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Courtyard, private chapel, Arundel, England. Arundel Castle is in the background. This setting reminds me of Seville, Spain, as well as Amman, Jordan. Must be the palm trees, arched doorway and ancient buildings!
My daughter Jordana and I are off to Amman, Jordan. While I don't expect we'll be dining on turkey, we have much for which to be thankful. Hope you and yours have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, filled with blessings!
Hand-written concert program, early 19th-century, France, Sophie Pretelat's Anges et Demons.
Thanks to all who shared some intriguing plans last weekend! Enzie Shamiri is the winner of a Paris flea market find. Will post her surprise upon my return from Jordan.
The day's menu, Barcelona.
On the weekend's agenda: visiting the city's stellar department stores, all dressed up for the holidays (while my daughter shops, I'll photograph window displays); digging through the cave (wine cellar) to find a particular piece of luggage; sorting out clothes and camera gear and tending to last minute details for next week's trip to Jordan. I'll also be trying to find time for walks and catching up with email and blogs.
What's filling your weekend diary? I'll send a Paris flea market find to the reader reporting the most unusual weekend activity or experience. Leave a comment, with a brief description of your weekend plans. Merci et bon weekend!
Update: Judging from the interesting responses already, I can see it will be impossible to choose "the most unusual" weekend activity. So on Monday morning, Jordana will draw a commenter's name from a hat.
Hortensia, Merci, Paris.
I'm delighted to announce that Megan Butel in Australia is the winner of Leonard Pitt's book Paris Postcards. My daughter Jordana drew Megan's name from le chapeau. Thank you to all those who entered the competition and shared amusing or touching anecdotes about your memorable time in Paris. Here's Megan's story:
Iconic portrait and mannequin, Merci, Paris.
Paris Photo 2009 begins Thursday at Carrousel du Louvre. Photographic work from Arab countries and Iran will be in the spotlight. The event continues through Nov. 22nd. For more information, go here.
As the world turns, Selfridges, London.
Ten years ago today, David and I met in New York. A few months later, my daughter Jordana and I moved to London. A year after that, we moved to Paris, for David's job with an international organisation. Jordana attended high school at the American School of Paris and I resurrected my college French and struggled to adjust to French logic. It was my first experience not working for a salary since age 16; initially I didn't appreciate the loss of steady income and control. To lift my spirits, I began frequenting brocantes, flea markets and antiques shops. Soon our apartment was filled with an eclectic collection of art and antiques.
After discovering the endless bureaucracy required to get married in Paris, Jordana, David and I flew to Santa Fe, N.M. Our wedding ironically was at (French) Archibishop Jean-Baptiste Lamy's private chapel. Jordana's friend Vince played acoustic guitar, while she sang Bruce Springsteen's "If I Should Fall Behind." A dozen friends witnessed the happy occasion and later joined us for dinner at the Inn of the Anasazi.
We traveled to many, many places in Europe and the US. At home in Paris, David honed his cooking skills as we hosted hundreds (!) of guests. I became a fan of rugby and horse-racing at Longchamp (although I never bet on horses; just admire and photograph them). My daughter went off to college in the US.
I started this blog and picked up a camera for the first time in many years. I took Eurostar to London at least once a month. I worked on my novel. I wrote poetry. I campaigned for Barack Obama and worked on human rights initiatives. I had a few health woes, but was lucky to have quality medical care in both Paris and London. I studied Spanish in Seville, Spain and photography in London.
I have lived in Paris longer than any city in my adult life (followed by San Francisco and New York). Ten years ago, when David was a guest speaker at an e-commerce conference (at the World Trade Center) and I a writer, covering the conference, I wouldn't have imagined this life. It's had its ups and downs, but for the most part, it's been rich with blessings. While Paris has never felt like home to me, I know we are fortunate. Having traveled as a journalist for much of my adult life, I've learned, as John Cage said, that "we carry our homes within us, which enables us to fly."
Balancing act, Selfridges, London.
P.S. Don't miss your chance to win a copy of Leonard Pitt's new book Paris Postcards! Go here to enter.
A combination of beauty, fragility and strength...
The courage of one's convictions and faith that never wavers...
Unexpected, whimsical delights...
New destinations...
The road to success, always under construction...
"All the great things are simple and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom; justice; honour; duty; mercy; hope." - Sir Winston Churchill.
Photos above 1. St. Mary's Church, South Kensington, London. 2 and 3. St. Mary's, Oxford. 4. South Kensington, London and 5. Oxford.
Indulge in other simple things at Christina's Soul Aperture.
P.S. Scroll down the page for your chance to win a copy of Leonard Pitt's new book Paris Postcards.
Leonard Pitt's beautiful new book Paris Postcards is photographed among some late 19th-century and early 20th-century Paris postcards.
Some pages inside Paris Postcards.
If you love Paris, you'll be enchanted by Paris Postcards! Pitt's book (Counterpoint Press, Berkeley) showcases unusual and historical postcards from his personal collection. Invented in the 19th-century, postcards changed the way travelers communicated. In the late 19th-century and early 20th-century, France produced a million postcards a day. Collectors started hoarding the unique and diverse images; today thousands of vintage postcards are for sale at every flea market in France.
The postcards featured in Pitt's book depict little slices of French history, along with colourful or witty messages to friends and family back home. Some cards are sepia photographs; others are hand-tinted. The postcards reflect changing views of the city's arrondisements, as well as lively scenes from cafe and night life.
Based in Berkeley, Calif., Leonard Pitt is not only an author, but an actor. His previous books include Walks through Lost Paris and Paris: Un Voyage dans le Temps. Pitt also penned A Small Moment of Great Illumination about the 17th-century Irish healer Valentine Greatrakes.
For your chance to win a copy of Paris Postcards, leave a comment about your most memorable experience in the City of Light. The winning name will be drawn from le chapeau on Friday, Nov. 20th. Bonne chance!
The Paris Opera.
Papier-mache puppets at Sophie Pretelat's Anges et Demons stand at the Antiquities Brocante at Bastille. This is the last weekend, so get your skates on! The brocante - with stands lining both sides of Canal St. Martin - is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Sunday. You can buy tickets at the main entrance on Place de la Bastille.
More papier-mache puppets, including one representing a drunk (below).
A rather morose-looking statue holding homemade candles, hanging from their wicks.
A giant brass Madonna crown and a small collection of plaster animals.
19th-century oil painting of a buxom lass.
Framed woodcut designs on a Swedish desk.
The top of a Napoleon III gilt and mercury glass mirror.
A bust, cranberry glass carafe and glasses and blue gazing balls, for luck.
19th-century slate medallions; the one on the right is Napoleon Bonaparte.
An 18th-century well-worn wooden horse, with its original paint.
Mercury glass candlesticks.
Incredibly beautiful linens and lace at this stand. So tempting!
Bronze ballerina and phone boxes, Covent Garden, London.
You may have noticed that lately I've been a bit quiet on the blogging front. That's due to a combination of travel, work and particularly, health issues. I was born with a hole in my heart, although it was detected only four years ago. Since then, I've been made aware of the importance of remaining vigilant, particularly as heart disease is the single biggest threat to women's health.
Turning 50, unwittingly I joined a high-risk group. Not only do I have a hole in my heart - and therefore more susceptible to migraine, stroke and blood clots - there's a family history of heart disease. As one Western doctor noted, "Genetics load the gun; lifestyle pulls the trigger."
At the moment I take no medication, only vitamins. But my body is changing; I can no longer eat or drink anything I want and shrug it off. I have to walk and exercise nearly every day to see any effects. I need less stress and more sleep; rarely do I achieve either.
If I have any dental work done, I must take antibiotics an hour before, due to the risk of infection to the lining of my heart. The key to managing the situation with my heart - just as with any health issue - is awareness. Occasionally, warning signs suggest something is off-balance. Consequently, this week I'm undergoing numerous cardiology tests; the most-extensive ones on Thursday. I am lucky to have good cardiologists and specialist medical attention, as well as excellent health insurance. I shudder to think of the financial costs of such care in the US.I'm writing about dealing with my heart problem, not to garner sympathy, but to encourage you to see your doctor and get regular medical check-ups. Cardiovascular disease is a silent, stealth killer, responsible for one in four women's deaths. In Europe, 55 percent of women die of heart disease. Cardiovascular disease kills more women than breast cancer, cervical cancer or any other serious illness.
Learn to recognise the warning signs of heart attack or stroke. But see your doctor regularly; don't wait for warning signs. The American Heart Association and the British Heart Foundation have information online about education, treatment and care.
Corridor with series of arches leading from the Castle Keep to the main section of Arundel Castle, England.
Heavy wooden door in corridor at Arundel Castle.
Small chapel at base of the Castle Keep.
View of the valley beyond, as glimpsed through chapel windows.
Narrow stairwell leading from Castle Keep to the main castle.
Castle buildings viewed from Castle Keep.
Exterior view of Arundel Castle on a hilltop.
Circular drive at Arundel Castle.
Arundel Cathedral, seen from Castle Keep.
Forests and farmland beyond.
Green valley, as seen from Castle Keep.
Buildings in the village of Arundel.
Green fields, as far as the eye can see.
The descent from Castle Keep.
View from walkway balcony of disused steps.
Private chapel at Castle Arundel. Interior photos of the castle are forbidden, so I had only one chance to take this quick shot. Learn more about the castle here and here. See more photos of the castle's exterior here.
Remnants of ancient stone wall, Arundel, England.
“Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at it destination full of hope.” - Maya Angelou
"We will prove to the world that we believe in peacefully 'tearing down the walls' instead of arbitrarily building them." - John F. Kennedy
On the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, it's time to tear down ALL the walls that divide and isolate.Moss on a stone cross in a small graveyard at Church Norton, England.
Today we pause to pay tribute to those soldiers who fought to uphold the principles of freedom we hold dear.
This person dressed like a banana and standing on a plinth is part of an art installation last month at London's Trafalgar Square. But the photo reminds me of the latest over-the-top activities of so-called "teabaggers" on Washington's Capitol Hill.
John Cole's article about the health care debate, the Republicans' just-released "alternative" bill and the clueless mainstream media coverage is priceless:
"Why is this not a bigger story:
"Late last night, the Congressional Budget Office released its initial analysis of the health-care reform plan that Republican Minority Leader John Boehner offered as a substitute to the Democratic legislation. CBO begins with the baseline estimate that 17 percent of legal, non-elderly residents won’t have health-care insurance in 2010. In 2019, after 10 years of the Republican plan, CBO estimates that …17 percent of legal, non-elderly residents won’t have health-care insurance. The Republican alternative will have helped 3 million people secure coverage, which is barely keeping up with population growth. Compare that to the Democratic bill, which covers 36 million more people and cuts the uninsured population to 4 percent."But maybe, you say, the Republican bill does a really good job cutting costs. According to CBO, the GOP’s alternative will shave $68 billion off the deficit in the next 10 years. The Democrats, CBO says, will slice $104 billion off the deficit.
"The Democratic bill, in other words, covers 12 times as many people and saves $36 billion more than the Republican plan. And amazingly, the Democratic bill has already been through three committees and a merger process. It’s already been shown to interest groups and advocacy organizations and industry stakeholders. It’s already made its compromises with reality. It’s already been through the legislative sausage grinder. And yet it saves more money and covers more people than the blank-slate alternative proposed by John Boehner and the House Republicans. The Democrats, constrained by reality, produced a far better plan than Boehner, who was constrained solely by his political imagination and legislative skill.
"I seriously do not get this country. The subservience to the Republicans by the media at least made sense when they were in the majority and held the Presidency in 2001. But this is 2009, the Republicans have been routed electorally for the past few years, everything the Republican party believed in failed miserably the last eight years and they have been exposed as total frauds. They released a budget with no numbers on April Fools Day; they have been whipping up teabaggers and gun nuts into a froth for months and screaming about death panels because they have no ideas or solutions and when they finally do release their health care “plan,” it totally and completely sucks. It is nothing but fail, fail, fail, from the GOP: they just lost two more seats in the house; they are going through a horrible (yet delicious) civil war; yet according to the media, everything is bad news for Democrats.
"You know what is bad news for Republicans? They used to be able to get elected and be incapable of governing and as the House elections on Tuesday and the CBO score today show, now they are incapable of getting elected and governing.
"And yet somewhere, Chuck Todd or one of the other Beltway drooling class is typing up their next thought piece explaining how all of this is bad news for Democrats and David Gregory’s staff is probably getting touch with McCain and Boehner’s chiefs of staff to see if they are available for Meet the Press on Sunday.
"I can’t tell what is a bigger joke- the Republicans or our failed media experiment. Three decades of screaming liberal media bias is about the only smart long-term thing Republicans have done in my lifetime."
....in this otherwise grey and gloomy day in Paris. This is opening day of the Antiquites Brocante at Bastille. This morning the sun shone briefly, but before I could leave my apartment, it started to rain. Since it's not ideal to be at the brocante in the rain - much less shooting photos - I decided to go another day. Meanwhile, I'm catching up on editing photos, clearing out files, answering emails and running errands. Back later with another post. Hope you find some sunshine in your day!
Qatari artisan stringing freshwater pearls, Hippodrome de Longchamp, Paris.
Please read Marianne's piece about our photography adventure Journey to Jordan. And come with us March 1- 8, 2010: we have two spaces left.
Tonight I'm having dinner in Paris with an American expat who lives in Switzerland. She's accompanying us on the trip. Read more about our expedition here and email me with any questions. Hope you can join us!
Cozy knitted bottle covers, Merci, Paris.
If you're in Paris later this week, the Antiquites Brocante at Bastille begins at 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 5. Take the Metro lines 1, 5 or 8 to Bastille or Quai de la Rapee or bus lines 76, 86 or 91. Parking is available at Opera Bastille.
You can buy tickets at the entrance on Place de la Bastille. Stands will be located on both sides of the Canal St. Martin. Stop by #514 and visit Gunnar Pettersson. My friend Sophie Pretelat's Anges et Demons is at Stand #403 and Natalie Cottier is at Stand 55. All three dealers have unusual antiques and collectibles, guaranteed to make you catch your breath in delight!
The brocante continues from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily through Nov. 15th.
Scroll down the page for more posts today.
Abandoned musical instruments, Hippodrome de Longchamp, Paris.
This morning I had email from a friend, who is a talented poet. Sadly, she is very ill and moving to a hospice. This haiku is for Mandy.
At 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 7th, the Apple Store at the Carrousel du Louvre will open to much fanfare.For more information about the long-anticipated store opening at 99 rue de Rivoli, go here. The store will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Previously, Apple products in France could be purchased only at FNAC stores or online.
Thanks to my clever friends Nic and Leonie - visiting from London this past weekend - my new Macbook Pro is fully loaded and ready to go. Happily, the transition from PC to Mac is going smoothly.
"My husband and I went on a short three week holiday having left our very young children with my mother in Australia - it was supposed to be a bit of a second honeymoon. We'd spent a week driving around Ireland - which went well despite me navigating and him having to follow instructions.
"We flew out from Ireland and arrived in Paris on a beautiful, sunny autumn day - it was more like spring than autumn it was so warm.
"After we had checked in at our hotel, we decided to go for a walk - so there we are strolling down the Champs Elysee heading towards the Eiffel Tower. I said something in French. He made fun of my pronunciation and corrected me. He was wrong. I told him so. He asked me what would I know as - after all - he had done French at school. So had I - up to the final year of high school and being younger than him - my experience of high school French was more recent and far broader. He wasn't having a bar of it. Neither was I. The whole discussion quickly disintegrated into an embarrassing public slanging match, culminating in him storming off in a huff back to the hotel.
"So that's what can happen to you on a sunny Sunday afternoon in Paris walking down the Champs Elysee with the one you love. That story happened 12 years ago - and we still can't talk about that fight without it starting another one! I am quite sure we will never feature in a Willy Ronis picture postcard of Paris."
Megan, hope Paris Postcards triggers happier memories of the City of Light!