All Half Mad Here



This takes playing HORSE to a whole new level! French architecture firm a/LTA has designed the perfect urban park fixture in Nantes, France for kids of all ages and sizes! The basketball tree not only gives kids a greater chance of finding an empty hoop, but it also allows them to have a fair shot at making a basket.

The functional structure known as Arbre à Basket, roughly translated as Basket Tree, features five separate basketball hoops attached to limbs that branch out from one tree-like sculptural post. The baskets, each equipped with its own backboard, are each positioned at different heights, allowing for the all-inclusive public to engage in multiple games on the court. Tiny tots and growing kids need not shy away from the fun to be had with their height-appropriate basket. With time, they can move on to the higher hoops, creating a challenge for themselves that can span several years. (Source)

posted 10 mesi fa with 10 note

deareurope:

Dear Europe:

I drove myself to the California State Fair the other day. While I was there I happened by a bicycle exhibit titled “Pedaling to Adventure.” I saw all sorts of cool bikes and I was instantly reminded of you.

I started reminiscing of those days in Viareggio, biking to and from the beach and down the passeggiata. It felt so natural to weave in and out of the pedestrian and automobile traffic. 

We used to dance together every day. I loved it. I learned the steps to the bicycle waltz in no time. And soon enough my friends and I were able to board bikes in two or even three on our way to the beach or local beach bar. 

Oh, how I miss those days. Those days of bike sharing. Fortunately, I live in a town where most people learn to ride a bike even before they learn how to walk. Where the bike population usually outnumbers the city population. We are the only Platinum Biking City in America - so props to us. 

But it’s not quite the same. The traffic rules differ and the tempo of the bicycle dance here in Davis is stop and go rather than just flow with it.

I miss our bike rides together, Europe. I miss those biking adventures on Etruscan walls, around large roundabouts, and down crowded boardwalks. 

Next time you want to go for a bike ride, Europe. Don’t hesitate to send me a note. Or a text message. Hell, even a tweet inviting me on one of your wheeled adventures. 

Still trying to pedal my way back to European adventure (stupid Atlantic), 

A European Stuck in Davis

posted 1 anno fa via deareurope with 3 note


For many travelers, a baguette loaf of bread is synonymous with France. A new innovation could make getting a fresh French baguette easy and accessible 24/7 to anyone with a Euro coin. French baker Jean-Louis Hecht has developed a baguette vending machine capable of taking precooked loaves and producing piping hot baguettes in seconds. So far, he has two machines installed near each of his bakeries in the northeastern town of Hornbourg-Haut andParis and hopes to expand operations throughout France and Europe.

The baguette is a quintessential part of any French meal, yet many bakeries shut down early and for much of August for vacation, depriving many of a fresh loaf on demand. Hecht’s machine could serve as a solution for small bakeries who want to maintain business without being open all the time. Hecht’s machines have sold up to 4,500 a month and he reasons at that rate they pay for themselves in one year. The French may be buying, but they’re still skeptical. “It’s definitely convenient – but it’s just not quite the same as fresh bread,” saidParisian customer Tiphaine Ath. “Five seconds and it’s ready? I have my doubts.”

Would you try a baguette from a machine? What foods have you found in foreign vending machines? Check out our round up of crazy vending machines from around the world - from pizza to pets!

Source

I don’t know how I feel about this. I enjoy my late night strolls/early morning walks when the bakeries are just starting to fire their ovens. The smells wafting through the streets are the most magical. On the other hand, I love fresh bread. And having the chance to get fresh bread at whatever time sounds kind of awesome (but only if there’s a delicious cheese vending machine next to it…)

posted 1 anno fa with 9 note