Monday, August 31, 2015

The Grand Trianon


Decorating Louis XIV's home-away-from-home
at Versailles: Apparently when they found a
fabric they liked, they cornered the market
on it and used it for absolutely everything . . . 
 
including the draperies, of course!

[To see more Mellow Yellow, go here.]

Sunday, August 30, 2015

I shot a shoot


I came across this photo shoot in the
Palais Royal.  The photographer
made good use of the Buren columns and the
beautiful late-afternoon light and shadows.
(There was probably some post-production
work—I photoshopped a stray person
out of this picture myself.)


[Linking back to Shadow Shot Sunday.]

Saturday, August 29, 2015

The Medici Fountain


The fountain was built for Maria de Medici in
the 1600s 
(despite the fact that at that
time they had to haul water 
all the way from the Seine
to fill it) 
in what's now the Jardin du Luxembourg.
 (Polyphemus Surprising Acis and Galatea 
was a 19th-century addition.)

[Linking back to Pink Saturday and Today's Flowers.]
 

Friday, August 28, 2015

Weekend Reflections


Back to the Marché aux Puces to 
explore 
a shop that had every kind of ribbon, bead,
 button, buckle, and trimming you can imagine
(and this sweet reflection).

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

Thursday, August 27, 2015

Thursday Challenge—"seat"


In the dining room of his "apartment" in the
Louvre, Napoléon III could have an intimate sit-down
supper with 49 of his nearest and dearest.
I wouldn't have wanted to be in charge of the seating chart.

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

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

ABC Wednesday—G is for "giraffe"


At the gift shop in the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg,
Florida, is this "burning giraffe" model based on
ones in some of his paintings (and his film L'Age d'Or).  
They also have small stuffed versions that 

you can buy for all the surreal children in your life.

[To see more ABC posts, go here.]

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

a special spot


Upstairs at Shakespeare and Company—the message
board where you can leave your thoughts

above a cozy nook filled with well-chosen kiddie lit.

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

Monday, August 24, 2015

Flea-market finds


I'm not looking to collect anything these days,
but if I were . . .  Well, these have 
made their way into my photo collection.

[Linking back to Blue Monday.]

Sunday, August 23, 2015

water lily


"Like a flower she grows toward the 

light, without thinking or examining the
process that moves her to do so.
I wish I could do the same."
—Joanne Harris, Chocolat

 [Linking back to Today's Flowers
and to Shadow Shot Sunday.]

Saturday, August 22, 2015

The Weekend in Black and White


The ET, seen from the Cité de l'Architecture
et du Patrimoine—a wonderful
museum, and not only because it's never
crowded and has a view of the
tower from almost every window.

[To see more b/w images, visit Dragonstar's meme.]

Friday, August 21, 2015

"Sky Mirror"



That's the name of this sculpture by Anish Kapoor,
part of a (somewhat controversial) exhibit
on display now at Versailles.


The other side reflects the sky (and
the chateau) upside down. 

[Linking back to Skywatch Friday
and Weekend Reflections.]

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Thursday Challenge—"organized"


You string these colorful balls together
over small bulbs to create a light 
garland.  I'd probably mix-and-match
the colors, but must admit that seeing them
organized neatly by hue like this
makes the OCD part of me very happy.

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

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

ABC Wednesday—F is for "fedoras"


Maybe it was the Mad Men influence, but I see more guys 

in hats these days.  Haven't seen a woman wearing 
white gloves in about 50 years though. Remember them? 
I still have a pair of white kid gloves that I wore 
when I was a (very proper, apparently) little girl. 

[To see more ABC posts, go here.]

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

instant ancestors


At the Marché aux Puces:
I love that these new plastic frames come
with old photos of random strangers,
though I might have a hard time
choosing my fake family.

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

Monday, August 17, 2015

roadside flowers


 If you go to Giverny 
at this time of year,
you don't even have to step into
Monet's gardens (though you definitely should!)
to enjoy a profusion of bloom.

[Linking back to Monday Mellow Yellows.]

Sunday, August 16, 2015

Church of Sainte Radegonde


This little church is in Giverny
(Monet's grave is in the churchyard).
I'd never heard of this saint (aka Radegund),
who was a 6th-century queen of the Franks.
And I'm not sure what she did to
warrant sainthood—other than leave her
husband and found a monastery (and 

she got him to pay for it). Actually, I don't 
know about sainthood, but that probably 
deserves some kind of prize.


[Linking back to inSPIREd Sunday
and to Shadow Shot Sunday.]

Saturday, August 15, 2015

The Weekend in Black and White


The colors of these flowers at the New York
Botanical Garden
couldn't have been more vibrant—and
yet I like them even better in black and white.  Go figure.

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

Friday, August 14, 2015

Weekend Reflections


In Paris last month, I saw this architectural 

reflection in my brother Chris's clip-on sunglasses.
(Do you see what you've done to me, James?)
[To see more Weekend Reflections,
visit James's meme.]

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Thursday Challenge—"place (2)"



As in Place de l'Opéra.  This is, of course,
the Opera Garnier, home of the Phantom and—now
that they've built the other (ugly) opera house
at the Place de la Bastille—where you go to enjoy the
ballet (Nureyev and Fonteyn danced here, btw).


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

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

ABC Wednesday—E is for "escargots"


As someone once said, "Slippery little suckers."
Also proof that pretty much anything can 
be rendered edible with butter, garlic, and parsley!
And I wasn't worried about whether they'd be
good—they've been serving these here for 114 years.

[To see more ABC posts, go here.]

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Stylin' (retro)


This fellow was selling vintage clothing 
at the
Marché aux Puces—and he dressed the part too.
(We asked him if his vest was part of an
old band uniform. Non.  Or maybe part of a
military uniform? Non.  Finally he told us that he'd
made it himself—out of old dish towels!)

He had some fabulous old clothes
too.  Can't imagine
where
I'd ever wear any of these, but still . . .


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

Monday, August 10, 2015

Papillons


Beautiful blue butterflies for sale at the
Marché aux Puces—or maybe you don't like to see
them mounted and displayed like this. (??)

[Linking back to Blue Monday.]

Sunday, August 9, 2015

inSPIREd Sunday


Looking down rue Monge from the heart of the
 5th arrondissement, you can see the graceful
spires of Saint-Chapelle.   The distance 
from here to there is actually about 2/3 mile
(but I have a pretty good zoom lens!).

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

Saturday, August 8, 2015

The Weekend in Black and White


At this shop with interesting "junk" for sale
near les Halles, the wares have spilled out onto the
sidewalk.  I saw some things I liked—but not
enough to plunk down hard-earned euros for them.

[To see more black-and-white shots from around
the world, visit Dragonstar's meme.]


Friday, August 7, 2015

At the Petit Palais


This became my new favorite free Paris
museum when I visited it for the first time
last September.  I went back recently,
had a lovely al fresco lunch there, and haven't
changed my opinion.

[Linking back to Skywatch Friday and Weekend Reflections.]

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Thursday Challenge—"place"


Here's my new favorite: Monet's

beautiful home and garden, in Giverny. Can't
believe it took me so long to to visit this
well-preserved and well-run place.

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

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

ABC Wednesday—D is for "dormer"


Hope the owners of this pretty window
(also in Giverny) don't mind that I left the
cute little lizard but "removed" the
satellite dish.  (Their house, but my blog.)

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

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

The Little Engine That Could


. . . once upon a time, anyway.

Monet's house and gardens are the main
attractions at Giverny, of course—but 
there's also a sweet little museum that's 
devoted to old machinery.


I didn't have the foggiest notion what most
of them were for, but bringing them back from
the brink was clearly a labor of love for
the two guys who ran the place.


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

Monday, August 3, 2015

Workin' on the railroad


On any given weekend, some NYC subway
line is under repair or maintenance.
That's a good thing, of course, unless it's your
station they're working in—and you
actually need to get somewhere.

[To see more Monday Mellow Yellows, go here.]

Sunday, August 2, 2015

Today's Flowers


This is one (and surely not the last) of the
many, many pictures I took in Monsieur Monet's
gorgeous gardens in Giverny.  They're a riot of color,
form, and fragrance—the place to go for the
best kind of sensory overload ever!


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

Saturday, August 1, 2015

Shapes and Shadows


Vases on display at 
Baldwin-Guggisberg, one of the
beautiful shops along the Viaduc des Arts,
in Paris's 12th arrondissement—not exactly
central, but well worth the detour (for the shops
and the Promenade Plantée above them). 

[To see more of the Weekend in Black and White, visit
Dragonstar's meme.  Find more Sunday Shadows here.]