Saturday, July 21, 2012

Paris Bouleverse


 Sometimes in Paris things go completement bouleverse/upside down or do a complete reversal on you like the weather. It was gris gris gris/Paris grey skies yesterday.

 Yesterday sand was dumped on the banks of the Seine at Pont Marie. Today you can swim at Paris Plage and the sun is out.
WOW

 By 7PM yesterday the Paris soleil/sun decided to come out

 In full blast.

 It lasted till 10 PM!

 A very welcome reversal indeed.
THE COLOR OF CITIES is a fav book because it explains why we love Paris or any extraordinary city. For reasons often overlooked like longitude, angles of light, shadow shapes.
Paris' low-contrast light is softer, more atmospheric, more moody  the best for still life painting thanks to overcast grey skies. Author Lois Swirnoff conveys a powerful message about the angle-of-light's impact upon regional colors, design and materials.

 The #70 bus dropped me at Hotel de Ville, last stop.
The square was completement plein/full of people picnicing, drinking beer, waiting for a pop concert to begin.
Who knew?

 Yesterday I bought this pretty green dessert with plans to paint it.

When I got home I found my pretty dessert had gone completement bouleverse on me.
c'est la vie.

18 comments:

  1. Anonymous4:28 AM

    When I first moved here a French friend thought it was strange I didn't find the Grey romantic. I thought it the funniest point!

    Regardless having sun till 10 PM is pretty swell, don't you think? Lovely snaps!

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  2. It would be heaven to have sunlight until 10 and even more heavenly to be able to try that lovely dessert!

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  3. Oh, I was in Germany last weekend and it rained from the time I left Heathrow to the moment I got back! I'm so fed up. There is a bit of brightness today.

    I hope you're having a fantastic time...

    Funny, the desert didn't want to be painted:) xx

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  4. Your lovely green dessert may have felt it bit too much under the sun or secretly doing headstands on the journey home? ;-)

    Love the expression "go completement boulevarse" - thanks for all the French lessons you are giving.

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  5. I do have to say that the Gray/gris makes the City seem a little moody and Romantic in pix, but the Blue sky does pop against all the gray/gris buildings. We are not getting the sun shine we usually get here either.

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  6. Looking at your photos of "ordinary" streets in Paris I wonder if it's ever possible to take an ugly picture there. Your virtual tours make it look as if all you have to do is hoist the camera to eye level and click -- your "eye" is magnifique.

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  7. Oh so beautiful! I'm not certain I'm ready to swim in the Seine yet....
    Connie*

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  8. I love that opening shot - that small side street. It just looks "pleasant" to me - I guess it's the lack of crowds....
    Your photo-sequence of the sunlight moving up the buildings is very clever - nice idea!

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  9. You chance to do deconstructed art!

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  10. What a shame about your dessert - how are you suppose to transport these delights home without them going mushy? I am so glad the rain has lifted, its finally stopped here in London and makes such a difference :-)

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    Replies
    1. How are you suppose to transport these delights home?

      This is the raison d'etre for ballerinas.

      On tip toe!

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  11. Carol, your Palerme must have been delicious. Each of our senses do have their own influential power.

    NYC report. We are now on a lovely loop of the climate fronts. Low humidity and temps in the 70's. True!

    I spoke with a friend this afternoon just returned from a trip to Paris (rain) and to the South...sunny, dry hot. In the Soutrh apparently, some cafes now deploy some little gizmos that are part fan, part moisture release device. Guess the idea is to refresh folks at their tables, under the umbrellas, while they sip delicious beverages and nibble little treats.

    xo

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  12. Finally, some sun in Paris! I hope you still enjoyed eating your dessert?

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    Replies
    1. the weather has turned gorgeous!
      The dessert was a still delish if a tad mushy...

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  13. Neat post Carol! Love the 10 PM light. Forgot that Paris is really so much farther north than LA.
    Sorry about your dessert subject/ the color is fabulous!
    Nice to learn a new French expression! Merci.
    LL

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  14. Love the photos...going from soft gray skies to vibrant blue skies.

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  15. Carolg: the spelling should be "bouleverse" an 'e' rather than 'a' for the verb bouleverser. :-)

    Love your blog and look forward to it each day!

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    1. Thanks!
      along with a touch of dyslexia I am a hopeless speller
      I will check the spelling and still read it wrong. Wrong things look right to me
      I switch and drop letters all the time.
      so did Einstein...

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