Ivan Seymus | Designer & Carnettiste

Roadsigns as a peoples heritage

Michelin leaving his trace

It has been a long time since I wanted to write a piece about the mythical borne d’angle of Michelin. You can still find them here and there along French roads. At first, I thought it was a simple painted concrete structure. The signs actually look like tiles from inside a car. Upon closer investigation, it appears that Michelin used an ingenious technique. In section: two layers of enamel on lava rock, 15 mm thick and mounted on reinforced concrete. And the organization around it was evenly amazing. The production of this road signage by Michelin ran from 1908 to 1971.

Le guide avancé du Sketchnote

In the above video you can flip through the second book by designer Mike Rohde on sketchnoting. It just came out in a French translation and dropped in my mailbox. Very proud to have been invited to fill no less than three pages in the book with sketches! Continue reading “Le guide avancé du Sketchnote”

The navel of the South of France

When bulls drank pastis.

In anticipation of the French presidential elections on April 23 and May 7, 2017, I browse one of my old notebooks seeking comments on the previous electoral duel. Not so difficult, the presidency in France is valid for five years, sometimes to the disappointment of many.

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Hiking along the GR92 in Catalonia

Now that’s a camino!

Since we were camping at our daughters’ place in the Luberon for a month, we took the plan to get away for a few days and visit Catalonia. From Provence in France, it’s approximately a 4 to 5 hours drive depending on where you want to end up.

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Strolling through Ménerbes

Cyriel Buysse vs. Peter Mayle

Whenever we are in the Luberon region in Provence, we visit one of our favorite perched villages: Ménerbes. I know what you’re thinking: “Peter Mayle fans!” Not really. After living here for eight years, I was rather disappointed when I read One good Year.

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Vegetables and a Trabant in Velleron

We went for the tomatoes.

My wife sorts everything by color. It gives her life balance and structure, she says. I’m the total opposite and if I would need to sort things, it would rather be by form or size. Continue reading “Vegetables and a Trabant in Velleron”

Beaumes de Venise

Beaumes de Venise is classified as a ‘place of remarkable taste.’ Indeed, the wines are excellent, and the kitchens are of good reputation. The region produces two distinctively different wines of which you’ve certainly heard: the famous Muscat du Beaume de Venise (sweet fortified wine) and a red Côtes du Rhône Village. As a patent of nobility, the restaurant walls are covered with labels and certificates. Continue reading “Beaumes de Venise”