View from a kitchen

This is the view from my kitchen window in Paris - when I open the window fully, that is - which I only do in cases of noxious fume build-up. Normally the view is veiled by a net curtain so that stray gazes from across the way don't ignite an international incident of the " she saw me in my nightdress " variety.

The bars are there to deter burglars, not so much from climbing up the drainpipes but more from abseiling down from the roof. The floors most likely to be burgled in a building here are the ground floor and the top floor.

The next photo is the view from my house at home in England.

Spot the difference.

Twists and turns.

This sculpture is one of several on display at the Palais Royal gardens. It starts as a flat plane of 4 segments then very slowly, silently and gracefully it expands, twists and turns, catching sunlight on its haphazardly polished surfaces, until it stretches out so far that you feel it must judder to a stop but it doesn't ...

It is mesmerising.

Another Sunday in Autumn.

A walk in the park? Then it must be Sunday. But this time it is the Tuileries.
We had just been to the Place Vendôme to see a display of old, second-hand English cars - I think they called them "vintage" - and then we headed for some greenery.

After a coffee and a chocolate-smothered crêpe sprinkled with slivered almonds, we queued for half an hour to get into the Orangerie, which has recently reopened after huge renovations, which have reinstated the natural light required for optimum appreciation of you-know-what.



The canvases (eight of them, four in each oval room) are massive. It's like being suspended in an aquarium. This was my favourite and these two Parisian ladies give an idea of the scale as well as being a study in elegance.

And after all this nourishment of the senses, I got home in time for a double dose of Mr. Rochester...

mmm....... nice...

I don't know whether to go Louis XV with ormolu trims or edgy avant-garde with smooth lines.
This table was in a shop in Boulevard Raspail. I don't know if the wheels are fixed or if they swivel. As I see it, avant-garde and practicality don't fit in the same sentence so this table probably wanders across the room at will but it does look cool, doesn't it?

Perfect symmetry.

How long did I have to wait to achieve this symmetrical shot? Precisely no time at all.
I believe the figures are on runners and they appear at their windows on the hour to perform a couple of mechanical gestures before retreating into their living space.

Sunday afternoon in the Park.

A sunny Autumn afternoon in the Jardin du Luxembourg is a treat.

For 2 euros you can send toy yachts speeding across the boating lake for half an hour.

Or you can wander around, watching and admiring, as Parisians soak up the last of the Summer's warmth.
Then you can walk across to Odéon and order a dessert with coffee.