Side Street

Become the Sky

Time Goes On

Paris's Musee d'Orsay is one of my favorite museums in the world. Well, at least of the ones that I have actually visited. I enjoy it much more than (gasp!) the Louvre. I love the collection and I also love the building itself.

The museum replaced what was once the Gare d'Orsay, or Orsay train station, which originally opened in 1900 across the Seine from the Jardin de Tuileries and the Louvre. You can tell just by looking at the museum from the outside that it's not an ordinary building and once you are inside, you can still see the remnants of the former train station including this massive clock. And yes, it still works.

The Joy Of Music

Look Up

The Galeries Lafayette is a legendary luxury department store in Paris and one of the city's most popular stores. What I like about it is that all these new clothes, purses, shoes, etc. are all housed in this stunning, Art Nouveau building. The structure is one of the city's heritage sites because of its unique decor. Perhaps the focal point of the building, and the one part of it I always make a point to see when I am in Paris, is it's ornate, colored glass dome. Just walk to the cosmetics section and look up.

Click on the image to see what I mean.

Bicyclette sur Seine

Click on the image if you'd like to see more details.

Gothic Gargoyle

I took this photograph while visiting the Notre Dame in Paris. The cathedral is adorned with intimidating gargoyles carved directly into the structure as a way to protect it from evil spirits. Click on the image to enlarge it.

Moorish Memories

Click on the image to enlarge it.

I took this picture in Denia, Spain which is located on the country's Mediterranean coast known as Costa Brava. In the center of town, the rocky ruins of an ancient fort sit on top of a small hill overlooking the marina and the water. Denia once served as the capital of an Islamic-ruled kingdom and the fort was built during that time. The French later re-built the fort in the early 19th century but it still has Moorish design elements like this gorgeous doorway.

The walk up the hill to the fort is quite enjoyable. It takes you past charming houses built into the hillside and one part of the fort overlooks an old church that still actively serves the community.

If you'd like to see some other photos I took in Spain, click here or here.

French Musings

France is a place of great sights, culture and intellect. Paris is one of my favorite cities in the world... it's my "happy place." But many tourists never leave Paris to venture out into the breathtaking natural beauty that is the Loire Valley. It's perhaps best known internationally for its castles but the Loire Valley is also filled with magnificient forests, impressive rivers and picturesque places to hike and bike. I shot the last photo in this posting in the Loire Valley.

The first two photos in this posting I took in Paris. One is of an architect's office near the Eiffel Tower. I found it incredible that an Art Nouveau building such as this would be used for something so banal as someone's office. But the truth of it is, I liked the juxaposition. The second is of a bridge over the Seine. Many of the photos I post on this blog were taken with my digital camera but I shot these images on black and white film. Click on the images if you'd like to see the details.

For my many other France posts, you can click here, here, here, here, here, or here.

Striking a Pose

My cousin and I were just joking around, taking pictures while on vacation in Spain. This is one of the results. I love it because it looks like a sunglass ad in a magazine. Sometimes the best images happen by accident.

The Colors of Summer

The Marche in Garches

A few miles west of Paris is a small suburb called Garches. On Thursdays and Saturday mornings, there is an outdoor market or marche in the middle of town. The marche is a staple of French life and makes for some interesting images.

Man vs. Nature

This is really a photograph that shows a moment. For a few seconds, a pigeon landed on the head of this beautiful statue in the Jardin des Tuileries near the Louvre.

Metro Moment

The Paris Metro is as much part of experiencing the city as anything else. I wouldn't have seen as much as the city as I have without it!

Sacre Coeur

The Eiffel Tower

The first picture is from underneath the Eiffel Tower. The second is from across the Seine at Trocadero. I just loved the reflection of the iconic structure in the window.

Paris in Black and White

Paris is perhaps my favorite city in the world. The first three photographs I took last August, the fourth I took this past March. No matter what time of year, it's a gorgeous gem of a place with many opportunities to take amazing pictures.