sbh2015 – day 6 // saint jean pélican, do brazil, shell beach

Another great day in paradise…
This morning, we’ve visited another beach, Saint Jean Pélican, very nice lights and colors again. By swimming with Julien, we’ve realized how far sea-grasses there almost disappeared. Very few fish, no turtle, only a little ray.

Saint Jean Pélican

Palm trees shadow

Transparency…

After some showers, we’ve left the beach for an excellent lunch at Do Brazil! We really like this place very much.

The view remains unique…

Saint Barth is family-time for us!

We’ve then visited the Fort Carl above Shell Beach. Funny that it’s the first in 14 visits to Saint Barth that we went there :-) A must-see actually! The view over Shell Beach is just stunning…

Shell Beach from Fort Carl
 

Another view of Shell Beach

Fort Carl, the other side

The path is now great and there are quite a lot of information all along (trees, flora, etc).

Renovated path to Fort Carl

This evening, no restaurant, as we will go to the cinema in Lorient (if it’s not raining) ;-)

sbh2015 – day 5 // saint jean, mosquitoes

Again a windy day, but no covered sky and no showers (yet).
As the 3 of us have little sunburns, we decided not to go for another stroll this morning.
Coming from the European grey winter to the Caribbean sun is definitely a challenge for our skins…

After 5 days, I have to say: not so many mosquitoes this year. At the villa and other places. Perhaps also due to the wind?
So we headed towards Saint Jean beach (airport side, not Pelican).
Take-off spectacle is still great, as this beach and its beautiful colors and sand.
Again a good water polo training in the waves. I have to admit I have started to have muscle aches after 3 days :-)
Still very funny.

 

Nice beach with the Eden Rock

Sand and light reflection

Sand and light reflection (bis)

These colors!

And transparency…

The (now famous) fences are really blocking for making the stroll on the whole beach.
The landing strip is now well protected (too much?).

Fences to protect the landing area 

We’ve seen a lot of turtles in the Bay this afternoon, so I will re-try some snorkeling but not today anymore.
This evening, dinner at Bonito in Gustavia.

sbh2015 – day 4 // gouverneur, sunset

Covered sky this morning with some showers, so first we went shopping to the MarchéU, still difficult to find Diet Coke bottles :-)
After some readings near the swimming-pool, we went to Gouverneur. No seaweed on the beach, some pieces in the sea but nothing disturbing.
The arrival from the top was just taking my breath away… Simply gorgeous colors…
The beach was almost empty (people are really coming late, which is perfect), a strong funny shower later, readings for the 3 of us, water-polo with Julien in the waves again.

Entering the beach

Almost nobody in the morning

Quite a lot of birds fishing

Caribbean colors

Walking on the wild side

From the other side…

Sunset pictures from yesterday

Still trying snorkeling at Marigot but the visibility is not good enough. I don’t give up.
This evening, dinner at Maya’s, miam!

sbh2015 – day 3 // GCdS stroll, rough sea, Flamands

During our nice dinner yesterday evening at Eden Rock, we have decided to go for a combination for today: first the Grand-Cul-de-Sac – Petit-Cul-de-Sac stroll early in the morning and then, Flamands. Again quite a windy day with a rough sea.
The stroll was really so great this year! Brilliant lights, very big waves to entertain us :-) We had all 3 really a blast and were impressed by this beauty, even if it’s definitely not the first time we did this stroll!

Between Grand and Petit Cul-de-Sac, with the island “La Tortue” behind

Nice waves

A rock hit by big waves

When two waves meet themselves…

Wave before the crash

At the back, Petit Cul-de-Sac, and some old stone walls

Then back to Grand Cul-de-Sac

After the stroll, we were heading to Flamands beach. Again, the full program there: readings, siesta, water polo in the waves.

Flamands beach

Back home for lunch, we’ve stayed at the villa the whole afternoon. First short snorkeling (visibility still not ok) at Marigot Bay and dinner at Côté-Port in Gustavia.
With a beautiful sunset just before leaving….

day03 portfolio is here (lots of waves pictures):
http://visuals.didierbeck.com/French…Dailies/Day03/

sbh2015 – day 2 // sunrise, saline

Second day in paradise, we have now fully adopted the island groove, cool!
The day started with a fantastic sunrise at about 06:30 when I was going to the bakery passing through Grand Fond. And even better a bit later at Toiny.

Sunrise at Grand Fond

Sunrise at Toiny

After a good breakfast, we have decided ourselves for Saline. We were there at about 08:00. Nobody – actually one car and one person swimming! It seemed that it has rained just before we arrived. The beach is quite clean, a bit of seaweeds (small pieces, really) and a pile of on the far end right on the beach, almost nothing in the water. Quite a windy morning with funny waves. We have started our “vacation” water-polo training (I mean for Julien, not for me :-), was super funny in the waves, lot of laughs!

Saline this morning when we arrived

Saline – Waves

Saline – Fantastic colors

After a lunch at home, we stayed there and profit from our swimming-pool with its fantastic view on Anse de Marigot.

Swiming-pool

Then first shopping at Saint Jean and diner at Eden Rock (more on this later).
What for a day :-) I’m sure I will sleep like a baby.

sbh2015 – Day 01

Late afternoon landing in St Barth :-)
Quite a stress this year to leave home, uneventful travel including luggage.
Quite a windy afternoon (interesting landing with several strong turbulence over La Tourmente) but umhhhh aaahhhh, so warm here. :-)
First known faces at the airport which is helping to enter the SBH groove.
We got our Mini and went to our rented villa (this year at Marigot), first pictures – sunset. Wow.
Then, a quick (good) diner at Le Bouchon and “un petit tour” at Lorient’s supermarket, as it’s open till 9pm.
Some little rains, but you know, the warm ones!
Good cigar (Montecristo) on the terrace with a first Rhum Vanille from La Gloriette eheh.
Slowing down and fighting against jetlag.
H a p p y!

Bye bye Saint Martin (nice renovation in the airport), first nice lights

You know you are at the end of the long journey when you see…

We arrived in the villa with *this* view (part of SBH groove)

Captured just before the night (I think we will have fun with this villa)

To be continued….

Time for change…

Today was my last day at Pactera Switzerland (formerly Innoveo Solutions) as Managing Director and Board member.

The end of a 14-year journey started with some slides presented at the Helvetia Group Executive Board in 2000. This period was full of nice and tough moments, bringing so much experience. I had the chance to meet so many great people (partners, customers, providers, competitors) and to work with/for them. To travel and discover new countries and new cultures: Russia, China, India, UAE/Dubai, Morocco, Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria, Denmark, … But specially I had such a great team around me, this is for sure what I’m the most proud of, and which is making my departure so complicated and emotional! You are the best, my colleagues and friends, my best wishes to all of you smile emoticon And thanks for your great gift (cf. picture), a book full of photos from our last 14 years events!

From Monday, I’m joining another great team at Boomerang Pharmaceutical Communications as Global Chief Operating Officer. I know this strong mid-size company since its foundation 17 years ago and I was working there as Board member for a long time. I’m very excited to integrate the Management Team there and to participate to the next steps of the growth of Boomerang!

Saint Barth 2015 – Countdown started

Minus 2 months

In exactly 2 months from today, we will start our usual long travel to the Caribbean for our 14-days visit of our preferred little island.

We could reserve and rent a villa we wanted to go for quite a long time. For the first time in 14 trips that we have a direct access to the ocean and Marigot Bay, part of the marine nature reserve and well-known as one of the best place for snorkeling!

Happy.

Les U9 du Mulhouse Water-Polo

Vendredi soir, j’ai pu assister pour la première fois à l’entraînement des U9 du Mulhouse Water-polo.
Incroyablement bluffant! Thierry Estebe (directeur sportif du Mulhouse Water-Polo), leur entraîneur, fait un travail exceptionnel avec les tous jeunes du club, vraiment super….
Nos “p’tits jeunes” sont tous très concentrés et impliqués tout au long de l’entraînement. Déjà de vraies postures de poloistes “comme les grands”!
Et déjà 2 entraînements par semaine.
Je suis jaloux, j’aurai bien aimé aussi commencer à cet âge, et pas à 42 ans, ahah!
Entre les équipes de U9, U13, U15, U17, l’équipe 1 & 2 senior, et nous les “U65/loisir”, la boucle est bouclée!

Toutes les photos sont là:
http://visuals.didierbeck.com/Water-polo/20142015/MWP-U9/

Mulhouse Water-polo, journée du 13 décembre 2014

Avec du retard, je reviens sur les deux matchs de samedi du Mulhouse Water-polo:

  • L’équipe2 senior gagne nettement contre Dole en N3 19 à 4. Match bien maîtrisé de bout en bout!
  • L’équipe1 qui perd 11 à 13 contre Taverny en N1. Belle progression à nouveau malgré l’absence de Nicolas et Nicolas Il ne manquait pas grand chose encore une fois contre une belle équipe efficace et plus expérimentée. On y croit, ça avance!

Photos de l’équipe2:
http://visuals.didierbeck.com/Water-p…/20142015/MWP-N3-Dole/

Photos de l’équipe1:
http://visuals.didierbeck.com/Water-p…/20142015/MWP-Taverny/