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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 . . . |
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| including the draperies, of course! [To see more Mellow Yellow, go here.] |
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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.] |
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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.] |
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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.] |
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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.] |
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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.] |
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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.] |
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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.] |
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"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.] |
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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.] |
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That's the name of this sculpture by Anish Kapoor, part of a (somewhat controversial) exhibit on display now at Versailles. |
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The other side reflects the sky (and the chateau) upside down. [Linking back to Skywatch Friday and Weekend Reflections.] |
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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.] |
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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.] |
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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.] |
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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.] |
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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.] |
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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.] |
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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.] |
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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.] |
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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.] |
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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!) |
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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.] |
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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.] |
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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.] |
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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.] |
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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.] |
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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.] |
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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.] |
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. . . 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. |
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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.] |
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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.] |
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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.] |
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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.] |
