Well, to say the least, an uninformative contribution by an Australian freelance journalist based in the South of France.
Every thing about running a freelance journalistic endeavour from Nimes attempting to compare Melbourne journalistic culture with Nimes.
Absolutely nothing(or very little) about the French culture, the French way of life, comparable cost of living,the beauty of the South France countryside compared with Victoria.
The South of France wine scene is world noted for the excellent quality of its cheaper priced wines compared to the normal Australian product, yet the auther disparagingly downgrades the French wines compared to Australian wines.
In my opinion(not a journo) a poor article.

Thanks for the feedback, Jack. No, wasn’t comparing general life here in the South with life in Australia, except superficially as an intro. That wasn’t the brief.

But happy to do so. If you wish, we can ask the chief editor for another 900 words.

You are absolutely right about the wines, Jack. Bandol and Châteauneuf-du-Pape are nearby. Among the best in the world. At incredibly low prices.

So, no, haven’t done any disparaging. Just miss the McLaren Vale Shiraz fruit bombs, that’s all. The French don’t do as much Shiraz as Downunder, as you know. But have recently discovered some excellent ones at Sommieres.

On the French countryside, absolutely! Have just spent a few days in the Cevennes. Just incredibly beautiful. Have you been there, Jack?
But would suggest this is an area of similarity between Victoria and the South of France rather than one where either has the edge.

Cheers. AA

Alan,

Just a couple of minor points.

The first apropos this comment:
<<Unfortunately Australia's political process is less well served by the commentariat than in Europe and elsewhere. News reporting is characterised by levels of inaccuracy, sensationalism and sometimes just plain fabrication unknown outside Australia>>

Unfortunately it seems being outside Australia does not preserve one against inaccuracy.

You direct criticism at the media for describing the Tent Embassy *happening* as violent:
<<It was then the violence broke out." No, it didn't.>>

But the origin of the descriptor “violence” appears to have been Ms Gillard.
Here’s the Herald Sun quoting Ms Gillard:
<<What I utterly condemn is when protests turn violent the way we saw the violence (on Thursday), and particularly disrupting an event which was to honour some extraordinary Australians," she said.>>
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/pm-staffer-forced-to-quit-over-leak/story-fn7x8me2-1226255738200

And (closer to your heart) here it is again from the ABC:
"What I utterly condemn is when protests turn violent, the way we saw the violence yesterday, and particularly disrupting an event which was to honour some extraordinary Australians, did leave me very angry," she said.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-01-27/protesters-march-on-parliament-house/3796988

It might have been more accurate to have directed your criticism at its origin, rather that the messenger.

Secondly, you describe Ms Gillard’s expression as a grin:
<<"A moment of terror captured here on Julia Gillard's face." No. She was grinning.>>

But I can’t see a grin on her face, except prior to the *happening*.

This is a grin:
http://tinyurl.com/76hocce

This is a grin:
http://tinyurl.com/852feuz
(we’ll be seeing a lot more of that grin soon I posit!)

But this is definitely NOT a grin:
http://tinyurl.com/77stx4h

Perhaps I need a glass or two of those French wines you’ve been imbibing before I see it your way!

Cheers
SPQR

Is there a conspiracy in the undergrowth, who cares. Lets get on with running the country. We need the coalition to learn the word economy, that is missing from their vocabulary. And buy a calculator for Joe.

hi Alain (hehe)

Hope you put your hosts right about that very aggressive protest in Canberra.

The truth, being shown on tv here, in a video taken by the demonstrators, shows the protest being instigated by a member of our PM's staff who gave, to a union urger, misleading info and directions to the restaurant and was inflamed by the union urger who informed the organisers of the fabricated information.

The video shows the explanations given by both our PM and the Union urger in the days after the protest arelies.

There's no mention of the new video in any of our media today.

In Europe such antic's and blatant lying by a PM would be headlined.

Someone is also feeding the media here with all the sordid details of the PM's Coup.

It seems, if the leaks are to be believed, the PM had acted at least 2 weeks prior to despatching Kevvy. Anyway again the media isn't acting in our interests and focusing on the issues of today. It seems intent on destabilising the PM and rehashing history.

Oh and one of those issues that has made the front page of the Australian(Small headline bittom corner) is ... that the Technology used in the very first roll out of the NBN in Tasmanian is already obsolete and is apparently incapable of providing for USE OF the latest internet speeds.

The Government has repealled the 30% Private Medical Insurance Rebate. There reason it stops the rich from being subsidised by the not so rich (Described as poor). However it is unspoken in our media that the Government intends to use the 2.5 billion recouped to ensure it has a (Promised) budget surplus.

It is also unspoken in our media about whether there has been a study undertaken as to whether the removal of the rebate will result in more people taking up Private Insurance or in more people abandoning such and return to the public system.

I agree we in Australis are terribly served by 'our' media.

I wish they would all go overseas and just leave us alone.

Alan my only knowledge of France is one drive through it, trying to get to somewhere nicer & definitely warmer, & what I see watching the Tour de France.

In the latter I see a bunch of people going mad over a few bike riders, who would be mostly ignored if they wanted to ride around Oz.

I see them peddling away through miles of empty country side, then through those dreadful picturesque villages.

Yes they are picturesque, but picturesque belongs in pictures on the top of biscuit tins, & who would want to live in a biscuit tin. Living in a home, where one long step out of the front door has you under a bus or a bicycle must be soul destroying.

I firmly believe it is those dreadful villages that make French farmers so militant. It is the anger at their living conditions coming out of course. It probably also explains their strange behaviour of eating in the street.

Personally I would rather eat at home, than with the exhausts of diesel buses, but then I don't have to live in those French houses. If I did, I would probably want to get out of the place too.

Just thinking of all that, I can see why your political views are so wrong headed, & perhaps why you can't talk about France without expressing them. Never mind, we will forgive you, & hope you get well soon.