14 Seconds of Monet

because I want to burn into my mind being there, in the galleries of the Musee de l'Orangerie in Paris. In the movie Midnight in Paris they get some time to themselves in these rooms, which would be incredible. Monet gave this series of paintings, called Les Nymphéas as a gift to the people of France at the close of World War One to give them a place to come and rest their mind and see only beauty in a dark time. They called WW1 the "Great War", the war that was supposed to end all wars. Would that that were so.

Memento Mori

Paris is filled with the past, choking on it almost. Thankfully it all looks beautiful and those who don't remember the past are doomed to repeat it, so I guess it is mostly friendly reminders from the dead to make sure you live the life you want to live. That is how I see things anyway.

Wall of the cemetary at MontparnasseEver heard of these guys?Oh Serge you sexy beast, even in death he gets a lot of attention. You should walk past his house on rue de Verneuil in Paris, it is covered with graffiti.I went inside the Notre Dame for the first time the other day and was blown away. Someone in line behind me said "This place makes me wish I believed in God." I think that was their goal. You can feel the love and tremendous care that went into making this place by hundreds, maybe thousands of people more than 600 years ago. It took quite a beating during the Revolution from the people who "beheaded" mamy of the original statues but has survived, thankfully with the windows intact.

Locks of Love, part deux

These guys look right on trend for Pride Week. I don't think it is Pride Week here in Paris, but I am still pretty proud of good 'ol New York for taking another leap forward for civil rights. This is in the Musee CarnavaletAlso the Carnavalet, a museum dedicated to the history of ParisBill touring me around, looking for birds to put on thingsThere are millions more locks of love than I remember from when I last visited Paris, and they mostly seemed from this year, which means the city must come and remove them so new lovers can make their mark. Is there a giant bin full of cut love-filled locks somewhere in Paris? Are there tough guy fish who wear necklaces made of keys in the Seine? I swam in the Seine over the weekend, but a long way from Paris, don't worry. It was wonderful.I especially like this heart lock.

une journée à Paris

Spring in Paris. The Arc de TriompheA sudden downpour on the Champs-Élyséesbut the sun always comes out againdown into the belly of the whaleand back up to the surface in the Grand PalaisMy focus remains clear at all timesand then back to the country side with the lovely Emilie