The Weekend in Black and White

Paris—looking a tad telescoped because
of the zoom lens, with the Pont du Carrousel
in the foreground and left to right
behind it the spires of the Sainte Chappelle, 
Notre Dame, and the dome of the Institut de France
(home of the Académie Française).

[To see more b/w pictures from around the
world, visit Dragonstar's meme.]

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.]

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.]

Thursday Challenge—"fancy"

This is the Sainte Chapelle, in Paris.
The spectacular stained-glass windows
aren't the only thing to admire here—pretty
much every square inch of Louis IX's
chapel is embellished like this.

[To see more of the Thursday Photo Challenge, go here.]

Thursday Photo Challenge: "Complex"

When I pondered the idea of "complex," I thought of the 
design of the interior of Ste. Chapelle (especially the upper
chapel, which I've shown before for another Thursday challenge).
Even these columns (and there must be dozens) are incredibly intricate.
Each and every one is painted with a different pattern . . .

. . . and each of the capitals features
a different type of plant or animal
in its design.  It's amazing that this
place took only five years to build.
[To see more "complex" things, go here.]

Thursday Challenge — "window"

I had a hard time choosing an image for this challenge—
because I have too many!  There are Manhattan buildings
that are all windows, beautiful shapely Venetian windows,
and killer views seen through Roman windows.  But if
I'm going to choose just one, I'd have to say that the
stained-glass windows in the Sainte Chapelle trump them all!

[You can see more windows here.]

Mellow Yellow Monday

This beautiful stained glass was originally
installed in the Sainte Chapelle in Paris.
Now it can be seen (up close and personal)
in the wonderful Cluny Museum,
my favorite museum in Paris (if it's possible
to choose a favorite!). Not 100% sure but I'll
go out on a limb and guess that it depicts
St. Luke (whose symbol is an ox).
[Find more mellow yellow here.]