Paris Parfait

Free the Hikers weekend of solidarity

Julie and Naor, organisers of a Free the Hikers manifestation/protest today in solidarity with three American hikers - Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd and Josh Fattal - who have been detained illegally in Iran for one year. The Paris event at Place d' Iena was one of dozens around the world this weekend marking the one-year anniversary of the hikers' arrest and imprisonment.

Robert Chahid, a journalist for the Voice of America's Persian Service, interviews Dr. Ali M.S. Fatemi of the Institut Europeen des Hautes Etudes Internationale.

Chahid holds up a t-shirt bearing the "Free the Hikers" slogan.

Lucie Kroening, a reporter for France 24, talks about the hikers' plight.

The three American hikers - all graduates of the University of California at Berkeley, are confined in Evin Prison in Tehran. Sarah Stroud is in solitary confinement, able to meet for only two brief periods per day with Shane and Josh, who share a cell.

The three have been allowed to telephone their families only once, on March 9th. They've been denied access to lawyers and no charges against them have been filed or presented in court. On May 20th, their mothers traveled to Iran to visit them, but were allowed to stay only two days.

To learn more about the hikers, sign the petition for their freedom or donate your time or funds, please go here and/or here.

Sunshine in Sevilla

La Giralda's tower on a sunny day, viewed from the Juderia entrance to the Patio de Banderas, Sevilla, Spain. See the evening view of the same scene here.

"Each voyage taught great lessons about life that connected us in an ephemeral and unforgettable way to the life of the towns we passed through and many of us became forever caught up in their destinies." - Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Living to Tell the Tale

Prize winners at Paris Parfait

Canal, Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Congratulations to Stephanie and Catherine, winners of the drawing celebrating 2000 posts at Paris Parfait! French brocante treasures will soon be on their way to them.

Meanwhile, some recent discoveries for your perusal:

British photographer Martin Parr shoots images of Moscow's nouveau riche.

Woulda. Coulda. Shoulda. The things you would have said.

Gorgeous Marrakech-inspired jewelry designs by Paloma Picasso for Tiffany.

Tommy Hilfiger's stylish apartment at the Plaza, New York.

Sloane Crosley's hilarious new book How Did You Get This Number?

More Tour de France crowd scenes

Trying to get the picture: the crowds at Sunday's Tour de France. All photos by David Holmes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more behind-the-scenes Tour de France photos, go here.

Behind the scenes at the Tour de France

Behind the scenes at the Tour de France festivities today on the Champs Elysees. All photos by David Holmes.

Contrasts.

 

Colourful fun in advertising.

 

Dapper dresser.

Charmed.

 

Spanish supporters discuss the Tour.

 

Draped in the Spanish flag in honour of Tour de France winner Alberto Contador.

 

 

Avoiding the sun, with a smile.

 

En famille.

A child's bicycle.

Flags and banners.

Pre-race caravan of Tour de France sponsors.

 

Caravan participants.

 

Having fun while working.

Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz took advantage of publicity surrounding the Tour de France to promote their new film, Night and Day. The American actors posed with Alberto Contador on the winner's podium Saturday at Bordeaux.

Merchandising is a big part of the Tour de France hullabaloo. More photos to follow in another post.

Weekend sports

Learning to water-ski on the River Seine. Photos by David Holmes.

A more experienced skier wearing a striped shirt.

Roller hockey in the Bois de Boulogne.

Of course the biggest sport this weekend in Paris is the Tour de France finale on the Champs Elysee. Spainiard Alberto Contador is set to claim the top podium spot for the second year in a row. This will mean that in 2010, Spanish athletes have been victorious in the French Open, Wimbledon, the World Cup and the Tour de France!

 

  

 

Grand entrances

Entering the Salon de Embajadores - the Ambassadors' Hall - in the Royal Palace or Alcázares Reales de Sevilla, Spain. Among the dignitaries received by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella in this throne room was explorer Cristóbal Colón or Christopher Columbus. Click image to view detail.

I expect many enticing doors will open for fellow traveler and photographer Lisa Field-Elliot, whose delightful new website Doorways traveler has launched today. See for yourself!

Evening atmosphere

La Giralda's tower viewed from the Juderia exit to the Patio de Banderas outside the Alcazar Palace walls, Sevilla. This image was shot just after 10 p.m., when the Sevilla sky briefly turns a deep shade of indigo.

Modes of transportation, modern and traditional.

The historic Hotel Alfonso, built for the Ibero-American Exposition in 1929. This photo was taken at 7 a.m. Today a tramway runs past the hotel, from Prado de San Sebastián to Plaza Nueva, with stops at Archivo de Indias and Puerta de Jerez.

Fountain near the Hotel Alfonso at 10 p.m., just before the water was shut off for the night.

A violinist plays on Avenida de la Constitucion.

Romance in the air.

Late night in Santa Cruz.

Midnight crowd at the popular Bodega Santa Cruz on Caro Rodrigo.

Don't forget to enter to win a prize celebrating 2000 posts at Paris Parfait! Go here to name your dream travel destination.

In the shade

Shaded area in Barrio Santa Cruz, Sevilla.

When it's 39 degrees (that's 102 degrees Fahrenheit), the only way to survive the heat is to stay in the shade. Carrying a bottle of water everywhere you go - along with a senorita fan - is essential. Also necessary: frequent breaks in air-conditioned spaces, especially between the hours of 3 and 6 p.m., when temperatures soar.

 

Photo shot through the decorative iron-grillwork window of Starbucks, Avenida de la Constitucion. The air-conditioned interior and slushy mango frappuchino here helps make the heat bearable.

 

Convent's private patio at Plaza del Cabildo, Sevilla. Images shot with the Leica M9.

If you haven't yet entered to win a prize celebrating 2000 posts at Paris Parfait, go here. Bon chance! (And stay cool!)

Two thousand posts.

A moment of reflection, Alcázares Reales de Sevilla, Spain. Image captured with the Sony A900 and Carl Zeiss 16-35mm f/2.8 lens.

Two thousand posts. Quite the accomplishment, I think. Through Paris Parfait, I've been fortunate to meet and befriend many wonderful people. I've also had several professional opportunities come my way. Thank you for continuing to read and support my writing and photography.

To mark this little milestone, I'm giving away special brocante finds to two readers. Leave a comment about your dream travel destination.  Names will be drawn from a hat on Monday, July 26th.

Thank you again for being such loyal devotees of Paris Parfait! Merci bien. Muchas gracias.

Smitten with Sevilla

The Patio de los Doncellas in the stunning Alcázares Reales de Sevilla, Spain. Image shot with the new Sony Nex-5, a little camera with interchangeable lenses and big impact.

Despite the sultry summer heat, I am seriously smitten with this gorgeous city. It's my fourth time here and with each visit, I fall a little more in love. More photos and tales from Sevilla soon. I'll be celebrating my 2000th post and you'll have a chance to win a prize!

And the celebrations continue...

Remember this fountain? Jubilant football fans jumped in it to celebrate, following Spain's 1-0 World Cup victory tonight over the Netherlands.

 

 

A sea of red: fans celebrate near La Giralda.

As I was walking along with my camera, this guy came running over to me and got down on one knee in this pose.

One football fan is wearing an el toro flag as a cape. Another guy exclaims excitedly during a phone conversation.

A happy football fan runs down the street waving the Spanish flag.

 

Earlier in the evening, hopeful fans were gathered in plazas and outdoor venues all over Sevilla, watching the match. Congratulations to Spain in their first-ever World Cup win!

As for the Netherlands, my favourite team throughout the competition: wishing the Dutch boys better luck next time.

Sizzling in Sevilla

Trying to stay cool amidst sizzling summer temperatures, Barrio Santa Cruz, Sevilla.

World Cup mania

Spanish fans watching the World Cup semi-final Wednesday. Spain defeated Germany 1-0.

 

Football fans took to the streets Wednesday night to celebrate Espana's inclusion in their first ever World Cup final. I can only imagine the street party if Spain triumphs in tonight's final! The local stores are doing a lively trade in t-shirts and Spanish flags. But I am hoping the Netherlands win; while I like Spain, it's been my belief since the World Cup began that the Netherlands would win. And it is my future home, after all.

In any event, will take photos of the activities tonight. Most Sevilla restaurants - except those with big-screen tvs - will close during the game. Tonight should prove either very long, with little sleep (if Spain wins, no doubt, noisy celebrations will ensue) or a relatively quiet one (if the Netherlands emerge victorious). Either way, it's bound to be a memorable game! Will you be watching?

Hola de Sevilla!

The view from my third-floor balcony at 2 a.m.: the magnificent La Giralda, Sevilla.

So far, it's been quite the eventful trip, beginning Wednesday morning with the scariest flight of my life. About 40 minutes outside Sevilla, we hit extreme turbulence; seems we were flying directly in the path of a tornado! The sky went dark and the plane bucked and fell hundreds of feet.  Passengers screamed as though it were a roller coaster ride (it felt like one, only much more frightening) and I tried to comfort two little boys sitting next to me.  Meanwhile, I was praying it wouldn't be our last flight. Safely on the ground - thanks to the pilots' heroic efforts - we saw the giant black funnel cloud, spiraling away from the city. Whew; that was close! After arriving at the apartment and having a quick tapas lunch with a friend, I went to church!

Other than sweltering in mind-numbingly high temperatures, all is well. Back soon with more news and photos. Hope all is well in your corner of the world!

This picture was taken sans flash and is a bit grainy. But isn't the detail on the tower beautiful?

Hooray for the Dutch boys!

Shop window, Utrecht, the Netherlands.

I'm hoping the Netherlands will continue their amazing winning streak, to earn the World Cup title. I'll be cheering them on Sunday from Sevilla. And tomorrow I'll be supporting Spain with the locals. Who do you think will win?

Meanwhile, if you love books as much as I do, this site is a gem.

Johnny Jordaanplein, Amsterdam.

Busy days of summer

A sailboat, canoes and kayaks on the River Thames, Weybridge, England.

 

Students in canoes set off at noon Sunday for another lesson.

Where has she been, you might wonder, of this sadly-neglected blog? After a trip to London, there are deadlines to meet; an apartment to clean; laundry to do; clothes to iron; packages to mail; guests arriving; a wedding to shoot; bags to pack; a plane to Sevilla. Other travel plans to arrange; articles to write; photos to edit; email to answer; business requiring my attention. I steal a few moments here and there to peek at blogs, Twitter and Facebook.

So until I catch up with obligations and have time to blog properly, I'll be posting more summer vignettes.

Ghost Furniture and Concrete Ghost

If you haven't seen my brilliant friend Di Overton's new Ghost Furniture website, do have a look at her gorgeous creations! And check out Concrete Ghost, a clever collaboration with the talented London-based sculptor and artist Kathy Dalwood. So many beautiful and unique things these women have created; am longing for a bigger apartment!

 

Seeing this sailboat on its own reminded me of a felucca sailing down the Nile. If only!

 

P.S. Here's David with the adorable baby Joseph, who's nearly five months old.