Something's blooming

It seems as though the spring flowers bloom
just a bit later each year.  I was determined to find
something though (and wanted to test a new
wide angle/macro converter lens for my DSLR).
Not a lot going on at the botanic garden, but
I did find this sweet little flower (and a lot of buds).

[To see more Mellow Yellows, visit Gemma's meme.
Also linking back to Macro Monday.]

In Santa Croce

There's a lot to see in the 15th-century Basilica of Santa Croce,
in Florence—including the tombs of Galileo and Michelangelo, art by
Canova, Cimabue, and Donatello, and frescoes by Giotto.
My favorite spot in this vast church is the sacristy, where the frescoed
chapel and gilded altar are seen through an ornate iron gate. 

To see more churches from
around the world, visit
inSPIREd Sunday.

I know which one I want ...

You're in Paris and you've stopped at
a little sidewalk café for some
people-watching and a sip of something.
What'll it be: café or rosé?

[To see more of The Weekend in Black and White, go here.
I'm also linking this (subtle) Weekend Reflection back to James's meme.]

Skywatch Friday

This is only the second Skywatch Friday post
I've put up since January 24!  But finally
it's light when I leave work and (mostly) warm
enough to enjoy a dramatic sky set off by 
the cables of the Brooklyn Bridge.

[To see more Skywatch Friday posts, go here.]

Thursday Challenge—"communication"

At the rue Mouffetard market, in Paris:
I saw these dogs' humans greet each other
warmly, then stop for a little chat.  Looks like
their pups were happy to see each other too.

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

ABC Wednesday—K is for "knock, knock"

Who's there?
Paris.
Paris who?
Paris the thought . . . 

 . . . that if someone decides to
fix up this beautiful old door in
the Marais they would ever paint over
that gorgeous filigree.  (Believe it
or not, I've seen it done plenty of times.)

[To see more ABC posts, go here.]

Buon Compleanno, Venezia

Happy 1,593rd (!) Birthday to Venice.
Took this shot of San Giorgio Maggiore
(island and church) from the campanile in
Piazza San Marco.  I'm hoping that one
of  these days, I can take the boat over there
 and climb up in that campanile to
capture the opposite view.

[To see more Ruby Tuesday posts, go here.
For more of Our World, go here.]

The "blue" hotel

This is the Hotel Original, on Blvd. Beaumarchais, 
near Place de la Bastille.  I've never stayed
here—though I might if I could afford it:  
When my friends and I wandered in and asked
 if we could take some photos, the concierge 
was totally gracious and welcoming. 

[Find more Blue Monday posts at Smiling Sally's meme.
For more Mosaic Monday, visit the Little Red House.]

inSPIREd Sunday

I'm sure you recognize St. Peter's.
It's not my favorite church in the world, but it's
the biggest I've ever been in, and possibly the most
impressive too. (My favorite part of my first
visit here—almost 40 years ago—was making
the circular climb up inside the dome
 to the small balcony at the top.)

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

The Weekend in Black and White

I love the simplicity of this Paris
lantern, and the way the vines mimic
the shape of the embellishment.

[To see more monochromes, visit Dragonstar's meme.]

Weekend Reflections

When I'm in the mood for Indian food, 
I can head to 6th Street in the Village, where
the restaurants are lined up cheek by jowl,
or around Lexington Ave. in the 20s, where 
I took this shot.  Have never eaten at this
place, but it's kind of fun to stand out front
and watch the cooks do their thing.

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

Thursday Challenge—"large"

For this one, I'm revisiting the chrysanthemum show
at the New York Botanical Garden. Flowers
seemed appropriate for the first day of spring, and these 
are, in fact, very large. The blooms are several inches
across and this ozukuri is one huge plant, on a single stem!

It takes about a year to grow/train one.

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

ABC Wednesday—J is for "Chez Janou"

Was on my way to meet friends at another
Paris restaurant when I snapped this shot of
a place I hope to try on my next visit
(and maybe it will be warm enough to sit
outside at this inviting table).

[To see more ABC posts, go here.]

Chez qui?

When I'm [lucky enough to be] walking
around Paris, sometimes I'll look up at some
beautiful window like this and wonder
"Who's the fortunate person who gets to tend
those geraniums?"  Once upon a time it was me
(though hardly in digs that elegant!), and
I'm still hoping it will be again.

[To see more Ruby Tuesday posts, go here.
And for more of Our World, go here.]

good things from the garden

In this case, the "garden" is the big Fairway store
in Red Hook, Brooklyn.  I always get a bit sidetracked
when I'm there because the food is so photogenic.
This place is right on the shoreline and took on
four feet of water during Hurricane Sandy. They
also suffered $14 million in damage, lost inventory,
and wages paid to their employees during the four months
it took to rebuild (that part I like).


{I wanted to include something green for St. Patrick's Day, and
somehow wound up with Japanese broccolini and Chinese cabbage.}

[Linking back to Macro Monday and Mosaic Monday.]

In Prospect Park

I took a walk a week ago on a sunny
Sunday through my favorite park.  Luckily
for me, it's about two minutes from my house.

[To see more Shadow Shot Sunday posts, go here.]

The Weekend in Black and White

We've had some serious fog here in past 
weeks, making entire boroughs
disappear from my 24th-floor office
 view—and making  my favorite NYC
 building (almost) invisible too.

[To see more monochromes, visit Dragonstar's meme.]

Beautiful Blue Sky

Set against this bright blue (finally!) sky
is a Civil War memorial in Brooklyn's
Green-Wood Cemetery—which I visited for
the first time (again, finally!) last Sunday.
It pays tribute to the 148,000 Union
soldiers that NYC sent to fight the good fight.

[I haven't been to Skywatch Friday in a long time, 
but (yet again, finally!) to see more, go here.
Also linking back to Ein Stück Himmel.]

Thursday Challenge—"heat"

My brother and I were visiting his friends at their
gorgeous home in the wilds of Idaho.  The mood was 
very relaxed as we sat around the fire pit—until our hosts 
told me that the main reason they'd built it was
to discourage the local bears from coming too close.
Say what?? This city girl wasn't feeling quite so chill then!

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

ABC Wednesday—I is for "ice"

Makes me shiver just looking at this scene—
welcome to summer in Antarctica.  I
borrowed the picture from my daughter Lila
(who traveled there with her sister last year).

[To see more ABC posts, go here.]

Uptown

I snapped this from a bus as I was riding through
Harlem early one morning.  This building has
lost some of its original architectural details
(the boarded-up rectangular window tops used to
be filled with stained glass), but I love the
little terrace and the turret.  Wouldn't it be nice
to see it brought back to its former glory?

[It's Ruby Tuesday. To see more, go here.
And to see more of Our World, go here.] 

My friend Frank

He started life as a barn cat, then moved into my
cousin's house, and now lives with our good
friends near Charlottesville.  Wherever he is, if 
I show up he chooses to bunk with me.
Do I feel special?  You bet!

[It's Mandarin Orange Monday. To see more, visit LoriK's meme.]

Saint-Eustache

Construction on this gorgeous Gothic church was
begun in 1532 and completed 105 years later.
The church has served the area of Les Halles for
almost 400 years.  Saint-Eustache is a wonderful place
to attend an organ concert; their organ boasts
8,000 pipes (!) and is reputed to be the largest in France
(and it has a beautiful sound).

To see more Sunday shadows, go here.
And I'm linking back to InSPIREd Sunday.]

The Weekend in Black and White

A few weeks ago Mother Nature gave us a
beautiful, warm, sunny weekend—then
she hit us with more cold and snow.
(You can't see it in the fog, but
at the end of this block is the U.N.)

[To see more monochromes, visit Dragonstar's meme.] 

Bird of Paradise

Snow!  Ice!  Cold!  More snow!
I've really needed a flower fix lately—I'm talking
about real flowers here, growing-in-the-ground flowers.
Fortunately, the indoor habitats at the
Brooklyn Botanic Garden have just what I'm craving.

[Orange You Glad It's Friday? If so, visit Maria's meme.]

Thursday Challenge—"creative photos (2)"

It's actually not that easy to take a picture
of your own eye, especially with a
macro lens (no depth of field whatsoever).
I can't quite decide if the photo is creepy or cool
(but I'm currently leaning toward cool).  
What do you think?

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

ABC Wednesday—H is for "hair"

Looks like this lady was at Galeries Lafayette last
November for the same reason I was—to
take pictures of their newly installed Christmas
décor.  But I was also fascinated by her 'do
and wanted to ask all about it (but didn't, oh well).

[To see more ABC posts, go here.]

"Love 2013"

That's the name of this fiberglass
sculpture by Ana Tsarev; it's part of her
Love and Peace Global Campaign. If
you're in NYC, you can see it (and take a picture
 to become part of the "campaign") at the corner of
2nd Ave. and 47th St. (about a block from
U.N. headquarters) until April 27. 

[It's Ruby Tuesday; for more, go here.
And for more of Our World, go here.]

Blue Monday

This is the color I always think of as French blue;
appropriate here—this little café/restaurant
is on rue d'Ormesson, in the heart of the Marais.
It was too chilly to be part of this pretty
al fresco vignette, but I notice they were offering
up chocolat chaud (and the all-important WiFi).

[It's Blue Monday. To see more, visit Smiling Sally's meme.]

Shadow Shot Sunday

On a recent rare sunny (and warm!) day,
I took a stroll in the West Village
and stopped by the school my kids attended
for 10 years.  It's attached to this church,
St. Luke in the Fields—so named because when
it was built, it was the "country" parish of
Trinity, the "city" church at the top of Wall Street.

[To see more Sunday shadows, go here.
I'm also linking back today to inSPIREd Sunday.]

a glitzy ET

I thought about plunking down 15 euros and
adding this sparkly pink Eiffel Tower to
my collection.  In the end I was able to resist
its (probably made in China) charms.

[It's Pink Saturday. To see more, visit Beverly's meme.]