Magical Monday - Lamppost Lovers

MM: week 14
Lamppost lovers



Every Monday, Magical Monday, I post a photo that is hopefully puzzling, fantastical or unexpected.

More photos from the Magical Mondays series can be found here.

The last of the falling leaves

That time of year thou mayst in me behold

When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang

Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,

...

Extract from sonnet 73 by by William Shakespeare (1609)

As I walked up Rue Caulaincourt on Sunday I marvelled at the pavement which was strewn with fallen leaves. These small green leaves have been clinging on much longer than most, but now it's time to let go. The last of the leaves are falling. Winter is coming. Sigh.

Red leaves in the Montmartre Cemetery.




Red leaves and a cat.

Orange leaves in Oxford.



Yellow leaves.

Yellow leaves and a crow.


Yellow leaves and some spikes.


A beautiful tree in Parc Monceau.


A carefully swept pile of yellow leaves in our street.

This morning when I passed this tree I noticed that somebody has been playing with those carefully swept up leaves. The work of a Parisian road sweeper is never done.

Magical Monday - A Buffalo and a Tower

MM: week 13
A Buffalo and a Tower

I saw a buffalo taking on the Eiffel Tower!


Every Monday, Magical Monday, I post a photo that is hopefully puzzling, fantastical or unexpected.

More photos from the Magical Mondays series can be found here.

A silver sun and the Eiffel Tower

Yesterday I went to see the Chloé 'Attitudes' exhibition at the Palais de Tokyo. The exhibition is only on until the 18th November 2012, so if you haven't been already, I urge you to go. It's brilliant. Here are a few snapshots to give you a taster.

When I came out of the exhibition I walked towards the river. The light was magical.

Silver.


The sun was trying to burn through the hazy sky, but it's November so the sun doesn't really burn.


The sun looked like the moon.

It even moved like the moon.


And then, as I crossed the bridge I swear I saw a canon ball. Boom!

Magical Monday - Visitors from Loch Noodle

MM: week 12
Visitors from Loch Noodle

First I saw one.


And then I saw two!



When the kids saw these photos they both groaned. This is what they think of some of my photo-taking antics.

Every Monday, Magical Monday, I post a photo that is hopefully puzzling, fantastical or unexpected.

More photos from the Magical Mondays series can be found here.

The otherworldliness of Oxford colleges

Holiday time again, les Vacances de Toussaint, All Saints' day holidays. A holiday in honour of all saints known and unknown. We've been in the UK, initially to go to a brilliant disco themed party, and then to stay on and visit family. 

This past week we've been in Oxford, the city where I was brought up. 

It's been cold and damp, but the sun has come out every now and then and we've managed to get out for a few strolls. On one of our outings we walked around the gardens of Magdelen College. Once you step across the threshold from the High Street into the college you're in another world.

The kids thought they were walking around Hogwarts. They have a point. Here are the Magdelen school choir boys going off to sing in the Chapel. We felt pretty sure we saw Harry.

By the time we got there it was already dusk, the light was lovely.

Then we walked around the deer park, part of the Magdelen college gardens. Looking back we got a beautiful view of Magdelen Tower in the sunset. As a former Oxford comprehensive school educated person I had already developed a well honed and chippy (with reason!*) anti Oxford University attitude by the time I was 18 years old. However, as I've grown older I can't help but be overwhelmed by what an exceptionally beautiful place it is.

* Here's an article from the Guardian Newspaper (July 2011) 'University admissions study reveals extent of Oxbridge divide'.