Views of Sequim, the Olympic Peninsula. . .and beyond
Shooting new places as a traveler a photographer becomes something of a voyeur, snapping shots and then letting the images open up the imagination. I wonder about the rooms below the roofs, the places that chimneys open into, the sounds of people living within. Travel, for me, inflames curiosity.
I love to see how today crowds its way into a picture, how tradition makes way and adjusts.
I don’t live in a population center. It’s probably like this in any big city. But I couldn’t get over the cell phone fixation I saw everywhere in Paris.
We rarely sat down or walked anywhere without someone nearby gazing into his or her phone. A five person dinner group next to us in a café, three generations worth, pulled out five cell phones and at one point all five were gazing into four of the phones. Three other travelers in a train station, all peering into phone screens. Bus riders. Taxi drivers. Seemingly, everyone.
Galeries Lafayette in Paris, for me, takes shopping to a new level. From the stained glass dome to ornamented balconies, the place is truly an ooh la la experience.
The interior was so darned pretty I frankly didn’t notice much else.
It was almost like being in a wedding cake turned inside out.
Paris is nothing if not glittering with gold. I’ve read that the dome above Napoleon’s tomb has 26 pounds of gold leaf. If I have my Parisian geography right, the gold here is part of Opera Garnier. But don’t make any bets on my account. I can read a map and usually find my way around. But in Paris? Except for the evening when we got off the bus about a mile early, dear husband was a flawless navigator. I’d still be walking in circles trying to find our hotel if it weren’t for him.
When I saw this operation at the Louvre Pyramid I wondered if I.M. Pei, the designer, had ever considered how the 673 panes of glass would be washed. I’ve since discovered, according to Wikipedia, that it was suggested that the structure include a spire to simplify window washing. Pei objected.
I guess if you’re a world class architect and have a cool vision you let someone else worry about these things. This looks like a tricky job.
Special Note: Celebrating Veteran’s Day today with thanks to the men and women who have served and are serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. I’m grateful for their sacrifices, which are many, great, and often taken for granted.
Here’s another icon of the Paris experience, from a different perspective: the Pyramid at the Louvre. Designed by I.M. Pei, the Pyramid was added as an entrance to the Louvre Museum in 1989 to improve the flow of crowds entering the museum.
The Pyramid brightens and opens up an otherwise underground entrance to this enormous museum. Some people like it, others don’t. It certainly is a stark contrast in the palatial realm of the Louvre. Come back tomorrow for a different view of this unique structure.
Now you know: We went to Paris. The first stop was the Eiffel Tower, the most visited monument in the modern world. Not because we hadn’t seen it before but because we had not been up close and personal. And this time I had a camera that could take it in.
I’m guessing that most of the quarter billion people who’ve visited the Eiffel Tower have taken pictures of it. Judging by what we saw, the current favorite shot is of a happy tourist in front of it, caught jumping up with outstretched arms. I was happy to be there but decided to take a more traditional, dignified route. I knew I’d have enough embarrassment with my so-called French language skills without looking like I’d gone to Paris to play on a trampoline at the Eiffel Tower.
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