loop and these little guys are fab figurines sure to dazzle any tablescape or bookshelf.”

The ornament is not the only whale swimming on the Adler sea. How cute is the Salt & Pepper set?

Jonathan Adler

Mr. Adler definitely has a flair for the nautical, his Anchor Rug is something we are rather fond of here at the Prepatorium.

Jonathan Adler

This makes us think of the one and only Nautical by Nature, who has done a marvelous series of posts on nautically inclined gift ideas; they really are must-reads. (You haven’t seen adorable until you see the sailboat mobile she featured.)

We have always loved this designer’s work, his whimsical approach to design matched with the clean, unfussy lines seen throughout much of his work are very appealing. That is why we are just tickled to announce we shall be carrying his new line of stationery and gifts!

We are very excited about this one; if you would like to be on our Jonathan Adler mailing list, just click here and scroll down to see the mailing lists on the lower righthand side of the page.

Back to the nautical gift scene, the Brendan Set of two onesies looks precious, for a little one, we adore the nautical striping and sailor collars.

We found the set at ChicNautic, where there is a nicely curated offering of nautically themed goods. The Anchor Sweater at Bella Bliss is darling, available in sizes 12 months to 12 years.

Bella Bliss

Also from Bella, the Baby Whale Cardigan in three different colorways.

Bella Bliss

If that doesn’t send the Cute-o-Meter into the red zone, we don’t know what will. A more reasonable alternative perhaps, the Avery & Addison Whale bodysuit at Targét.

Le Boutique Targét

St. James Boutique is always a good stop; the retailer carries a broad variety of merchandise, all of it top quality.  Their La Vellette knit jacket is timeless, and the Embrun Parka a workhorse.

They also have some darling stuffed animals for the Young Master and Miss of the House.  We love the Plush Lobster for kids, along with the stuffed Crab.

The company’s slickers are attractive but also built for heavy duty; the Anita in pink is our favorite, but the Marie is also outstanding.

St. James is known for their striped tees. The Ouessant is on the left, and on the right we show the Chalut.

If one doesn’t mind beading on their tee (ahem) the Polo Ralph Lauren Otho Long Sleeve top might work.

Polo Ralph Lauren at Bloomingdale's

The shirt also comes in navy blue and is currently reduced by 40% at Bloomies.

The Anchor Earrings by Helen Yarmak are seen in Elle’s Naughty Nautical feature, something we didn’t feel we needed to share in its entirety.

The good folks at Cape Cod Jewelers offer this elegant bracelet.

Cape Cod Jewelers

The man on your list might appreciate the Jack Spade Nautical Billfold.

Jack Spade

This also comes in a rich chocolate brown if the lighter color shown above isn’t appealing.

Finally, the Nautical Towels at Preston’s are a fun way to bring a touch of the sea indoors.

Preston's

May all of your shopping be smooth sailing.

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Now we move on, there are Sales & Savings opportunities to share. Brooks Brothers is promoting up to 60% off original prices in their Clearance Sale; this includes some Black Fleece for Women and Men’s Black Fleece as well.  We like the Madras Bow Tie.

The colors on the right make it ideal for a U of M Wolverine fan.

J. Crew is doing an online only Extra 25% off sale, that additional discount is applicable only to sale merchandise.  Use promo code EXTRA25 at checkout to receive the savings.

J. Crew

Hypothetically this ends Sunday night (the 20th) at midnight.

The Tory Burch Sale offers a healthy selection of products. We like the Pier jacket (L) and the Oriel cardigan (R).

The Neiman Marcus online only Last Call clearance offers an additional 30% off sale prices.

And Barney’s is in sync, taking an additional 33% reduction in price for their fall sale items. This covers some items in the Home Department, including several of the Fred Red pillows; from left we show Kaleidostripe, Modern Maze, and the Double X in chocolate.

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For today’s Pretty in Pink (and Green) we share the Monogrammed Onesie and Burp Cloth Set at Bella Due.

Sweet as can be in pink and green stitching complementing the bright pink and green ribbon. (Although we wonder if that bow on the onesie might irritate a little one?)

With this we send everyone wishes for a wonderful weekend, may it be merry and bright!

Bonjour

l’édition 2009 du Petit Indicateur des Marées est en vente. Sept éditions, couvrant l’ensemble du littoral de Dieppe à La Rochelle sont à votre disposition. Vous pouvez les retrouver dans les maisons de la presse ou bien directement par correspondance.

Pour nous les commander, envoyez un chèque de :

- 3 euros pour un exemplaire

- 5,50 euros pour deux exemplaires

- 8 euros pour trois exemplaires…

à l’adresse suivante :

Le Petit Indicateur des Marées

110, rue de Guilers 29200  Brest

Nota. SI vous êtes un professionnel (maison de la presse, dépôt, boutique…) intéressé par la revente de nos indicateurs, merci de prendre directement contact avec nous par téléphone : 02 98 47 31 06 ou 06 62 28 31 84, ou bien par mail contact@orcabon.com

A bientôt

Mikaël Cabon

Bonjour

l’édition 2009 du Petit Indicateur des Marées est en vente. Sept éditions, couvrant l’ensemble du littoral de Dieppe à La Rochelle sont à votre disposition. Vous pouvez les retrouver dans les maisons de la presse ou bien directement par correspondance.

Pour nous les commander, envoyez un chèque de :

- 3 euros pour un exemplaire

- 5,50 euros pour deux exemplaires

- 8 euros pour trois exemplaires…

à l’adresse suivante :

Le Petit Indicateur des Marées

110, rue de Guilers 29200  Brest

Nota. SI vous êtes un professionnel (maison de la presse, dépôt, boutique…) intéressé par la revente de nos indicateurs, merci de prendre directement contact avec nous par téléphone : 02 98 47 31 06 ou 06 62 28 31 84, ou bien par mail contact@orcabon.com

A bientôt

Mikaël Cabon

Brest PIM Couv Site)

Hoje, às portas da cidade de Savalou é possível ver uma grande estátua de terracota, no centro de um parque que representa a linhagem Gbaguidi, oriunda de Ahossu Soha. Esta linhagem foi aliada dos reis de Abomey, capital histórica e cultural do antigo Reino do Dahomey.
Esta dinastia ainda está em vigor: O rei atual é Gbaguidi Tossoh XIII (que seriamente desonrou a tradição de sua família por se converter ao Islã recentemente).

Savalou hoje faz fronteria com Dassa-Zoumé a leste, Glazoué ao norte, a sul com Djidja e com Bante (Banté), e com a República do Togo a oeste, possuindo uma área total de 2674 km2, o que representa 2,37% do Benim. Está dividida em 14 distritos, onde quatro estão urbanizados: Aga, Agbado, Attak e Ouessant (fonte do INS).

A população de Savalou é composta principalmente de Mahis e Ifés. Outras populações, embora menores também estão presentes há séculos, são elas: Os Fons, os Adjas, os Peulh Haussás e os Betamaribés.
Os dois principais grupos étnicos da cidade são o grupo Adja-Tado e o iorubá. O Adja-Tado é composto de Fons e Mahis. Eles representam hoje cerca de 58% da população total. A Língua Mahi (maxigbè) é um dialeto lingüisticamente ligado ao Fon (fongbè), que é a língua falada principalmente no sul e centro do Benin. O Savalunos Mahis constituem uma minoria entre os Nagôs instalados que povoam principalmente o Benin central. O grupo iorubá inclui Ifés no oeste da cidade, e Itchas, ou Idaatchas, ao norte e ao leste. Eles representam 32% da população total.
Outros grupos étnicos de migrações, porém, recentes são Yom Lokpa (2,3%), Fulani (2,2%), Otamari (2,5%), Dendi, Baatonu (0,9%).

Principais Pontos Turísticos:

As antas sagradas que são alimentadas em Ouèssè;
As 7 Palmeiras de Minik-Savalou;
O Vodum “Dankoli”, que tem a reputação de conceder os desejos de qualquer estrangeiro que o procura, etc. É venerado num imenso cupinzeiro (cupinzeiros são consagrados ao vodum Dàn) aos pés de uma árvore atingida pelo mesmo. Ali encontra-se o Danzen (pote ritual sagrado de Dàn) e ao lado do fetiche há um mastro de dawé (bambú) onde tremula ao vento, uma bandeira branca que adverte a todos quanto à sacralidade daquele espaço.
O Museu da Caça Fá de Savalou;
O Museu de História de Savalou;
O Monte histórico Logozohè Segui (símbolo “dos chefes de Logozohè);
O Palácio Real Hunukon, prestigio do Reino de Savalou que fica localizado no sopé das colinas savalunas.

Algumas aldeias:
Ouèssè; Logozohè; Monkpà; Gobadi; Làhotà; Kpàtàbà; Zounzonkànmin; Covèdji; Ottolà; Doyisà; Mondja; Codji; Minik; Tchets; Duma; e Djàloukou.

Ritmos musicais:
Tchégumin e Toba

Mercados de Savalou:
Os Mercados Chao e Zongo, localizados no centro da cidade.
Outros: Tchets, Doyisà, Kpàtàbà, etc.

Fontes: Wikipedia; Berge, J.; Koutinhouin; Ong Racines.
(Partes I, II, e III)

En couleur

Et en Noir & Blanc

Traine active sur OUessant

When I was looking into Scottish Islands yesterday, I came across the Scottish Islands Federation, which represents and promotes the needs and interests of island communities in Scotland (I rather like the virtual island tours offered on the website). Anyhow, the Scottish Islands Federation is part of the European Small Islands Network, which of course immediately piqued my interest, and so I’ve been investigating the various members.

Unfortunately the website of the Swedish National Islands Association is blocked from my work for reasons of pornography (is it, in fact, porn?), and the Finnish Turku Islands Association doesn’t have a website (though there is some tourist information available here, and gosh, it looks rather lovely), but otherwise, look:

- The Irish Islands Federation. 32 islands off the coasts of Antrim, Donegal, Sligo, Mayo, Galway and Cork (no east coast islands?); only a few of the individual islands have websites: Rathlin, Arainn Mhor, Bere Island, Inis Oirr (one of the Aran Islands), Inishbofin and Clare Island, which is fairly understandable given that the majority of the islands in the federation have a population of less than ten, bloody hell. Still, useful if you fancy remoteness and isolation…

- L’Association des Iles du Ponant, which represents islands off the north and west coasts of France (are there any islands off the south coast? I have a feeling there are – other than Corsica, of course – but they don’t seem to be included. Perhaps they have their own association): the Chausey archipelago, Brehat, Batz, Ouessant, Molene, Sein, the Glenan archipelago, Groix, Belle-Ile, Houat, Hoedic, Ile aux Moines, Arz, Yeu and Aix (Ouessant and Yeu are the most appealing destinations from my point of view). The islands vary from being just a few hundred metres from the mainland to a couple of hours’ out to sea, but all seem to be fairly easily reachable from ports on the mainland, and the main Iles du Ponant site has a lot of useful information for tourists, including details of how to access the islands.

- The Association of Danish Small Islands. Back when I was fifteen, I went on a three-month student exchange to Germany, which involves spending two weeks in the middle of winter in a holiday house on the north sea at Westerhever, which has given me a long-standing interest in the north sea and Baltic coasts; unfortunately for me, much of the Danish site is only in Danish, but it does have me rather longing to pay a visit to Anholt.

Un tipico paese di pescatori. Ma questa volta davvero. Non una frase pittoresca per attirare visitatori in un qualsivoglia posto di mare letta su una qualsivoglia guida turistica un po’ generosa nei giudizi. Qui ci siete davvero. Un piccolo paese di pescatori con le case affacciate sul porto, una lunga spiaggia, un mercato, qualche chambre d’hôtes. E un mare che c’è o non c’è, a seconda dell’umore delle maree. Al Relais du Vieux Port, con le camere che guardano direttamente sul porto, ti affacci e il mare c’è, le barche dondolano al ritmo delle onde, tutto regolare. Poi ti affacci di nuovo e il mare è sparito, le barche sono pericolosamente inclinate verso la terra e uno stuolo di locali in stivali di gomma raccoglie i frutti rimasti sul fondo. E questa non è la sola magia di questo piccolo albergo (solo sette stanze), che non a caso si definisce hotel de charme. La magia è anche dormire in una stanza bianca con decori azzurri a motivi marini, il letto a baldacchino, il pavimento di legno, la creperie a piano terra dove, tra gallettes, moules frites e sidro, trascorrerete una piacevole serata. E meglio se fuori c’è la nebbia, sarà ancora più suggestivo. Ma se vogliamo essere prosaici, qui di magico c’è anche il prezzo. Basso come la marea quando si ritira e lascia scoperta la sabbia.

Quando siete a Le Conquet non perdetevi una gita a Ouessant, l’isola più occidentale di Francia. Un comodo traghetto con diverse corse giornaliere vi conduce su quest’isola dopo un’ora circa di traversata. Una volta arrivati a Ouessant il mezzo più comodo per esplorare l’isola è la bicicletta, da noleggiare all’imbarcadero. Poi un pic nic con vista faro vi ripagherà delle “fatiche” ciclistiche. Volendo potete anche pernottare sull’isola, la nostra guida suggeriva il Ti Jan ar C’hafe, altro piccolo hotel di charme che putroppo non abbiamo provato. Ma voi fatelo e non fatevi intimorire dal vecchio detto “qui voit Ouessant, voit son sang” (“chi vede Ouessant, vede il suo sangue”), fosche previsioni nordiche che non vi devono spaventare.

Taccuino di viaggio:

Le Relais du Vieux Port
1, quai du Drellac’h
29217 Le Conquet
Tel. 02 98 89 15 91
Fax 02 98 89 19

http://www.lerelaisduvieuxport.com

Redirection : http://blogs.nbox.org/mystie/balade-en-bretagne/ouessant.html