In November '08 we received an email that began:

"Hello,
My name is Tesla and I am a 1971 Skipper doll (the redhead in the pictures, the blond Action Man is my dad, his name's Mstislav). I notice your Traveling Man has never been to France. Do you think he'll enjoy it? I live in the north of France (Lille). I have a doll's house he can stay in and lots of mates for him. I don't live near any well-known monuments but there's plenty of nice, typically French landscapes and buildings..."

Anyone who would pass on a deal like that needs their head examined, so we quickly packed up TM and sent him to France! He arrived after Christmas and has yet to mention coming home. You can tell from these great pictures that Tesla and TM are having lots of fun!

Check back later, these toys are still at play in Europe, and have been seen recently in Bangkok and Bali.

Two action-thumbs way up for Cécile, Tesla, Mstislav, Ursula, Yossarian, Sabina, Isis, Abbie, Annick, Jinda, Jantima, Thierry and the whole French connection. Thank you all for Playing!

 

02/09 ::: Traveling Man spotted at French political rally!
See the bottom of this page for actual photographs of toys mixing it up in the streets!

03/09 ::: Traveling Man is seen in the snows of Romania!

03/09 ::: Traveling Man, Tesla and Mstislav are off to visit Cécile's brother Vivien in Valencia, Spain!

5/15/09 ::: Tesla has an Excellent Idea ... TM is headed East and gets a special farewell!

09/09 ::: TM and the gang visit Jakarta, Bali, and Hong Kong and TM get's chewed on by a monkey!

Mstislav and Tesla pick TM up at the Post Office in Lille.)


St. Maurice Church


Sendng news home.


Lille is in the north of France.


Train station, Lille.


Making crank calls to the Embassy.


On a real French bike!


Shopping 1: wine.


Shopping 2: bakery.


TM pretending he knows where he is.


At home to chat and relax.


A toast; to Shopping in France! The cider is a speciality of Britanny, a northwest region of France.


Shopping 3: the beer section.


Shopping 4: Education.


Notre Dame de Fives.


"Traveling... it's what I do!"


TM's dream techo album cover.


Notre Dame de Fives.


A street in Fives.


TM's dream record: inner-sleeve art.


On a real French slide!


Deliciously moody French factories.


Real French snowballs!


A picnic in the snow.


Crazy American daredevil!

 
ChezDamien,
with saucisson and Picon-bière.


With a Serge Gainsbourg record
(Cécile's boyfriend took this, très français!)


Thinking about his novel again.


Beffroi, Chambre de Commerce


Ferris Wheel in Lille


"La Voix du Nord" is the local newspaper.


TM and Tesla
desktop


Notre Dame de la Tre
is a wonderful gothic monster.


Real French roofing!
 


Palais des Beaux-Arts


Palais des Beaux-Arts, with a late XIXth century Scandinavian painting.


Outside the Prefecture, which is official and administrative and boring, but a lovely building
.


Porte de Paris.


Porte de Paris.


Outside Palais des Beaux-Arts.


A factory in Hellemmes, a small town next to Lille that looks like Fives.


Feeling very Bob Dylan, in Hellemmes.


Place de la Republique, playing in a frozen fountain!


On the train near Dunkerque.


The train for Dunkerque.


Real beautiful countryside in France!


Dunkerque, where The Man in the Iron Mask was arrested.


Dunkerque, home of privateer fleets.


Dunkerque, land of strategic beaches.


Dunkerque, even the ships say it.


The Aa River, in Hallines (a small village in the Pas-de-Calais). desktop


Dunkerque, home of the mysterious Lighthouse Boat!


Traveling Man was spoted outside a Belgian discount tobacco shop.


Shopping 5: TM with Belgian booty.


Beware, Europe! He is on the move!


Fan of picture books.

 
A sign to Lille.


A 2CV, the Frenchest car you can get!


A warm plastic family.


On the rails at La Coupole, (background) a bunker built during World War II, today a museum.


mmm... cheese!


Civil Unrest #1


Civil Unrest #2


Civil Unrest #3
 

 

See TM's visit to ROMANIA!

 

Check back later for more pictured fromTesla!


...



WARNING:
DO NOT VIEW THIS WEB PAGE
 

 
 

CLICK HERE TO GO HERE