The Weekend in Black and White

Through this elegant courtyard, on
the other side of this even
more elegant gate, is the Blvd. de Clichy,
not the most elegant street in Paris.
Pigalle (this neighborhood) is not nearly as
sketchy as it was once though.

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

Skywatch Friday

A bright blue sky over the very simple church
of Sainte Radegonde, in Giverney.
Monet and his family are all
buried here, in the little churchyard.

[To see more Skywatch pics, go here.] 

Mark says . ..

I'm not sure who Mark is, but I have
to agree with this bit of advice.
This sign was in a restaurant—and, actually,
I did not eat dessert first, but that's
only because I was there for breakfast.

[Linking back to signs, signs.]

ABC Wednesday—L is for "light"

I've featured this church before, but these
chandeliers just blew me away
and I thought they deserved a close-up.

[To see more ABC shots, go here.]

des gateaux rouges

I saw these colorful cakes at Bon Marche's
Grand Epicerie (elegant Paris
grocery—and more—store) last time I
was in Paris.  Am shopping there
again for a few days week and I wonder what
delights they'll have on display this time.

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

Monday mural

I saw this big poster in Soho a while back.
I never saw the show, but this
sounds like a resolution you not only
shouldn't break but one you
shouldn't have to make in the first place.
And yet . . .

[See more Monday murals at
Oakland Daily Photo.]

Shadow Shot Sunday

I found some welcome shade and shadows
on a very sunny spring day on
Venice's cemetery island, San Michele.

[To see more Sunday shadows, go here.]

Santa Maria della Salute

This 17th-century Venice basilica, which
was built in thanks for deliverance
from an outbreak of plague, is not big on
bling but filled with lovely
shapes and shadows.

[Linking back to The Weekend in Black and White
and to inSPIREd Sunday.]

Under the bridge

Just one in a whole city of beautiful reflections . . .

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

It's how old?!

Lots of people walk past this tree in the
Square Viviani in Paris and
don't even realize it's the oldest tree
in the city.  It's a locust, planted in 1601 by 
Jean Robin, the gardener of Henri IV.
{I'm headed to Paris tonight—maybe I'll
stop by and see how it's doing.}

[Linking back to signs, signs.]

ABC Wednesday—K is for "kissing 9-to-5 goodbye"

                                 I'm packing up my blue pencils and retiring today!
                             Am grateful for the past 10 years
                                 at this job at Parents magazine, working with
                              some wonderful people—and I hereby
                               bequeath my greenery to the next person to
                          occupy this cozy cubicle.

                              [To see more ABC posts, go here.]

Saratoga En Pointe

Saratoga, N.Y., is the summer home of the
New York City Ballet.  Toe shoes like
this one (though most are more colorful)
were originally part of an exhibit
of the Museum of Dance and can be 
found all over town.  See a few more here.

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

knock knock

Somewhere in Florence . . .
Check out the detail on this thing—
it even has creepy little teeth!

[Linking back to Blue Monday
at Magical Mystery Teacher
and to Macro Monday.]

Shadow Shot Sunday

Deciding what to have for dinner al fresco
in Rome—it was a great meal
at Da Sabatino, in Piazza Sant'Ignazio.

[To see more Sunday shadows, go here.]

(Relatively) New

The 17th-century church of 
Santi Luca & Martina fits right in
among the ruins of the
Roman forum.

[Linking back to The Weekend in Black
and White,  inSPIREd Sunday, and
Skywatch Friday.]

Weekend Reflections

A narrow calle is reflected in the window of this
color-filled Venetian art store. Thanks again,
James, for introducing me to this fun obsession.

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

Another memory

Not long after Sept. 11, these tiles showed
up on a fence in Greenwich Village.
The fence is no longer there and I'm not
sure what happened to the tiles,
but I hope they've been kept safe somewhere
(maybe they're in the 9/11 museum).

[Linking back to signs, signs.]

ABC Wednesday—J is for "jazz manouche"

Lunchtime gypsy jazz at the flea market:
We looked in at Chez Louisette
(popular place, where you're entertained
with old-fashioned French chansons).
Lots of fun, but a tad touristy—and I also
think the food and service are
better here at La Chope des Puces.

[To see more ABC posts, go here.]

and the winner is . . .

One more shot from the Saratoga Racetrack.
Lots of horses got scratched from
the races held this wet day, but the "mudders"
weren't bothered a bit by the weather.
I was betting mostly on the jockeys, but put my
money on Downtown Mama for this one,
just because I liked her name.

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

remembering

Don't know if this mural is still here on
Staten Island; I took the picture
in 2009. But we New Yorkers never really
forget the sacrifice our firefighters
made 16 years ago.

[Linking back to Blue Monday at Magical Mystery Teacher
and to Monday Mural at Oakland Daily Photo.]

inSPIREd Sunday

This is the chapel of St. John the Baptist
in the Frari church, in Venice . . .

and here's a closer look 
at Donatello's ascetic Baptist,
sculpted in wood 579 
years ago.

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

pretty in pink

I love the "painted ladies"
of Cape May, N.J.!

[Linking back to Pink Saturday at
How Sweet the Sound.]

Weekend Reflections

This building (and/or its reflection)
has probably been photographed millions
of times.  And who could resist?

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

sidewalk sign

This is not really what I wanted to put
here today, but my computer
(specifically, iPhoto) has decided to turn
against me.  At any rate, I think
most waiters talk a little too much—as in
you don't need to ask me every
5 minutes if everything is hunky-dory.
(Sorry—cranky.) 

[Linking back to signs, signs.]

ABC Wednesday—I is for "inclement"

Labor Day weekend in Saratoga.
The rain kept coming down, the temperature
dropped about 20 degrees, the horses
were ankle deep in mud—but everyone seemed
to be having fun (and my $2 bet got
me $11.40 on one race!).

[To see more ABC posts, go here.]

three chairs

Many times, I've seen three chairs lined 
up somewhere on the altar of
a church.  These were in the Frari 
(full name: Basilica di Santa
Maria Gloriosa dei Frari), in Venice.

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

meet the neighbors

The other half of the couple was sitting on the
nest that they built in the hollow of this
sycamore tree.  There are birds nesting here
every year—don't know if they're the
same ones each time though.
Ditto for the ones who raise a family in
the space under my air conditioner
(why I never turn it on!).

[Linking back to Macro Monday.]

inSPIREd Sunday

This church was undergoing restoration when
 I visited Rome back in May.  It's 
Santa Maria dell'Orazione e Morte (Prayer and Death) . . .

which may explain this symbolism that
appears in multiple places on the façade.

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

The Weekend in Black and White

For many years I've been admiring this
melancholy lady in the cemetery of
San Miniato al Monte, in Florence.  I'm
sorry to see her face becoming
more and more discolored as time passes.
Would love to see her restored.

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

Skywatch Friday

My cousin Beth took this shot of me
gathering blog fodder (and
also enjoying this soothing sunset).

{And though this is not an official City Daily Photo
blog, it seems I'm joining in with the
1st of the month theme: Photographing
the Photographer.}

[To see more Skywatch pics, go here.]