http://www.bavis.co.uk/topper Apr 13 2009 1:05 PM http://www.bavis.co.uk/topper/topper012709.mp3 This short podcast takes place at the Hotel de Ville in Paris France. The event is the closing banquet of the Louis Braille 200th birthday celebration and conference. While it is a short podcast, I think you will enjoy the setting and the music. Apr 13 2009 1:03 PM http://www.bavis.co.uk/topper/topper012609.mp3 I have visited a number of restored homes of famous people during my travels. None of them compare to the home of Louis Braille, inventor of the six dot braille code. Located in Coupvray France, this tour was held for those attending the Louis Braille 200th birthday celebration and conference in Paris France, January 5 through 7th, 2009. We will tour the home, workshop and museum and speak with others taking the tour. The high point for me was being able to hold in my hand one of Louis Brailles personal slates. Apr 13 2009 12:51 PM http://www.bavis.co.uk/topper/topper012509.mp3 This podcast takes us to Notre Damme Cathedral in Paris France. The organ concert is performed by a blind organist who is one of the three full time organists at the cathedral. The concert consisted of three peaces, all written by blind organists. My apologies in advance to those who love organ music because this recording was made on a hand-held recorder and under less than perfect conditions. They do not heat the cathedral so it was only 26 degrees in the main room. You may also be able to tell that I eliminated all introductory comments. I did this because they were in French and because the recording echoed so much that even a French speaker would have trouble understanding them. Nonetheless, I think you will enjoy this short peace and will be able to imagine yourself bundled-up in your winter coat, sitting in the middle of a very large space, listening to a pipe organ with more than 3000 pipes. Enjoy! Apr 13 2009 12:48 PM http://www.bavis.co.uk/topper/topper012209.mp3 This is the first of four podcasts pulled together from recordings made during the Louis Braille 200th birthday celebration and conference held in Paris France. In this podcast, I take you to a Catholic Mass held in Louis Brailles honor in the chapel at the school where Louis was a teacher for eight years. I had to edit this quite a bit because of recorder problems and because most of the words spoken were in French and difficult to hear. All in all, I still think you will get a lot out of this recording. Enjoy. Apr 13 2009 12:36 PM http://www.bavis.co.uk/topper/topper011509.mp3 In this first Topper podcast, I give my personal history so that you, the listener, can know what motivates me. Why do I say what I say and why do I think the way I think. This podcast introduces you to the person behind the podcast.