Blue Monday

I don't know why this building in St. Germain
is lit up like this—but I'll guess that
it's probably a hotel.  At any rate, I like it.

[To see more Blue Monday posts, go here.]

Chez Monet

"I am following nature without being able
to grasp her. . . . I perhaps owe
having become a painter to flowers."
—Claude Monet

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

The Weekend in Black and White

There are many, many carrousels (in French, manèges)
to be found all around Paris.  This is one of
the most charming, I think—the dodo manège, with
fanciful creatures to ride (a gorilla, an ostrich, a panda) as 
well as some that are extinct (a dodo, a triceratops). 
 It's located near the northeast corner of the Jardin des Plantes. 

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

Skywatch Friday

Fourteen years later, the memorial garden now 
fills the space where the twin towers stood 
and the new 1 World Trade stands guard over it. 
The winged structure in the foreground is the 
World Trade Center Transportation Hub
(or as some call it, a $4 billion subway station). 

[To see more Skywatch Friday posts, go here.
Also, Orange You Glad It's Friday?]

Thursday Challenge—"tranquil"

Sunset over Loon Lake, in Maine.
I took this picture 40 years ago, when 
I was on my way home from my 
honeymoon (so TBT too)—and it was 
very tranquil here, at least until 
the loons started calling each other.

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

ABC Wednesday—I is for "Invalides"

This shot was taken from the garden behind
Auguste Rodin's house. Must say, the artist had 
a pretty nice view of Le Dôme des Invalides,
beneath which is the final resting place of 
Napoleon Bonaparte.  Oh, and there's also that 
other pointy-topped doodad peeking out 
from behind the trees on the left.

[To see more ABC posts, go here.]

The Garden State

Actually, some parts of New Jersey are truly
beautiful—this, however, is not one of them.  The
refineries along this stretch don't exactly 
smell like a garden either, but for now I guess
they're still a necessary evil.  After 
all, I took this shot from a plane fueled 
by what's down there.

(And, yet again, would it kill them to 
clean the windows on the plane?)

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