Monthly Archives: June 2008

Belém has left Halifax

by Mike K-H Quebec in five days’ time Yesterday 27 June 2008 at 09:45 local time, the French sail training ship Belém left Halifax, Nova Scotia and the statue of Samuel Cunard. Low visibility and head winds dictated the choice … Continue reading

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Gustave Flaubert – world’s highest lifting bridge

by Mike K-H Have you seen the Millau viaduct? When the tall ships join in the annual Armada festivities on 4 and 5 July this year, Rouen will open yet another record-breaking piece of French civil engineering – the Pont … Continue reading

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Sail training ship Belém

Three masted ship Belém, built for the French cocoa and sugar trade with Brazil, returned to France in 1979 to be renovated and used as a sail training ship. Mike Kindom-Hockings remembers seeing her in Paris during the renovation, and recounts her history. Continue reading

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The China effect

by Mike K-H Forget Dr Fu Manchu. The western world is being turned upside down by China without any malicious intent on the part of the Chinese. It’s the sheer size of what has been introduced to the world’s markets … Continue reading

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The euro is getting stronger

by Mike K-H A new category Whether you live in France or just go there for holidays, the exchange rate affects you. During what Bank of England governor Mervyn King called the NICE (no inflation, consistent expansion) decade, the rate … Continue reading

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