Magic moment

January 27, 2006: Algiers-on-the-beach

What is exactly a "magic moment"? A quick search provides the following synonyms: supernatural, enchanting, delightful, thrilling, out of the ordinary...Well, this friday morning, on the beach in Algiers, under a warm winter sun and a cloudless blue sky, I am living a magic moment.

During my business travels, between the meetings, the airports, the hotels and restaurants, those moments are rare. They are made of seeked solitude and well-deserved tranquility .

Clearly, those mements can only be enjoyed once a major job - or at least an important portion of it - is completed. With experience, they are easily recognizable. Most often, they occur outdoors when I am surrounded by nature, discovering a new place and enjoying nice weather. But I can also live them when re-visiting familiar places or when I find myself on a rainy day, in a popular café filled with smoke. One thing for sure, those magic moments can only be enjoyed away from the crowd, from screaming children and the background sound of a radio or TV. And most importantly, one can only live those magic moments away from our modern times worst curse...the cellular phones!

Algiers snapshots...

1. Friday afternoon walk
2. Smokers al fresco
3. Secret garden