Between

When I was taking a walk through the Jardin des Tuileries in Paris I enjoyed seeing groups of green chairs scattered throughout the park.  I liked the arrangement of chairs here because they seemed so casual and friendly, and they were quite comfortable too.  When I look at this picture I notice that the middle chair is between two other chairs.  It is also between the bench and the lawn.  Then I noticed something else.  If you look in the upper left hand corner you will see the Eiffel Tower between some trees.  It looks like Paris in May provides lots of scenes that fit this theme.

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Split-Second Story

It was time for lunch and I was looking for a place to get something to eat as I was walking along the Champs-Elysées near the Place de la Concorde.  There were a lot of people on the sidewalk but if you looked to the right there were food stands along the way.  As I continued walking I spotted this place that seemed to have a variety of things to eat as well as cold drinks and hot chocolate.  This is what I saw from the sidewalk.

In case you’re wondering what was available I’ve included this closeup.  I liked that there were hot dogs as well as crepes and even ice cream.

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Monument

When I was in Paris I saw the Eiffel Tower from many points around the city.  I started to watch for all the different places I could catch glimpses of this monument from parks and streets and at different times of the day.  Here are some of my impressions.

Look up and you can see it!

Partially hidden by trees

The view from a car window

From the Jardin des Tuileries…

I saw this early in the morning.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Street Life

There is so much activity in Paris that I wanted a postcard taken with my camera of a lively scene on a Saturday afternoon.  This is my souvenir picture (taken in May) showing what I observed during a drive through the city.

More photos are here.

Weekly Photo Challenge: An Unusual POV

When I was in Paris this spring I enjoyed my walk in the Jardin des Tuileries.  I noticed this group of chairs in front a fountain and they looked very cheerful and friendly.  As I prepared to take a picture of them I looked up and saw the obelisk from the Place de la Concorde on the right and the Eiffel Tower to the left.  Surprisingly (at least to me) the famous landmarks were not the focus of this picture.  I really liked those chairs.

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Flowers are Everywhere

I am happy to say that I’ve seen lots of flowers this year and they are a welcome sight.  It started in January when I was in Seattle.  Although it was winter there were buckets of flowers at Pike Place Market.  In late April I took a walk in the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee in time to see some dainty wildflowers growing along the trail.  Next I saw cheerful flowers in Barcelona followed by late spring blooms in Paris.  And just recently I was in Maine.  Even though flowers differ by season and climate they are always beautiful.

Pike Place Market in January

springtime in Gatlinburg

Great Smoky Mountains

May in Barcelona

Paris flower with a bee…

Maine in July

A colorful flower display in Maine:

Summer Vacation

Taking a vacation in the summer is something I did with my family when I was growing up.  Everyone enjoyed the time off and I remember collecting seashells in my brightly colored pail and building sand castles at the beach.

Now I’m likely to take a vacation in May or sometime in the fall because the places I want to go are less crowded at those times.  I like to go somewhere that’s on my travel list and really explore.  Since I prefer not to travel when the weather is too hot I actually avoid the summer months.

a bench in Paris…

so many choices!

stop and have a look

Still, there’s something special about taking time off during the summer and relaxing by the water.  I have pleasant memories of being by the ocean and realizing that the biggest decision of the day is whether to have vanilla or chocolate ice cream.  This is actually quite difficult for me and I would probably have a scoop of both.

Summer and vacation go together well.

Weekly Photo Challenge: One Shot, Two Ways

When I was in Paris one of the first places I went to see was Notre-Dame Cathedral.  Nearby was a cafe with distinctive tables and chairs.  Since everyone was inside the seats were empty yet they looked friendly and inviting.  I decided to start with a landscape view to get not only the chairs but also the surroundings (including people).   I thought the second photo presented the scene differently and it focused more on the tables and chairs.  After all these decisions so early in the morning I was ready to sit down for a café au lait and people watch.

Here are more photos.

How to Get Around in Paris

There are many ways to get from one place to another with lots of options to consider.  When I’m in Paris I like to walk as much as possible.  That way I can follow signs like this:

I have noticed people on bicycles too.  Maybe I’ll try that next time…

I’ve also found that it is convenient to use the metro system – just look for the sign.

When I am not in a hurry and don’t actually have to be anywhere this is just about perfect.

A Paris Postcard

When I took this picture I thought it would make a good postcard.  There are landmarks, tour vehicles, and a giant ice cream cone.  I hope it doesn’t melt.

This is my idea of a souvenir.