A Pinay in Europe

Today is  “La Journée du Sommeil” or Day of Sleep. I chose to call it Sleep Festival to make it sound more of a celebratory manner.

Why “celebratory”? Because this is the 12th year that they are holding this event, taking place today, 16th of March, all over France.

Hence, let me join the observance by making “Sleep’ the theme for today.

Just please don’t fall asleep while looking at these photos..ZZzzzzz….

Sleeping in the clouds…..Zermatt, Switzerland

Headline:  A sleeping man found headless in Paris.

This pensioner found a way to save on electricity. He goes to his favorite haunt, the well-heated Botanique in Brussels and spends the entire morning sleeping on a bench. This place used to be a plant conservatory but now turned into a concert venue.

Sleeping Statue…….Paris, France

This way nobody steals his bag while he sleeps….Paris, France

The homeless needs to sleep somewhere….San !remo, Italy

Sleeping with his chicken …… Cebu, Philippines

The beanbag sleeper……. Paris, France

This is the longest bench in the world, a perfect place to sleep fivesome!
Geneva, Switzerland

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It is a world icon, this poster of a kissing couple in black and white, adorning all the souvenir shops of Paris.  If Eiffel Tower is the structure that identifies Paris, this photo symbolizes what Paris stands for - the City of Love and Romance!

But much as I have always coveted a copy of this poster to Paris-ify the wall of my sitting room, I never really thought about the man from whom this photo came into being.   It was only when I read about his photo exhibition which is ongoing at the Hotel de Ville that I came to find out that he was the photographer of this picture of a couple stealing a passionate kiss on a Paris street.

Robert Doisneau (1912-1994) is one of the most famous French photographers  and “The Kiss by the City Hall” is arguably one of his most famous  photographs.

Did you know that when the woman in the photo put her original print for auction in 2005 in Paris - 55 years after it was taken - it fetched for $202,000!

I have accumulated my own “Kiss” shots over the past months and by using it as our today’s Theme, I might get lucky enough to find a buyer… who knows?

Here is the poster icon of Robert Doisneau,  “The Kiss by the City Hall”.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - — - -

And this is “The Kiss” versions of mariadams!

The Kiss outside the Cinema….at the Champs Elysées

The Kiss by the Pont-Neuf

The Kiss on top of Galeries Lafayette

The Kiss at the Vatican (Rome)

The Kiss at Charles Bridge (Prague)

The Kiss in the Laundry

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The red month of February will soon be over but thank goodness, it’s a leap year so we have one day extra to enjoy this season of hearts.

Hence, what a better fitting subject to use as Theme than the colour of the month - RED. 

It is such a beautiful colour!  I see it worn everywhere and everytime I go to Paris.  It definitely renders even a grey atmosphere ALIVE if you see one wearing it. It doesn’t only denotes romance and sexiness, it also exudes  joy…. and mystery. 

Happy RED month everyone!

The morning after Valentine, River Seine

Mysterious….Place des Vosges

Red candies for lady love, Marais District

Lady in Red…..Trocadero

Stopping over before catching the train… Trocadero

The pretty odd one…. Trocadero

Romantic red…. Place Madeleine

A joyful red… Place Fontaine Saint-Michel

Oversized red is beautiful…… Place Fontaine Saint-Michel

The tourist in red….. Champs d’Elysée

I’ll take the one with the red heart, some souvenir shop

A surprise gift that will certainly win her heart, Marais District

Lemon cake with the red rose petals, only from Fauchon! Place de Madeleine

Seminar over, time to go sightseeing…Champs-Elysées

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The last two weeks or so, we have been travelling around southeast of England, France and a bit of Italy and along the way I was able to accumulate photos relating to Halloween and All Saints’ Day and I thought it would be a very timely subject for this week’s theme. 

Halloween observance in Europe is not as lavish as they do in America but it’s kind of cute looking at shops’ fancy displays and board notices. 

It’s also fascinating how the French and most particularly the Italians honor their dead, just go to any cemetery in both countries and you will notice flowers - fresh alright - adorning the tombs almost all year round!

East Grinstead, West Sussex, England

Arundel, West Sussex, England

Arundel, West Sussex, England

Hythe, Kent, England

Hythe, Kent, England

Hythe, Kent, England

Hythe, Kent, England

La Mure, France

Vence, France

Mortola, Italy

Mortola Cemetery, Italy

Mortola Cemetery, Italy

Fontan Cemetery, France

Fontan Cemetery, France

A trick-or-treating neighbour complete with a witch’s broom and a tiny witch hat
Fontan, France

Bow-wow-wow! Who’s the scariest of us all?
Fontan, France

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Our theme this Monday is a subject close to my heart.

 
Why do I have this complete fascination of photographing policemen?  It must be their uniform, the way they carry it, their lean but muscular figure
Paris, France

 
…….the way they move
Paris, France

 
…and carry themselves - all these giving them the aura of respectability and charisma
Seine river, Paris

 
while unflaggingly doing their duty to protect us all from harm (and illegal vendors such as in the above photo-chase)
Paris, France

Everytime I see them in public places, I quickly dig my camera out so I could fire off a candid shot or two ….from a distance

 
Yes, only from a distance. I really don’t have the courage to ask them to pose for me.  But others seem to do it in a breeze. 
Rome, Italy

So I just content myself to photographing their backs
Geneva, Switzerland

Most of my shots of policemen are those of their backsides
Aachen, Germany

And more backside….like this one in Montecarlo

Backside (again)..but in a staggering background
Montecarlo

The only time I could take a frontview shot is when they get too engrossed aiding drivers in distress
Paris, France

Policemen wear different uniforms not only according to rank but also depending on the season.  This photo clearly connotes a cold month,  late winter perhaps.
Vence, South of France

Rain or cold, patrol work is their most important duty.  Police visibility may not help stop crime but at least it can reduce the statistics.
Nottingham, England

This is late summer so they are still wearing short sleeves
Senate, Palais du Luxembourg, Paris

Policemen are also like you and me who laugh at their own jokes ….but still exudes an air of elegance.
Genova, Italy

Their mode of transportation also depends on their place of work, like here in Venice , a city of canals, so they have to use police boats.

And in Zermatt, Switzerland, to preserve the pure mountain-air environment, it is illegal to use vehicles with combustion engines, hence, they can only use electric-powered cars.

And if they are patrolling a large crowded area during a very important event such as the Patrimoine Weekend in Paris where thousands of people are queueing up for the chance to enter the French President’s Palace, then they have to be on horseback.
Paris, France

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Most of the summer of 2011 in Paris and its neighbouring cities in northern Europe had been abnormally soggy what with the large amount of rainfall that poured almost every other week.  This has naturally upset the holiday plans of those who have chosen to remain at home rather than joining the exodus of the vast majority of the population towards the dryer and warmer climes of the Mediterranean.

As a result of this wet scenario, the sale of umbrellas definitely have risen to its all-time high.  

True, it may only be an insignificant piece of possession but depending on who is using it and how it is being used, it could well be one of the most photogenic subjects.

Hence, I chose this Monday’s theme, the most used but the less talked about, the Umbrella.

The umbrella adds romance to a gloomy scene, especially if it is given a lively colour!

This artwork seen displayed in Place du Tertre, Paris

Trivial?  I don’t think so.  It actually symbolizes the weather of a powerful nation:  Great Britain.

British postcard

It exudes a certain chicness, when translated in French.

Lyon, France

And whether it rains or not, every mid-July to mid-August, the umbrella is a permanent fixture in the annual Paris Plage

Quai de Seine, Paris

“Rain, rain…. come to us, Jacques and Jill, are so much in love..”

Castle District, Prague

Not even rain can stop a shopaholic wife.

Off Avenue Montagne, Paris

An umbrella can feed a hungry stomach.

An Immigrant (not seen on the photo) selling his wares in Patras, Greece

It provided relief from the 2007 heatwave in Greece.

Corfu, Greece

An umbrella - or a twin - can well be an effective fashion statement!

Castle district, Prague

It’s raining, it’s pouring…but the scene is still quite photogenic!

Frankfurt Main Train Station, Germany

I’ve always dreamed of owning one like this!  It’s perfect for gardening!

Paris

An innovative approach to selling German bratwurst.

Bonn, Germany

An umbrella is a tourist guide’s best friend.

Rome, Italy

If not in used, tt could be an exotic decoration, when grouped with the others.

A Thai restaurant, Nottinghill, England

A surefire way to raise the value of an umbrella is to make it into an art medium.   

A souvenir shop in Vienna, Austria

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Traditional markets, mini-markets, flea markets, food kiosks …these are all  places that are worth adding to your travel itinerary!

It’s not only the food, shopping and bric-a-bracs but they also represent the little folies and idiosyncracies of the community, hence, a very interesting theme for this week is Markets.

Boqueria Market, Barcelona

San Remo Market, Italy

Spice shop, Dubai

Dried fish market, Cebu, Philippines

Village shop, Castelvittorio, Italy              

Suffolk, England

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