View from the Back
Ramblings of a retiree in France
Musical Monday: Soundtracks #15
I’ve reported on a whole variety of songs: ones by artists I’ve seen live, covers, duets and those deemed iconic. I’m now turning my attention to what might be called “Soundtracks” specialised musical compositions, often instrumental or lyrical, designed to establish the mood and identity of TV shows and films, typically played during opening or closing credits, and those used in advertisements.
Hawaii Five-O Theme is an instrumental composed by Morton Stevens as the theme music for the television series Hawaii Five-O, which aired from 1968 to 1980. It is considered by many to be one of the best television themes of all time.
The Ventures recorded a popular cover version of the theme in 1968, which peaked in the top five of the singles charts in the United States and Canada, and became one of the band’s biggest hits.
Maybe, this series deserves a reboot starring Hawaiian Jason Mamoa?
As always, don’t forget to let me know your thoughts.
The Numbers Game 40, Monday 4 May, 2026
Today’s lucky number yielded 154 photos from which I’ve selected 6 at random.
The challenge is kindly hosted by Life Lessons – a blog by Judy Dykstra-Brown
To play along, go to your WP Media file and type that number (243) into the search bar. Then post a selection of the photos you find including that number and post a link to your blog in Judy’s Numbers Game blog of the day – easy!
French Fancies: Holidermie
Holidermie is a French holistic beauty and wellness brand founded in 2019 by Mélanie Huynh, a former editor at Vogue Paris, in collaboration with facial surgeon Dr Jérôme Paris. The brand is built on an “Inside & Out” philosophy, treating beauty as an inseparable link between the skin, the spirit and overall lifestyle.
How it all began
Mélanie Huynh was born in Paris to a French mother and a Chinese father. Passionate about beauty and fashion from an early age, she spent her teenage years inspired by the “lifestyle” of the supermodels and icons of the 90s, those successful figures who advocated powerful femininity and a healthy lifestyle, with sport as their ally.
She began her career in the editorial department of Vogue France, where she worked on beauty and fashion editorial for almost 10 years.Today, she continues to work as a stylist and consultant on special projects, but now devotes most of her time to the family group Aera Nova, of which she is co-chairwoman with her sister Amélie Huynh, and which includes her company Holidermie and Château Toulouse-Lautrec.
She has always been interested in beauty in its entirety, from her diet to the topical treatments she applies, as well as in the various wellness techniques that integrate body and mind health: yoga, meditation, mindfulness, energy treatments… As an extension of her lifestyle, she decided to launch her own holistic beauty brand in 2019: Holidermie.
Holidermie was born of Mélanie’s desire to share her holistic experiences gained through travels in California, Australia and Asia, her beauty rituals acquired over more than 20 years in contact with the most cutting-edge and visionary experts but also through her family culture, which calls on Chinese or even Ayurvedic medicine to prevent ailments.
Particularly exposed to external oxidative stress due to her city lifestyle, she has always been sensitive to the health of her skin and her personal balance. She dreamed of a beauty offering that acted on all levels, Inside & Out, convinced that only a global action can have a visible effect on body and mind.
Her exchanges with the greatest specialists, doctors, naturopaths, nutritionists, make-up artists, coaches, yogis or facialists have inspired, nourished and given life to her vision.
In 2013, her family acquired Château Toulouse-Lautrec, a vineyard in the Bordeaux region. She then had at her disposal one of the most antioxidant active ingredients available: the grape. A nice starting point in the idea she had of a clean brand, 100% made in France and guaranteeing optimal traceability.
These ideas then took shape when, in 2016, a discussion with her childhood friend Dr. Jérôme Paris, an ENT surgeon specializing in facial rejuvenation, decided her to design together and formulate the Inside & Out product line of her dreams. Today, he is responsible for the safety of the brand’s skincare products, as well as satisfaction and efficacy tests.
The brand’s approach is structured around a “triptych” designed to work in synergy for long-term results:
- Outside (Skincare): A range of clean, antioxidant-rich topical products—including serums, creams, and cleansers—made in France. Many formulas feature the patented Holiderm® Complex, which combines grape seed extract (from Huynh’s family estate, Château Malromé), maritime pine bark, and calendula flowers.
- Inside (Nutrition): Plant-based food supplements such as capsules, powders, gummies, and even collagen-enriched chocolates and coffee. These are formulated to support the skin’s health and digestive balance from within.
- In Motion (Rituals & Tools): Specific gestures like facial yoga, acupressure, and lymphatic drainage techniques. These are performed using beauty tools like rose quartz Gua Sha, cryo-toning globes, and dry brushes to amplify the effects of the products.
Holidermie has a strong presence in Paris, notably with its Holidermie Loft (Flagship), a 100 m² concept space in Paris (6 rue Saint-Dominique) where customers can receive skin diagnoses assisted by AI, enjoy sound baths, and book “Flash Bar” or LED light therapy treatments.
In addition, at Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche, there’s a permanent wellness space on the first floor offering skincare services and naturopathy consultations.
Mélanie is a woman committed to the cause of women. She integrates this cause on a daily basis, invests herself on a charitable level and also acts in a concrete way for the development of women’s entrepreneurship and the spotlighting of young creation.
She notably supports “La Maison des Femmes de Saint-Denis” or “Toutes à l’école” by sponsoring (with the group Aera Nova) a class at the Happy Chandara school in Cambodia, created in 2016 by Tina Kieffer around the schooling of young girls from underprivileged neighboruhoods while helping them regain healthy living conditions.
Mélanie is also a member of “Band of Sisters”, an associative group that brings together women entrepreneurs: a rich network of inspiring women who have built themselves, or almost built themselves, and are carrying their projects and brands.
Young creation is very important to this passionate woman, who likes to support it through various projects such as the HoliMarket, launched at the Bon Marché Rive Gauche in September 2021 and in which many French brands were exhibited, invited to showcase their creations, and French know-how.
She confirms:
At Holidermie, we believe in beauty that’s alive, aligned and radiant from the inside out. To nurture this vision, we’ve brought together a circle of pioneering experts – doctors, nutritionists, facialists, wellness coaches – all driven by the same quest: to reveal your full vitality.
All images courtesy of Holidermie
The Musette: Lime pickle
Ingredients
- 10-12 limes, with thin skins (quartered)
- 1/2 cup fine sea salt (crucial for preserving)
- 1/2 cup mustard oil (for tempering)
- 1 tbsp mustard seeds (yellow or black
- 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 1-2 tbsp red chili powder (adjust for heat)
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- thumb-sized piece fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tsp chilli paste
- 1 tbsp sugar
Method
1. Wash and dry the limes completely. Cut them into quarters and retain the juice. Mix the lime pieces, salt and turmeric in a clean, dry glass jar. Cover and let it sit on a sunny windowsill or countertop for 3-4 days, shaking the jar daily. The limes will soften and release liquid.
2. After 5 days, heat the oil in a small pan until smoking, then add mustard seeds and wait for them to splutter. Turn off the heat and add the chili powder and fenugreek.
3. Pour the cooled oil-spice mix over the cured limes and mix well. Add chilli paste and grated ginger.
4. Seal the jar tightly and keep it in a sunny spot for another 2-4 weeks for the best flavour, shaking it every few days. Once matured, this pickle can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a year. But it won’t last that long!
Sheree’s Shout-Outs: Jeanne
I cannot take credit for these posts as the idea was firmly planted by Richard Bist but, once planted, it took root.
My blog is probably no different to many in that the number of followers vastly exceeds the number of regular readers and commentators. As I’ve been blogging for a while, readers (and commentators) have come and gone – was it something I said?
In any event, once a month I’m going to throw a light on one of my regulars. This month it’s Jeanne whose blog is called “A Jeanne in the Kitchen” which she set up to help people have fun in the kitchen. She writes about enjoying life both in and out of her kitchen, particularly on her travels and around where she lives in Colorado with her husband and gorgeous fur babies.
Here’s two of them, Juneau and Dorrie. I bet they’re watching a cooking show! The two cats Otis and Nicodemus (Nicky) are pictured below.
Jeanne has many years of experience working in professional kitchens. She attended two culinary schools in Southern California, and has a degree in culinary arts from the Southern California School of Culinary Arts, as well as a few other degrees in other areas.
She loves to cook and loves to feed people and that’s amply demonstrated on her blog where she whips up delicious recipes most days, often using leftovers. She also imparts knowledge about ingredients used in cooking in a fun and light-hearted manner.
I should add that her husband Larry is a dab hand on the smoker and BBQ and is occasionally allowed in the kitchen. They make a great double act.
Jeanne also has her channel on YouTube:-
I wish she’d made more of these!
Jeanne’s recently taken up making jewelry and is banging out some beautiful pieces. She also takes amazing photographs of the fauna and flora in the grounds surrounding her property. She’s a very talented lady.
Back in January, Jeanne was recognised by Influential Women, a professional media and editorial platform featuring profiles, interviews, and stories that highlight women’s leadership across industries. The platform believes In the power of women’s voices . Isn’t that fantastic?
Signing off her posts, Jeanne certainly walks the talk!
Have a great day and make everyday great. Live life to the fullest. It’s not the destination that matters, but the journey. Enjoy the ride. ‘Til next time.
All images courtesy of Jeanne
Friday’s Tall Tales #150
Whenever I photograph a door or gate I wonder about its provenance, who and what has happened across said door or gate, and what lies beyond.
I thought I might pick one from my sextet of Thursday’s Doors and tell you a bit more about it or……maybe even weave a story about it.
I had to pick this magnificent ecclesiastical entrance, didn’t I?
It’s the Church of San San Pablo el Real, a Valladolid icon, located in what is now Plaza de San Pablo. This convent was founded in 1276 when Violante de Aragón, the wife of Alfonso X El Sabio [Alfonso The Wise], donated land for its construction, always intending that the church would be dedicated to San Pablo.
Towards the end of 13th century, it was another queen (María de Molina, the wife of Sancho IV) who advocated for it to be rebuilt, and who extended the church to accommodate the tomb of her son, the Infante don Alfonso.
The final design, built of stone in an Isabelline Gothic style, was decided by Cardinal Juan de Torquemada (uncle of the famous Inquisitor) who, between 1445 and 1468, funded the construction of the church one sees today with its single nave and its chapels between the buttresses.
Its monumental façade, the work of Simón de Colonia, was completed in 1500. The façade is in the style of an altarpiece, divided into several carved sections with a large central rose window.
In addition, the Church of San Pablo was the setting for the swearing-in and proclamation of Carlos I as the new king in 1518, and he was always regarded with great affection here.
On the transfer of the capital to Valladolid in 1601 with Felipe III, the Church of San Pablo was the church normally attended by the King whose favourite, the Duke of Lerma, encouraged its different refurbishments and the construction of the two towers.
The Church of San Pablo stands close to the Royal Palace and the Palace of Pimentel, royal sites in Valladolid that were the residences of the Catholic Monarchs, of their son Carlos I and of Felipe II when they stopped by the city.
The church has occupied part of the private history of the Spanish royal family, and particularly the House of Austria: Felipe II and Felipe IV were both christened here. In fact, it is said that the son of Carlos I was taken out through the window of the Palace of Pimentel, where a chain now hangs, so that he could be baptised in this church and not in the Church of San Martín, which he should have been according to jurisdiction.
Inside, the church is very austere, but it does have a few artistic and architectural treasures, such as its ribbed vaults with star motifs, while a 16th century masterpiece, the great carving of the Crucified Christ by Juan de Juni, can be seen in the high chapel.
Buried in this chapel are the first Duke of Lerma, Francisco y Rojas, along with his wife — although their bronze funerary sculptures are now exhibited in the National Museum of Sculpture.
Other sculptural gems include the Cristo Yacente [Dead Christ] by Gregorio Fernández, one of Valladolid’s best-known Holy Week figures; a painted Christ on the Cross and a Santo Domingo de Guzmán.
There also rococo and neo-Classical altarpieces as well as two canvases by Bartolomé de Cárdenas.
Flora and Fauna Friday #150
This post is my weekly homage to my parents who both took pleasure in having a beautiful garden. In particular, they loved sitting and watching the wild life enjoy their garden.
Given today’s date, it has to be:-
Last on the card: April 2026
The rules for Brian’s Last on the Card prompt are pretty simple:
1. Post the last photo on your SD card and/or last photo on your phone for the end of the month.
2. No editing – who cares if it is out of focus, not framed as you would like or the subject matter didn’t co-operate.
3. You don’t have to give any explanations, just the photo will do
4. Create a Pingback to this post or link in the comments
5. Tag “The Last Photo”
Thursday doors #331
I’m still featuring Spanish, Italian and French doors from my trips last year.
Thursday Doors is a weekly feature allowing door lovers to come together to admire and share their favourite door photos from around the world. Feel free to join in the fun by creating your own Thursday Doors post each week and then sharing your link in the comments’ on Dan’s site, anytime between Thursday morning and Saturday noon (North American Eastern Time).
Art Deco Nice: Palais Galatée
Palais Galatée is a five-storey residential building, plus a commercial ground floor, built in Art Deco style, at the corner of rue Trachel and rue de Dijon. The curve of the corner is flattened and terminated by a segmental arced pediment. The facades on either side of this angle are almost symmetrical, save that of the rue de Dijon has an additional span. The building has a much diversity of bays: oculi, larc lintels, straight lintels on bays of different widths……..
The building more discreet geometric decoration in the form of festoons and a set of grooves under the oriels. Its long-sided roof covered with overhanging tiles. The interior has a circular staircase with windows which open in the corner on the courtyard, as well as an elevator.
The plans of the current floors show typically small apartments and studios bringing together “traditional” and “tourism” apartments.
Its a handsome Art Deco building ornamented with floral and plant motifs forming a frieze on the 4th floor and descending on either side of the oriels (bay windows), and large frames in splines dressing the corner entrance and the windows of first floor located under the oriels.
Also noteworthy is the corner of the two streets highlighted by a balcony on the top floor and a segmental arched pediment bearing the name of Building.
The application for its building permit dates back to January 1930
All images courtesy of Ville de Nice
View from the Back 