Paris Parfait

Missing the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe

With the exception of 2006 when I was in Seville, it's the first time in 11 years that I'm missing the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Hippodrome de Longchamp, Paris. It's disappointing not seeing the beautiful racehorses and the unusual hats in person. So I'm doing the next best thing and watching the festivities on television.

Here are photos from the 2010 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (click images to view detail):

Trying on hats.

A little girl looks through a hatbox of fascinators.

Race winner.

Serving Belgian waffles.

Buying sweets.

All photos from the 2010 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

News and blooms

Hortensia blooms in muted colours.

 

On today's radar:

Putlizer Prize-winner Jhumpa Lahiri: Trading stories

Inside Libya's notorious Abu Salim prison. Two brave men I knew are believed to have been murdered in the prison massacre. They are mentioned in my 2006 poem Dead or disappeared.

Palestinians say they are victims of collective punishment, as the pro-Israeli US Congress withdraws aid to the West Bank and Gaza. The move follows the Palestinian's president's statehood request to the United Nations.

Labor unions plan to join Occupy Wall Street protests. And you can send pizza to protesters at Liberty Square!

If you're a fan of the late singer Ella Fitzgerald and the Paris-based Hermes, act fast to bid on Miss Fitzgerald's handbag at auction in New Orleans.

The contrarians: 18th-century furnishings in a Chicago apartment.

This video filmed in Paris is achingly beautiful in its wistfulness.

All hands on deck

Vintage glove molds at the Foire Nationale aux Antiquites a la Brocante et aux Jambons, currently underway at Chatou, France.  

 

"If you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm."- Yiddish proverb

Love Paris campaign: Fall brocantes in full swing

Les poupees at the bi-annual brocante and ham fair at Chatou, France.

The 83e Foire Nationale aux Antiquites a la Brocante et aux Jambons starts at 10 a.m. Friday at Ile de la Chatou. It is filled with antique treasures, unusual collectibles and some real bargains. Read more about it, as well as my other fave brocantes at Any Trip's Love Paris campaign here.

And get your skates on for Chatou! Tickets are available at the gate.

Les Miserables

Reflection in a traffic mirror at Montreuil-sur-Mer, France. Victor Hugo's novel Les Miserables is said to have been inspired by his September 1837 visit to Montreuil-sur-Mer.

Each year, Hugo's Les Miserables is performed in an outdoor son et lumière show at the end of July and beginning of August.

The distinctive late 18th-century and early 19th-century architecture and cobblestoned streets remain largely unchanged from Hugo's day.

The late-afternoon light highlights the brickwork and crooked shutters. Flower-filled window boxes  are de rigueur in this "ville fleurie."

House numbers at the second-floor level.

One of Montreuil-sur-Mer's oldest hotels.

Photo taken from steps leading from the ramparts down to a main street.

The 11th-century St. Saulve Abbey, photographed in early morning light Sept. 2, 2011 from a window at L'Hermitage.

"I met in the street a very poor young man who was in love. His hat was old, his coat worn, his cloak was out at the elbows, the water passed through his shoes - and the stars through his soul." - Victor Hugo

Renaissance angels

Madonna and lumiere at the 11th-century Saint Saulve Abbey, Montreuil-sur-Mer, France.

 

We remember. Please take a few moments to watch this slideshow of images taken last week at Saint Saulve Abbey, Montreuil-sur-Mer, France and in May at St. Louis Cathedral, New Orleans.

A quick jaunt to France and England

A faint glimpse of the Eiffel Tower through streetlights on a pedestrian bridge, Saint Cloud.

 

Am off to Montreuil-sur-Mer for a couple of days, then London and Guildford. Hope you make the most of this last "official" week of summer!

Play pretties

Dolls and furniture at the Foire Nationale aux Antiquites a la Brocante et aux Jambons, Chatou, France.

 

Today would have been my late grandmother Lucille's birthday. As children, when my brothers and I spent the weekend with our grandparents, Grandmother would bring a wooden table from a carport closet and set it up in the driveway. She also provided us with old enamel and aluminum dishes and utensils for making mud pies and hosting tea parties for dolls. Grandmother referred to our toys as "play pretties." She called little beads of caked dirt on our necks - after a day of playing outdoors in heat and humidity -  "dinah beads."  She made sure we scrubbed ourselves clean in the bath.

I've written previously that she was a talented seamstress and made a wardrobe of beautiful clothes for my Barbies. She also made a dress like one I admired on the cover of Seventeen magazine and later, a dress copied from the pages of Vogue.

She and her friends had occasional "quilting bees" and Grandmother's attention to detail resulted in beautiful and unique quilts. She sewed most of her own clothes, until her eyesight worsened, making sewing difficult. She always took pride in her appearance, visiting the hairdresser once a week. On Sundays, she donned her finest clothes for church.

Grandmother had carpentry skills, making lamps out of unlikely objects and side tables out of stacked wooden cable spools. She filled these tables with her collection of little porcelain figurines. A perfectionist, her home was immaculately kept. She was a good cook, making the best caramel pie ever (no one in our family has been able to duplicate it, using her recipe). Every year at Christmas, I make a "refrigerator roll" dessert using Grandmother's recipe.

Grandmother also had a green thumb: her house was surrounded by gorgeous hydrangeas and rose bushes. And she and Granddaddy planted a huge garden full of vegetables. 

Our grandparents loved me and my brothers (and later my baby sister) unconditionally - but not uncritically. I wonder what Grandmother would make of me living abroad. I know she was proud of me and supportive when I went off to journalism school and later to New York to pursue my dreams. Still she worried that I wouldn't find a good man to take care of me - not understanding I could take care of myself. I think she'd be happy I've accomplished many things on my own, plus I married a good man.

I'm sorry Grandmother didn't live to know my daughter Jordana, who has inherited her amazing abilities with a needle and thread and a sewing machine.* They met briefly, when Jordana was a baby. By this time, Grandmother had suffered a series of debilitating diabetes-related strokes, but she managed to say, "My, doesn't she have such pretty eyelashes!" Just thinking about that episode brings tears to my eyes.

Throughout the years, I've often felt Grandmother's presence, as though she's watching over me. In her memory, I'm off to buy a huge bouquet of hydrangeas (or hortensia, as it is known here).

*Jordana is a young designer for an American fashion house.

La Fête Nationale: Vive la France!

Scanned image of handwritten 18th-century sheet music and a tattered 19th-century linen flag for national holidays.

Happy Bastille Day to our French friends and neighbours!  

Scroll down the page for another post today.

Bonne fête! Happy Independence Day!

French exposition card from 1881.

 

Wishing my fellow Americans a safe and happy July 4th celebration!

Amidst the celebrations, let's take a few moments to reflect on our heritage and history and the wisdom of Thomas Jefferson (which is appropriate, considering current events):

"I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our monied corporations which dare already to challenge our government to a trial by strength and bid defiance to the laws of our country."

"Experience demands that man is the only animal which devours his own kind, for I can apply no milder term to the general prey of the rich on the poor."

"All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent."

"Our country is now taking so steady a course as to show by what road it will pass to destruction, to wit: by consolidation of power first and then corruption, its necessary consequence."

"All, too, will bear in mind this sacred principle, that though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will to be rightful must be reasonable; that the minority possess their equal rights, which equal law must protect and to violate would be oppression.'

Eclectic style

The genius Dutch florist's creation of the day, in a Waterford crystal vase.

 

"Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it." - Confucius

On the 1930s library table, covered with French linen: 18th-century hand-written sheet music; my friend Pia's beautiful new book, "My Heart Wanders," as well as books featuring the work of photographers Tim Walker, Steve McCurry and Reza. In the background, an English Arts & Crafts chair is covered in original William Morris Strawberry Thief fabric and a 19th-century Chinese Buddha head rests on a Napoleon III stand.

A royal wedding

Put aside the media hype and hoopla and speculation and it all comes down to a boy, a girl and love. Wishing Prince William and Kate Middleton much joy in their life together.

19th-century French Madonna crowns from my private collection.

The heart of the matter

No matter how you look at it...

...this way or that...

...from left or right...

Peel back the layers...

...and at the heart of the matter is love for one another.

 

My friend Marianne Elliot reminded me today that in the face of fear and hatred, the only way forward is love. So when I read about this tragedy and that one; about hubris and greed; when I see willful ignorance celebrated while freedoms and environmental protections are eroded; when racist morons try to rewrite or reverse history; when it appears that too many people seem to be sleepwalking, rather than taking to the streets in protest, as things fall apart*.. I remind myself that change begins with each of us.

It is up to us to speak out and do whatever we can to effect change and counter manipulation, stupidity and evil. "Every individual has a responsibility to help guide our global family in the right direction. Good wishes are not sufficient; we must become actively engaged." - the Dalai Lama.

Silence is not an option.

 

*"Things fall apart" is from the William Butler Yeats poem The Second Coming 

Pictured: 1940s French coffee table; Dutch roses in Moroccan tea glasses found in London; Louis XVI chair and 1940s French crystal candlesticks; teal pottery bowl by Riley Salyards, Amsterdam and wool rug, handmade by Bedouin women on Bani Hamida Mountain, Jordan.

Fifi O'Neill's Romantic Prairie Style

 

My blogging friend Fifi O'Neill has taken her great style and magazine editor experience and put together a fabulous book, bursting with beauty and design inspiration! Fifi's ideas prove you don't need tons of money to decorate your home. Romantic Prairie Style shows that simplicity, using charming - and often weathered - things at hand and adding elegant little touches of beauty can make all the difference in a relaxed and comfortable personal space.

The book is packed with Mark Lohman's beautiful photographs taken at homes and farms throughout the United States. I could spend hours with this book, reading, daydreaming and plotting subtle changes to my own home's decor.

J'adore this charming farm table, the enamelware coffee pot and the vintage cheese mould.

I have a vintage French linen cupboard in this seafoam green shade. Love these soothing colours!

This comfy, cozy kitchen and the chippy paint pink table make me want to bake sugar cookies.

...or a pie filled with lemony goodness!

Imagine a festive outdoor dinner in the simplest of surroundings. So romantic, especially when lit by candlelight.

A favourite pair of boots filled with flowers...an easy way to add unique style.

Shades of blue and white on this lovely front porch, inviting lazy conversation and iced tea (or perhaps a mint julep or two).

Love this sleeping porch! Before air-conditioning became commonplace, homes in the South often featured beds on their front porch, as it was too hot indoors to sleep.

How adorable is little Amelie??!!

An abundance of beauty, with pillows handmade from vintage fabrics.

Since I now live in Holland, couldn't resist posting this photo, with its Delft blue pottery!

Indulge in homemade treats and fresh iced tea, surrounded by nature's beauty.

The talented author Francoise Fifi O'Neill, former editor of Romantic Country magazine. The Paris-born Fifi is working on a second book, among other exciting projects. She is a force of nature, constantly on-the-go or creating something clever!  You can follow Fifi's adventures on her popular blog Chez Fifi.

Fifi's fabulous new book can be purchased at your favourite book store or online here (US) or here (France) or here (rest of Europe). Fifi's first book-signing will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, April 9 at Posh on Palm, 33 Palm Avenue, Sarasota, Florida.

All images by Mark Lohman, courtesy of Ryland Peters & Small/Cico.

Merci bien, Fifi! Felicitations!

We are here.

Yes, that's a gondola on the left bank. Usually it's in the canal; now it's out for spring cleaning.

A 17th-century church. Its bells ring every 15 minutes. That can get annoying after hearing "If I Were a Rich Man" several times a day for an entire week (the bells' playlist changes every Monday).

A month ago, I endured the most chaotic and stressful move of my life, thanks to French movers showing up a day early and resulting kerfuffles galore. The movers managed to damage antiques; break rare porcelain and worst of all, lose seven pieces of my beloved Nelson McCoy pottery collection. Currently I'm wading through a maze of French bureaucracy to settle the claim.

Now we live in a 200-year-old maisonette in this charming little village (a city in terms of population, but it feels like a village. It's a brief train ride from Amsterdam). Some highlights:

Fresh stroopwaffels...caramel goodness impossible to resist, made in front of you.

A florist who is a design genius, has impeccable taste and sells exotic blooms I'm seeing for the first time. The entire staff is friendly and helpful (not pictured; will do a photo essay about this third-generation florist soon).

Sunny bay windows filled with orchids: magenta; fuschia; yellow and white - a flower until now I've never successfully grown.

Climbing steep and dangerous stairs 20 times a day (the up side means I have tightened my belt a notch. Hooray!)

Bureaucracy: I was unprepared for bureaucracy that rivals the French (although the Dutch are in a better humour, when administering it)

An award-winning baker, selling a variety of truly delicious breads.

Friendly neighbours and helpful locals.

Possibility.

A simpler, cleaner look...90 percent of my art is NOT on display. Suddenly I don't need all those collectibles that filled our Paris apartment; it feels lighter and freer.

Exquisite light for photography.

Canals. Water, water everywhere.

Bicycles...my bike has been for a tune-up and now sports a basket to carry my camera gear.

Airy, light-filled space - even on grey wintery days (interior photos to follow).

The historic town gate; the River Lek lies less than a mile beyond it.

Inside the city's gates is the Town Hall complex (with a white stork's nest on the roof).

A bronze horse and a box of wooden birdhouses outside one of the town's florists.

The obligatory Dutch cheese shop featuring large wheels of Gouda.

Spring touches on a bicycle.

Flowers in unlikely places.

Wreath of roses.

Serenity in a private garden.

A beautifully-paved brick-and-cobblestone street on a foggy afternoon.

Au revoir Paris!

Wild roses in the city.

 

Au revoir Paris. Merci d'enrichir ma vie. Vous serez toujours à mon coeur.

Les nouvelles aventures en la Hollande bas attendent. Donc on y va!

Five. Cinq. Cinco. Vijf. خَمْسَةٌ

Dixieland jazz band at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Hippodrome de Longchamp, Paris.

 

Today marks five years of blogging from Paris: 2,210 posts; many new friends; much travel and unexpected opportunities.

Five is my lucky number. And I look forward to discovering what the next five years will bring! Thank you for your continuing encouragement and support. Hope you'll come along on my journey to Amsterdam and beyond...

Solidarity with the Egyptian people

Egyptian antiques, Chatou, France.

 

Whether or not you're intrigued by Egyptian politics, I think you will be touched by this heart-felt video interview with Waseem Wagdi filmed during protests at the Egyptian Embassy in London.

Peaceful protesters were chanting anti-Mubarak slogans today at the Egyptian Embassy in Paris. And in the Paris Metro, someone pasted a white piece of paper with the words "Egyptian Revolution!" over a Cairo travel poster.

La vie est belle

Coffee shop at a ferry crossing, Amsterdam.

 

Mais oui, la vie est belle - if a bit hectic. David and I are just back from a lovely trip to Amsterdam, bearing red ribbon-tied keys for our next abode. Alas, our Paris apartment now looks as though a cyclone hit, with things piled everywhere, waiting for the moving company to bring boxes.

In Amsterdam, we went to the Rijksmuseum yet again, where an exhibit of Gabriel Metsu's paintings was the star. I never tire of the Dutch masters and their remarkable use of light, particularly Johannes Vermeer. I could look at his paintings for days. Both The Little Street and The Milkmaid are on display;  Girl with a Pearl Earring is at The Mauritshuis Gallery inThe Hague. Oddly, none of Vermeer's paintings are at the museum in Delft, where he lived and worked. Perhaps it's an insurance issue.

One of the Rijksmuseum's most famous attractions is Rembrandt's The Night Watch. A group of schoolchildren, probably 8 or 9 years old, was sitting spellbound on the floor beneath the wall-size painting, as their enthusiastic teacher told them stories about each person depicted in the painting.

The Rijksmuseum also has recent photography acquisitions on display, including abstract architectural images from Man Ray and black-and-white documentary photographs by Robert Frank and other 20th-century greats.

In Holland, we had casual lunches at bistros in Amsterdam and Utrecht. I bought glittery magnolia blooms on sale for half price. We had dinner at an old favourite (where lobster bisque is my standard choice) restaurant in the Museum and Fashion District.  The next night, we enjoyed a more festive meal with new friends in a bijoux town. Earlier, we bought an American retro-looking chrome refrigerator, to be delivered the day I arrive to greet the movers.

One afternoon we walked down a cobblestone road to find a ferry crossing flooded, with deep water standing in riverfront property. Only the tops of fenceposts were visible. Later when we mentioned the flooding to Dutch friends - who are used to dealing with wayward water - they shrugged. Apparently such flooding is seasonal and to be expected, as snow melts.

Am looking forward to more intriguing aspects of life in Holland. Now if I could just finish packing...

Hello, hello!

This mural in Centraal Station, Utrecht, Holland roughly translates to "Peace in your heart."

Hello! I've been so busy preparing to move, I keep forgetting to blog!

Am distracted by a million little things requiring my attention, not least dividing my possessions to go to three separate homes: some to my friend Gabrielle's house near Versailles; more to my friend Charlotte's home outside Paris and most of it to our new abode in the Netherlands. Gabrielle and Charlotte will babysit some precious and sentimental things until 1) we move to a larger place or 2) decide to sell the items. I've also had a scary dental appointment, a routine doctor's visit and photo shoots and edits. The hairdresser was a bit too scissors-happy for my liking, cutting off at least four inches and leaving me with an unintentional new look.

All this activity pales in importance with the recent deaths of two friends. Along with the tragedy in Tucson, these losses make worrying about what to do with too many possessions seem a ridiculous enterprise.

Much of this week I'll be in Amsterdam, but will post again soon. Meanwhile, some food for thought:

The bad:

Why you might want to leave your laptop at home when visiting the US.

The good:

The Babylon Lane Tales: without a doubt my blog find of 2010. Elsie Anderton is the English answer to Nora Ephron. Read her hilarious posts and you'll see why.

Barbie on skis at a French hair salon.

Diana Baur writes about the lessons of having more time at her lovely blog A certain simplicity.

A profusion of pink blooms.

Library emptied in bid to fight closure. I love how these Brits are fighting for their local library!

Merci magic

Minimalist pendant lights at Merci's soldes prives last Friday in Paris.

Happy...

Onze (eleven)...

A chandelier fashioned of sleigh bells.

A crystal chandelier influenced by tree branches.

Blue crystals enhance this more traditional chandy.

Modern ball lights.

A new take on chandeliers and bleached wood chairs.

A 1920s zinc dental cabinet with a marble top.

A zinc boulangerie cart.

Red metal chairs.

Pick a colour.

Child-sized wicker garden furniture.

1960s iron mesh patio cart.

Cushy sofa with hand-stitched pillows.

Pillows covered with vintage silk and lace trim. One of these came home with me.

Russell Wright-inspired dinnerware.

Frosted glass carafes.

A wrought-iron frame and wicker-and-straw protective cover over this 19th-century water bottle.

19th-century stoneware pottery jug on a rustic wood coffee table.

Merci cotton t-shirts.

Shoppers browsing sale items. Merci's clothing is also on special offer. The sale continues through February 15th.

Merci, 111 Bd. Beaumarchais, Paris. Métro Line 8 to Saint Sébastien-Froissart.

Time to lighten the load

Ever feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders?

Time to lighten the load.

 

No doubt about it: moving is stressful. I've lived in Paris longer than any place in my adult life, yet it never has felt like home. Amsterdam, where I've never lived (but have visited many times over the years) always has tugged at my heartstrings. Happily, we're moving to the Netherlands in just six weeks. And I'm on a mission to lighten the load!

Am going through possessions and giving many things away or tossing them. Am moving only my favourite and most necessary things (but four pieces of furniture and quite a lot of art must remain in France, as the beautiful criss-cross timber beams and architectural features of the Netherlands maisonette present decorating challenges).

Hard to believe that during my years as a reporter, my daughter and I moved to the Middle East and back with only four suitcases! I've spent the last 11 years in Europe frequenting brocantes, flea markets and antique shops - "nesting" - to make up for all the items lost during our travels.  Now I've collected too much, so am letting go of some treasures.

If you're in Paris, I have two huge stacks of design and decor books to give away. The catch is that you have to come pick them up - soon! Email me ASAP if you're interested.

Hope your year is off to a good start!

Photos (above) taken in Bhaktapur, Nepal.

Joyeux Noël et bonne année

Fenêtre de lumière, Printemps, Paris.

 

"There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it." - Edith Wharton.

Wishing you and yours much love and light, at Christmas and the New Year.  

Galeries Lafayette and Christmas merriment

Galeries Lafayette ablaze with light, Paris.

Lights from Galeries Lafayette reflected in this Societe Generale entranceway.

Wings of a dove and dancing top hats in this Broadway-themed vitrine.

Hairspray.

Cabaret.

Singing in the rain (the sign in French says "singing in the snow.)"

Children admiring a wide variety of toys at Galeries Lafayette.

Children's faces bathed in a Barbie-pink glow.

Crowds of shoppers.

Bedecked and bejeweled, Franck et fils, Paris.

Frosty the Snowman in a snowy Boulogne-Billancourt.

For more Paris holiday vitrines, go here and here. For Amsterdam Christmas vitrines, go here.

Printemps dazzles with holiday glitz and glamour

Red and gold holiday party glamour at Printemps, Paris.

A Baccarat crystal chandelier over a table laden with crystal and fine porcelain.

A beautifully-styled dinner table, complete with luxury gifts.

Lounging at home.

Animated musicians and dancers to entertain the children.

More puppets preparing a holiday feast.

Carrying a tray of fruit to the buffet table.

More Paris holiday decor photos to follow.

Printemps 2010 holiday vitrines

Elegant tablescape, Printemps, Paris.

A trio of 1940s chandeliers.

Crowned heads and satin gowns.

A different view of the tableau.

Another festive holiday table, with a tree fashioned of pistachio macaroons.

A Baccarat crystal chandelier.

Swans guard a tray on a Napoleon III chair, painted seafoam green.

Liquid gold in this shimmering dress.

Glittery attire for a festive evening.

Something about this outfit reminds me of Attilla the Hun.

A crown of thorns?

"If wishes were horses, we'd all take a ride." - an old Southern expression.

A dog's life of luxury.

Peach chiffon and glamour for all.

Proud as a peacock.

Not sure about the boots.

A bejeweled peacock.

Printemps dressed in its Christmas finery.

The store's signature cupola.

Starlight.

Admiring crowds.

Check back daily for many, many more photos of Paris Christmas window displays.

Holiday decor at Les Passages

Sparkly red tinsel and baubles hang from the skylights at Les Passages, Boulogne-Billancourt.

Giant snowflakes infused with gold pinpoint lights.

A glittery Christmas grotto entrance.

Trees dressed with tiny gold lights in the grotto.

Elf workshop vitrines.

Joyeuses Fetes and the outline of a Christmas tree on this window display.

Exiting Les Passages to snowy streets.

I took these photos a couple of weeks ago with the pint-sized Sony Nex-5. Thankfully, I'm not out braving the crowds to shop for holiday gifts. Instead, am on the way to Amsterdam. Back soon, it is hoped with good news about the future abode. Hope you're enjoying some lovely holiday festivities!

Searching

A jumble of snow-covered bicycles, Monday night, Amsterdam.

 

David and I have been in the Netherlands, searching for a place to live. We looked at properties as big as Amsterdam canal houses: strange mazes of odd-shaped rooms spread over three floors, accessed by narrow twisting stairways. These curious abodes would hold all our furniture, with an abundance of empty space remaining. We viewed a city loft-type space, with too many large windows overlooking neighbours' windows and backyards. We saw exposed timber beams painted over by clueless developers.

We viewed an apartment with original stained glass windows, but basic modern design and tiny box-like rooms. Its main attraction was its sprawling rooftop terrace. We spent two hours with Samira - our wonderful estate agent - in a massive traffic jam in evening snow, in what should have been a ten-minute drive. In the estate agents' office, we drank tea and laughed ourselves silly over amusing translations from Dutch to English.

The third place we visited was a charming maisonette, in a beautiful location. It had huge windows, with splendid views of a church. It featured fantastic architectural elements that meant probably a third of our furniture would have to remain in France. But I found myself wistfully gazing out those wide windows at the snow falling and passersby laughing - and just for a moment, daring to wish the magic could last.

Spiced mulled wine and Christmas lights, Amsterdam.

Bikes along a canal.

"It's f*cking freezing outside!" The boutique's statement says it all, Tuesday morning, Utrecht. Alas, we left our hats and gloves in Paris.

Christmas carol shop window display with a profusion of French horns, Utrecht.

More travel

International terminal at Indira Ghandi International Airport, Delhi, India.

Since my return from Nepal a week ago, have been busy with a houseguest. Alas, I've had barely a moment to sort photos and create blog posts. On Sunday, David and I are off to Amsterdam. Check back mid-week for more Nepal stories and photos.

Snow-dusted palms in Paris

Snow-dusted palms and motorcycles during the season's first brief snow flurry in Paris today. Images were shot through the glass of a shopping complex.

No Black Friday holiday sales here, but there were quite a few shoppers at Les Passages, beating the Christmas rush.

Adventure-bound

Stacks of vintage leather luggage at a recent brocante at Chatou, France.

Am off to Delhi and Kathmandu (with considerably less luggage than pictured). It's my first trip to Asia, so I'm expecting quite the adventure! All being well, back soon with stories and photos.

Minus the sun

Sign on shop door, Delft, Holland, loosely translated to "But where is the sun?" That's certainly the question in Paris today, which is dark, rainy and cold.

17th-century buildings and trees reflected in a canal, Delft.

Swans seeking sustenance.

The same canal, a bridge and bikes.

Bikes lined up along another canal in Delft.

No matter the weather in your part of the world, hope your Sunday is lovely!

P.S. If you're a fan of photography and film, you might like The new golden age of documentary. And if you're American - or just interested in the nation's trajectory - this is a sobering read.

Salon de la Photo 2010

A French photographer demonstrates photo techniques Friday at Sony's space at Salon de la Photo, Paris. Among photographers participating at Sony events were Reza, Tom Stoddart, Kevin Abosch, sports photographer Eric Baledent, nature and wildlife photographer Cedric Chassagne and Remi Chapeaublanc.

I heard Kevin Abosch talk about his portrait work. He said he hopes that when people look at his images, they recognise something within themselves...not in a melancholic way, but in our shared sense of fragility.

Using a reflector at Sony.

Nikon.

Canon.

Canon. As evidenced by the pictures, the majority of French photographers are men.

Leica.

Art piece by Gilles Ouaki for Leica:  "Cherchez le petite etoile rouge, elle est verte," Paris 2010. ("Searching for the little red star; she is green)."

A vintage Leica.

An exhibition of Willy Rizzo's photographs.

Rizzo's photograph of French actress Catherine Deneuve.

Clocks, balloons and greenery over the crowds at Salon de la Photo, Pavilion 4 at Porte de Versailles. The event continues from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Monday, Nov. 8th. Tickets are available at the door.

All images shot with the little mirrorless Sony Nex-5 with an 18-55 mm F 3.5-5.6 zoom lens.

Fall brocante at Bastille

Antique chairs at a brocante at Chatou, France in September. If you're a fan of French brocantes, check out the Antiquites Brocante at Bastille, Paris. The event begins at 11 a.m. Thursday and continues until 7 p.m. daily through Sunday, Nov. 16th. Tickets are available at the entrance at Place de la Bastille.

The brocante extends along both sides of the Canal St. Martin. Look for Sophie Pretelat's Anges et Demons at #403, Bd. Bastille; Gunnar Petterssen's stand #514 and Michel Leruez at Stand 13 Chapiteau. And don't forget to visit Cedric Grare's Art Atypique!

Take the Paris Metro Line 1, 5, or 8 to Bastille or Quai de la Rapee or bus lines 76, 86 or 91. Parking is available at Opera Bastille.

Antique linens and modern lampshades.

A French flag and zinc weather vanes from French chateaus.

An 18th-century wooden angel.

A French children's book series.

A wooden table painted with a depiction of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.

Provencal pottery on a vintage baker's rack.

A vintage Coca-Cola sign and enamel clock.

Cédric Grare's Art Atypique at Bastille

A melange of art and curiosities at Art Atypique, photographed in September at a brocante at Chatou, France. Look for Cedric Grare's Art Atypique next week at the Antiquites Brocante at Place de la Bastille. The brocante begins at 11 a.m. Thursday, November 4th and continues until 7 p.m. daily through Nov. 14th. Tickets are available at the entrance.

Cedric Grare, the handsome proprietor of Art Atypique. He creates unusual art from vintage industrial and found objects. Come to the brocante at Bastille and see for yourself!

The wind of change

Reeds blowing in the wind, Kinderdijk, the Netherlands.

 

"The wind of change is blowing through this continent..." - former British Prime Minister Harold MacMillan.

More national strikes are planned beginning Thursday, as French citizens begin to absorb the harsh reality of pension reform. Read more about the rolling strikes that have gripped the nation here, here and here.

The city's little gems

Friday afternoon, I was in a rare strike-free zone near my doctor's office (getting a second series of injections for upcoming travel to India and Nepal). The beauty we often take for granted when living here caught my eye in this corner of Avenue de Tourville. It's amazing how much elaborate detail 19th-century French architects incorporated into their designs.

A closer look.

Keyhole-shaped windows and wrought-iron grillwork on the residence's first floor balcony.

Scroll down the page for a second post today.

More strikes ahead as Senate approves pension reform

The vote to raise the French retirement age - and the changes necessary - are a shock to the French psyche. Read more about the French strikes and proposed pension reform here, here and here.

French unions have called for further national strikes on October 28th and November 6th. Meanwhile, petrol shortages remain, as some fuel depots and oil refineries are blockaded. Paris airports are reporting delays and cancellations, while some European trains are running limited service. Check with your airline for updates.

Young and old join together in strikes opposing pension reform.

The "shocking" sign (top) is in Utrecht, Holland.

The beauty of restoration

In the midst of disruptive strikes, pouring rain, a broken umbrella and a meeting frustrated by needless bureaucracy, seeing this building on rue Paradis - while the workmen were gone to lunch - was a treat. This magnificent building is currently undergoing painstaking renovation to restore it to its original 19th-century glory.

Tiled panels and molded ceilings.

The building's rue Paradis exterior. The photo is tilted a bit, as I was taking the picture while juggling a leaky umbrella.

Mosaic tile adjacent to the building's main gate at rue Paradis.

Les petits poupées et jouets

Vintage dolls, toys, clothing and prams. All images from a recent brocante at Chatou, France.