Pierrot Vernay, 1947-2026

Pierrot passed away on June 23 at age 78. We grew up together as we went to the same grade school, but I didn’t know much about him. I for sure never played with him. His parents were Julien and Olga and he was the elder of three kids in our village baker’s household. 

I’m not writing this because we literally grew up at the same time, but because our childhood happened in two very different silos. He didn’t seem to be a great student and one day his parents must have told him “You’ll be a baker like your Dad, and one day you’ll take over the family business…” without asking what he liked and what he wanted to be. Either fireman, carpenter, airplane pilot or dentist. 

Nope, I can comfortably assume that the question was never asked and he was given no other option. True, none of my parents either asked me that question. What would have Pierrot done if he had the option to pursue his true aspirations? No one will know, but still, he was put to hard work at 14, he spent his life making bread, baking it and feeding us and the growing number of visiting tourists. 

Over the years, I’ve seen him many times waiting on customers behind his counter when his wife Henriette or his mum weren’t available. For lack of a good reason we had not interaction other than “Hello, thank you, goodbye”. 

At retirement, he was totally exhausted, he closed down his bakery and continued living in the same building and complemented his retirement and savings by selling firewood he had prepared for our visitors. 

Did he die happy, fulfilled and having accomplished everything he ever dreamed of? I don’t know and will never have the answer to that question. Adieu, Pierrot!

Let’s take a break!

Sometimes, I fell like literally “running out of gas” and I wonder what are the virtues and the benefits of just "taking a break" from the daily routine? 

Taking a break might end the cycle of chronic stress, reset our brain's processing power, and prevents psychological burnout. It could also shifts our nervous system out of a constant "fight-or-flight" state and place it into a restorative phase. It’s pretty obvious that constant attention drains our working memory. A brief freeze in our routine should recharges our ability to concentrate more deeply. 

Scientists say that stepping away activates the brain's "default mode network." This is the subconscious state where our mind connects unrelated ideas and solves complex problems, like sleep does to a certain degree. It’s also easy to understand that relentless daily choices degrade the quality of our judgment. Pausing also preserves our willpower, mental stamina as well as enhances our sinking memory (we could all use some of this, these days!). 

Some also claim that our brain requires downtime to process, categorize, and store new information learned during our busy routine, and this sounds perfectly logical. Since we all love talking about our hormones, stepping away is also supposed to drop stress hormones like cortisol. This directly can reduce physical tension, lower blood pressure, and boost our immune functions. I’ve also read that taking a big break can rebuild our emotional resilience by reducing both irritability and anxiety. 

With this we get more emotional space to respond to challenges rather than just react. Wow! Not only this, but it should improve our sleep quality as it detaches us from daily stressors and quiets our our mind from racing at night, leading to deeper sleep cycles. I like it! Pausing the noise of a routine is also said to allow us to check in with our deep feelings, goals, and physical health needs. 

Finally, if our timetable won’t let us take a huge, big break, there’s always the “micro-breaks” that can work small miracles in our physical environment. For instance, just move to a different room or step outside. I’m not saying light up a Marlboro! 

A visual shift signals to our brain that work has paused. Let’s make sure to leave our phone in another room so we don’t have the temptation to scroll, which, as we all know, depletes us totally of mental energy. Non-cognitive tasks like spending 10 minutes doing something that requires zero deep thought, like stretching, walking, or staring out a window. 

I kind of like these micro-breaks and short of taking that week long retreat I know I’ll never get to, I’ll begin there by incorporating them in my daily routine! 

Sharpening our scissors!

To segue in the cutting department, I’ve been wanting for a very long time to learn how to sharpen the disabled scissors that have become useless all over my house. 

This past weekend, I finally broke the spell of inaction, rolled up my sleeves, looked for ideas, found out what was needed, did the job, tested it and I now enjoy a stable of rejuvenated scissors that are hungry to sink their blades into all kinds of materials. 

There are quick and simple ways to sharpen dull household scissors using household items like using a knife sharpening rod, a thin grit file, diamond or stone files. Sure, for a lasting, professional edge, the best is to sometimes (not always) disassemble the scissors and use a sharpening stone or dedicated file to gently hone the beveled edges. A quicker way to restore scissors often begins by cleaning them. 

Wipe down their blades with rubbing alcohol to remove the sticky residue that settles around them. Then, find the bevel and identify its angle or slope, on the outside of each blade. 

Sharpen by placing the blade flat against the knife sharpening rod, a thin grit file or a sharpening stone, making sure the tool is angled to match the bevel. Use a consistent motion to stroke the blade across the stone from base to tip (away from the edge) repeated times. 

Deburr by feeling the back of the blade for a slight "burr", using a thin file, close and open the scissors a few times, or scrape a fine file or ceramic rod gently to remove any remaining burr. 

Better yet, watch the video to open your eyes to that deceptively simple repair. That’s it, you will have discovered that you won’t have to buy new scissors again! 

Gérard Brémond, 1937-2026

Born in the Paris suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt on 22 September 1937,Brémond met the 1960 Olympic champion Jean Vuarnet † in the early60s and with him developed the Avoriaz ski resort near Montriond, my home town.

This new ski spot wasn’t easy to conceive and develop given its extremely rugged setting and terrain. In fact, Avoriaz came to be asa perfect confluence that happened from a resort concept without automobiles, just like Zermatt (Vuarnet’s idea) and the integration of the architecture that would seamlessly hug the cliffs and the natural surroundings (Bremond’s vision). 

He didn't follow the easy path of developing resorts along the line of  Les Arcs, La Plagne, Flaine or Le Corbier that were totally unimaginative and, let’s admit it, woefully cheap looking and ugly. 

Instead, Brémond seeked a creative architectural team headed by Jacques Labro, Jean-Jacques Orzoni, and Jean-Marc Roques that made the site unique in its field, and probably ended up costing much more than planned, given its complexity when it opened up in 1967. 

Eventually, it evolved into simpler, easier to build buildings as it expanded. In 1973, Brémond introduced the "Pierre & Vacances" vacation lodging concept that went on to achieve remarkable success, barely slowed by the 2020 COVID pandemic. 

Although I never had any personal contact with Gérard Brémond, his pivotal role in the creation of Avoriaz had a positive influence on my young years and played a significant role in launching my professional career. He also leaves behind a legacy of construction projects that innovated the leisure and tourism industry, while remaining closely integrated with their natural surroundings.

A tough, white beard (Part two)

 

Beyond natural wear, several hidden factors cause blades to give out too soon. Leaving your razor in a damp shower causes microscopic rust (oxidation) that eats away at the blade's edge before you use it again. 

In addition a little patience helps: Shaving dry or without adequately softening the hair creates intense physical resistance, which causes the ultra-thin steel to bend and chip rather than slice cleanly. If, like I do, you live in an area with hard water, mineral deposits can leave microscopic debris on the blade's edge, increasing friction and dulling its power. 

Then it’s crucial to rinse out hair, shaving cream, and dead skin cells after each pass, as these corrosive elements get trapped against the metal, accelerating breakdown. Good intentions often lead us pressing the shaver down too hard on the skin and force the blade's sharp edge to violently scrape the skin rather than glide across the surface, which causes the edge to micro-chip. Finally, I’ve found this advice on Reddit helpful and I might try to follow it. 

Clearly, water is the enemy. Finicky people will use a hairdryer on high for 10-15 seconds to evaporate micro-drops from the blade. Some men dip their razor head in a small container of Athena Club rubbing alcohol or mineral oil between shaves to prevent moisture corrosion. Plenty of water will soften your hair following a shower. A high-quality pre-shave oil will reduce hair stiffness, giving the blade an easier job. I am using shaving cream, but how it interacts with the blade depends heavily on its ingredients and how it’s rinsed. 

Blades can easily get clogged with heavy oils, silicones, and thick emollients that form a stubborn film that’s difficult to rinse off. Some aerosol gels and creams also contain propellants or high alcohol content that will accelerate the degradation of the blade. Too thick a lather can trap water against the cutting edge even after a quick rinse, leading to microscopic rust, so it's always a good idea to rinse the razor frequently under hot, running water during your shave to liquefy and dislodge soap residue. 

Don’t forget the backside and direct the water stream there as well to push out trapped cream and hair. Finally don’t just wipe the blade edge with a towel or finger to remove cream, as this can bend and dull the microscopic edge, instead dunk the blade head in rubbing alcohol after your final rinse to completely dissolve remaining soap films and displace water. 

If you apply all these tips, you’re a Saint, and have just wasted twice as much of your precious time shaving instead of doing fun things!

A tough, white beard! (Part One)

Because my beard is white, I decided that it was a wonderful excuse for shaving as often, and since I’ve adopted this (dubious) habit I’ve observed that I’ve gone through more blades. 

After investigating the situation, I’ve learned that white beard hair goes through razor blades faster due to its lack of melanin (pigment), which makes the individual strands structurally more wiry, brittle, and significantly tougher to cut without chipping the blade. 

The main reasons for this accelerated dulling include: 

Micro-Chipping: Scientific studies show that human beard hair can be nearly as strong as copper wire of the same thickness. Because white hair is brittle, it acts against the microscopic edge of a razor like a hard fiber, causing tiny micro-fractures and chips rather than smoothly slicing through. 

Longer Growth Time: Waiting longer to shave means cutting significantly longer and denser hairs. When a beard grows out for several days, it requires multiple passes, causing friction and quickly wearing down the blade's delicate edge. 

Corrosion Over Time: If you aren't shaving often, your razor might be sitting out in the humid bathroom environment for extended periods. Even "stainless" steel is highly vulnerable to microscopic rust and corrosion when left wet between shaves, which accounts for up to a third of blade dulling 

This said, premature dulling isn't always a sign of a cheap or defective blade; it largely comes down to environmental damage, friction, and your prep routine. Tomorrow we’ll try to explore what happens in that area...

Automotive treasure in the sun

 

One of my neighbors could be called an eccentric. That might start with his pair of St. Bernard dogs that are quite a sight when he walks them and they love to get close to us, get petted while drooling all over our legs and chests. 

In addition to these animals however, the man has quite a collection of sports cars that he loves to literally pile up inside the three garages that his house include elaborate car stackers. 

As we walked by the other morning by his house on the golf course, four of his cars were on display in front of his house, like we see laundry hung in front of Mediterranean houses. 

I snapped a picture and then asked AI to identify the vehicles and give me an estimate of their worth. I check with two (2) AI sources and I retained the most conservative estimates: 

1. The Silver Convertible (Far Left, Driveway) is a Ferrari 360 Spider, produced from 2001 to 2005 carrying an estimated market value from $80,000 to $130,000, even north of $150,000 if it’s a factory 6-speed gated manual version. 

2. The Vintage Red Targa (Middle Left, Driveway) is another Ferrari Dino 246 GTS, made from 1972 to 1974, worth between $350,000 to $550,000, the absolute crown jewel of that collection. 

3. The Metallic Silver Convertible (Right, Driveway) is also a Ferrari 458 Spider made between 2012 and 2015 that’s worth from $220,000 to $280,000. Some low-mileage, pristine examples can push up toward over $350,000. 

4. The Dark Blue Metallic Convertible (Foreground, Street) is obviously a Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet (997.1 or 997.2 Generation) made between 2008 and 2012, worth from $85,000 to $140,000. 

The total estimated value of that display collection amounts roughly from $735,000 to over $1,100,000, depending entirely on the respective mileage and whether the manual-transmission premiums apply to the 360 and the 991. 

This still pales in comparison to the house that would easily fetch around $4 million! From what I know, that now divorced septuagenarian who owns all that stuff used to be a divorce lawyer in Hollywood, so that might give those considering divorcing an inkling as to where a large portion of the couple’s wealth is going to vaporize...