Thursday Challenge—"shadows"

Searching for a bit of shade at
the Cranford Rose Garden,
at the Brooklyn Botanic.

[To see more of the Thursday Photo Challenge, visit Dale's meme.]

ABC Wednesday—C is for "City Hall"

This fountain (which I've shown before) is
in City Hall Park.  Visible at the end of  the pathway 
is City Hall.  Since I took this shot the whole 
building has been wrapped up for renovation.
Apparently, they're replacing the roof, but at first 
I thought they were raising the ceilings:  
Our new mayor, Bill de Blasio, is about a foot taller 
than his predecessor, Michael Bloomberg.


[To see more ABC posts, go here.]

Cent' anni!

A little vicarious trip to Italy
by way of Virginia:
prosecco + Aperol + seltzer
= uno spritz.

[Linking back to Ruby Tuesday and Our World Tuesday.]

Love those antioxidants

Delicious, dusky blue berries for
sale at the local greenmarket.

[Linking back to Blue Monday and Macro Monday]

inSPIREd Sunday

The incredibly beautiful Sainte Chapelle.
I could spend hours in this place
(and I have—twice I've been to a musical
performance here on a summer evening, when
the sun doesn't set until almost 11 p.m.).

[To see more churches from around the world, go here.]

The Weekend in Black and White

Hidden in the fog is the new trade tower,
and this will be the entrance to the
subway station that feeds it.

[To see more monochromes, visit Dragonstar's meme.]

Gunpowder River

I rode the train from Virginia back to
NYC earlier this week.  All I remembered
about this shot was that I took it
somewhere between DC and Baltimore.
But iPhoto very kindly informs me that this is
the Gunpowder River, an inlet of Chesapeake Bay.

[To see more Skywatch shots, go here.  To see
more Weekend Reflections, visit James's meme.
Also linking back to Orange You Glad It's Friday?.]

Thursday Challenge—"reflections"

I took this shot a couple of weeks ago of
the brand new (and highly reflective)
4 World Trade—right now, this building 
probably has the best view looking down 
on the newly opened 9/11 Memorial.

[To see more of the Thursday Photo Challenge, visit Dale's meme.]

ABC Wednesday—B is for place de la Bastille

. . . where you'll find the Colonne de Juillet,
put here where the Bastille once stood
to commemorate the July 1830 Revolution.  
It's topped by "The Spirit of Freedom"—
in one hand he holds a torch, in the other
the remains of his broken chains.
I was surprised to learn that there is a
columbarium in the base of the column that holds 
the remains of 615 victims of the revolution.

[To see more ABC posts, go here.]

Smokey says . . .

My daughter Katie took this shot when she
was up in Alaska recently.  Ironically, they were
having a problem with forest fires there at that time.

[Linking back to Ruby Tuesday and Our World Tuesday.]

pretty planters

Whoever owns this place in Manhattan's
Turtle Bay neighborhood on the East Side has
taken a fairly nondescript doorway and
given it some major curb appeal.
I don't think they need to worry about
anyone absconding with those planters, do you?

[To see more Mandarin Orange Monday posts, go here.]

in SPIREd Sunday

The interior of the Sainte Chappelle is so
stunning that it's possible many visitors
don't even bother to photograph the
exterior.  But I think that just the fact that
it was built—by hand—almost 900
years ago makes it spectacular
 inside (come back next week) and out.

[To see more churches from around the world, go here.]

The Weekend in Black and White

If I assumed that the paper business was
suffering now that we do so much online, the
sight of this paper mill down in Virginia
made me think otherwise.  This place, at least,
is cranking out reams of the stuff daily.

[To see more monochromes, visit Dragonstar's meme.]

Weekend Reflections

Didn't have to go far afield for this one:
It's my kitchen window—with a new 
puka-shell "curtain" (that turned out to be a 
wind chime sometimes too)—reflected 
in the computer screen.

[To see more Weekend Reflections, visit James's meme.]

Thursday Challenge—"flowers"

So hard to choose an image from among the many
beautiful flowers I've photographed at the
Brooklyn Botanic Garden.  Finally, I just went
eeny-meeny-miny-mo—and came up with these.

[To see more of the Thursday Photo Challenge, visit Dale's meme.]

ABC Wednesday—A is for "angel"

I love this angel that graces the façade of the
mid-19th-century building at 57 rue de Turbigo.
She stands three+ stories tall, and the ribbons and beads
and tassels she wears are very fitting for this
neighborhood where there are many stores that
specialize in passementerie (trimming).

[To see more ABC posts, go here.]

at the greenmarket

These were so pretty, I bought a couple of
bunches and ate them like candy!
Well, I did enjoy a few of them with some
really good French butter, the way I learned
to do in France (where they know how
to eat—and how to make really good butter).

[Linking back to Ruby Tuesday and Our World Tuesday.]

Âllons, enfants!

I'm raising a glass to all my French
—and Francophile—friends who 
are celebrating Bastille Day today.
(My cocktail is the "healthy"
one, with cucumbers!)

[Linking back to Monday Mellow Yellows and Mandarin Orange Monday.]

inSPIREd Sunday

These are apostles (I believe).
They're just three of the many personages
who populate the façade of Notre Dame in Paris.

See?

[To see more churches from
around the world, go here.]

The Weekend in Black and White

This young woman has been keeping vigil at
a grave in Florence for many many years.
I wonder who posed for this sculpture and if this
is an allegorical figure or meant to represent
a loved one of the person interred in the
peaceful cemetery at the church of San Miniato.

[To see more monochromes, visit Dragonstar's meme.]

Weekend Reflections

Say "cheese."   Better yet, say fromage—because
this shop with cameras old and new is in Paris.  One
of these days maybe I'll have a really good
camera—and go back to Paris to use it!

[To see more Weekend Reflections, visit James's meme.]

Thursday Challenge—"practical"

Best invention ever!  Especially if you are
the Smoothie Queen.  It's not my machine, but
if I owned one, I might be tempted
to drink all my meals.

Just kidding—but I do love a
pretty pink breakfast.

[To see more of the Thursday Photo
Challenge, visit Dale's meme.]

ABC Wednesday—Z is for "zodiac"

. . . as seen in the famous timepiece in Piazza San Marco's
clock tower; it displays the time of day, phases of
the moon, and the current sign of the zodiac.

I can't see what tells you the 
time on the 24-hour clock, but can see 
that when I took these pictures
the sun should have been in Libra. 
 I checked and it was (October 2, 2008).

[To see more ABC posts, go here.]

a spot of color

I'm a big fan of the Paris metro, but not of the
ugly plastic chairs they've installed (and
which I tend to ignore no matter how tired
my little dogs are).  But I have to admit
that—as pretty as that big poster is—they
are the real reason I took this shot.

[Linking back to Ruby Tuesday and Our World Tuesday.]

I'm ready for my closeup

Finally!  NYC birds are not like the cooperative
(and much larger) ones I photographed in the Galapagos.  
I'm always trying to shoot the birds in the botanic garden, and
they tend to flit off the very second I get my camera to 
my eyeball.  But this little birdie landed a couple
of feet away and posed for me for at least 30 seconds
(never took his eye off me though).

[Linking back to Shadow Shot Sunday, Monday Mellow Yellows,
Mandarin Orange Monday, and Macro Monday.]

inSPIREd Sunday

This is the 13th-century Cathedral of Siena, aka
Duomo di Siena, aka church of Santa Maria Assunta.
Inside is a spectacular marble mosaic floor that's visible
only for six to ten weeks per year (try to get there in
September), then covered for its protection.

[To see more churches from around the world, go here.]

My favorite stoop . . .

in my "brownstone Brooklyn" neighborhood.
I don't live in a brownstone myself, but if I did 
I would want my stoop to be as colorful and
welcoming as this one.  There's a woman
who often occupies that chair on the
top step; she tends this garden—and enjoys it.

[Linking back to Pink Saturday.]

Skywatch Friday

The 4th of July is one of those times
 when I feel lucky to be in NYC.
(As long as I'm willing to brave the crowds),
I get to enjoy some seriously awesome fireworks.
To all of you who are celebrating today,
I hope you're having a festive Fourth!

[To see more Skywatch, go here.]

Thursday Challenge—"wood"

My daughter Katie and I spent a night at
Hacienda Cusin in San Pablo, Ecuador, a few years
ago.  While we were at dinner, someone got this
fire started in our room, then left a huge basket
filled with wood and we kept the blaze
going until well after midnight.

[To see more of the Thursday Photo Challenge, visit Dale's meme.]

ABC Wednesday—Y is for "yes"

I took this shot in Paris—which kind of begs the
question: " Why does this sign not say "OUI"?

[To see more ABC posts that feature the letter Y, go here.]

a little red beetle

Unlike yesterday's antsy (so to speak) insect,
this little beetle was willing to pose
for me, without budging, for a looong time.

[It's Ruby Tuesday; to see more, go here.
Am also linking back to Macro Monday
and to Nature Footstep/Blo-Ma.
And it's the first of the month, so I've posted to my Paris blog.]