#but i was on a 9 hour flight (coincidentally out of france)

[addictivewhispering]

can i confess something very big to u all. i haven't watched the last world cup final

[hannahmcne]

Lost on the Case - Chapter 7

At five o'clock Alya couldn't sleep, so she slipped out of the room as silently as possible without waking Nino. She went to the living room and spread out an arsenal of lined paper, black and blue pens, and sticky notes. She was going to crack this case once and for all.

Armed with at least four hours of sleep and a renewed vision of what had occurred almost ten years ago, she opened up her video of Chat Noir's email. Using frequent pausing, she was able to read the entire contents.

The Marinette emails were seven in quantity. They were short, out-of-context, and showed a side of her friend that Alya had never seen. They'd been sent over a period of two days and changed a lot of what Alya thought about the case.

CN: This is Chat Noir, reporting for duty. Do I read my princess?

MDC: Hey kitty. Glad it worked.

CN: Me too. Could have been catastrophic if someone else had gotten this

MDC: Created a new email address. La_coccinelle.

CN: Sweet. Just sent an email. Did it work?

MDC: Yup.

CN: Sweet. Make sure to delete these emails on your end on the off-chance someone reads your emails after we're gone.

Alya felt like she was fourteen again, famous for running after akumas and uploading stories about the symbolic history of ladybugs. One large half of her was overjoyed at what she'd discovered. Namely 'my best friend is on a nickname basis with one of Paris's superheroes' and 'Chat Noir puns in his emails'. But a very small portion of her spirit was shivering. Marinette had created the Ladybug address. She scribbled on a paper to keep her mind going, even though she was afraid of what she'd find.

Problem: Marinette created the Ladybug email.

Solutions/Options: It's the real account, or it's not.

And, of course, on that note, Chat Noir had definitely planned to leave to somewhere with Marinette.

With shaking hands, she started the portion of the video with the Ladybug emails. There were more of these, twenty-three in all. They spanned the time up until the night Marinette was kidnapped, even going past Adrien's death.

1. CN: Do I read my Princess?

2. LB: This account is actually under Ladybug, but you can call me whatever. Either way, it's me.

3. CN: Kay. I found a house. 420€ yearly rental. It's large, out of way. Two-story.

4. LB: Bed/Bath?

5. CN: Four baths and seven-bed.

6. LB: Wow, large. Sounds good. Rented car yet?

7. CN: No but I found a place. I'll actually step in and rent it after I've died.

8. LB: Kay. I'll suit up and hit up Alya and Chloe today. When does Nino get back?

9. CN: Late tomorrow. I can drop off to him.

10. LB: Great.

11. CN: I'm just about to push my fake body out the window, then I'll head over.

12. LB: Make it to the house okay?

13. CN: Yup. Put your things in a spare room. I'm going to order in for a few essential furniture items. Pls help?

14. LB: Use francecanape.

15. CN: Kay. Have things blown up yet?

16. LB: Sorry to have taken so long. Yes, things were dreary at school today. A gardener discovered your body before lunch, so when we came back from break Ms. Bustier was crying. I think I did well pretending I didn't know what was coming. Chloe left school. Nino was taken out of class and sent home. The lesson was canceled. Great day. Everyone misses you.

17. CN: I miss everyone. Do you think you played the sad crush part well enough?

18. LB: Knowing you were actually alive made it hard, so there weren't any tears. I just went unresponsive until Ms. Bustier sent me to the nurse. Then I went home with a nurse ticket and watched sad videos on YouTube until my face was red. Alya didn't pry, so I think I did good. I just got off of a facetime with her.

19. CN: Clever bug. Did my dad say anything?

20. LB: Not yet. I'll keep you updated. LMK when you come back to get me.

21. CN: On my way. Ready to be kidnapped?

22. LB: I'm wearing a black jacket with white buttons and red leggings. I'll leave in thirty-two minutes.

23. CN: I'd know you anywhere, my lady. Lying in wait and in position. See you soon. (I love you)

Alya began to cry. She'd forgotten so many details. She'd missed how Marinette hadn't cried. She remembered that stupid FaceTime.

The door to the bedroom down the hall opened and Nino emerged, rubbing his eyes. "Alya?" He mumbled. "Why are you up?" He came over and squinted at the screen. Alya wasn't sure he could read anything through the layers of eye boogers around his lids, but he still leaned down to hug her.

"Figure it out?" He asked.

Alya nodded into his shirt.

"Tell me." He murmured. He adjusted her in his arms and rubbed her back soothingly. Alya wiped her eyes.

"Adrien was the kidnapper. He pushed a fake body out of his window – I'm not sure how it passed as real, but I almost don't want to know. He and Marinette planned the entire kidnapping and were emailing each other thirty minutes before they staged it. The car was a rental. I- I need to find it." Alya reached toward her computer. Her fingertips felt numb. Since all the rental companies were still closed, she took a chance and went back to her public-domain file finder again. Nino watched over her shoulder as within minutes, she found a record that matched perfectly.

"White, four-door, tinted Chevrolet hatchback taken out on the same day Marinette was kidnapped. The name was Bryce Papenbrook. In Paris for a quick vacation. According to this court record, he came in the next day and explained that the car had been totaled in an off-road accident. He agreed to pay for the car in full and produced the entire cost – €16,919 - in cash, upfront. The company didn't press charges and only filed a record to explain why one car had been blacked out from the records. They also asked him to please refrain from renting in the future." Alya summarized as she read.

Nino grunted. "So, if Adrien took out €40,000 and the car was €16,919-"

"Plus initial renting charge of about thirty-five euros." Alya interrupted.

"Right." Nino agreed. "That's like, twenty-four thousand left."

"And they're renting a house." Alya flipped back to the emails. "See? And it's a large house too. They've got a great rate on it too. A house like that…" Alya thought. "Well, it depends on where they are. In a smaller town, maybe four-hundred euros is a reasonable amount, but in Paris... She trailed off. "I wonder if Adrien kept using that name?"

She cleared her public records finder and took thirty extra seconds to also clear her cookies so that the website wouldn't give her biased reports. Then she entered the name Bryce Papenbrook. A slew of records came up. Bryce shared the same birthday as Adrien but was three years older. He was married to a woman named Christina whose maiden name was Vee. Coincidentally, Christina shared the same birthday as Marinette, but was also three years older. They had a house together at 830 Whitebreak Road in Winebrook(Pronounced Vine-brook.).

Alya looked at the housing record a little closer. It was a large house with two stories plus a basement, open-concept kitchen, four baths and seven-bed. It matched what Chat had described to Ladybug with extra details. And to top it all off, they'd had it for ten years as of six days ago.

Nino opened his phone while Alya stared numbly at her screen. He opened Facebook and searched for Bryce Papenbrook. Third down on the list of related people was a picture of Marinette and Adrien sitting on the ground together, dressed in shades of black and dark red. Adrien had a smile that was more Chat than Adrien, and Marinette smiled sweetly like she had a secret no one could guess as she leaned into Adrien's touch. They were older, meaning it was more recent than their kidnappings. Nino nudged Alya to show her.

The cover photo was another one of Marinette and Adrien, and the rest of the account was private. But it was under the name Bryce Papenbrook, which confirmed everything they needed to know.

Alya went back to the settings of Chat Noir's email. She hadn't noticed it before, but the primary recovery email was set to . A teacher's email. Alya examined the phone number attached to the account and grabbed her phone.

"You're not really going to call him, are you?" Nino asked.

Alya cleared her throat two or three times in answer. She pursed her lips and then stretched them as wide as she could. Nino had to resist the urge to laugh. Then, Alya glanced at the clock. It was almost six. With any luck, Brye would be asleep. She dialed the number and put it on speaker at least three feet from her. No one picked up, so she dialed again. This happened twice more before the receiving end clicked.

"Mhello?" Someone groaned on the other end through a yawn.

"Hello this is Frances DoGood and I'd like to schedule a flight for thirteen-o'clock?" Alya said in a high-pitched voice. She kept her lips poised like she was whistling, not speaking. She sounded like an old lady.

"Mmph. What?" The voice on the other end was distorted through fabric noises and the general sounds of someone very sleepy.

"I need a flight from Versailles to Brussels at thirteen-o'clock." Alya repeated in her funny voice.

"Lady, this isn't the airport."

"This isn't Orlay?" Alya acted innocent.

"I think you mean Orly. No, I'm… Bryce Papenbrook. Not the airport. I can… find you the right number if you want?" It was clear that he really, really wanted to go back to sleep. Nino felt bad for the poor guy.

"Oh, no thank you. I think my phone can tell me. Sorry to bug you." Alya smiled wickedly. Nino almost laughed.

"No problem." If the action of rolling your eyes could be expressed in a sound, that was what came through the speaker. Nino bit his lip. A colossal yawn followed. "Goodbye."

"Bye!" Alya hung up. Nino burst into laughter, which filled their whole apartment and almost made up for the sadness of Alya's breakdown. Alya tapped her fingers on her laptop to let out some loose energy.

"That was Adrien." She said after Nino calmed down. "Could you hear him?"

Nino nodded. "It sure sounded like him."

"That means now I have his phone number, his email, and his address." Alya schemed as she closed all the tabs open on her screen and opened a blank google.

"And to think he was dead four days ago," Nino mumbled. "I just heard my best bud's voice for the first time in ten years."

"I know. Crazy, right?" Alya mumbled.

Nino looked at the screen she was on as she typed. He sat up straight. "What are you doing?" He demanded.

The screen showed the Paris Metro out of the city. Alya was booking a ride to Winebrook. She shrugged at Nino's expression.

"Adrien and Marinette ditched us without a word, so they'll have to deal with me dropping in unannounced to ask a few questions," Alya said.

"Us." Nino corrected.

Alya smiled and upped the passenger count to two. "Us." She confirmed. Once booked, she shut the laptop.

"Should we mention this to anyone?" Nino asked as she stood up and walked to the bedroom. "Marinette's parents, Chloe, Mr. Agreste?" He trailed off.

Alya pulled off her pajama top and began rifling through her wardrobe for a shirt. "I'll send Queen Bee a message through André Bourgeois's hotel management that she'll have to manage Paris for two or so days, and I'll tip off Marinette's parents and extend an invitation for them to tag along. As for Gabriel Agreste…" Alya made a disgusted face. "If you want to be the one to call him and say his son is alive, be my guest."

Nino held up his hands in surrender. "No thanks, hun. I'm not opening that can of worms. Guess Gabriel Agreste ain't getting told."

Alya smirked. "I guess not."

______________________________________________________________

After a three-hour subway ride, Alya, Nino, Tom, and Sabine stepped off with luggage in tow onto the smallest station Alya had ever seen. Winebrook had a population of barely five-hundred. There was one elementary, and one dual high school/junior high building. One hometown market store, one police station, no visitor center and two playground/park areas. There were no asphalt roads. On the bright side, it was one of the cleanest, prettiest towns Alya had ever seen. She had brought along her personal DSLR to take photos, and got shots many of the pretty, dated homes along the streets. Children ran in the road and many people stopped to ask who they were. Alya got the sense they were a close-knit community where everyone knew everyone.

They wandered up and down the roads for about ten minutes, but the town didn't seem to have an in-order numbering system. Finally, Nino stopped at a house where children's shoes were strewn across the porch to ask for directions to the Papenbrook's home. A preteen with unwashed hair and cowgirl boots led the way at her mother's request. Two kids, aged seven and four, followed her as she took them to the very last road in town. It was about a ten-minute walk from the subway station. The girl asked them all their names, where they were from, and what they did as small talk. When Alya mentioned she was a reporter, the girl scrunched her eyes up.

"Are you reporting on Christina's dresses?" She asked.

Alya shook her head, a little confused. The girl shrugged. "Christina designs dresses. Apparently, she's in with Gabriel Agreste and he does the advertising for some of her designs. She does prom dresses for some of the girls in town."

Nino choked a little. The girl studied him. He straightened up under her gaze. Finally, she looked back at Tom and Sabine. "You say you're bakers?" She asked. "Christina can bake really well. She always donates cakes and cupcakes to the school bake sell. Mom commissioned her to make my birthday cake last year."

Alya kept her mouth shut. Designing and baking… sounded like Marinette had included herself into the community.

Their new friend took them to the very last house on the very last road in town. The houses here were newer or remodeled.

The house she left them at had tan stucco with dark brown shingles and white trim. The windows were rectangular, and the door was made of stained wood. There was a sidewalk path leading up to the porch and a gravel driveway. The house had a large, grassy yard with rose bushes under the windows and a large tree growing about ten feet from the house. A rope swing and a treehouse were supported by the tree's large branches. A group of kids was playing in the yard with Nerf Guns, Barbies, and Lincoln Logs. The oldest kids were around ten, and the youngest around two. At least fifteen kids were hanging out at the Papenbrook house.

The kids looked up when Nino opened the white gate but overall ignored them. They continued with their game, giving a few curious looks but asking no questions. The four adults wheeled their suitcases up to the door. Alya pressed the buzzer and then fidgeted as they waited for the door to open.

There were footsteps behind the door, and a woman nearing middle-age with a head full of black, wavy hair opened the door. Marinette was looking over her shoulder as a complaining toddler followed her toward the door. Alya inhaled sharply.

Marinette looked at her guests and her welcoming smile dropped off her face. "Alya?" She asked. The years melted away, and suddenly Alya felt like the nineteen-year-old girl who'd gotten off a FaceTime call with her best friend after the boy in their class committed suicide. She hiccupped and reached out for a hug without a single word.

[backroadblues]

June 1st, 2017 - Headed to Rossdorf Germany - Rothenberg Hello everyone! Today is June 1st. The stunning realization has befallen both Trent and Carolyn that their vagabond trip will soon be coming to an end. It has been a trip that has taken them across much of Italy, into Austria and Germany. Before their trip is done they will have also traveled into France. They have visited some amazing places, seen so many wonderful things and got to meet and mingle with so many locals in theses countries. However, today and tomorrow are their last full days here and they will head home on the 3rd. Today we will be in transit. We will leave our cozy and cute nest in the little town of Grainau, located just outside of Munich. We spend 3 really wonderful and relaxing nights there. We will be headed up towards Frankfurt, where our flights will be departing - theirs on the 3 and ours on the 6th. I had a difficult time finding an apartment to rent on VRBO or Air B&B up here. We had hoped to stay in Heidelberg but we weren't able to book anything. What we found was a home to rent in the little town of Rossdorf which is a suburb of Frankfurt and sits outside of Darmstadt. The home is quite large and spans across 5 floors - basement to attic. We meet with Maximillian who is our host to pick up the keys to our home of the few nights. "Max" is young - maybe mid to late 20s. The home we are renting was his childhood home that he grew up in. Max speaks excellent English and shows us the home. His Father, who owns the home now lives in another city and he has left the home to Max to rent. Regrettably, it is rather sparsely equipped and will probably rank as our least favorite rental. Another reason, we aren't thrilled with it is because of the town where it sits. We are no longer in the touristy confines like those that we've been in, and we have probably forever been spoiled by our last stay in the Bavarian Alps. Rossdorf is a working mans town. It does have a small cathedral for the towns people and it is currently being renovated, but there is no quaint little town square with wide pedestrian boulevards with little shops. For Trent and Carolyn, they will only be spending 2 nights here and then heading back home. As we head out of Grainau, we must head back into Austria to go around the mountains once again. We are taking the same route as we did when we headed to Fussen. This will allow us to hit the Autobahn and take a pretty direct route to our first stop - Rothenberg. The trip up takes us somewhat longer than the planned 2 hours due to there being a lot of roadwork on the way. We depart at about 9:30 am and arrive in Rothenberg at around 12:45. We have lunch at Hotel Reichskuchenmeister, it is a beautiful hotel with a reputation for a great restaurant and Beer Garden. Today we are dining in the garden. I have the schweineschulter (pork shoulder), Trent the sauerbraten (braised pork loin) each of our dishes are served with a potato dumpling and some sauerkraut - his made with purple cabbage and mine with white. Elisa has the wiener schnitzel and Carolyn a flammkuchen (flame cooked flatbread) with salmon. Carolyn's dish is not what we ordered, there may have been a communication problem with the waiter, but rather than send it back she keeps it because it looks good. We have been spoiled with pizza in Italy, but this is a little different. The crust is softer and more bread-like, but it is still thin, The cheese is really soft and zesty tasting - not like a mozzarella. It has almost a cream cheese consistency. Lastly, there is no red sauce on it. The salmon is spread generously across the "not-quite-like a pizza" dish and it is delicious. My pork shoulder is very good the brown gravy served with the generous portion is also delicious. Both Trent and I find the potato dumpling to be a little different with a soft and sticky consistency - similar to Japanese moochi. With the gravy it is tasty, but they are very heavy in consistency. I can barely eat one of them. Elisa's "original" wienerschnitzel is well prepared but it needed some sort of sauce or gravy on it, but she declares it to be "not-offensive". After lunch we had only about an hour and an half to do some sightseeing and shopping. Clearly not enough time to thoroughly explore the town of Rothenberg. Rothenberg is probably one of the best preserved medieval walled cities in Germany. Although it was severely damaged during WWII it was beautifully restored. We stroll through the narrow streets and see the town square and the cathederal. We see the main gate to the city and the oft photographed Ploelien - which means little square. Elisa and I also are shopping for a cuckoo clock to take back home. There are lots of tourists visiting Rothenberg on this day, but it is not overly crowded. We are all surprised by the number of Americans visiting, but also the many Chinese tourists that are there. This may explain the Chinese restaurant, we saw as we walked to the Reichskuchenmeister restaurant. A little about cuckoo clocks - they were originally designed and built in the German Black Forest region of Bavaria. The most distinctive features of the cuckoo clock is the small bird that will appear from behind a door to call our the hour of the day with its unique "cuckoo" sound. They are traditionally made from native wood and are hand carved. The oldest known clocks date back to the 1700's. There is a society, that strictly regulates the manufacture of these clocks today. The finest clocks must be made entirely of wood that is hand carved and hand painted. The cuckoo sound is made from tiny bellows and music comes from Swiss made music boxes. The clock movements are made from brass and hand assembled in Germany. There are 3 primary makers of cuckoo clocks here in Germany. Since we will be soon leaving Bavaria, Elisa and I are on the hunt for one. Rothenberg is an excellent place to shop for one. Many of the shops carry fine cuckoo clocks along with less expensive versions that do not carry the guild certification. We end up finding one we like at the Uhrenhaus - a Kathe Wohlfahrt store. We arrange to have our clock shipped to our home. This way, they do not charge us the 19.7% VAT tax that is built into the price of the clock. Also, they fully insure the clock and will warrant it for 2 years. There are authorized repair shops throughout the US and if repairs are needed they will make the arrangements. Another advantage of buying it through the large Kathe Wohlfahrt store a large chain throughout Germany, is that we get a gift card for our purchase that can be used in any of the Kathe Wohlfahrt stores on a subsequent purchase. Coincidentally, there is a huge and world famous Weihnachtsdorf - "Christmas" store right here in Rothenberg. As I wind up the purchase of our cuckoo clock, Elisa, Carolyn and Trent head to the Christmas store to take advantage of the 40 Euros on our gift card. With the sightseeing done and the gift shopping completed, we head back out on the road to make the 2 hour drive to our temporary home in Rossdorf. We meet young Maximillian and take possession of our large but albeit sparsely equipped home. When we get settled in, we make a quick run to the grocery store before it closes to buy some supplies for breakfast. At around 8:00 pm we set out to find a local restaurant. The 2 restaurants that Maxmillian has suggested are both nearby. His favorite, is a restaurant called Zur Sonnen (to the sun), but it is closed on Thursdays. It seems odd to us, but since these are family run establishments, they too need a day off now and again. Max's second suggestion, Zum Schutzenhof is open on this night. We walk in, and the person that greets us at the door speaks no English. I trot out my limited German and we ask for a table for 4. He says something back to us in German after looking in the dining room and beyond and all I can pick up is "nichts" which means nothing. As we are about to turn and leave to look for another restaurant in this small town, the lady of the restaurant says something to him in Italian. Elisa overhears it and turns back to to the lady speaking Italian and her husband that has now joined into the conversation. They tell us in Italian that they are really busy right now and if we could wait about 15 or 20 minutes they will be able to seat us. They seat us in an indoor dining room, but since it is warm today, everyone is dining outdoors on a nicely shaded and breezy patio. We are served some complimentary Prosecco for our inconvenience. Once seated, we are surprised that Zum Schuetzenhof has an entirely Italian menu. We are all humored by the fact that after we've eaten our way across Italy, we end up in Germany only to be eating Italian. However, our host are Italians that immigrated to Germany 48 years ago to open this restaurant. The food is good and authentic. The portions are huge, seemingly the way Germans like them. Carolyn has a veal parmigiana - this way she get a prosciutto fix in. Elisa has the Veal Limone, Trent and I both have the steak with mushrooms. All of our food is good and we are given boxes, almost unheard of here in Europe, so we can take our leftovers home with us. There is enough left to make a decent sized lunch for us all. After dinner, our hosts spend some time chatting with us in Italian and we are treated to a very nice limoncello. After than, we call it an night and all turn in around 11:00 pm. Tomorrow, we are off to Strasbourg, France. Aufwiedersehen for now!

[zerowastehome]

A Tour Recap or The Undeniable Rise of Zero Waste

Since my last post, I have been quite busy touring. And I would have liked to write this post earlier but it’s only this weekend that I found a couple of hours to myself to go over photos of my most recent adventures. Writing this post and re-living my tour through these photographs made me realize how blessed I am for having found my calling, for the trust that people have placed in me, for the wonderful acquaintances (and friendships) that I have made along the way, for the incredible movement and initiatives that have emerged since the launch of this blog.

Here is a recap of last month’s tour: An 11 day journey through 10 countries.

WARNING: DIZZINESS MIGHT OCCUR IF READ TOO QUICKLY

  Right upon landing from California (thank God I slept on the plane!), I kicked off  my tour in Bristol, UK, with back to back talks,

photo credit: Kelly Cooper

organized by Eqo Living founder, Jyoti (far left), and moderated by blogger Kate Arnell (middle).

We ended the evening with Jager shots: Tough start for a tour, but what else would you expect from a visit to the UK ?   

The next day, I met up with UK zero waste leaders in London (Rubbish Diet, The Dry Goods Store, Silo, Unpackaged, Ecover, and Olio)

The tea, media interviews and the evening’s event were organized by Catherine Conway (left), and her assistant, Maria.

photo credit @leighfarmerphoto

Catherine is the owner of Unpackaged, the first package-free shop of our modern era. She opened in 2006, coincidentally the same year that my family moved towards a zero waste lifestyle. When I wrote about the business in my book, I never thought that one day, I’d meet the woman behind it: I am grateful to her for bringing a full house to my talk,

photo credit @leighfarmerphoto

and book signings,

photo credit @leighfarmerphoto

but more importantly, for setting an example to the hundreds of bulk shops that have since emerged!

The next day, I found myself in Dublin, where these 3 women of Zero Waste Ireland…

had organized speaking engagements at the Catholic University School, the Larkin Community School, and a jam-packed event at Trinity College in the evening…

photo credit Noel Mahon

(an event so packed, that security threatened to kick us out!)

From there, I went to Amsterdam…

for a day filled with activities, organized by Opgemarkt: Meeting with the press and local Zero Waste activists at Eco Mama Hotel, taking a boat tour on the canals, taking count of ponytail holders along the way (more on that here),

lunching at In Stock (a restaurant that makes beautiful dishes from food waste collected from the biggest supermarket chain in the Netherlands),

speaking in front of this large gathering at Pllek (a very cool venue made up of shipping containers),

photo credit Jan Willem Groen

and finally posing for a photo with Inge, a woman that was inspired by my book to launch Bag Again, a line of reusable cloth bags.

The next morning, I was greeted in Luxembourg by Isabel, this wonderful woman…

who spent the day driving me to all my different events: A talk at the BGL BNP Paribas,

photo credit BGL BNP Paribas

a book signing,

photo credit BGL BNP Paribas

a visit to Ouni (a bulk shop that my book inspired – more pics in this post on bulk)

and a talk at the European Commission.

Oh, and look what I found going from one event to another: An orange squeezing machine just like the one I use at my health food store!

The next day, an early start and a very long train ride took me to my pretty walled hometown of Avignon, in the South of France…

I spoke at the College Joseph Vernet…

(the highlight there being fearless questions typical of middle-schoolers: What are the zero waste alternatives to condoms? Do you buy used underwear?)

Sans Transition Magazine  had also planned a round table…

and one of my talks (which my dad attended!) in Mazan.

That night I slept in the bedroom of my childhood.

A car ride, train and tram later, I was speaking at the Montpellier Business School…

an event organized by one of my biggest and cutest fans ;-), Camille.

After battling with delayed train schedules and cursing the inefficient French transport system, I arrived in Switzerland, just in time for my segment on 26 minutes, a satiric TV show (only follow the link to the video if you understand French and have an acute sense of humor).

 I wrapped up my day with an appearance at the Green Film Festival 

The next morning, Eslyne (below, left) picked me up in Geneva for book signings at her two newest Chez Mamie locations:

Chez Mamie Monthey (the owners, at my sides, were inspired by my book to open their store).

and Chez Mamie Martigny.

If you recall, Eslyne and her husband, Olivier, were inspired by my book to launch their first store in Sion last year: Today, they are a franchise with 9 different locations throughout Switzerland!

Along the way, we grabbed lunch at a little organic cafe serving in returnable containers,

and toured the farmer’s market of Vevey (pics in this post on bulk).

That night I gave a talk in Bagnes, a beautiful town in Switzerland, 

which also happens to be the capital of the raclette… So, I made sure to get a taste of it during my visit

Then, I hopped over to Ottignies, Belgium, for media interviews and a visit of the brand new Grasphopper store, the owners of which were inspired by a talk I gave in the area a couple of years ago to launch their business (the upcycled wood sign is by L’Ecorce Vive).

 My talk that night gathered a crowd of 600…

Not bad for a small town!

That night, I also signed the most worn-out copy I have yet seen of my book

A flight later, I found myself in Macedonia, 

a country that I had never visited, a part of the world that felt instantly exotic given the number of minarets dotting the skyline…

I was given a tour of the capital of Skopje and its market (pics in an upcoming post on bulk). Then, the women of Od Nula Do Nula 

photo credit Ivana Batev

had organized an afternoon talk at the University American College

photo credit Ivana Batev

and an evening event – yes, the sign says Bea Johnson, in Macedonian!

My talk was attended by no less than the Ambassador of France (front row) …

photo credit Ivana Batev

photo credit Ivana Batev

and it gathered a crowd large enough, that half of my audience had to be seated in an annex where my presentation was broadcast.

photo credit Ivana Batev

Not only did the interest for the zero waste lifestyle there touch me, but so did the Macedonian’s welcome and generosity. And what better way to celebrate it than with a glass of rakia at the end of the day;-)

photo credit Ivana Batev

I could have spent a vacation there, but I had to go on to my next stop, a trip that took me over the landscapes of Austria which are dotted by hundred of wind turbines, 

past another orange squeezing machine (Vienna Airport),

4 books

to Bratislava, Slovakia. These four women, readers of my book and now zero wasters,

photo credit J&M Photography

had organized a press conference,

photo credit J&M Photography

and an evening presentation

photo credit J&M Photography

in this super cool, nightclub venue.

photo credit J&M Photography

 My talk was attended by no less than Buddha himself (back row)  

photo credit J&M Photography

A fun train ride took me to my final destination: Budapest, Hungary.  Ecolife Magazin – which had me on the cover last month,

gave me a tour of the city’s highlights (last time I came to Budapest was 20 yrs ago!)

and hosted my talk in this  beautiful theater.

And yes, all of this in 11 days…

Sure, I came home exhausted.. but at the same time energized by the findings I made during that trip: One thing is sure, zero waste is exploding worldwide. The demand and attendance of my speaking engagements attest of the growing interest for zero waste. The talks and the interest that they have received from the media, have in themselves already had an impact: I have learned that several bulk shops are now in the works where before they lacked.

My presentation in Dublin motivated a Zero Waste Ireland member to open a zero waste market stall only a few days after my visit (package-free rice, corn, loose tea, chickpeas, dishwasher, laundry detergent, etc). Not a shop yet, but a promising start.

Last week, I spoke in 4 cities throughout Canada, all sold out events… And this week, I am kicking off a tour in South Africa and Mauritius (for cities and dates, make sure to check my calendar of events). I can’t wait to share my journey on social media and subsequently here, in detail.

Evidently the subject of waste reduction is a matter of global interest…

Is Zero Waste growing in your neck of the woods too?

from A Tour Recap or The Undeniable Rise of Zero Waste

[zerowastehome]

A Tour Recap or The Undeniable Rise of Zero Waste

Since my last post, I have been quite busy touring. And I would have liked to write this post earlier but it’s only this weekend that I found a couple of hours to myself to go over photos of my most recent adventures. Writing this post and re-living my tour through these photographs made me realize how blessed I am for having found my calling, for the trust that people have placed in me, for the wonderful acquaintances (and friendships) that I have made along the way, for the incredible movement and initiatives that have emerged since the launch of this blog.

Here is a recap of last month’s tour: An 11 day journey through 10 countries.

WARNING: DIZZINESS MIGHT OCCUR IF READ TOO QUICKLY

  Right upon landing from California (thank God I slept on the plane!), I kicked off  my tour in Bristol, UK, with back to back talks,

photo credit: Kelly Cooper

organized by Eqo Living founder, Jyoti (far left), and moderated by blogger Kate Arnell (middle).

We ended the evening with Jager shots: Tough start for a tour, but what else would you expect from a visit to the UK ?   

The next day, I met up with UK zero waste leaders in London (Rubbish Diet, The Dry Goods Store, Silo, Unpackaged, Ecover, and Olio)

The tea, media interviews and the evening’s event were organized by Catherine Conway (left), and her assistant, Maria.

photo credit @leighfarmerphoto

Catherine is the owner of Unpackaged, the first package-free shop of our modern era. She opened in 2006, coincidentally the same year that my family moved towards a zero waste lifestyle. When I wrote about the business in my book, I never thought that one day, I’d meet the woman behind it: I am grateful to her for bringing a full house to my talk,

photo credit @leighfarmerphoto

and book signings,

photo credit @leighfarmerphoto

but more importantly, for setting an example to the hundreds of bulk shops that have since emerged!

The next day, I found myself in Dublin, where these 3 women of Zero Waste Ireland…

had organized speaking engagements at the Catholic University School, the Larkin Community School, and a jam-packed event at Trinity College in the evening…

photo credit Noel Mahon

(an event so packed, that security threatened to kick us out!)

From there, I went to Amsterdam…

for a day filled with activities, organized by Opgemarkt: Meeting with the press and local Zero Waste activists at Eco Mama Hotel, taking a boat tour on the canals, taking count of ponytail holders along the way (more on that here),

lunching at In Stock (a restaurant that makes beautiful dishes from food waste collected from the biggest supermarket chain in the Netherlands),

speaking in front of this large gathering at Pllek (a very cool venue made up of shipping containers),

photo credit Jan Willem Groen

and finally posing for a photo with Inge, a woman that was inspired by my book to launch Bag Again, a line of reusable cloth bags.

The next morning, I was greeted in Luxembourg by Isabel, this wonderful woman…

who spent the day driving me to all my different events: A talk at the BGL BNP Paribas,

photo credit BGL BNP Paribas

a book signing,

photo credit BGL BNP Paribas

a visit to Ouni (a bulk shop that my book inspired – more pics in this post on bulk)

and a talk at the European Commission.

Oh, and look what I found going from one event to another: An orange squeezing machine just like the one I use at my health food store!

The next day, an early start and a very long train ride took me to my pretty walled hometown of Avignon, in the South of France…

I spoke at the College Joseph Vernet…

(the highlight there being fearless questions typical of middle-schoolers: What are the zero waste alternatives to condoms? Do you buy used underwear?)

Sans Transition Magazine  had also planned a round table…

and one of my talks (which my dad attended!) in Mazan.

That night I slept in the bedroom of my childhood.

A car ride, train and tram later, I was speaking at the Montpellier Business School…

an event organized by one of my biggest and cutest fans ;-), Camille.

After battling with delayed train schedules and cursing the inefficient French transport system, I arrived in Switzerland, just in time for my segment on 26 minutes, a satiric TV show (only follow the link to the video if you understand French and have an acute sense of humor).

 I wrapped up my day with an appearance at the Green Film Festival 

The next morning, Eslyne (below, left) picked me up in Geneva for book signings at her two newest Chez Mamie locations:

Chez Mamie Monthey (the owners, at my sides, were inspired by my book to open their store).

and Chez Mamie Martigny.

If you recall, Eslyne and her husband, Olivier, were inspired by my book to launch their first store in Sion last year: Today, they are a franchise with 9 different locations throughout Switzerland!

Along the way, we grabbed lunch at a little organic cafe serving in returnable containers,

and toured the farmer’s market of Vevey (pics in this post on bulk).

That night I gave a talk in Bagnes, a beautiful town in Switzerland, 

which also happens to be the capital of the raclette… So, I made sure to get a taste of it during my visit

Then, I hopped over to Ottignies, Belgium, for media interviews and a visit of the brand new Grasphopper store, the owners of which were inspired by a talk I gave in the area a couple of years ago to launch their business (the upcycled wood sign is by L’Ecorce Vive).

 My talk that night gathered a crowd of 600…

Not bad for a small town!

That night, I also signed the most worn-out copy I have yet seen of my book

A flight later, I found myself in Macedonia, 

a country that I had never visited, a part of the world that felt instantly exotic given the number of minarets dotting the skyline…

I was given a tour of the capital of Skopje and its market (pics in an upcoming post on bulk). Then, the women of Od Nula Do Nula 

photo credit Ivana Batev

had organized an afternoon talk at the University American College

photo credit Ivana Batev

and an evening event – yes, the sign says Bea Johnson, in Macedonian!

My talk was attended by no less than the Ambassador of France (front row) …

photo credit Ivana Batev

photo credit Ivana Batev

and it gathered a crowd large enough, that half of my audience had to be seated in an annex where my presentation was broadcast.

photo credit Ivana Batev

Not only did the interest for the zero waste lifestyle there touch me, but so did the Macedonian’s welcome and generosity. And what better way to celebrate it than with a glass of rakia at the end of the day;-)

photo credit Ivana Batev

I could have spent a vacation there, but I had to go on to my next stop, a trip that took me over the landscapes of Austria which are dotted by hundred of wind turbines, 

past another orange squeezing machine (Vienna Airport),

4 books

to Bratislava, Slovakia. These four women, readers of my book and now zero wasters,

photo credit J&M Photography

had organized a press conference,

photo credit J&M Photography

and an evening presentation

photo credit J&M Photography

in this super cool, nightclub venue.

photo credit J&M Photography

 My talk was attended by no less than Buddha himself (back row)  

photo credit J&M Photography

A fun train ride took me to my final destination: Budapest, Hungary.  Ecolife Magazin – which had me on the cover last month,

gave me a tour of the city’s highlights (last time I came to Budapest was 20 yrs ago!)

and hosted my talk in this  beautiful theater.

And yes, all of this in 11 days…

Sure, I came home exhausted.. but at the same time energized by the findings I made during that trip: One thing is sure, zero waste is exploding worldwide. The demand and attendance of my speaking engagements attest of the growing interest for zero waste. The talks and the interest that they have received from the media, have in themselves already had an impact: I have learned that several bulk shops are now in the works where before they lacked.

My presentation in Dublin motivated a Zero Waste Ireland member to open a zero waste market stall only a few days after my visit (package-free rice, corn, loose tea, chickpeas, dishwasher, laundry detergent, etc). Not a shop yet, but a promising start.

Last week, I spoke in 4 cities throughout Canada, all sold out events… And this week, I am kicking off a tour in South Africa and Mauritius (for cities and dates, make sure to check my calendar of events). I can’t wait to share my journey on social media and subsequently here, in detail.

Evidently the subject of waste reduction is a matter of global interest…

Is Zero Waste growing in your neck of the woods too?

from A Tour Recap or The Undeniable Rise of Zero Waste

[zerowastehome]

A Tour Recap or The Undeniable Rise of Zero Waste

Since my last post, I have been quite busy touring. And I would have liked to write this post earlier but it’s only this weekend that I found a couple of hours to myself to go over photos of my most recent adventures. Writing this post and re-living my tour through these photographs made me realize how blessed I am for having found my calling, for the trust that people have placed in me, for the wonderful acquaintances (and friendships) that I have made along the way, for the incredible movement and initiatives that have emerged since the launch of this blog.

Here is a recap of last month’s tour: An 11 day journey through 10 countries.

WARNING: DIZZINESS MIGHT OCCUR IF READ TOO QUICKLY

  Right upon landing from California (thank God I slept on the plane!), I kicked off  my tour in Bristol, UK, with back to back talks,

photo credit: Kelly Cooper

organized by Eqo Living founder, Jyoti (far left), and moderated by blogger Kate Arnell (middle).

We ended the evening with Jager shots: Tough start for a tour, but what else would you expect from a visit to the UK ?   

The next day, I met up with UK zero waste leaders in London (Rubbish Diet, The Dry Goods Store, Silo, Unpackaged, Ecover, and Olio)

The tea, media interviews and the evening’s event were organized by Catherine Conway (left), and her assistant, Maria.

photo credit @leighfarmerphoto

Catherine is the owner of Unpackaged, the first package-free shop of our modern era. She opened in 2006, coincidentally the same year that my family moved towards a zero waste lifestyle. When I wrote about the business in my book, I never thought that one day, I’d meet the woman behind it: I am grateful to her for bringing a full house to my talk,

photo credit @leighfarmerphoto

and book signings,

photo credit @leighfarmerphoto

but more importantly, for setting an example to the hundreds of bulk shops that have since emerged!

The next day, I found myself in Dublin, where these 3 women of Zero Waste Ireland…

had organized speaking engagements at the Catholic University School, the Larkin Community School, and a jam-packed event at Trinity College in the evening…

photo credit Noel Mahon

(an event so packed, that security threatened to kick us out!)

From there, I went to Amsterdam…

for a day filled with activities, organized by Opgemarkt: Meeting with the press and local Zero Waste activists at Eco Mama Hotel, taking a boat tour on the canals, taking count of ponytail holders along the way (more on that here),

lunching at In Stock (a restaurant that makes beautiful dishes from food waste collected from the biggest supermarket chain in the Netherlands),

speaking in front of this large gathering at Pllek (a very cool venue made up of shipping containers),

photo credit Jan Willem Groen

and finally posing for a photo with Inge, a woman that was inspired by my book to launch Bag Again, a line of reusable cloth bags.

The next morning, I was greeted in Luxembourg by Isabel, this wonderful woman…

who spent the day driving me to all my different events: A talk at the BGL BNP Paribas,

photo credit BGL BNP Paribas

a book signing,

photo credit BGL BNP Paribas

a visit to Ouni (a bulk shop that my book inspired – more pics in a upcoming post on bulk)

and a talk at the European Commission.

Oh, and look what I found going from one event to another: An orange squeezing machine just like the one I use at my health food store!

The next day, an early start and a very long train ride took me to my pretty walled hometown of Avignon, in the South of France…

I spoke at the College Joseph Vernet…

(the highlight there being fearless questions typical of middle-schoolers: What are the zero waste alternatives to condoms? Do you buy used underwear?)

Sans Transition Magazine  had also planned a round table…

and one of my talks (which my dad attended!) in Mazan.

That night I slept in the bedroom of my childhood.

A car ride, train and tram later, I was speaking at the Montpellier Business School…

an event organized by one of my biggest and cutest fans ;-), Camille.

After battling with delayed train schedules and cursing the inefficient French transport system, I arrived in Switzerland, just in time for my segment on 26 minutes, a satiric TV show (only follow the link to the video if you understand French and have an acute sense of humor).

 I wrapped up my day with an appearance at the Green Film Festival 

The next morning, Eslyne (below, left) picked me up in Geneva for book signings at her two newest Chez Mamie locations:

Chez Mamie Monthey (the owners, at my sides, were inspired by my book to open their store).

and Chez Mamie Martigny.

If you recall, Eslyne and her husband, Olivier, were inspired by my book to launch their first store in Sion last year: Today, they are a franchise with 9 different locations throughout Switzerland!

Along the way, we grabbed lunch at a little organic cafe serving in returnable containers,

and toured the farmer’s market of Vevey (pics in an upcoming post on bulk).

That night I gave a talk in Bagnes, a beautiful town in Switzerland, 

which also happens to be the capital of the raclette… So, I made sure to get a taste of it during my visit

Then, I hopped over to Ottignies, Belgium, for media interviews (segment starts at 16:12) and a visit of the brand new Grasphopper store, the owners of which were inspired by a talk I gave in the area a couple of years ago to launch their business (the upcycled wood sign is by L’Ecorce Vive).

 My talk that night gathered a crowd of 600…

Not bad for a small town!

That night, I also signed the most worn-out copy I have yet seen of my book

A flight later, I found myself in Macedonia, 

a country that I had never visited, a part of the world that felt instantly exotic given the number of minarets dotting the skyline…

I was given a tour of the capital of Skopje and its market (pics in an upcoming post on bulk). Then, the women of Od Nula Do Nula 

photo credit Ivana Batev

had organized an afternoon talk at the University American College

photo credit Ivana Batev

and an evening event – yes, the sign says Bea Johnson, in Macedonian!

My talk was attended by no less than the Ambassador of France (front row) …

photo credit Ivana Batev

photo credit Ivana Batev

and it gathered a crowd large enough, that half of my audience had to be seated in an annex where my presentation was broadcast.

photo credit Ivana Batev

Not only did the interest for the zero waste lifestyle there touch me, but so did the Macedonian’s welcome and generosity. And what better way to celebrate it than with a glass of rakia at the end of the day;-)

photo credit Ivana Batev

I could have spent a vacation there, but I had to go on to my next stop, a trip that took me over the landscapes of Austria which are dotted by hundred of wind turbines, 

past another orange squeezing machine (Vienna Airport),

4 books

to Bratislava, Slovakia. These four women, readers of my book and now zero wasters,

photo credit J&M Photography

had organized a press conference,

photo credit J&M Photography

and an evening presentation

photo credit J&M Photography

in this super cool, nightclub venue.

photo credit J&M Photography

 My talk was attended by no less than Buddha himself (back row)  

photo credit J&M Photography

A fun train ride took me to my final destination: Budapest, Hungary.  Ecolife Magazin – which had me on the cover last month,

gave me a tour of the city’s highlights (last time I came to Budapest was 20 yrs ago!)

and hosted my talk in this  beautiful theater.

And yes, all of this in 11 days…

Sure, I came home exhausted.. but at the same time energized by the findings I made during that trip: One thing is sure, zero waste is exploding worldwide. The demand and attendance of my speaking engagements attest of the growing interest for zero waste. The talks and the interest that they have received from the media, have in themselves already had an impact: I have learned that several bulk shops are now in the works where before they lacked.

My presentation in Dublin motivated a Zero Waste Ireland member to open a zero waste market stall only a few days after my visit (package-free rice, corn, loose tea, chickpeas, dishwasher, laundry detergent, etc). Not a shop yet, but a promising start.

Last week, I spoke in 4 cities throughout Canada, all sold out events… And this week, I am kicking off a tour in South Africa and Mauritius (for cities and dates, make sure to check my calendar of events). I can’t wait to share my journey on social media and subsequently here, in detail.

Evidently the subject of waste reduction is a matter of global interest…

Is Zero Waste growing in your neck of the woods too?

from A Tour Recap or The Undeniable Rise of Zero Waste