benjamin franck

Bicycle ride #01

Type: Citadin
Difficulté: facile
Distance: +/- 18km
Temps de parcours: 2 heures (avec deux pauses)

Ce week end, premier essai de mon tout nouveau vélo !!
Nous sommes allés faire un tour dans Bruxelles avec David, histoire de faire connaissance avec la bécane !
Résultat: 18 Km dans les rues de la capitale, pour se rendre compte que finalement, la ville est déjà pas mal adaptée au cyclistes, pas mal de pistes cyclables, pas mal d’aménagements, de signalisations pour les vélos, et aussi et surtout, un respect de la part des automobilistes que je ne soupçonnais pas.

Je ne dirai pas que c’est le pied intégral et qu’il n’y a aucune critique négative à faire, mais pour un premier contact avec la ville à vélo depuis plus de 10 ans, c’était une expérience plutôt sympa !!

Au programme:

- Départ de Schaerbeek (bd Lambermont)
- Direction Montgmorery (en fait montgomery est plus simple à vélo qu’en voiture !!)
- Du Cinquentenaire, nous nous dirigeons vers Schuman (idem que montgomery, plus simple à vélo)
- Rue de la Loi: un plaisir à vélo !! Elle se parcoure aussi vite qu’en voiture grâce à la superbe piste cyclable !!)
- Petit passage par le parc Royal
- Retour en passant par l’Esplanade de l’Europe (un coin que je ne connaissais pas, complètement réaménagé, et franchement bluffant tellement c’est beau, moderne et propre !!)
- Retour à la maison en repassant par le cinquentenaire, puis montgomery

Je n’avais malheureusement pas pris mon point&shoot avec moi, donc pas de photos, mais la prochaine fois, je n’y manquerai pas !

Voici la carte de notre itinéraire:

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Tonight’s meal: tempura !

Tonight, I wanted to try to cook some tempura vegetables and prawns …
Here’s the recipe :

Ingredients

For the tempura
100g/3½oz plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
about 150ml/5fl oz sparkling water
4 ice cubes
3 small broccoli florets
½ Romero pepper, seeds removed, sliced
vegetable oil, for deep frying

For the dipping sauces
4 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
½ lemon, juice only

Method

1. For the tempura, in a bowl, mix together the flour and baking powder until well combined. Gradually add the sparkling water, as necessary, until the batter mixture has the consistency of single cream. Add the ice cubes.
2. Heat the oil in a deep heavy-based pan until a breadcrumb sizzles and turns brown when dropped into it. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)
3. Dip the broccoli florets and pepper slices into the batter, then carefully lower them into the hot oil. Deep fry for 1-2 minutes, or until crisp and golden-brown, then remove from the pan using a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper.
4. For the first dipping sauce, in a small bowl, mix together two tablespoons of soy sauce with all of the sesame oil.
5. For the second dipping sauce, in a separate small bowl, mix together the remaining soy sauce with the lemon juice.
6. To serve, place the vegetable tempura into the centre of a serving plate. Serve the sauces alongside.

(source)

Victoire de la droite !

Hier, les français votaient aux élections régionales.
Les dernières en date avaient eu lieu en 2004, et avaient montré une victoire de la gauche.
Cette année la droite a pris le dessus, en Alsace.

(source: L’actu en patates, Le Monde)

Bold the ones you have/use

Found this from Valium, and wanted to pass it on !

1. A cell phone.
2. A hair straightener.
3. Your own computer.
4. Your own car.
5. Chanel/Dior/Gucci sun[glasses].
6. A designer purse.
7. A boyfriend/girlfriend.
8. A curling iron.
9. Every Fall Out Boy CD.
10. Something from American Eagle.
11. Something from Hot Topic.
12. Something from Hollister.
13. Something from Abercrombie.
14. A pet.
15. Some type of trophy/award.
16. Full/Queen-size bed.
17. King-size bed.
18. An iPod.
19. Something from a professional team.
20. More than £100.
21. Monster, Full Throttle, Amp, Red Bull, etc. in your fridge.
22. Something Green Day.
23. Xanga.
24. Myspace.
25. Makeup.
26. A desk in your room.
27. A hill in your backyard.
28. DDR.
29. A pair of skis.
30. An alarm clock.
31. A pair of ice skates.
32. A pair of Rollerblades.
33. A treadmill.
34. Your own phone line.
35. AIM.
36. Yahoo!
37. MSN.
38. ICQ.
39. AOL.
40.Perfume/cologne.
41. Bath lotion.
42. Necklaces and bracelets.
43. A journal/diary.
44. Yogurt and peaches in your fridge.
45. X’s in your screen name.
46. A birthday in September.
47. A famous relative. ish
48. A relative in a different country
49. A disowned relative.
50. A relative that lives in Florida.
51. Your own bathroom.
52. Your own band.
53. Any rock band shirts.
54. A guitar.
55. A hammock.
56. A basketball hoop.
57. A soccer net.
58. A bike.
59. An electric scooter.
60. A minivan.
61. A V.C. Andrews book.
62. A friend that does drugs/alcohol/smokes.
63. A locker at school.
64. A baby
65. Sparkly blue nail polish.
66. A “Vote for Pedro” shirt.
67. The movie “40 Year Old Virgin”.
68. A promise ring.
69. A pool table.
71. Trampoline.
72. Livejournal.
73. Flip flops.
74. Steve Madden shoes.
75. The Sims.
76. A ping pong table.
77. An air hockey table.
78. A basement.
79. Converses.
80. Construction paper.
81. Markers, crayons, etc..
82. Coloring books.
83. A nice singing voice.
84. GameCube.
85. Xbox.
86. Playstation.
87. PS2.
88. PSP.
89. Some type of disease.
90. Rose Red movie.
91. VCR/DVD player.
92. A mom or dad.
93. An older brother.
94. An older sister.
95. A younger brother.
96. A younger sister.
97. A twin.
98. A sled.
99. A lake/pond/river/ocean near your house.
100. Friends who like you.

Feel free to pass on the list ^_^

Moby Live from Montreal

Last week, a colleague of mine, who likes Moby as much as I do, told me there was a live performance to buy on iTunes. It’s an unplugged Moby performance recorded in Montreal.

Wait for me might not be the prefered album from the fans, and it may not be the bes tour for some of them.
I personnally enjoyed the concert in Ancienne Belgique A LOT, and this unplugged version is also really, really nice. This is an iTunes exlusive album, just for you to know, you won’t find it in other stores.

Be sure to check it out !

iTunes link