Palms Sunday in Notre Dame de France (London UK)

The French Parish of Notre Dame de France in London is strategically located in Soho, just around Leicester square. I came across Palms Sunday celebration last year and saw they have a very colour procession around the square as part of the celebration.

I made sure to go back this year, working on my soul but also bringing two camera’s.

There is a certain contrast with between entertainment character of the area and a religious celebration, but well, God is everywhere.

A part from the parish members are from African origins and they bring a certain quality of joy and energy in the procession.

Once again the strong contrast between sacred and profane.

Red lanterns in sight

Going back to the church we can see Chinatown, this is really a celebration of diversity.

It is messy when everybody goes back into the church at the same time.

The choir leader.

All shots with Leica M262 and Summicron 35mm Asph vII, except the last shot with Summicron 50mm v5.

For those into music like me, the Sex Pistols played in the Church hall in 1976 and even a second time in 1977, for what I read was the first concert of Sid Vicious.

But also The Clash apparently played there in 1979:

( http://www.blackmarketclash.co.uk/Pages/Gigs/The%20Clash/1979-The-Clash-Live/1979%20gigs/79-07-05_Notre%20Dame/79-07-05_Notre%20Dame.html )

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Little monks in the Thien Mu Pagoda – Hué – Vietnam

 

Little monks in the Thien Mu Pagoda – Hué – Vietnam

 
I realize it’s been a long break; my last post dates back from the end of September! Like many other people I have been busy; nearly two seeks in Vietnam, kid going back to school, seeing friends, walking around with a camera and a bit of work, in a word: life.

So Vietnam was our last destination, we spent 10 days in the the middle and south part between Hué and Ho Chi Minh city aka Saigon. Weather at this time of the year is not great and actually it is the start of the bad season. We had a lot of rain in Hué, but we were quite lucky in other places.

Camera wise I slightly modified my usual kit and brought along the Angenieux 70-210 F3.5 AI lens instead of the Nikkor 80-210 F2.8 AF. The reason is that I wanted a lighter kit that fits in a back-pack I borrowed from a friend. Yes I was again wondering about a new bag bt could not make up my mind so I decided to try a back-pack instead of taking along the Crumpler 8Mio back (which is no longer produced it seems). I could fit in the bag:
– the Hasselblad 500M with an extra back
– the D700
– the 50mmF1.8D
– the 17-35mmF2.8AF
– the Angenieux zoom

There is enough room left for the lonely planet,the light-meter, a couple of films. The rest of the accessories goes in the checked luggage, including spare film.

As we traveled “free and easy” (meaning we did not have our own car and driver all the time) I enjoyed the back-pack very much as it enabled me to carry all my stuff around all the time. On the down side, even if this one (Lowepro 200 something) has a kind of “Sling” feature, it is not as practical as a shoulder bag. So I think I will have more crisis of looking for the perfect bag in the future again.

Oh the picture, this is one of the first of the film shots, these kids are little monks in the Thien Mu Pagoda in Hué. This pagoda is famous for its 7 levels tower, but also for the monk who drove from there to Saigon to set himself in fire in 1963 in protest against the government.