“Olha que coisa mais linda, mais cheia de graça
Look, such a pretty thing, so full of grace.
“É ela menina que vem que passa
She’s that girl you see passing by
“Num doce balanço, caminho do mar
In a gentle sway, on her way to the sea
“Moça do corpo dourado do sol de Ipanema…
The girl of the body “golden” from the sun of Ipanema
“O seu balançado é mais que um poema
Her sway is more than a poem
“É a coisa mais linda que eu já vi passar
It’s the prettiest ‘thang’ I ever saw passing by…
August ’77. I had 3 weeks in Paris between the Army and Grad school in the US. (Roll Tide!) I walked the streets with my loyal Asahi-Pentax and rolls of Ilford. (Da best film ever , Man). Found the Carnival of carnivals… Lost the negatives. Sigh. A copy of a print adds a bit of grain… “Don’t think twice, it’s all right…”
As I put together this second post on the Carnival of Carnivals in Paris, a few centuries back, I think of Joaõ Gilberto’s interpretation of the Girl from Ipanema. Not the Muzak version. A shame this lovely song is now forever tied to elevators, far away from the beaches of Ipanema, ‘longe do Rio’… Joaõ Gilberto left us last year. Another shame. The good ones are leaving us. Words and music by Vinicius de Moraes and Tom Jobim. Two great masters. Muito obrigado Joaõ, Vinicius e Tomzinho… (Translation is mine, not easy to render in English…)
Thank you all for flying yet another trip on Equinoxio Airways… I wrote this post on October 27th. I then wished Scotty would move his a.. and find a way to shift us all forward a week, to Election Day… Alas! The lad is stubborn, says we can only go back in time… or to the illusion of “back”. Well, Election went well. We are now rid of one of the worst morons in recent (un)Democratic history. Meanwhile, the virus is still there and the morons still in power just about anywhere else, don’t seem to know how to handle a supply chain for the vaccine.
Stay safe. In more ways than one…
Equinoxio 
Hello Brian. I love your pictures. These people have such energy and it shows. I miss bell bottoms! I loved the look and feel of them. Hugs
Bell bottoms now? That was wayyyy back, man!
Hello Brian. Only two ways to dance and flow, bell bottoms pants or no pants … Of course that was way back when I was slim, trim, young, and fun. 😀😁😉😎 Hugs
🕺
I think there is something charming about these prints!! If you the negatives and created digital scans, they would be no better. These have a “feel” to them!! Can you imagine similar shots today? We would be saturated with self-congratulatory instagram posts – pretty but soulless! Great post – as ever! Stay safe!
It depends. I have probably 90-95% of the family’s negatives going back to 1949, as far as negatives are concerned. And you’d be surprised at what you can get with old negatives. Better, much better definition. Unexpected details. But it’s all right. I’m a big fan of Plan B, or C, of plan A is not possible.
And yes I like the “feel” of those. Thanks for the visit and comments. Comme toujours, cher ami.
95 per cent is definitely statistically significant haha!!! Good luck with all that scanning 😉 and be sure you share the results 😉 Stay well!
Plus or minus two standard deviations? (Hmmm. Few people can grasp that. Previous life of yours? Hmmm. Colin? Hmmm. Your last name wouldn’t be similar to a certain Royal palace?) (That would be hilarious)
Fortunately, just about everything is scanned. And I shall keep sharing.
A bientôt…
Ha, I did do market projections etc once upon a time but statistical analysis was not a passion 😉
Haha, nothing exotic about me! Aye, everything is scanned nowadays and the tablet has replaced the photo album 😉
Stay safe!
I’ve been in Market research most of my professional life, so the stuff grows on you. Worked for a Brit market research company. Where there was a Colin Buckingham…
You too. I see they keep sending patients to public hospitals in “Bretagne” when they probably have empty beds in private clinics nearby…
Cheers.
Ah, that explains it haha. Some of the statistical modelling is very sophisticated indeed.
Yes, the three western Departments have escaped the worst of the pandemic and thus have free beds. In the first lockdown, they ran covid trains from Paris but not heard of those recently. Slowly, they are establishing vaccination centres here though! Stay safe!
You too.
Lovely post. Yet, the vaccine remains in short supply. And then again, it’s efficacy is about to be put to test.
Glad you liked the post. Old street photography.
Even the Russian vaccine is currently tested massive scale in Argentina. 🤣 (They’re going to buy it here.)
Any idea when you can get your shots? A former executive of mine now lives in San Francisco and got her first injection.
Yes. Very sexy photos. I am not yet eligible. Yourself? And Mexico is buying the Russian vaccine? Does it work?
I didn’t think you were. But then I guess each state has different rules. My former exec is barely 45. But she lives in Califor-na-yeah. Different country. 😉
France is only vaccinating above 75. here is above 60 I think. I’m from ’53.
Does it work? Daughter #2 is on the selection committee of the local HEW. She says the recent information they were given looks good. Plus by the time we our shots here, 100’s of 1000’s of Argentinian will have served as Guinea pigs…
Just thought of Monthy Python’s Life of Brian…😉
There’s so much energy bursting from your photos, Brian! Sad to hear that Rio de Janeiro’s carnival parade, due to be held next February, has been postponed indefinitely. Thanks for sharing and have a good day. Aiva 🙂
Hi Aiva. My apologies, your comment was hidden by WP. (“Pending” my foot) The energy comes from the people. I just click. And yes Carnaval is suspended. Brazil is paying a high price to the virus. Keep staying safe. 🤗
What an absolutely beautiful post.
Thank you Sister. A very unique moment in time. I think this parade of carnivals took place only once.
And you did it true justice!
Lots of life and energy in these photos!
Oh, yes. The Brazilian delegation was dancing in the streets. And I’d just spent close to 6 months in Brazil, so i could relate.
I guess the closest we get in the US would be Mardi Gras, although I suppose that dancing in the streets and drunken stumbling through the streets aren’t quite the same thing.
I understand Mardi Gras has gotten a little out of hand in recent years. So has Spring Break in Cancun. Could it be the same crowd?
I expect so. Whenever I see news reports of Spring Breakers drinking themselves into respiratory failure, my immediate reaction is, What’s the matter with you people? Don’t you have papers to write?
Papers to write? LOL. Love it. There is despair in all those kids… No purpose. No direction… Sad really.
I have seen so many crash-and-burn transcripts in my career, I am firmly convinced that for many young people, going to college right out of high school does them more harm than good.
A good point. Lack of maturity. Lack of vision and perspective… Maybe a year social service (paid) would be a good break. Or even six months.
I think it would be.
Sorry Liz, this comment was “pending”, i.e. hidden by WP.
Good old WP . . .
The women are beautiful. The men are way overdressed, in comparison. I’m sure it was a magical time.
Haha! I thought as much as I reviewed those old photos. Must be some gender bias there. OK for the wimin to go around half nakkid, but the men have to dress up? 😉
Having said that, some of the women also wore very ample and heavy costumes. Magic happens all the time.
Such rich street scenes and apart from the Pride Festival, nothing like it here, so terribly British and Victorian. Love those gams. Your last comment could refer to anywhere right now, our bloke is lazy and has not dealt with corruption, consumed with himself. Looking forward to the next flight.
Anywhere. Exactly. 3 countries maybe, pulling it of, across the planet? That is the major disaster. I keep thinking about who we’d have in case of war?
Johnson, Macron? God forbid.
Let’s get together with Max indeed, Rue Saint-Honoré. 🍻
Yes, Liberte
✊🏻
Another good historic carnival post
Thanks Derrick. How are you all doing “across the Channel”? Nearly 10 million vaccinated? Compliments. But there are still a lot of cases, right? Stay safe.
Thanks a lot, Brian. We are well, and we learn that the vaccine we are receiving looks likely to stop spreading. Good luck on your side, too.
Have you had your shots already? The UK is impressive. 10 millions vaccinated so far I hear?
That’s right, Brian. Jackie has her first next week. We both have her second in April
Compliments. France is a bloody mess. And here in Mexico, they started with Doctors and nurses, one hospital our MD daughter knows very well, because she did here residency there was the first to be vaccinated and they have run out of doses for the 2nd shot. My daughter and her husband don’t know when they will have theirs either… Such a mess.
Indeed. I hope it is sorted soon.
The photos are very alive, one feels to be there with them. I love the energy. About the overdressed men: my husband always says that women are way prettier than men, so why would anybody like to see half naked men. 😀 😀 I don’t completely agree … 😉
You’re not in the same market as your husband. 😉
Lovely post, full of sentiment. To all the negatives we lost.
LOL. We have lost some. Though maybe those are still in a box in Paris. God knows when I will fly again? Cheers.
Your images are fascinating!!!
Ciao ciao Luisa. Come stai? Tutto bene? My most sincere apologies for not visiting more often. How have you been? I hear Conte has resigned. Pulling in Draghi? (I don’t think he did such a good job at the European central Bank, but…)
Thanks for the visit. Glad you liked the post. Buona notte. 🙏🏻💕
I loved the post
You know that I like all your posts: I always find them interesting even if I don’t always write a comment
The situation in Italy? A big mess
A hug 🤗🌝🤗
Thank you.
Now, the situation in the world? A big mess.
🤣 Better to laugh about it.
Hugs back.🤗🌹
🌹😘🌹😘🌹
Ciao Luisa. Tutto bene con te? Don’t know why this comment was pending. WP hides stuff… 🤗🌹💕
WP is often a mystery: sometimes I find in the spam folder the comments of friends with whom I often exchange messages🌼🌼🌼
We are just increasingly ruled by computers with badly written programmes. I just spent half an hour dealing with my pension site in France trying to download a from I need to have stamped at the Consulate here. No way. I’ll have to find another way. Lately? I spend close to 40% of my time dealing with bureaucratic computer red tape. Most times it doesn’t work so I have to spend hours finding a way around. “Épuisant”.
Come stai Luisa? Dans toute cette folie généralisée? Plus ou moins bien?
🙏🏻💕
The madness of information technology and bureaucracy are enormous in Italy too. And then we arrive at the absurdity that for certain matters you have to go yourself to sign : the electronic signature is not enough.😊 I’m doing pretty well at the moment. but I’m tired: tired of being depressed, tired of not being able to see friends or to travel. And you?
Absolutely. I once took a class in the US called “Bureaucracy or bureaupathology?”
We’re about the same. We haven’t seen any of our friends in a year. Fortunately we can see our daughters regularly and grandkids. Daughter #1 is vaccinated and #2 got COVID in january. And at the slightest risk, we all take a fortnight break. Daughte #1 is an infectologist, she does the “tracing”.
Are you on line for vaccine soon?
I will be able to make the reservation for the vaccine in a fortnight, but in Italy it seems to me that things are proceeding very slowly, despite the boasts of our politicians
They’re all so very pleased with themselves, aren’t they? Congrats on being able to make the reservation. Here they started vaccinating 60+ more than a month ago. Third world country? They made better deals than the EU. Our daughter and son-in-law (Doctors) have had both shots almost 2 months ago. We had our first already and should get our second in a week or so…
better be careful. I just talked to an old high school friend of mine. He got COVID, was rather ill for 3 weeks, and now has trouble walking. What a mess.
Fais bien attention Luisa. 🙏🏻💕
🙏😘🙏😘🙏
I like your scanned photos! It somehow adds to them 🙂
Thank you. I only regret the negatives because I have done some good work re-scanning old negatives. Much better definition. But it’s all right.
What a beautiful rear end in shot 3!
Those old Citroens …. classic.
I always knew you were a man of taste. (On both counts)
I always appreciate a nice rear end.
Even more so if it is rust free not sagging and not belching smoke!
🤣
I love how these real women are in motion, alive and living life, not static and posing mannequins.
Spot on. The Brazilian delegation was dancing like they would in Rio de Janeiro, oblivious to the chilly Paris temperatures. 10-15C in the summer? It’d been 25-30 the day before. And scantily clad, they shone in the streets…
How have you been my dear? In line for the vaccine? Ask NHS if they can spare a few shots for us? 😉
it’s especially a balm now to look at these photos of what feel like simpler times…
SImpler times indeed. The cops gave a hand to adjust a hat of a Gilles. They were not dressed up in battle gear and robocop armour. There were no barriers on the street where the “Carnivalers” passed and danced. Easy to take pictures…
Oh, well. those times will come back. I hope… Be good.
I hope so too — you too lol
classic shots!
Thank you. those were the days I fancied myself a photographer. I’m not. Just a dilettante.
MY THOUGHTS, CERTAINLY WENT TO THE GIRL FROM The Girl From Ipanema
Haha. Indeed. (And I can remember walking on the beach and the sidewalk of Ipanema, a long time ago.
OH, THATS A GREAT MEMORY ,LOVE IT . HOW LONG AGO?👙👒
’73. A while. 😉
1973 WOW. I WAS 21 AND MARRIED THREE YEARS..YOU MUST HAVE BEEN EVEN YOUNGER. BRIAN ! 💨🎉🎓
So you’re from 52. I’m from December 53. Same difference.
Fabulous photos! I love that song and Bossa Nova. It’s been a while since I’ve heard it so now I have an idea of what to listen to while I work in my cabin this weekend.😁 Merci, cher Mzungu! Bises.
A garrota de Ipanema in a cabin in the snow? Great combination. You will see the snow melt.
How did the work go?
Bises back très chère Julie… 💕
The work is going slowly. The music helps!
“Music is my only friend… Until the end…” 🎶