March 2008 2008

Hello everyone,

This month, it's an exceptional celestial phenomenon, one I have seen only three times, I 'd like to tell you about.

No, it is not the total eclipse of the moon of February 21, that was visible all over Europe and America... wherever the sky was not covered with clouds. . For a second chance, you'll have to wait a couple years. We were in a remote anchorage in the Gambier islands, the one at Pohue, that would look like it were set in the Tuamotus if the mountainous islands in the center of the small archipelago were not visible at a short distance. I got out on deck to watch the moon, full and especially bright on that night... When, to my surprise, a piece of it was missing... I looked twice, and realized that it was an eclipse... In our remote anchorages, we don't even listen to the radio, and we had not been warned.

But it's another phenomenon that impressed me : the night following the full moon, just after a pretty violent rain squall had just swept the sky, the still very bright moon rose above Taravai island's mountains, we have seen taking shape to leeward of the boat a magnificent moonbow, a rainbow created by the moon : imagine a rainbow, but with pastel colors; this one was perfect, complete from one end of the horizon to the other; we watched it, fabulous, for a quarter of an hour, then it vanished quickly : it's a thing that's nearly impossible to photography, so you will have to imagine.

So the photograph of the month will be a photograph taken from one of Taravai's summits, reached from the cocoa colored beaches of Onemea Bay.

We lost our way on the way up ... the pine trees that have grown all over the island are so numerous that it has become difficult to find one's way ... so e reached the top in a state of exhaustion. I also send you a photo taken of these giant pandanus flowers, called in Polynesia Hinano ( it's also a first name for girls and the name of the local beer). Dozens of flowers had bloomed suddenly in the pandanus bushes, and their perfume invaded the beach.

I send you this letter... from the banks of... Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, California, where I make a quick stop on the long road that takes me for four days to South Africa for the shooting of the new ads for my sponsor; they will this time be shot in the company of an internationally famous top model...

I'll tell you about it next time!