ABC Wednesday—M is for "mussels"

More good food from France:
I first had the mussels at Chez Hortense,
in Cap Ferret, in 2002.  This restaurant is not
that easy to get to (especially from New York!),
and when I finally made it back there
last month I told the waiter that I'd been thinking
of those mussels for 14 years.  We ordered
for three, he brought us at least enough for six,
and we ate every last one of them.  
Yummmmm!

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mirror, mirror

  on the wall . . . of the apartments of
Napoleon III, in the Louvre.  This is the 
salle à manger, where Nappy 3 and
his wife, Eugenie, could join 48 hungry 
guests at their very long table.

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

ABC Wednesday—M is for "magnolia"

If we could see the miracle of a single flower
clearly, our whole life would change.
—Gautama Buddha

ABC Wednesday—M is for "mint tea"

and for Grand Mosquée de Paris. There's a 
wonderful café/restaurant there, and you can sit
in the colorful and comfortable garden and 
enjoy a glass of mint tea—the real deal, poured with 
a flair. (We also had couscous—yum.)

[To see more ABC Wednesday "M" posts, go here.]

ABC Wednesday—M is for "Montmartre"

Even on a random Tuesday in September, the crowds
descend on Montmartre.  Well, it was a gorgeous day.  
But we discovered this little park (named for a
highly decorated WWII resistance fighter) not far off
the beaten path.  It has an even better view of
Sacré Coeur and aside from us there were only
young locals there—who have managed
to leave their mark behind this little waterfall.

[To see more ABC posts for the letter M, go here.]

ABC Wednesday—M is for "memento"

It used to be that only couples would leave a 
"lock of love" on a bridge (then throw the key in the
river to seal the deal).  The practice seems to
have expanded: This family left a memory for the whole
clan.  The orange locks and pictures stood out . . . 

no small feat, considering how many
thousands of  locks there are lining both
sides of the pont de l'Archevêché!

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ABC Wednesday—M is for "manège"

That's French for "carousel."
Took the ferry to Governor's Island a
couple of weeks ago to check out an amazing
collection of vintage French carousels
and carnival games.  Most of the carousels
are still operational, including this one—though
they now run on electricity instead of steam.
Little kids at the event loved riding
in this sanglier (that's a wild boar)!

[To see more ABC posts, go here.]

ABC Wednesday—M is for "moss"

Here's another shot from the Hacienda Cusin, in
San Pablo del Lago, Ecuador—which I've shown here
and here. Like all gardens, theirs are a work in progress,
but look like they've been here as is for centuries.

[To see more posts that feature the
letter M, visit the ABC Wednesday meme.]

Tina's Picstory—"M"

In this case, M is for "mural" (and also maybe "movement").

The first mural to occupy this space at the corner of
Houston and Bowery was a 2008 recreation of Keith Haring's
famous 1982 Bowery mural. Since then, 
several artists' works have graced this wall.
The latest (since July 2012) is this one by Lady Aiko.

[To see more posts that feature the letter M, visit Tina's Picstory.]