Bridges of Paris

Paris may be the city of lights but is also a city of bridges.

One of the best ways to explore the city is to walk along the river. The bridges provide excellent viewpoints to see the monuments of the town.

Some of the bridges themselves have become tourist attractions!

I guess this makes the bridges happy? This statues smile is broader than a mile.

I'm heading to Barcelona later this week with friends for a wedding so travel has been on my mind lately. I've been revisiting my photos from Paris last year; So much beauty that I had to share it with you here today.

Even something as simple as a light post can become a work of art.

Enjoy your Halloween weekend, everyone!

Max Ernst lived here

Paris is a city of history. Plaques on nearly every house list famous occupants and you obtain quite the lesson just walking down the street. I wonder if anyone but tourists pay any attention to these signs.

One day while sightseeing we came upon this very grand house with lovely wooden gates and a plaque bearing the name of the artist Max Ernst.

It was in this house in Paris that he lived the remainder of his life after returning to France and where he passed away in 1976.

I love these courtyard type houses which are found all throughout the city. Gates and walls provide an outdoor room to seperate their occupants from the city, sort of like a foyer in an apartment.

There are many ways to live comfortably in the midst of a city through good planning and this just is one of them!

Grand staircases of Vienna

My Australian friend is at it again, sending me gorgeous photos from his world travels. This set of photos from public buildings in Vienna especially caught my attention. The Viennese know how to create a dramatic staircase!The image at top reminds me of main hall in the Library of Congress while the red carpeted stair above is reminiscent of an Escher drawing to my mind! Seriously though, is that not the most confusing staircase you have ever seen? A lot going on there.The flooring in the stairhall above is what mainly caught my attention here. The checkered marble, again with the red carpeting, is so striking and those brass light fixtures are really beautiful.

I'll end with yet another complicated stair, however this time the limestone tones of the marble create a very calm feeling. Four very grand stairs and yet each one so different in its' own way, proving that there is more than one way to skin a cat!

Passageways

Thought I would share this old passageway from a mansion in Georgetown which has been converted into seperate townhouses. Imagine this being your entrance everyday - notice the secret garden beyond. Such a charming neighborhood!